Ferrari 360 Spider by Esoteric Auto Detail

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Ferrari 360 Spider by Esoteric Auto Detail of Columbus, Ohio



On Today`s menu we have a beautiful Ferrari 360 Spider in need of attention to restore it to its original beauty. It was in pretty good condition for being about 6 years old now, but as can be expected, it has its fair share of swirls, scratches, and dirty leather.



As with many of the Italian cars I`ve been working on lately, this one was shipped in from out of state. The owner`s biggest concern was the swirls, but also wanted a good thorough clean-up and protection package as well.



Although this article won`t have the shock & awe factor as my Ferrari 355 GTS Mini-Restoration that was recently published, this 360 still went through a pretty dramatic transformation.



First let`s take a look at the condition and come up with a plan of attack.



This would be tire “gunk�. It was caked on the tires, on the wheels, in the wheel wells, and all down the side of the car. I`ve seen some products like this that will actually stain different parts of the car, so after cleaning it off we may have other issues to deal with. To clean these I would use a stronger cleaner like Optimum Power Clean.





Brake calipers and rims had a healthy layer of brake dust built up on them. They would be no match however for P21S Wheel Gel and my trusty EZ Detail brush!





Exhaust tips needed some care as usual. A little Megs APC+ to break down the heavy stuff, followed by some Optimum Metal Polish should do the trick.





After thoroughly cleaning the vehicle using the 2x4 wash method, and adding some P21S TAW to help strip the previous coat(s) of wax, I found that the surface had a bit of a crunchy feel to it which meant it needed to be clayed to give me a smooth surface to polish on.



After thoroughly cleaning, stripping, and claying the finish I could do a true inspection to see what I was up against. I also took a lot of paint thickness measurements using my DeFelsko gauge to see if the (sometimes) delicate Ferrari paint had any stories to tell. As usual...it did! I found some spot repairs where the thicknesses were all over the place. Going in with this knowledge, I knew where I could be aggressive with my polishing, and where I needed to be more careful given the thin paint.



Given the condition of the paint, I figured that a two-step polishing process using Megs 105 and Megs 205 should do the trick. After testing a section to confirm this method, I proceeded on. For the majority of the defects I used my PC7424XP with an orange LC pad and Megs 105. When I encountered deeper defects, I switched to the Makita rotary with a 4� Cyan Hydro-Tech pad. For finishing I again used the PCXP with a black LC pad and Megs 205.



Although this is a photo from a previous job (on a California), I wanted to show how I keep my tools together to ensure a smooth work flow. As you can see, I have my rotary, and two different PC`s ready and armed with different sized pads. When I come to a tight area I can just grab the PC with the small backing plate/pad instead of stopping to switch backing plates. When I uncover a deeper defect, I quickly grab for the rotary. This helps streamline the process for me and allows for greater efficiency. I`m not saying it will work for everybody, but it does for me.







Now back to the work at hand...



Here is a before and after on the rear quarter panel. The after shot is post-compounding so it hasn`t reached its full gloss potential yet.



Before:





After:





Here`s the same thing on the other side of the car. As you can probably imagine when looking at the big intake here, there are a lot of challenging areas to polish on these cars.



Before:





After:





Speaking of challenging areas, how about this one? This is definitely an area where the PC is the tool of choice simply for safety reasons.





More before:





After:





The front ends always tend to have deeper defects, so I (carefully) utilize the Makita rotary with a 4� spot pad in these areas.



Before:





During:





After:

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Here was some more severe damage on the cowling behind the passenger side that required more aggressive methods. I used Menzerna Power Gloss with a PFW pad on the rotary, followed by 105 and an orange pad on the rotary, followed by 105 and an orange pad on the PC, then 205 on the PC.



Before:





After:





And you can`t forget those tricky painted areas inside the car!







It looks like work being done here! As you can see in the bottom left of the photo, I need to utilize a stand so that I can access the middle of the vehicle behind the seats. This is just one of the many “challenging� areas to get to on many Ferraris.







After doing my multi-step polishing, I completely cleaned all polishing residue for the paint (and cracks), and then kicked up the gloss a bit with a PC-applied application of CG EZ crème Glaze. Once that was complete, I applied a coat of Optimum Opti-Seal for protection.



Now let`s move to the interior!



Anytime you`re dealing with convertibles, you`re going to have dirty interiors...it`s just a fact of life. Even with a Ferrari that sees limited amount of time on the roads, you need to thoroughly clean it all and make sure the leather is properly conditioned and protected. Every single Ferrari I work on get a full treatment of Leatherique, and this one was no exception.



Here are a few shots of the Rejuvenator Oil spending some time to deep clean and condition the leather:











All leather surfaces (and there were a lot!) got treated...even the owner`s manual holder and key fob cover.







After allowing the Rejuvenator Oil to work for a day, I finished the process with Prestine Clean to reveal a very clean, soft, and supple leather finish. Prestine Clean also has UV protectants which is a must for a convertible.



After Leatherique:



















People may say that anybody who does leather treatment on key fob and manual holders has issues. To this I reply: “thank you!�







The rest of the interior was cleaned up with Megs Quik Interior Detailer.







By now I`m sure that you`re ready to see some after shots, so I`m proud to present photo-palooza!

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The gloss afterwards was tremendous as seen in this shot.



























The engine compartment was cleaned out with ONR in a spray bottle, and then polished/sealed with Klasse All-In-One.











Rims and calipers were sealed with Optimum Opti-Seal, and the tires were dressed with Optimum Tire Gel.















I love looking at these engines through the glass!















Now a break for a quick story. Behind the 360 Spider awaits a stunning 360 Challenge Stradale for me to work on. The new owner just bought this from the west coast, had it picked up on a semi truck, and then delivered from across the country straight to the shop for it to be worked on before even making it to his house that`s about 3 hours away. I know it`s killing him having this new beast, and not even able to look at it out in his own garage! I`ll be working on this one over the next couple of weeks.

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This car beckons you to jump in and take it for a drive!







And finally...







I received a report back that when the delivery truck arrived, and the owner saw the car after having it detailed, he was “shocked� at how good the paint looked. He knew it was going to be good, but he had no idea that it could be taken to that level. When I hear that, it makes the 18+ hours all worthwhile.



Thanks as always for taking the time to review my work.

[Rickrack]

Looks absolutely perfect Todd!



I wouldn`t expect anything less from Esoteric...



There`s nothing better than a perfectly detailed red Ferrari! Well, maybe if it was my red Ferrari!



Top notch work!!

[Eisen Hulk]

Good gravy, Todd!!



That thing is sick!!!! Nothing less than expected, friend.

[D Tailor]

Fantastic Todd! I specially like the interior. Love that coachwork! The master strikes again!!

[gmblack3]

Beautiful, stunning and outstanding!



Thanks for taking the time to share.

[Labster]

Amazing work as always Todd! I take it that the new association with the shop is working out well for you?

[Nikku]

Simply awww inspiring Todd. Fantastic work as usual!!!



Is that your new shop? Sorry maybe out of the loop here lol. If it is it looks fantastic

[vberch]

It looks absolutly perfect!!!

[Apollo_Auto]

God I can`t wait to work on some older Fezzas like that . Nice job, buddy!

[MarcHarris]

Another stunner with maxed out gloss. Great educational write-up, pics, comments, and I can`t wait for the next!

[Todd@RUPES]

Wow Todd!!! Seriously amazing work. I am always inspired by your dedication, passion, and the results those ingredients procure! EXCELLENT WRITE UP!!!

[Pats300zx]

Simply Amazing Todd !!!! I am looking forward to the write up on the Stradale...