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Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
11-03-2010, 11:48 PM
Post: #1
Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
After keeping you all hanging for a few days I have finally gotten around to sifting through all the pics and adding the borders, uploading, etc...

Around mid week last week I got a call from one of my regular clients at the Michelangelo Towers asking if I could schedule a detail on his new toy. Luckily he had asked me on a prior visit to keep a weekend in March free for him, and it just so happened that it was this very same weekend.

Because the vehicle was only being collected on Saturday morning, it meant I could sleep in for a change and enjoy crawling out of bed prior to sunrise!


Around lunch time I made my way over to the towers and this is what I was greeted with upon arrival...

Audi R8 V8 4.2 FSI! Not sure on the year model but is had covered just under 9k km and appeared to have been looked after really well.

[Image: IMG_8307.jpg]

Wheels were lightly soiled, nothing major
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Bodywork was relatively clean aside from being dirty with some gummy patches, etc
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Rear spoiler was raised to allow for cleaning
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With the car pulled into the wash bay I set about cleaning the wheels and arches. Sonax Extreme and 5:1 APC was the order of the day

[Image: IMG_8328.jpg]

Ez-Detail brush amongst others was used to clean up the wheels and arches (no afters till later...sorry)
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With the wheels and arches cleaned up it was time for some foam filled action.

CG's CWC was the product of choice through the foam lance...
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Having left the foam to dwell I set about preparing the wash buckets, etc. After rinsing I gave the car another quick layer of foam prior to cleaning all the nooks and crannies...

Emblems
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[Image: IMG_8354.jpg]

Panel gaps
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Trim
[Image: IMG_8365.jpg]

Hidden bits
[Image: IMG_8357.jpg]


With the intricate bits taken care of the car was washed using the 2BM, CWC and Raceglaze lambswool wash mitt. After rinsing the paintwork I gave the engine bay a quick once over with a spray bottle and some 10:1 APC before rinsing on a very fine spray. I left the engine running while claying the paintwork to assist in drying out the engine bay.

Clay of choice today was the Smartwax fine clay. Overall the paint was relatively clean except for the lower sills and bumpers which had some tar spots and contamination.

[Image: IMG_8495.jpg]


With the car re-rinsed and dried it was time to inspect the paintwork under the lights. Unfortunately being silver and working in the gloomy wash bay I struggled to get decent pics using the LED torch.

All in all the paintwork was relatively free from RIDS but had some minor swirling all over.

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Carbon blades where pretty much the same...
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Starting out with some 106FA on the yellow 3M polishing pad yielded some promising results. After switching to SIP I decided to go with this as it was cleaning up the lighter stuff alot better whilst knocking back the few slightly deeper defects at the same time.

A few quick afters from the correction phase
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The carbon side blades required a 3 step process with FCP on green, followed by SIP and then 106FA on the yellow pads.

After FCP
[Image: IMG_8427.jpg]

And finished off
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The taillights were in dire need of some work...
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Drivers side corrected
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Passenger side was no better
[Image: IMG_8441.jpg]

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And again after
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Finally some random ones after finishing the correction stage at around 1am on Saturday morning!

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With the paint correction completed I gave the car a final wash before drying it down and applying a coat of Werkstat's Prime Acrylic. I followed the Prime with a layer of Acrylic Jett and decided to call it a night at about 2am!

One of the main reasons for me wanting to finish the correction stage on Saturday night, was to be able to take the car outside for some exterior shots before the sun got to high and bright. Having discussed this with the owner and being given the green light to "Take her wherever you need to and get some good shots" I opted to work a bit later to have the exterior ready for some early morning photo's.

Sunday started early with myself and the SO heading on over to the towers just after 7am. Upon arrival I dressed the tires and trim before cleaning the exterior glass and applying another coat of Werkstat's Acrylic Jett to the paintwork.

Not knowing the surrounding areas all that well we headed on out to find a suitable spot for some photo's. Just down the road I found a quite cul de sac where we parked the car and snapped a few (too many) photo's!

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Some detail shots
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Wheels and tires were looking good. Tires were dressed with Werkstat's Satin Prot trim dressing.

I love the look it gives and it's such a pleasure to use!
[Image: IMG_8544.jpg]

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[Image: IMG_8533.jpg]


Tailpipes came up nicely
[Image: IMG_8531.jpg]

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Back at the towers myself and the SO got stuck in sorting out all the final details. While I tackled the engine bay the missus got started on the interior.

R8 ready for the final stretch
[Image: IMG_8576.jpg]

Engine bay was dressed with Satin Prot and turned out good as new
[Image: IMG_8602.jpg]

[Image: IMG_8604.jpg]

Front 'boot' area was cleaned and dressed with Prot as well
[Image: IMG_8585.jpg]


Interior got Prot as well (excuse the sucky pics, the lighting inside is terrible)
[Image: IMG_8599.jpg]

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Whilst finishing off I played around and got these 3 pics which I liked...
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[Image: IMG_8628.jpg]


And finally the parting shot!
[Image: IMG_8552.jpg]

As always thanks for looking Thumb

David : 083 642 2118
www.mobileimage.co.za

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12-03-2010, 12:26 AM
Post: #2
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Clap

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12-03-2010, 06:52 AM (This post was last modified: 12-03-2010 06:53 AM by Woodie.)
Post: #3
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Great work as usual Dave, with the added benefit of a test drive.

As far as the carbon fibre areas are concerned - is there anything different in your technique compared to polishing the normal metal painted bits? Any noticeable difference in heat build up in the panels when using the rotary?
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12-03-2010, 07:07 AM
Post: #4
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Awesome work as always. I'm also interested about the carbon work, suprised that it needed FCP.
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12-03-2010, 09:52 AM
Post: #5
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
As usual.... Superb!

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12-03-2010, 09:55 AM
Post: #6
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
(12-03-2010 07:07 AM)calypso Wrote:  Awesome work as always. I'm also interested about the carbon work, suprised that it needed FCP.

I got dibs on the last (2nd) bottle of Satin Prot Bluebiggrin

FTW !

Well done chap.
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12-03-2010, 04:40 PM
Post: #7
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Good stuff Dave! Till 2am thats a hectic push. But at least you got to take it for a spin that morning. How did she go?
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12-03-2010, 06:58 PM
Post: #8
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Thanks gents, appreciate the comments Thumb

@ Sean & Calypso. Having worked on CF before I was also surprised at how hard the clear coat on the Audi's blade's were.

I was initially hesitant to step up to the compounding level as heat generation is an issue with CF parts, but by using lower rpms (1200-1300), a faster hand movement and a little more pressure (Ken Brown type technique), the panels remained relatively cool while delivering good correction levels.

The quality of the finish after the FCP stage was testament to the hardness of the clear on the CF with very little in the way of hazyness and hologramming Thumb


@ Kido...I've driven the R8 in Tip-Tronic form so it was somewhat familiar driving this one in manual. It sounds nothing like an RS4 despite sharing the same powerplant and is a surprisingly comfy car to drive around town Bluebiggrin

David : 083 642 2118
www.mobileimage.co.za

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13-03-2010, 08:21 PM
Post: #9
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Well done as usual.

You must be quite well known now in "The Towers".

Your pics are always so good...a question...do you just snap away as you go along or do you have a sort of list of pics which you tick off as you take them?

Lastly, and this is very much IMHO, I think the vertical CF panels spoil the look of the car.
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13-03-2010, 10:16 PM
Post: #10
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
(13-03-2010 08:21 PM)springbok Wrote:  Well done as usual.

You must be quite well known now in "The Towers".

Your pics are always so good...a question...do you just snap away as you go along or do you have a sort of list of pics which you tick off as you take them?

Lastly, and this is very much IMHO, I think the vertical CF panels spoil the look of the car.

Thanks Springbok Thumb

Regarding the pics, there's not really a list per se' but I generally approach all my jobs in the same order (wheels, wash, clay, polish, wash, final touches, interior, etc). Being on my own means some of the pics like the wheels and small details (emblems, etc) need to be 'staged' for the camera as I have no-one to snap them 'live'.

The correction shots are usually taken as I go along, although I do sometimes like to work away while being in the 'groove' and then go back and take afters later.

With most of my jobs being stretched over 2 days, I also view the 1st days photo's prior to getting started on day 2. Doing so allows me to make a mental note of the 'missing' shots and then either snap them 1st thing in the morning, or hope I remember to grab them during the course of the day Thumb

David : 083 642 2118
www.mobileimage.co.za

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14-03-2010, 07:16 PM
Post: #11
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
man that's HOT- as per usual the corrections are spot on!
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15-03-2010, 02:19 PM
Post: #12
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
WOW, I stumbled upon waxon.co.za looking for a foam lance for my Karcher which Carn as been kind engouh to supply me. But boy I never knew the detailing scene was this big in South Africa. State side it's huge as I'm sure a lot of you know and it's really good to see this level of work in South Africa. Well done Carn if I ever own and exotic I'll bring her, how about a Navara Bluebiggrin
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15-03-2010, 06:33 PM
Post: #13
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Thanks again gents Thumb

@ Johan, long time no see stranger. Hope you and the missus are well?

@ Payback. The detailing scene here is growing steadily which is nice. We still have to convinve the majority of people that proper car care is essential and that glazing doesn't fix anything and everything Bluebiggrin

David : 083 642 2118
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19-03-2010, 12:54 PM
Post: #14
RE: Mobile-Image : The 8 Rand detail...
Is it just me, or does the taillights seem much more red after correction? Bluebiggrin Good work.

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