Nth Degree
New member
A low mileage, well maintained garage queen. The paint had some correction done in the past, probably multiple times. Swirls were very light and minimal RIDS existed. The goal was to achieve the deepest possible gloss while being careful, as I was uncertain how much clear coat had been removed in previous details.
The car in its starting condition:
Only so much can be seen in a photo, and even a close inspection didn’t reveal much.
So we move straight onto the wash. I started with the wheels useing Sonax all wheel cleaner.
On to the rest of the car; good beading from the Collinite presently in place.
Using a heavy concentration of Dawn dishwashing liquid mixed with a little ONR (Optimum No Rinse) still required two passes to remove the majority of the wax.
Next step was to clay the car using Clay Magic blue clay and ONR for lubrication. Feeling most of the surfaces of the car indicated that it might not be necessary, and in fact, very little was removed. On the lower surfaces, however, there was a fair amount of tar and rubber deposits. This is why I always clay before polishing, even if it doesn’t seem necessary at first.
The car was then given a complete wipe down with a 50% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) solution to remove any remaining wax and to get a clear look at the condition of the paint.
A rather crisp reflection and the flaws are not picked up by the camara. (A good sign.)
Further inspection with a Xenon light shows one of the RIDS that will ultimately remain, as it was too deep to safely remove.
Taping the trim was the next step.
A few tests were then done to find what would provide the best result. Since the car was in such good condition I hoped to be able to find a one-step combination that would provide both good correction and finish with the best gloss. Unfortunately, I was not able to achieve the same gloss with one step as I could with a two stage method. I had anticipated the paint to be very soft, as I have experienced on Hondas and Acuras in the past. I was pleasently surprised to find it in the moderate range. The tape line dividing the two test spots shows the condition of the paint before any correction and the amount of improvement that was possible.
Neither of these combos were used. The actual combo used was Meguiar’s M105 on a Lake Country orange pad for the correction, followed by Menzerna 85rd with a Lake Country green pad for the final polish.
A few RIDS on the hood show that some significant correction was needed in areas.
50/50 during correction. The metallic color made photographing difficult.
The temperatures were in the mid 90s during this process. The high temp and humidity, combined with other obligations in the evening made for slow progress. Near the end of the compounding stage the car had to wait through a weekend. When washed to remove the compounding dust there was a fair amount that did not want to come off with washing and I wound up claying again. But from there it was smooth sailing.
The car was polished, then given another IPA wipe down to remove any oils left by the polish.
After polishing with Menzerna 85rd:
Applying BFWD. (Black Fire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protectant)
After removing the excess BFWD:
The taillights were also polished using the same process with 4” pads. Doesn’t photograph well, but marring on these lights stands out against the highly polished paint.
The hard, black, plastic trim on the door and door handles were also polished in the same manner. Sorry for the use of different lighting. But the results are evident.
The hard, matte, black trim behind the rear window, air vents, and rear diffuser were protected with Klasse AIO. Wheel wells were dressed with Mother’s Back to Black and the soft, textured trim was dressed with Meguiar’s Ultimate Protectant Dash and Trim Restorer. Tires dressed with Meguiar’s Endurance gel, wiped on thin, then wiped off immediately for a minimal shine.
The car was finished with a coat of Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba wax. This adds depth and gloss, but is not usually noticeable in photos.
.
After polishing, no sealant or wax.
After BFWD.
And some after photos:
Thanks for looking.
The car in its starting condition:
Only so much can be seen in a photo, and even a close inspection didn’t reveal much.
So we move straight onto the wash. I started with the wheels useing Sonax all wheel cleaner.
On to the rest of the car; good beading from the Collinite presently in place.
Using a heavy concentration of Dawn dishwashing liquid mixed with a little ONR (Optimum No Rinse) still required two passes to remove the majority of the wax.
Next step was to clay the car using Clay Magic blue clay and ONR for lubrication. Feeling most of the surfaces of the car indicated that it might not be necessary, and in fact, very little was removed. On the lower surfaces, however, there was a fair amount of tar and rubber deposits. This is why I always clay before polishing, even if it doesn’t seem necessary at first.
The car was then given a complete wipe down with a 50% IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) solution to remove any remaining wax and to get a clear look at the condition of the paint.
A rather crisp reflection and the flaws are not picked up by the camara. (A good sign.)
Further inspection with a Xenon light shows one of the RIDS that will ultimately remain, as it was too deep to safely remove.
Taping the trim was the next step.
A few tests were then done to find what would provide the best result. Since the car was in such good condition I hoped to be able to find a one-step combination that would provide both good correction and finish with the best gloss. Unfortunately, I was not able to achieve the same gloss with one step as I could with a two stage method. I had anticipated the paint to be very soft, as I have experienced on Hondas and Acuras in the past. I was pleasently surprised to find it in the moderate range. The tape line dividing the two test spots shows the condition of the paint before any correction and the amount of improvement that was possible.
Neither of these combos were used. The actual combo used was Meguiar’s M105 on a Lake Country orange pad for the correction, followed by Menzerna 85rd with a Lake Country green pad for the final polish.
A few RIDS on the hood show that some significant correction was needed in areas.
50/50 during correction. The metallic color made photographing difficult.
The temperatures were in the mid 90s during this process. The high temp and humidity, combined with other obligations in the evening made for slow progress. Near the end of the compounding stage the car had to wait through a weekend. When washed to remove the compounding dust there was a fair amount that did not want to come off with washing and I wound up claying again. But from there it was smooth sailing.
The car was polished, then given another IPA wipe down to remove any oils left by the polish.
After polishing with Menzerna 85rd:
Applying BFWD. (Black Fire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protectant)
After removing the excess BFWD:
The taillights were also polished using the same process with 4” pads. Doesn’t photograph well, but marring on these lights stands out against the highly polished paint.
The hard, black, plastic trim on the door and door handles were also polished in the same manner. Sorry for the use of different lighting. But the results are evident.
The hard, matte, black trim behind the rear window, air vents, and rear diffuser were protected with Klasse AIO. Wheel wells were dressed with Mother’s Back to Black and the soft, textured trim was dressed with Meguiar’s Ultimate Protectant Dash and Trim Restorer. Tires dressed with Meguiar’s Endurance gel, wiped on thin, then wiped off immediately for a minimal shine.
The car was finished with a coat of Blackfire Midnight Sun Carnauba wax. This adds depth and gloss, but is not usually noticeable in photos.
.
After polishing, no sealant or wax.
After BFWD.
And some after photos:
Thanks for looking.
