2005 Pontiac GTO - Cyclone Grey Metallic - A Miracle Detailing - Cquartz Professional ceramic coating

2005 Pontiac GTO - Cyclone Grey Metallic - A Miracle Detailing - Cquartz Professional ceramic coating

A 6.0-liter V8 rated at 400 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque with a close-ratio manual transmission.

A 15-year-old vehicle that had been neglected and subjected to severe wash abuse.
This one was a challenge to restore it to..."as close as possible to a showroom new finish".

The paint was covered in some type of heavy "crud"...I`m not sure what it was or what to call it.
It was a heavy thick layer of some type of "funk" that was stuck on top of the tons of swirl marks.

After trying a few different pad/product combinations. A 3-4 step process pad/compound/polish worked.
NOTE: Every paint is different - Always test first. IMHO a Paint Thickness Gauge (PTG) is a must-have tool.
There were places on the paint that was already thin. These areas were barely touched. Clearcoat is precious.

Machine: Rupes 21 with a 5" backing plate and IBrid Nano.

Correction:
In some extreme areas CarPro Merino Wool Pad w/ Meguiars M101 (measure, polish, measure, polish, repeat...)
In most other areas Meg`s microfiber cutting pad w/Scholl Concepts Shock 2 Cut Extreme Compound was fine.

Polishing:
Scholl Concepts 5 1/2" Purple Spider pad w/Scholl Concepts S2 - Extra Heavy Cut (not the same as Shock Cut)

Final Polishing:
Rupes Yellow Fine Foam Pad - 5" Dia. w/CarPro Essence: EXTREME Gloss Primer


Last Step Products:
Cquartz Professional ceramic coating on paint and wheels
CQuartz Dlux Wheel & Trim Coating on trim
CarPro Clarify Glass Cleaner on windows
OBSSSSD Tire Dressing - Matte finish

360 walk-around video - Please click bottom Gear for Quality 1080p w/audio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJXVYts0aro

At this point, I thought I`d start with this 50/50 roof pic. Every part of the car looked like that.
https://amiracledetailing.com/pictur...-50-50-AMD.jpg
The Merlin Shot
https://amiracledetailing.com/pictur...-GTO-1-AMD.jpg
Left side
https://amiracledetailing.com/pictur...-GTO-2-AMD.jpg
Right Side
https://amiracledetailing.com/pictur...-GTO-3-AMD.jpg
Another hood shot.
https://amiracledetailing.com/pictur...-GTO-4-AMD.jpg

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Please post any feedback in a reply.
Question/Feedback is truly appreciated.

Great job on that hammered Goat Merlin! You saved a decently rare/classic! Well done...

Love the color on that GTO, awesome turnaround Merlin! How are you liking the Scholl abrasives? I`m still a bit miffed on missing out on that huge Scholl closeout sale a few years ago on Autogeek.

Did you find the paint to be super soft? I have the same color and it seems to swirl and scratch no matter how careful I am.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Loach

How are you liking the Scholl abrasives? I`m still a bit miffed on missing out on that huge Scholl closeout sale a few years ago on Autogeek.

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Me too

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sizzle Chest

Great job on that hammered Goat Merlin! You saved a decently rare/classic! Well done...

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Thank You!
It was pretty rough when I got it but it turned out sweet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Loach

Love the color on that GTO, awesome turnaround Merlin!

How are you liking the Scholl abrasives? I`m still a bit miffed on missing out on that huge Scholl closeout sale a few years ago on Autogeek.

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Thank you! That is very kind.

Scholls S2 Shock cut had become a new favorite of mine for heavy correction.
Very little (if any) dusting. Great cut. Works great. Nice finish. Easy to work with!

Scholls S30+ is another nice finishing polish. It works great on a DA.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TonesGTO

Did you find the paint to be super soft? I have the same color and it seems to swirl and scratch no matter how careful I am.

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I didn`t find it to be super soft. In this case, it was pretty hammered.
Soft pads. Soft polishes and GOOD quality microfiber towels make a huge difference.
A high quality 70/30 blend 320 GSM worked nicely for removing compound/polish.

Merlin:
I assume you "abraded" off the crud or funk or what ever it was (dealer-applied "lifetime" sealant??) that was on this GTO during the correction phase.

I like the fact that you did a trial-and-error method to find a pad and compound/polish combo that worked for this particular paint and the polish-measure-polish-measure method. Most hobbyist or do-it-yourselfers do not have a Paint Thickness Gauge, so I this is another reason to allow a Professional Detailer with the right tools to do this job.

I also see more of the Scholl`s products and pads getting some attention in this forum. however, the only place I found I can purchase them from is "Sky`s the Limit Car Care Products" . Keep us informed as you use more their products and how they work for you.

Great work Merlin!

You made that GTO look better than new.