2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

[Sizzle Chest]

2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Black/black
2081 Miles
707HP/650TQ 6.2L Supercharged V8
0-60: 3.4 sec/Top speed: 204MPH

This is a new client that was a referral. His BAD BLACK KITTY was in dire need of some love. It was covered from nose to tail with heavy swirls, some scratching and marring. This is a 2018 model with only a little over 2,000 miles on it. Code name: HAMMERED.

While it was in to Autodermatology, it was going to receive a wheels off paint correction and a glass coating to keep it looking as good as it can for as long as it can!(with proper maintenance).

I achieved approximately 80% correction. Being a brand new vehicle with just over 2,000 miles on the clock and minimal factory clear, I wanted to be as conservative as possible in an attempt to ‘save some paint/clear’ for any possible future corrections it may need.


Process/Tools/Chemicals/Etc:

Decon: IronX lemon.
Wash: 2BW w/Adam’s Shampoo.
Clay: Griot’s Medium Mitt.
MF Chenille mitt.
Misc. MF and foam pads.
Rupes LK900, LHR75 and iBrid/Nano.
Defelsko PTG.
MasterBlaster.
ScanGrip lighting.
Griot’s Fast Correcting Crème.
Blackfire Polish.
CarPro Eraser for final wipedown.
LSP: 22ple Mistico Elemento Forte.
Wheels/Calipers/Wells LSP: 22ple VM1.
Adam’s wheel cleaner.
Adam’s tire and rubber cleaner.
Adam’s APC.
Misc. brushes.
GYEON tire for tire dressing.
Adam’s glass cleaner.
Metro Vacuum.
McKee’37 quick interior detailer.
Gtechniq leather guard on all interior leather surfaces.
Pinnacle exhaust cleaner and brightener on exhaust tips.


Thank you for looking! Any questions please ask! Comments are welcomed!

[Sizzle Chest]

[Sizzle Chest]

[mc2hill]

Love the work you did, but the wheels make it look a LEO whip!

[Stokdgs]

Love the work you did, but the wheels make it look a LEO whip!

+1 ^^^^^^

Beautiful, just perfect work, Scott !!!

I will never embrace the monochrome paint/wheel look...

50+ years ago, people that had painted wheels that looked like this were the people who could not afford nicer, aluminum, chrome, wheels...
It is like we have evolved - backwards -..

Remember when those little chin/mustache beard things came out ? Remember how they took off, and even now, 25 years later, people wear them?

25 years ago, when I saw one of these things on an Ex Con I was sponsoring for AA, I asked him, "Eddie, where did you get the idea to grow whiskers just on your chin and connect your mustache to it ???" His reply - " Dan, We Convicts in Prison, invented that look years ago"...

Dan F

[sjb89]

Beautiful work Scott !! AS USUAL !! Great photos. I look forward to your posts.

[Lonnie]

sizzle chest:
You seem to be the first person to actual use the new Rupes forced-rotation LK900 polisher and tell us about it. Is it "better" than the other long-throw dual-action polishers you use AND does it work as well? Will it replace the LT-DAs ..OR... is it a tool to supplement LT-DA and in what instances would the LK900 be used over a LT-DA?
I only ask because you stated that one of the objectives in doing this vehicle was to save as much of the clear-coat with as little correction as possible for future corrections. Does the LK900 lend itself to this objective?

I ask because there are many hobbyist on the fence as to what new polisher to purchase, and these newer direct-drive/forced rotation polishers are another option for us, but we just do not have enough information from experiences of professional detailers to make an informed purchasing decision. Your write-up of your hands-on experience using the LK900 and your opinion and evaluation are invaluable to all Autopians.

[Sizzle Chest]

Thanks everyone!!! Mike, those are Demon wheels!!!

Stokdgs: LOL at your response!!

[Sizzle Chest]

sizzle chest:
You seem to be the first person to actual use the new Rupes forced-rotation LK900 polisher and tell us about it. Is it "better" than the other long-throw dual-action polishers you use AND does it work as well? Will it replace the LT-DAs ..OR... is it a tool to supplement LT-DA and in what instances would the LK900 be used over a LT-DA?
I only ask because you stated that one of the objectives in doing this vehicle was to save as much of the clear-coat with as little correction as possible for future corrections. Does the LK900 lend itself to this objective?

I ask because there are many hobbyist on the fence as to what new polisher to purchase, and these newer direct-drive/forced rotation polishers are another option for us, but we just do not have enough information from experiences of professional detailers to make an informed purchasing decision. Your write-up of your hands-on experience using the LK900 and your opinion and evaluation are invaluable to all Autopians.

Hey Lonnie: I would not say it is better than a lot of the machines available. It does work as well as my Flex 3401. I do not believe it will replace any LT machines. I feel it does supplement what you have available for the job at hand. Both have their niche in our world.


Yes, I wanted to be as conservative as possible with this job due to the reasons I stated. I feel that any machine could fit this bill, even a rotary! I feel that pad/chemical choice as well as knowledge of the surface you are working on/paint system is what is key here; as well as `how far you know you want to go`.

IMO, forced rotation machines are the 8lb sledge hammers and the LT`s are the 3lb sledges. Both will get the job done, some faster/easier than the other. Both can finish down, but with different technique necessary.

Most of the decision is user preference, how the ergo`s `feel` to the end user and their skill set. I`ll go out on a limb and say for a novice/weekender, I feel that a DA/LT is a more `user friendly/safer` choice for a polisher, due to the fact that they will indeed stall and not continue to rotate when undue pressure is applied. (I know of a few people in our industry who are using rotary`s for the majority of their work, and it is outstanding work!)

I really liked the LK900E after using it for this job and it definitely has a place in my arsenal of tools!

Hope this answers your questions!

Scott

[Lonnie]

Hey Lonnie: I would not say it is better than a lot of the machines available. It does work as well as my Flex 3401. I do not believe it will replace any LT machines. I feel it does supplement what you have available for the job at hand. Both have their niche in our world.


Yes, I wanted to be as conservative as possible with this job due to the reasons I stated. I feel that any machine could fit this bill, even a rotary! I feel that pad/chemical choice as well as knowledge of the surface you are working on/paint system is what is key here; as well as `how far you know you want to go`.

IMO, forced rotation machines are the 8lb sledge hammers and the LT`s are the 3lb sledges. Both will get the job done, some faster/easier than the other. Both can finish down, but with different technique necessary.

Most of the decision is user preference, how the ergo`s `feel` to the end user and their skill set. I`ll go out on a limb and say for a novice/weekender, I feel that a DA/LT is a more `user friendly/safer` choice for a polisher, due to the fact that they will indeed stall and not continue to rotate when undue pressure is applied. (I know of a few people in our industry who are using rotary`s for the majority of their work, and it is outstanding work!)

I really liked the LK900E after using it for this job and it definitely has a place in my arsenal of tools!

Hope this answers your questions!

Scott

I will take your recommendation for a LT-DA based on the above judgment & evaluation. Thanks again.
My MAIN problem is mitigating or eliminating RIDS with the current Porter-Cable Dual Action I use. It has neither the power or stroke to do so effectively. I do like its lightweight and almost fool-proof usage and it SURELY beats doing taking out swirls by hand! With 4" pads I can get into areas and contours more easily than with larger pads on many machines, nor does it stall as much as using larger diameter pads, at least for a detailing hobbyist such as myself. And yes, it takes a LONGGG time to polish a vehicle with 4" pads.

I can see WHY professional detailers and more serious-minded hobbyist have multiple polishing machines for different or unique polishing/correcting situations as they present themselves. Unfortunately many of us hobbyist have limited means (AKA, disposable income or money) and IF we make an investment in a ("A" meaning singular) polishing machine, it almost needs to a "Swiss-Army knife", do-it-all tool. That`s the approach I am taking and I am sure other not-so-serious, budget-minded hobbyist have the same opinion, hence my question about this forced rotation LK900 being that type of tool/polisher. Sounds to me its like a cross/hybrid between a rotary and a dual-action and if getting the job done in a timely fashion (IE, efficiency) is important (which it is to professional detailers), without some of the skillsets and experience needed to truly master a rotary, this might be the polisher to have.

[Stokdgs]

Lonnie,
Just get a Rotary and learn how to use it properly... 1 machine, backing plates available, all the way down to 1 inch, all the appropriate sized pads for the backing plates, you can correct and polish the heck out of anything... No pad stalling on curves, you just approximate the curve with the pad by tilting the machine up or down, no crazy high speeds, 1 machine...

Absolutely no vibration...

1 spacer on it 1-1/4" long, so it can get into those tiny deep areas easier..

If you want to go over your work afterwards with your PC, it will absolutely FLY over the panels, because the Rotary made them all so smooth...
You only have to install - some year down the road - brushes in 1 machine, and they cost less than $5 for my Makita...

Forget what everyone says about them, think about what YOU can do with just 1 machine...

I wish I was close by, I would be happy to train you how to use it !
Dan F

[RaydiantDetail]

Amazing work as always!
The amount of damage on that car with 2K miles is just crazy but you did it some real justice and brought it back.

[Sizzle Chest]

^^^^Thank you!

[512detail]

Very nice!
Great work.
I really like how those demon wheels look on the Charger.

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