This car needed a lot of work, to say the least. It was filthy when I got it - tons of dirt, bugs, melted rubber, etc all over the car. I was in for more of a surprise after I washed it and pulled it inside under the halogen lights - The car was covered in swirls, scratches, and scuffs. Luckily I was able to correct the majority of the swirls with just a single stage polish, a good amount of heavier defects remained, but the clarity was restored to the paint by reducing the swirls. After applying a good sealant, the gloss and depth amazed me - especially because it was a white car! Overall I was more than pleased with the results - Loved moving this car in and out of my garage, sounds soooo angry! Process: Pre-wash - treated heavily soiled areas with diluted (10:1) all purpose cleaner to help loosen contaminates Wash - Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss diluted to remove any previous layers of protection Dryed - DI Waffle Weave Microfiber Clayed - DI fine grade clay using ONR diluted to clay lube solution Taped all plastic Trim to protect from polish and wax residue Polished (one step) - Meg's M205 w/ LC White Polishing pad on PC7424XP Wiped car down with 12% IPA solution to remove any remaining polishing residue Sealant - Chemical Guys Black Light Tires - Meg's Endurance Gel Time: approx 10 hours Before: ^Car didn't look too bad from a distance, but you may change your mind after seeing the close ups. ^Melted rubber from the drag strip - that was fun to get off ^didn't spend much time on the bumper aside from normal cleaning since I was told it was going to be repainted soon ^Wheels were a little dirty During: ^Wheel and Tire cleaner going to work ^Can you tell where I have washed? ^Paint under halogen lights... not so good. ^After claying the hood... used an entire clay bar on this car. ^Wheels are now the correct shade of black ^Pulled the car into the sun to inspect the paint after claying... revealed the swirls and scratches everywhere ^Taping to prep for polish ^Test area before ^50/50 shot of polished test area and unpolished area ^50/50 from farther away - You can see some heavier defects remain, but the swirls are gone and the clarity is restored on the left side. ^Front of hood before ^Front of hood after ^Hood after polishing ^Trunk after polishing ^Rear before ^Rear After ^Those 2 pads started as white ^Checking the paint out in the sun after polishing ^Not perfect, but a TON better ^This is an example of the heavier scratches that are still visible ^Sealant drying
After: ^Glossy trunk ^Much of the damage on the rear bumper was corrected ^Wheels and tires looking good ^My absolute favorite shot. The hood looks dripping wet! I was surprised to achieve this amount of depth and gloss with a white car!
Nice work! So, you used black light alone as an LSP? How does that work for you? What is your durability and beading/sheeting like? and you don't have problems with Megs Endurance slinging?
The owner says the car is still beading, and it was applied last September. I will touch the car up again in the spring, but I can't comment on the sheeting abilities as I haven't touched the car since this detail. I use Meg's endurance gel on most cars I detail, including my own, and I've never had a slinging issue. I apply it hours before driving the car though and wipe off any excess that may remain.