CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
The engine was in pretty good shape, but was dusty and had a few oily spots. The bay was gently rinsed, misted with APC/Super Degreaser (see a trend?) and detailed with a variety of brushes. The cleaners were rinsed off and then Optimum Opti-Bond at 3:1 was misted liberally while the bay was still wet. The clean and dressed bay was left damp while I washed the car.
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Once all the filthy areas were taken care of, the car itself was washed. First it was foamed with a Chemical Guys Citrus Wash N Gloss, then a 2-bucket wash of the same soap using a super plush microfiber towel.
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Everything was then thoroughly rinsed, misted with Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer, and carefully dried with a waffle weave microfiber towel.
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The car was then pulled into the garage to prep it for polishing. Its essentially a new vehicle, and I didn’t anticipate needing to do much paint correction, but I took a range of paint thickness readings to make sure everything was as it should be.
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All the thickness readings checked out fine, ranging from mid-80’s to ~140 microns. Paint color, texture, and metallic flake was xxxxgenous as well so I had no reason to suspect any previous repairs or bodywork. I look for these things by habit now, even though its probably not necessary.
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
I turned the lights on it to see what condition the paint was in. Overall it was in pretty good shape with few RIDS and mostly just superficial light scratches/swirls.
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Instead of claying the car, I used CarPro’s Polyshave Decon block. Similar to the Speedyprep Towels, it features polymerized rubber bonded to an easy to grip foam block. Its nice in that it works very quickly, and although there is less tactile feedback as compared to claying, you can actually hear the difference as it occurs. I’ve found that on softer paints it will cause a LOT of marring, but not so much that it can’t be handled with a single polishing step. On this hard Audi paint, I didn’t have any issues.
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I pulled out my current favorite for a 1-step on this one. Sonax Perfect Finish, Lake Country Hydro-Tech Tangerine pads (3”, 4”, 5.5”), on a rotary. I do a quick pass to spread the product around, work it at ~1800 rpms with moderate pressure for 3-4 passes, then dial it back to ~1200 rpms for 1 pass with light pressure. Its important to use the right pad for the right job, when working in tight areas a small pad makes quick work and is worth the effort of changing machines or backing plates.
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The black plastic trim on the B-pillars was particularly hammered, and the Sonax did little to improve it. I switched over to Scholl’s S3 Gold with a 3” Lake Country Orange pad, 1200 rpms with firm pressure. Working the product until it showed clear resulted in a dramatic improvement.
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After all polishing was complete, the paint was stripped down again with three wipe downs using a solution of Isopropyl alcohol.
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Lastly Wolfgang Fuzion was applied by hand (but not with my hands). I find
myself reaching for it more and more these days!
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Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
The lighting was kind of tricky, so I didn’t get any pictures of the interior. The owner is a neurosurgeon, so he keeps the interior surgically clean on the regular. A quick vacuum and surface wipe down with Meguiars Quick Interior Detailer had it looking great. Before I called it quits I put a coat of Rejex on the wheels and exhaust tips, cleaned the glass with a combination of Isopropyl alcohol and Optimum No Rinse, scrubbed the tires further with Meguiars #40 and a microfiber rag, and applied a coat of Optimum Opti-Bond.
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Thanks for checking it out! :)
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Really good work man, nice job!
Always wondered about that polishing soap from P21S, might have to get some on my next order and give it a go seeing as it transformed the tips quite a bit.
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Yes, great to see someone using the P21S Soap these days. Always a pleasure to see your work Conner!:drool:
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
I`m seeing this thread on my phone and can`t wait to view it on my 24" monitor at home. :)
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Great work as always Connor, but the writeup was very clear and to the point as well. Thanks for going into detail about what you used and why without making it hard to read! :bigups
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Quote:
Originally Posted by
CH.Detailing
You know how to read?
As of last week.....
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
great work & great pictures! nice writeup!
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Connor, great write up. The car looks amazing. Every time I read your write ups I find a nice tip. Using a very long nap MF is a great idea for 2 bucket wash. What MF is it?
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Don`t know what I like more... The work, the documentation, the photographs, or the end result...
Re: CH.Detailed - 2011 Audi A8
Nice job, and nice write write up too.