600+ hp SL55 AMG Refreshed by AutoLavish of Michigan

**MarcHarris** · 03-30-2011, 04:29 PM

Thanks to a referral from a top detailer, we were contacted to refresh this nicely modified SL 55 AMG. Saphire Black can look stunning, but without proper clarity, the paint doesn`t show in the sense that it should; deep reflective black with brilliant metallic flakes when seen with a direct light source.

In addition to requesting paint correction, the interior also needed some attention after 75,000+ miles of fun driving, and when you`re going to work on the exterior and interior, you might as well properly show off the engine bay too!

Though the owner lived over an hour away, we were lucky enough to be invited to Motor Werks: a local shop that specializes in German vehicles. To work on this beautiful car was a priviledge, but to work on such a beauty with many other beautiful cars (CL600, 500E, S63 AMG, 355, RS4, etc) around made the work that much more pleasurable.

Arriving on day one, we began with the interior and the summer wheels. A leather repair specialist was due to fix some damage on the driver`s seat, so thoroughly cleaning the interior (including the seats) would help to make sure the repair would match perfectly.

As usual, we started with the vacuum.

To include the small, hard to reach areas like around buttons and inside the door panel`s pocket:

Once loose debris was removed, hard surfaces were cleaned and protected with 1Z Cockpit Premium.

Leather cleaning was achieved using Leather Master Strong Cleaner and a toothbrush. While there are seats with a lot more build up than these had, the difference was still quite noticeable. I sectioned off the front of the seat to show the difference made.

Even sectioned off a part of the side bolster to show the nice subtle difference:

Here is one last shot to show how even perferrated leather can come back with careful and patient care.

As I finished working on the leather seats, Jacob moved his attention to the forged wheels used for summer driving. Already somewhat clean, he removed tar specs, shredded rubber, and light build up with a combination of Meguiar`s 105 and 3M Adhesive remover.

The convertible top inserts and windscreen were the last interior items that could use some love, but they too were cleaned for a nice fresh look.

This concluded the first day of work. A few weeks laster, we returned to dial-in the exterior. It was a bit dusty to say the least, but the real problem was the condition of the paint.

The license plate was removed prior to beginning to make sure all exterior surfaces would be cleaned properly.

Jacob began with the door jambs while I started with the wheels, calipers, and engine bay.

**MarcHarris** · 03-30-2011, 04:30 PM

Foamed and washed, and then clayed to remove contamination that normal washing will not.

On the left is the clay Jacob used on the passanger side of the vehicle, on the right is the clay I used on the driver`s side and lowers. Notice the red overspray that the clay removed (on left), and the amount of tar that was removed from the lowest sections of the vehicle (on right).

After claying, the vehicle was rewashed, rinsed, and dried.

Now it`s time for true inspection of the vehicle`s paint. Let`s take a look...

To add to the degree of difficulty, half the vehicle had been repainted, and half of it was original. Paint thickness measurements helped to identify potentially problematic areas.

Very thin original paint...

We were expecting to need two different polishing combinations: one that worked best on the repainted sections, and one that would effectively clear-up the thin original paint. While we began taping off anything that could potentially be damaged by a high speed buffer, we also made note of some of the most dangerous sections so we could proceeed with caution.

The importance of doing things right: thickness measurement of 217 microns on the driver`s side rear fender but only 99 microns a few inches away... who do you trust with YOUR car?

Enough talk: let`s make a nice difference!

**MarcHarris** · 03-30-2011, 04:31 PM

Before:

After:

After, no flash:

Front grill done by hand:

Coming along...

Still not done...

While the paint looked great by all means, we wanted to achieve a higher level of clarity. Using Menzerna`s Final Polish (PO87), we further worked the paint with a blue Lake Country pad to achieve a higher level of gloss. In the following photo, you can make out the very slight line between the two lights, and the heightened clarity on the left side.

As a finishing touch, the good fellows at Motor Werks helped to swap the winter wheels for the summer ones. The forged Carlson wheels surely helped give the SL a better look for the photographer who would arrive shortly.

Onto the following final wash, crevise cleaning, dressing, and a protective layer of Blackfire for additional gloss and slickness.

Right on time, Andy Perry arrived to lend his talents to capture the outcome as we were finishing up applying sealant the final touches.

Blackfire applied:

Engine dried:

Wiping off the set Blackfire Wet Diamond sealant, the brilliant shine was revealed.

Thanks for taking a look, and a special thank you to Andy Perry Photog and to the individual who referred this client

-Marc and Jacob from AutoLavish Luxury Car Detailing of Michigan

**Barry Theal** · 03-30-2011, 05:00 PM

Money money money!!! Talk about bringing it on! Wow great write up and work!! Loved this one guys. Outstanding hooaaah.

**Pats300zx** · 03-30-2011, 05:14 PM

Beautiful work guys !!!!

**Greg Nichols** · 03-30-2011, 07:45 PM

Marc and Jacob!

OH my that last photo really sums up the craftsmanship you bring to your clients!

Cheers,

GREG

**Legacy** · 03-30-2011, 08:04 PM

Super job Marc and alway`s love your write ups.

Hollywood* · 03-30-2011, 08:16 PM

I agree. Great write up and amazing job. Your attention to detail is top notch.

**VW 91** · 03-30-2011, 08:50 PM

Wow, great work!

Were paint measurements taken after polishing? Just curious cause it looked like you did correction with a PC, and was wondering if correcting with a PC can take off any substantial amount of paint.

**dmw2692004** · 03-31-2011, 01:30 AM

Awesome work, looks amazing!

Do you guys air-dry or blot dry after the final rise/wash?

**MarcHarris** · 03-31-2011, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Barry Theal

Money money money!!! Talk about bringing it on! Wow great write up and work!! Loved this one guys. Outstanding hooaaah.

Thanks a lot Barry. Hope to meet up with you one day and knock some thing out!

Originally Posted by Pats300zx

Beautiful work guys !!!!

Thanks a lot Pat. Hope you had a good time down in the warmth of the South

Originally Posted by Greg Nichols

Marc and Jacob!

OH my that last photo really sums up the craftsmanship you bring to your clients!

Cheers,

GREG

Thanks a lot Greg - we appreciate the kind words. I look forward to seeing what someone of your talents has next

Originally Posted by Legacy99

Super job Marc and alway`s love your write ups.

Thank you very much! We try to keep them entertaining and educational.

Originally Posted by Hollywood*

I agree. Great write up and amazing job. Your attention to detail is top notch.

Much appreciated. Thanks you for the kind remarks.

Originally Posted by VW 91

Wow, great work!

Were paint measurements taken after polishing? Just curious cause it looked like you did correction with a PC, and was wondering if correcting with a PC can take off any substantial amount of paint.

Measurements were taken continuously. DA polishers CAN take off a fair amount of paint, but it`s all in how you use them. In this case, changes only averaged 2-4 microns in the thicker areas and 1-2 in the thin original paint sections.

Originally Posted by dmw2692004

Awesome work, looks amazing!

Do you guys air-dry or blot dry after the final rise/wash?

Thanks! After the final wash a leaf blower and microfiber waffle weave towels are used to gently remove water. The blower does the majority of the work at that point of the detail, but the towels are still needed to gently blot away and remaining droplets.