Audi S4, Lexus ES300, Gold Wing, Mark LT

Scottwax · 04-24-06, 08:03

2002 Lexus ES300. A member of another board contacted me and wanted his wife's new to them ES300 waxed and the interior touched up. It was a certified car and apparently Sewell does a decent job cleaning them up without swirling them up (but not good enough for him to leave their emblem on the back, which I removed). I had to clay the front bumper since it had been repainted but had some light overspray left on it and then polished with Werkstatt's Prime using a blue Propel polishing pad and sealed with Acrylic Jett by hand.

Not sure what caused the red lens flare in a couple pic.

While I was working on the Lexus, his neighbor from across the street came over. He asked if I had time to detail his Honda Gold Wing. At first, I said no because I figured he must have just got back from a road trip but he said he'd just washed it the other day and only need it waxed since he wanted to get pics to put on E-bay and sell it. I told him to bring it over so I could see what it would need. Sure enough, he had washed it and it only had a little dust on it. While the Prime on the Lexus was curing for 30 minutes, I washed the bike down with Optimum No Rinse Wash and polished the fairing with Werkstatt's Carnauba Prime and the chrome with regular Prime. No reason to top Carnauba Prime, looks incredibly wet as is and should have at least a few months durability on its own. Plus, the bike is garaged anyway.

I was really happy with how it turned out, especially for spending only about 35 minutes or so on it.

-KGB- · 04-24-06, 08:14

Nice! Nice!

Scottwax · 04-24-06, 08:15

2006 Lincoln Mark LT. Brand new but it had been sitting on the dealer's lot for several months and the owner leaves it out and keeps his BMW 740 in the garage. Washed with Optimum No Rinse Wash and clayed the top half of the truck using No Rinse as lube and razor bladed the glass. The truck was pretty gritty from sitting out. You know the drill, spray down with deionized water and let air dry. Sure no water spots, but whatever is in the air still settles on the paint while it is drying. I polished off some stubborn grime off the hood, the rest of the truck was pretty good. I went over the whole truck with Werkstatt's Acrylic Jett Trigger. Took maybe 15 minutes.

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2004 Audi S4. This one convinced me I definitely need to at least get a Cyclo polisher and maybe even a rotary.

Just unbelievably rock hard paint and some pretty tough halo swirls. Even worse, the car was not polished prior to the installation of the clear bra. Obviously, those aren't coming out.

Pretty picture intensive so I have to break it up.

Before shot-only the wheels and fenderwells had been cleaned:

After washing with Optimum No Rinse Wash and claying:

I then started polishing. Optimum Compound, not strong enough. Meguiars DACP, not strong enough. Optimum Hyper Compound with a yellow LC polishing pad....now I was making some headway. Several agonizingly slow passes over each panel. Removed about 75% of the swirls. I then stepped down to Meguiars DACP using a yellow Meguiars polishing pad, then to Optimum Compound using a white LC polishing pad. At that point, about 90% of the swirls were gone and I had been polishing nearly 3 hours. I then went with my Menzerna 106FF/Cleakrote Red Machine Glaze mix (70/30) using a white LC polishing pad.

By this time, the sun had broken through the clouds so this shot isn't a perfect before and after but I think you can see the polishing paid off in depth and wetness:

More coming up!

dneedsmuscles · 04-24-06, 08:17

For only 30-ish minutes of work, I bet the guy with the GoldWing felt he got a heck-of-a-bargain! It shines so much it almost looks like a toy!

Awesome work.

BlackMach1 · 04-24-06, 08:22

awesome work! Oh man, that S4 is amazing

Scottwax · 04-24-06, 08:23

I then finished the car off with Werkstatt's Carnauba Prime using a white LC polishing pad and topped with Meguiars #16 Paste.

This color definitely looks wetter in the shade than in the direct sun but even with bright sunlight, it still looked pretty wet. The paint is also noticably darker in the shade too.

Overall, even though I really pushed the limits of the PC on this one, other than a few stubborn swirls on the trunk lid, the vast majority of them were gone and what was left was hard to see even under bright sun.

Bioman · 04-24-06, 08:27

You never use a rotary?

mrecktid · 04-24-06, 08:30

So if you had to choose Scott, what would you get? Cyclo or Rotary? Larry has a pretty good price for the Cyclo...

Scottwax · 04-24-06, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bioman

You never use a rotary?

Last time I used one was 25 years ago when I took an auto body class.

Scottwax · 04-24-06, 08:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrecktid

So if you had to choose Scott, what would you get? Cyclo or Rotary? Larry has a pretty good price for the Cyclo...

Probably going to get a Cyclo from Larry first. In addition to the extra polishing power, It'd give me two polishers for the summer when my kids are helping me.

mrecktid · 04-24-06, 08:37

Yeah my cousin wants to start polishing his car, and I can't decide whether or not to tell him to get a PC or sell him mine and get me a Cyclo

It's making my decision on new pads a hard one

AMP01 · 04-24-06, 08:42

Scott,

Those pics are amazing!

I really like all the pics but especially the S4 and the Lincoln! Wet, Wet , Wet. I might have to try some of those Werstatt products.

Do you think that Prime or Prime Strong is better than AIO. I have some AIO left but if you think that either of the Prime's is better I'll get that too. As you know, I really am looking for the best possible look on BMW titanium silver metallic paint.

Again, Scott those pics are awsome!

Cheers,