Presidential Detailed: 2004 Mazda RX-8

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Dec 9, 2008 | 08:00 PM
  #1  
This customer had spoken to me about 4 or 5 months ago when he just picked up the car. I met up with him to look at the car and it was in bad shape from the start, and I mean BAD. Haha! The customer gave me a call last week and told me he wanted me to work my magic on the car before he moved to Ohio, so we scheduled the car. We were unable to get a 100% correction due to time and budget, if it was even possible to bring this thing back to 100%. It looked like it had sat underneath a hard water sprinkler all its life, no joke! While we couldnt get it perfect, Id say the results were outstanding for what we did do to it! Ill let you guys be the judge! Enjoy!

Products:

Exterior:
Dawn Soap Pre-Wash
Optimum Car Wash-Final Wash
COBRA UMF Wash Mitt
COBRA Deluxe "Jr" MF's
Dual Buckets with Grit Guards
3m Masking Tape
Adams Professional Clay Bar
P21S TAW
Meguairs APC+
Meguairs Hyperdressing
Menzerna SIP/Orange FLAT
Menzerna 106FA/White FLAT
Menzerna Top Inspection
Tons of Uber MF Towels(AP)
Swissvax Pneu


LSP:
Lusso Oro applied with Uber Foam Applicator

Tools:
Dual Work Lamps
Dewalt Hi Speed Rotary
World's Greatest Boar's Hair Wheel Brush
Foam Pad Cleaning Brush
DD Detail Sponge
The Wheel Well/Fender Brush
The Spoke Brush
Canon Rebel XTi
Craftsmen 295MPH Vac/Blow
E-Z Detail Wheel Brush
Swissvax Wheel Brush

A few shots before I got started..
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No reflection at all, just hard water etching!


Some spot touch up paint, some car lots will do this sort of thing!
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50/50 on the hood after 2 passes with SIP/Orange at 1800rpm
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This same spot painting up close..
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Now fixed..
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Before..
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After 2 passes with SIP/Orange at 1800rpm
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50/50 of trunk..
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Dec 9, 2008 | 08:01 PM
  #2  
Final Rinse..
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Some sun shots I managed to get before sundown..
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Rear 1/4 panel..
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Trunk..
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Roof..
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Some reflections..
Now some afters..
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And a couple overal after shots..
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Dec 10, 2008 | 12:58 AM
  #3  
Wow, i love these man! Such beauty.
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Dec 10, 2008 | 07:43 AM
  #4  
Thanks!
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Dec 10, 2008 | 07:46 PM
  #5  
hey, id say that is probably some of the best work ive seen. I use the menzerna polishes with the same pads you do, and i actually find it more fun with the car is in terrible shape like this one because just a little bit of correction makes the car look unbelievable!! I dont know if you're like me, but the darker colored car away tend to be the best looking after a great detail, great job
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Dec 10, 2008 | 11:32 PM
  #6  
Quote: hey, id say that is probably some of the best work ive seen. I use the menzerna polishes with the same pads you do, and i actually find it more fun with the car is in terrible shape like this one because just a little bit of correction makes the car look unbelievable!! I dont know if you're like me, but the darker colored car away tend to be the best looking after a great detail, great job
Haha! Thanks! Yes the ones that are real bad to begin with all always rewarding in the end, but A LOT of work!
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Dec 12, 2008 | 09:19 AM
  #7  
now did you have to use a wool pad on this particular car? i know that sounds like a stupid question since up top is says you used the orange. The reason i asked was because i thought about using mine on my TT but was nervous because i heard that wool pads sometimes make more marks. Its a LC Wool pad if that helps

Also, i use the same polishes you use, and how well the the final rinse help out(do you actually wash it or, is it just plain water). Im just gettin ready to order Top Inspection because i noticed that after i wiped down with the cobra towel and sealed the paint, i could see like marks were i dragged the towel. Do you have a recomendation for a good quality final wax/carnauba>???
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Dec 12, 2008 | 06:50 PM
  #8  
If only you were in PA. Awesome work!
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Dec 14, 2008 | 10:29 PM
  #9  
Quote: now did you have to use a wool pad on this particular car? i know that sounds like a stupid question since up top is says you used the orange. The reason i asked was because i thought about using mine on my TT but was nervous because i heard that wool pads sometimes make more marks. Its a LC Wool pad if that helps

Also, i use the same polishes you use, and how well the the final rinse help out(do you actually wash it or, is it just plain water). Im just gettin ready to order Top Inspection because i noticed that after i wiped down with the cobra towel and sealed the paint, i could see like marks were i dragged the towel. Do you have a recomendation for a good quality final wax/carnauba>???
Hey, no I did not use a wool pad. A wool pad WILL put its own marks into the paint, but it is meant to be follow up with a polish on foam. If you have soft paint, you can expect atleast a 3-4 step polish job if you start with wool. I just mostly do the final rinse to remove all the excess polish dust and oils. I usually wax the car before doing the final wash, this prevents waxing IN water spots, etc. Learned that the hard way without using a spotless water source! I use Lusso Oro wax, great stuff for the money! Instead of buying top inspection, do a little research of ISA wipe-downs. Its a better method and saves you some money!
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Dec 16, 2008 | 08:46 PM
  #10  
so Presidential, are you strictly exterior detailing, or do you jump into the inside too???
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