Vipers9500
Viper Owner
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2005
- Posts
- 12
- Reaction score
- 0
You must be registered for see images attach
Over 20 pictures documenting the various stages of treatment:
http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z110/tropi-care/94 RT-10 Detail/
Surface Assessment
This black '94 with about 60k miles was brought to me last weekend for an
exterior detail by the owner after getting caught in the rain earlier this
month. After looking over the car's condition, some clear coat failure is
beginning take place on the left rear quarter panel and deck lid area. Some
other blemishes (shoes scuffs, surface cracks) are also evident in addition
to normal wear and tear. The owner has decided to repaint later this year.
Preparing the Surface
After rinsing off the heavy dirt, I started with the "Ulti-Mit" from Lake
Country Mfg. and heavy solution of car wash concentrate in a 2.5 gallon wash
bucket. Once completed with the wash and rinse, it was time to start with
the clay bar for surface contaminant removal. The horizontal surfaces were
not really that bad except for some tar near the wheel well areas of the
vehicle. After a simple rinse, drying of the car was completed with
microfiber waffle weave drying towels. Notice how the water stands on the
flat surfaces in a solid sheet after clay bar use.
Surface Correction
As a general guideline, I was looking to use the least aggressive method of
paint surface correction. However, after seeing the stubborn blemishes and
spider scratches, certain areas would need stronger measures. I tested a
marked off section of the drivers rear quarter panel by spot buffing with a
6.50" yellow "medium cutting" pad on the Porter Cable 7424 and 3M Perfect-II
Rubbing Compound. This action leveled the surfaces smooth of the spider
scratches. For the larger areas, I used a Makita 9227 rotary polisher to
remove micro-marring/swirls/holograms from the compounded areas using a
black foam pad and Tropi-Care TC-8 Swirl Cutter. Its aggressiveness rating
would be about 40/100. A follow up using the PC 7424 equipped with an
orange "cutting/polishing" foam pad and Swirl Cutter restored an even
greater clarity to the surface.
Swirl Removal/Finish Surface Prep
After swirl removal was completed, an application of TC-3 Polish/Sealant xP
was next. Using the Porter Cable once again, the blue "final finishing"
foam pad put down a thin consistent product layer on the surface. After
allowing roughly 30 minutes drying time, removal was accomplished using
microfiber polishing cloth.
The Extra Step
For additional depth on darker colors, this was an excellent opportunity to
apply a carnauba paste wax topping. Hand applied with a 4" round blue foam
pad, the key was to apply to small sections and wipe off the residue with
the polishing towel before it dried. It also helps to apply on a cool
surface in the shaded setting.
Final Detail Touches
For easier cleaning on other surface areas, I used a 20" wheel/fender brush
for hard to reach areas as well as 16" wheel spoke brush to clean between
the mesh openings. Time constraints allow access to this car for the day
only. A water based tire dressing completed the exterior treatment.
Comments and questions welcomed.
