A picture is worth a thousand words, so let's start with some [unfortunately on winter 17" wheels*]:
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* winter wheels = DEZENT TD Graphite 7x17" ET 45 + Nokian WR D4 215/55 R17 98H XL
As you can tell by the pictures I suffer from extreme OCD [Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder] and the car detailing is the natural medicine and therapy prescribed by my doctor
After picking up the car, I was surprised how many small scratches and swirls marks there were in the paint and plastic parts [especially that piano black trim]. Of course, all my family members and friends refused to see those imperfections but it was there (thank you OCD). It took me about a month to bring the car to perfection adding few custom touches along the way.
The job consisted of the following steps (I list the products and parts for those interested):
Below few photos showing the detailing process:
Polishing the car - to save time I left that part to the pros [BlackPearl Studio]
Small panels require small polishing pads
Car ready for ceramic coatings
Masking plastic trim to avoid contamination
Foliatec 2165 prestige gold metallic and 2167 flame orange - let's find the proper mixing ratio
With 2:1 mixing ratio it's close enough to Samoa Orange
Preparation for caliper painting
4 coats done, 2 more to go
Rear calipers before & after
To make calipers easy to clean I applied ceramic coating [CarPro DLUX resists temperatures up to 800°F]
Calipers painted, coated and assembled
SUV without mudflaps? No way!
Mudflaps require drilling few holes in the car plastic trim and wheel arches for installation
One final touch on the inside; I've always liked the look of "sport" pedals in the car
To maintain this great look I wash the car using two-bucket method with CarPro Reset shampoo and Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt. After drying the car with soft microfiber towels I use famous magic formula detailer [mix of: 1 part of CarPro Reset, 1 part of CarPro Ech2O, 10 parts of distilled water] for that extra deep gloss look and slippery feel.
Now, let's hope it'll drive as it looks…
_____
* winter wheels = DEZENT TD Graphite 7x17" ET 45 + Nokian WR D4 215/55 R17 98H XL
As you can tell by the pictures I suffer from extreme OCD [Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder] and the car detailing is the natural medicine and therapy prescribed by my doctor
After picking up the car, I was surprised how many small scratches and swirls marks there were in the paint and plastic parts [especially that piano black trim]. Of course, all my family members and friends refused to see those imperfections but it was there (thank you OCD). It took me about a month to bring the car to perfection adding few custom touches along the way.
The job consisted of the following steps (I list the products and parts for those interested):
- detailed washing [APC + CarPro Reset],
- decontamination [CarPro IronX],
- degreasing [CarPro Eraser],
- masking [Aqua Dynamic Masking Tape],
- polishing whole car including piano black plastic trim and lamps [Menzerna polishing compounds],
- 2 layers of ceramic coating on the paint [CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0],
- 2 layers of hydrophobic coating on all glass surfaces [Soft99 Ultra Glaco],
- ceramic coating on wheels, plastic trim and rubber, including engine bay area [CarPro DLUX],
- 6 layers of brake calipers paint [Foliatech] I mixed 2 colors [2165 prestige gold metallic and 2167 flame orange] with 2:1 mix ratio in order to get close to Samoa Orange color,
- ceramic coating over caliper paint [CarPro DLUX],
- cockpit dressing [Meguiar's Natural Shine Protectant],
- removing license plate frames and using double-side tape for that clean look,
- set of mudflaps [part numbers: front - 575075111, rear - 575075101]
- set of sport aluminum pedals [part numbers: gas pedal - 5Q1721647A, brake pedal - 5Q0721131A, clutch pedal - 5Q0721601A, dead pedal - 5Q1864551]
Below few photos showing the detailing process:
Polishing the car - to save time I left that part to the pros [BlackPearl Studio]
Small panels require small polishing pads
Car ready for ceramic coatings
Masking plastic trim to avoid contamination
Foliatec 2165 prestige gold metallic and 2167 flame orange - let's find the proper mixing ratio
With 2:1 mixing ratio it's close enough to Samoa Orange
Preparation for caliper painting
4 coats done, 2 more to go
Rear calipers before & after
To make calipers easy to clean I applied ceramic coating [CarPro DLUX resists temperatures up to 800°F]
Calipers painted, coated and assembled
SUV without mudflaps? No way!
Mudflaps require drilling few holes in the car plastic trim and wheel arches for installation
One final touch on the inside; I've always liked the look of "sport" pedals in the car
To maintain this great look I wash the car using two-bucket method with CarPro Reset shampoo and Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt. After drying the car with soft microfiber towels I use famous magic formula detailer [mix of: 1 part of CarPro Reset, 1 part of CarPro Ech2O, 10 parts of distilled water] for that extra deep gloss look and slippery feel.
Now, let's hope it'll drive as it looks…