Todd@RUPES
Just a regular guy
This is my trip to the great white north, several hundred KM outside of civilization. The frozen lands of Alberta, Canada where not to friendly to a Floridian who is used to 80 degree Decembers vs. -5 degrees. Obviously, I have many people to thank for making this trip a reality (and they know who they are!). A special thanks to my clients mechanics who worked along side of me, listening and learning, removing trim, emblems, tires, polishing metal, cleaning interiors, washing, and claying. It was a real treat!!! Also, thanks to Mr. F, who contacted me because he wanted the best for his collection. He pulled many long days with us, and was knee deep in the detailing.
It was a great (but long) experience, which consisted for flying to Calgary (6 hour flight) then driving several hours into the country to get to work. I was there for 10 days, logged over 110 hours, and got to work on some of the most amazing cars in the world.
The first car I worked on was 1990 Corvette roadster that given to Ari Lynedik for winning the 1990 Indianapolis 500 in 1990. The pace car was actually a Beretta, but Ari was so unimpressed that he decided to ask for a Corvette instead. Chevrolet obligated. This car was a “learning� car and consisted of polishing the paint to perfection, letting each person take a turn and get a feel for machine polishing. The rims where removed, cleaned in and out, the interior was leatherquied, and the car received 2 coats of Zaino (AIO and CS) with a Z8 wipe down. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures, but here are the best two.
On this one (before the car was lifted into storage) you can see the actual 1986 Pace Car Corvette that paced the green flag at the ’86 Indy 500.
Day two started with wet sanding a polishing a 1968 Super Cobra Jet Mustang. This was a wild one because it had original paint (and thin paint!). The average total depth was between 2.8-3.5 mils, with a couple spots below 2 mils!!!
Here is the car in original shape.
After carefully wet sanding and measuring the paint (after each pass with the paper)..
After bringing up with a 3M Extra Cut and wool followed by SIP and purple wool…
After finishing down with SIP white and UltraFina and a blue pad
The car was the washed and two coats of Z5pro where applied. Unfortunately, my battery died on the camera, so I didn’t get any good afters…
The mil thickness was reduced on average of.2 mils in total through out the car.
Next up was a 1989 Ferrari Testarossa Spider. Ferrari authorized 20 of these cars to be converted (at nearly 60K extra) to Spiders, so they are a very rare car.
We started with an ONR wash and then clayed with Pinnacle Clay. The rims where removed, washed with P21s, and sealed with AIO. The tires and wells where dressed with Optimum tire dressing.
The rims off of the TR.
Leatherequie was applied by hand to the red hides…
My working station… some of the owner’s friends stopped by and helped out by prepping the next car in line. An original GT40 Mark I race car…
Meanwhile work continued on the TR. Here I am polishing the lips of the headlights with OP/purple wool. The TR required SIP/twisted wool, OP/purple wool, and was finished out with 106ff on a white pad, all by rotary of course. Then it was wiped with wax and ad remover and received a coat of Z2pro followed by CS..
Everybody packed up for the day, I decided to pull an all nighter and finish the GT40. It was clayed with ONR lube and Pinnacle Green clay, then topped with 2 coats of Z5pro.
It was a great (but long) experience, which consisted for flying to Calgary (6 hour flight) then driving several hours into the country to get to work. I was there for 10 days, logged over 110 hours, and got to work on some of the most amazing cars in the world.
The first car I worked on was 1990 Corvette roadster that given to Ari Lynedik for winning the 1990 Indianapolis 500 in 1990. The pace car was actually a Beretta, but Ari was so unimpressed that he decided to ask for a Corvette instead. Chevrolet obligated. This car was a “learning� car and consisted of polishing the paint to perfection, letting each person take a turn and get a feel for machine polishing. The rims where removed, cleaned in and out, the interior was leatherquied, and the car received 2 coats of Zaino (AIO and CS) with a Z8 wipe down. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures, but here are the best two.
On this one (before the car was lifted into storage) you can see the actual 1986 Pace Car Corvette that paced the green flag at the ’86 Indy 500.
Day two started with wet sanding a polishing a 1968 Super Cobra Jet Mustang. This was a wild one because it had original paint (and thin paint!). The average total depth was between 2.8-3.5 mils, with a couple spots below 2 mils!!!
Here is the car in original shape.
After carefully wet sanding and measuring the paint (after each pass with the paper)..
After bringing up with a 3M Extra Cut and wool followed by SIP and purple wool…
After finishing down with SIP white and UltraFina and a blue pad
The car was the washed and two coats of Z5pro where applied. Unfortunately, my battery died on the camera, so I didn’t get any good afters…
The mil thickness was reduced on average of.2 mils in total through out the car.
Next up was a 1989 Ferrari Testarossa Spider. Ferrari authorized 20 of these cars to be converted (at nearly 60K extra) to Spiders, so they are a very rare car.
We started with an ONR wash and then clayed with Pinnacle Clay. The rims where removed, washed with P21s, and sealed with AIO. The tires and wells where dressed with Optimum tire dressing.
The rims off of the TR.
Leatherequie was applied by hand to the red hides…
My working station… some of the owner’s friends stopped by and helped out by prepping the next car in line. An original GT40 Mark I race car…
Meanwhile work continued on the TR. Here I am polishing the lips of the headlights with OP/purple wool. The TR required SIP/twisted wool, OP/purple wool, and was finished out with 106ff on a white pad, all by rotary of course. Then it was wiped with wax and ad remover and received a coat of Z2pro followed by CS..
Everybody packed up for the day, I decided to pull an all nighter and finish the GT40. It was clayed with ONR lube and Pinnacle Green clay, then topped with 2 coats of Z5pro.
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