Scottwax
09-11-2012, 12:37 AM
2010 Shelby Mustang GT500. Owner recently purchased this car and wasn`t particularly happy with how the finish looked. Arranged to go by and look at the car and I had to agree, it needed work. Lots of spider swirls, some water spotting and rotary swirls. The color was pretty flat looking as well. He wanted to see significant improvement. Not necessarily 100% perfect because while not a daily driver, it will be a regular weekend toy. But the condition it was in just wouldn`t do. We talked it over and I felt that a good compounding step followed by a couple polishing steps would remove the vast majority of defects and add a ton of depth to the finish. Still planned for a full day, just in case. That way if we felt an extra step would benefit the finish, I`d still have time. As it turned out, 3 steps worked quite well.
ONR wash
Clay Magic blue clay
Meguiars #105 cut 50/50 with Meguiars Ultimate Compound* using a Meguiars microfiber cutting disc and my PC 7424 XP on speed 5
Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC on speed 5
3M Ultrafina using a white Lake Country foam polishing pad and my PC
ONR wash
Optimum Opti-Seal
Optimum Car Wax
Armor All on tires/fenderwells
*I was getting low on #105 (which works great on Ford paint), went by Walmart since one I was in the other day carried #105/205/300/301 and the microfiber pads. Unfortunately, the one in north Arlington or the one in far east Fort Worth didn`t carry the professional line. Figured it was as good a time as any to try Ultimate Compound. Worked well, cut seems to be between #105 and D300.
Only one direct before and after, sun was filtered through the trees when we started, just didn`t have time to move the car back and forth from sun to shade.
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_before1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_after1.jpg
Hard to get the color right on this car, on my preview screen it was showing lighter than it actually was, so I adjusted the exposure...a little too far the other way. Last two pics are from my cell phone and are a pretty accurate representation of the color of the car. One of these days I`ll figure out how to adjust the exposure for all car colors on my new camera.
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_front1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_frontend1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_side1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_rear1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_front2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_side2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_sun1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_sun2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_sun3.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_front3.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_frontend2.jpg
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2006 Acura TSX. Owner contacted me a few weeks ago, tough setting up a day as she is a teacher and school was starting. Finally got a weekend day open so I could take care of it. The car could really use a hard correction, but the owners don`t have room in their garage so it sits outside 24/7, plus they have an infant so perfect paint is pretty low on the list right now. Main goal was protection for the winter, plus to clean and dress the leather seats.
ONR wash
Clay Magic blue clay
Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC
Optimum Opti-Seal
Armor All on tires/fenderwells
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_front1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_frontend2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_rear1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_side1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_rear2.jpg
----------------------
2012 Chevy Colorado. The owner and I had set an appointment for a few weeks ago, unfortunately, the dealer scratched up the rear bumper and it had to be refinished. More unfortunately, the body shop left buffer marks on the passenger doors and the front half of the hood. Not to mention it had water spots from the apartment sprinklers. Most unfortunately, it had the softest paint I`ve ever had to deal with on a GM. So soft it was jealous of how relatively hard jet black BMW paint is! Just using D300 or OHP to remove the swirls and water spots left a lot of hazing. What ended up working was Meguiars #205 and a foam polishing pad. That`s why I carry so many polishes with me, you just never know what you might run into.
ONR wash
Clay Magic blue clay (which left light marring)
D300/Optimum Hyper Polish mixed and an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC to remove the swirls
Meguiars #205 using a Meguiars yellow foam polishing pad and my PC.
Collinite 476 Paste Wax
Armor All on tires/fenderwells
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_front1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_frontend1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_rear1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_frontend2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_side1.jpg
ONR wash
Clay Magic blue clay
Meguiars #105 cut 50/50 with Meguiars Ultimate Compound* using a Meguiars microfiber cutting disc and my PC 7424 XP on speed 5
Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC on speed 5
3M Ultrafina using a white Lake Country foam polishing pad and my PC
ONR wash
Optimum Opti-Seal
Optimum Car Wax
Armor All on tires/fenderwells
*I was getting low on #105 (which works great on Ford paint), went by Walmart since one I was in the other day carried #105/205/300/301 and the microfiber pads. Unfortunately, the one in north Arlington or the one in far east Fort Worth didn`t carry the professional line. Figured it was as good a time as any to try Ultimate Compound. Worked well, cut seems to be between #105 and D300.
Only one direct before and after, sun was filtered through the trees when we started, just didn`t have time to move the car back and forth from sun to shade.
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_before1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_after1.jpg
Hard to get the color right on this car, on my preview screen it was showing lighter than it actually was, so I adjusted the exposure...a little too far the other way. Last two pics are from my cell phone and are a pretty accurate representation of the color of the car. One of these days I`ll figure out how to adjust the exposure for all car colors on my new camera.
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_front1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_frontend1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_side1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_rear1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_front2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_side2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_sun1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_sun2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_sun3.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_front3.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2010_Shelby_Mustang_frontend2.jpg
-----------------------
2006 Acura TSX. Owner contacted me a few weeks ago, tough setting up a day as she is a teacher and school was starting. Finally got a weekend day open so I could take care of it. The car could really use a hard correction, but the owners don`t have room in their garage so it sits outside 24/7, plus they have an infant so perfect paint is pretty low on the list right now. Main goal was protection for the winter, plus to clean and dress the leather seats.
ONR wash
Clay Magic blue clay
Optimum Hyper Polish using an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC
Optimum Opti-Seal
Armor All on tires/fenderwells
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_front1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_frontend2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_rear1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_side1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2006_Acura_TSX_rear2.jpg
----------------------
2012 Chevy Colorado. The owner and I had set an appointment for a few weeks ago, unfortunately, the dealer scratched up the rear bumper and it had to be refinished. More unfortunately, the body shop left buffer marks on the passenger doors and the front half of the hood. Not to mention it had water spots from the apartment sprinklers. Most unfortunately, it had the softest paint I`ve ever had to deal with on a GM. So soft it was jealous of how relatively hard jet black BMW paint is! Just using D300 or OHP to remove the swirls and water spots left a lot of hazing. What ended up working was Meguiars #205 and a foam polishing pad. That`s why I carry so many polishes with me, you just never know what you might run into.
ONR wash
Clay Magic blue clay (which left light marring)
D300/Optimum Hyper Polish mixed and an Optimum microfiber cutting pad and my PC to remove the swirls
Meguiars #205 using a Meguiars yellow foam polishing pad and my PC.
Collinite 476 Paste Wax
Armor All on tires/fenderwells
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_front1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_frontend1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_rear1.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_frontend2.jpg
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/cars7/2012_Chevy_Colorado_side1.jpg