Shine On
18-12-2006, 08:01 PM
Today I carried out the first detail for someone who isn't a family member/close friend. Its actually a neighbour who lives a few houses along, and always comments on how good our cars look. He stopped me recently just as I was going out in the Leon (which had just been washed so did look pretty) and asked how he could get his like it. 'Pay me' was my answer, so he did!
Ok, 2001 Ford Fiesta, Metallic Black. The guy works at Heathrow so I was expecting lots of bonded stuff, but apparently his carpark is covered so it wasn't as bad as I expected.
After de-swirling (mostly anyway) my own Fiesta on Tuesday I discovered that Ford paint seems really quite hard. With this in mind, I had popped into see Johnny at C&S for a couple of bits and he suggested the Mezerna products. Having read good things, I thought I'd give them a whirl - and what a top job they did (cheers Johnny).
This is the car before hand, generally dirty, only ever washed by hand (with a sponge though), lots of little scratches and marks from the work car park. It also had a generally dull milky appearance to the paint with hardly any metallic fleck to it. The bonnet and wings also had lots of water marks on them.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/OffsideFrontBefore.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/NearsideRearBefore.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Offsidesillbefore.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/WheelBefore.jpg
These are the water marks:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/WaterSpots.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/BonnetBefore1.jpg
So used Megs APC cut 10:1 to pre-treat wheels and pretty much everything below the door rub strip level. Used a Megs dispenser with foam head, sprayed on and left to soak for 5/10 minutes while I sorted my buckets.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/APCatwork.jpg
Washed using 2 bucket method, Megs Gold Class and a couple of washmits.
Once washed and rinsed, the water just sat there and made no effort to escape!
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/WashedBeforeClay.jpg
Clayed the car using Megs Quik Clay, Last Touch for lube. This is the clay after the bonnet, so I don't think it was that bad. Looked the same again after the roof, and again for each side.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Clay.jpg
Finished claying and washed again as above, then taped up using 3434.
I have been practising trying to get decent swirl shots following some very helpful advice from Iain (Young Guns), and think this is quite a good one of the bonnet:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Bonnetswirls1.jpg
It was worse on the bonnet, roof and front wings. Tape down the middle of the bonnet, I broke out the PC, 4" LC polishing pad, and my new Mezerna PO85RD Final Finish. It did make an improvement but after experimenting with my own car earlier in the week I was confident I could a little more aggressive, so I used the Mezerna PO85RD 3.02 Intensive Polish on the same pad. This seemed to do the trick nicely. It was good to use with no dust or splatter and I very pleased with the results.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/DeswirledBonnet1.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/DeswirledBonnet2.jpg
There were a few deeper marks left but I was happy with the overall improvement and didn't want to go too mad, especially without a PTG.
Not the best 50/50 shot, but you can see on the left its a bit duller:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/HalfandHalf.jpg
I decided in the end to use the Menzerna IP followed by FF on the bonnet, roof and wings where it needed a little more help, and where it catches your eye more. For the other panels I went straight to the FF.
Here's a taped up shot half way through:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Maskedduringpolishing.jpg
Once finished I used a 6.5" LC black Finishing Pad to apply a thin layer of Pinnacle XMT glaze. Did the whole car, left for 15 minutes while I did the glass (with AG Glass Polish), then wiped down with a MF cloth - that stuff is so easy to take off its not even funny! It gives the paint a lovely deep, rich, wet look. And smells good too.
Last paint bit was to apply a thin layer of Collinite 476s with a foam applicator. While that was curing (light was disappearing quite quickly now, and the temperature was dropping so I was rushing to get it done) I went around the grey plastic trim with AG Bumper Care, and dressed the tyres with some stuff ina green bottle - I think its a Armour All product but the name escapes me.
Finished product, although I don't think they really do it justice:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/OffideFrontAfter.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/NearsideRearAfter.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/FrontAfter.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/CleanedWheel.jpg
A bit of metal flake:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/MetallicFlake.jpg
My Leon reflected:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/LeonReflection.jpg
And I couldn't get the tree shot in, so will a plank do?
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/MeReflection.jpg
Ok, 2001 Ford Fiesta, Metallic Black. The guy works at Heathrow so I was expecting lots of bonded stuff, but apparently his carpark is covered so it wasn't as bad as I expected.
After de-swirling (mostly anyway) my own Fiesta on Tuesday I discovered that Ford paint seems really quite hard. With this in mind, I had popped into see Johnny at C&S for a couple of bits and he suggested the Mezerna products. Having read good things, I thought I'd give them a whirl - and what a top job they did (cheers Johnny).
This is the car before hand, generally dirty, only ever washed by hand (with a sponge though), lots of little scratches and marks from the work car park. It also had a generally dull milky appearance to the paint with hardly any metallic fleck to it. The bonnet and wings also had lots of water marks on them.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/OffsideFrontBefore.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/NearsideRearBefore.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Offsidesillbefore.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/WheelBefore.jpg
These are the water marks:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/WaterSpots.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/BonnetBefore1.jpg
So used Megs APC cut 10:1 to pre-treat wheels and pretty much everything below the door rub strip level. Used a Megs dispenser with foam head, sprayed on and left to soak for 5/10 minutes while I sorted my buckets.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/APCatwork.jpg
Washed using 2 bucket method, Megs Gold Class and a couple of washmits.
Once washed and rinsed, the water just sat there and made no effort to escape!
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/WashedBeforeClay.jpg
Clayed the car using Megs Quik Clay, Last Touch for lube. This is the clay after the bonnet, so I don't think it was that bad. Looked the same again after the roof, and again for each side.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Clay.jpg
Finished claying and washed again as above, then taped up using 3434.
I have been practising trying to get decent swirl shots following some very helpful advice from Iain (Young Guns), and think this is quite a good one of the bonnet:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Bonnetswirls1.jpg
It was worse on the bonnet, roof and front wings. Tape down the middle of the bonnet, I broke out the PC, 4" LC polishing pad, and my new Mezerna PO85RD Final Finish. It did make an improvement but after experimenting with my own car earlier in the week I was confident I could a little more aggressive, so I used the Mezerna PO85RD 3.02 Intensive Polish on the same pad. This seemed to do the trick nicely. It was good to use with no dust or splatter and I very pleased with the results.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/DeswirledBonnet1.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/DeswirledBonnet2.jpg
There were a few deeper marks left but I was happy with the overall improvement and didn't want to go too mad, especially without a PTG.
Not the best 50/50 shot, but you can see on the left its a bit duller:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/HalfandHalf.jpg
I decided in the end to use the Menzerna IP followed by FF on the bonnet, roof and wings where it needed a little more help, and where it catches your eye more. For the other panels I went straight to the FF.
Here's a taped up shot half way through:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/Maskedduringpolishing.jpg
Once finished I used a 6.5" LC black Finishing Pad to apply a thin layer of Pinnacle XMT glaze. Did the whole car, left for 15 minutes while I did the glass (with AG Glass Polish), then wiped down with a MF cloth - that stuff is so easy to take off its not even funny! It gives the paint a lovely deep, rich, wet look. And smells good too.
Last paint bit was to apply a thin layer of Collinite 476s with a foam applicator. While that was curing (light was disappearing quite quickly now, and the temperature was dropping so I was rushing to get it done) I went around the grey plastic trim with AG Bumper Care, and dressed the tyres with some stuff ina green bottle - I think its a Armour All product but the name escapes me.
Finished product, although I don't think they really do it justice:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/OffideFrontAfter.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/NearsideRearAfter.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/FrontAfter.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/CleanedWheel.jpg
A bit of metal flake:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/MetallicFlake.jpg
My Leon reflected:
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/LeonReflection.jpg
And I couldn't get the tree shot in, so will a plank do?
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a99/Paul1978/MeReflection.jpg