mikenap
12-16-2011, 12:26 PM
Although I`ve never been much of a Mustang guy, the SVT Cobras have always appealed to me. They have a more stripped-down, all-business look to them compared to standard Mustangs and GTs. The subtle decklid spoiler replaces the gaudy rear wings of other, lesser `Stangs. No hood scoops are found here, just the inverted vents. In my eyes it`s a cleaner, classier look.
This car came to me to clean up some heavy waterspotting. In discussions with the owner, it seems the car is often washed with well water and had been rinsed without drying off several times. This resulted in many tiny above-surface spots which cleaned up easily along with some deeper etching that was challenging to remove. This car was initially scheduled for a one-step correction but ultimately that one step was performed multiple times on every panel. I guess it should be considered a multi-step detail, even though only one polish and pad type was used.:tongue2:
On another note, the owner is very particular about this car. It`s the first car he ever bought, so he has a definite emotional attachment to it. He also doesn`t like driving the car at night, so it had to be completed with enough daylight to get it back to where it`s stored. So I had to hustle to have it ready in time and didn`t have a chance for too many pics. In all, I had about 16-17 hours into it.
Process:
Foamed with CG CWC, then rinsed
ONR Washed
Clayed with CM Blue
Glass and underhood areas compounded with M105/orange
Paint polished with D300/ MF cutting pad.
Wheels polished with M105/orange and M205/white
Exhaust polished with Meguiar`s NXT Metal polish
Wheels and exhaust coated with OPT Opti-Guard
Foamed again with CG CWC
Glass cleaned with Meguiar`s D120
LSP was Wolfgang DGPS 3.0
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1561.jpg
This was a cool pic from before the initial wash
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1562.jpg
The factory wheels were off the car, so I cleaned and polished those first and coated them.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1536.jpg
Scratches before
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1540.jpg
Scratches after
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1541.jpg
Center caps before
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1547.jpg
Center caps after
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1565.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1567.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1568.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1574.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1569.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1570.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1559.jpg
Dull reflections on hood
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1587.jpg
No reflection from trunk
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1591.jpg
Trunk under fluorescent lights
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1592.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1594.jpg
Roof before
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1593.jpg
After several passes, some outlines of the deeper etching remained
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1598.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1599.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1600.jpg
Foaming after polishing. Aftermarket wheels had bubbling under the chrome, so the factory wheels were going back on.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1606.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1607.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1610.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1611.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1612.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1613.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1614.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1615.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1616.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1617.jpg
In the end, some of the etching was too deep to fully remove this time, but the improvement in gloss and reflection was apparent. Thanks for looking, and any comments or criticisms are welcome!
This car came to me to clean up some heavy waterspotting. In discussions with the owner, it seems the car is often washed with well water and had been rinsed without drying off several times. This resulted in many tiny above-surface spots which cleaned up easily along with some deeper etching that was challenging to remove. This car was initially scheduled for a one-step correction but ultimately that one step was performed multiple times on every panel. I guess it should be considered a multi-step detail, even though only one polish and pad type was used.:tongue2:
On another note, the owner is very particular about this car. It`s the first car he ever bought, so he has a definite emotional attachment to it. He also doesn`t like driving the car at night, so it had to be completed with enough daylight to get it back to where it`s stored. So I had to hustle to have it ready in time and didn`t have a chance for too many pics. In all, I had about 16-17 hours into it.
Process:
Foamed with CG CWC, then rinsed
ONR Washed
Clayed with CM Blue
Glass and underhood areas compounded with M105/orange
Paint polished with D300/ MF cutting pad.
Wheels polished with M105/orange and M205/white
Exhaust polished with Meguiar`s NXT Metal polish
Wheels and exhaust coated with OPT Opti-Guard
Foamed again with CG CWC
Glass cleaned with Meguiar`s D120
LSP was Wolfgang DGPS 3.0
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1561.jpg
This was a cool pic from before the initial wash
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1562.jpg
The factory wheels were off the car, so I cleaned and polished those first and coated them.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1536.jpg
Scratches before
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1540.jpg
Scratches after
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1541.jpg
Center caps before
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1547.jpg
Center caps after
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1565.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1567.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1568.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1574.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1569.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1570.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1559.jpg
Dull reflections on hood
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1587.jpg
No reflection from trunk
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1591.jpg
Trunk under fluorescent lights
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1592.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1594.jpg
Roof before
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1593.jpg
After several passes, some outlines of the deeper etching remained
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1598.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1599.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1600.jpg
Foaming after polishing. Aftermarket wheels had bubbling under the chrome, so the factory wheels were going back on.
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1606.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1607.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1610.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1611.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1612.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1613.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1614.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1615.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1616.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc50/micnap/Long%20SVT%20Cobra/DSCN1617.jpg
In the end, some of the etching was too deep to fully remove this time, but the improvement in gloss and reflection was apparent. Thanks for looking, and any comments or criticisms are welcome!