Some of the most rare, exclusive, and valuable automobiles in the world detailed.
05-27-11, 05:24 AM
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Some of the most rare, exclusive, and valuable automobiles in the world detailed.
Buffeast 2.0: In the Buff (working title)
Prologue
Upon completion of my previous trip to the Great White North, my life had returned to normal. I was traumatized, but therapy and a 1/5th of Vodka (per day) slowly erased those memories. Nightmares of Mr. X, complete with cool blue mask and yellow teeth, haunted my sleep. One particular rainy Thursday night a knock at the front door drowned out the thunder over head.
I opened the door slowly and asked into the darkness, Hello?
Hello Homer, I could see the yellow teeth in the black night. Those yellow teeth....
Mr. X, how did you find me? I asked, my stomach a pit. Just a toothy yellow smile answered me. I retreated a step into the safety of my house. In a flash, almost too quick to perceive, Mr. X was behind me. I spun quickly.
How did you do that? My door's not even open? How did you move so fast!?
Mr. X cocked his blue head to the side like a poodle-foo (or whatever those ummmm unique dogs are called). Mr. Xs eyes rolled back and his mouth hung open.
I didn't move fast, I slowed time. Your perception fools you, he hissed.
Like the Matrix?
No! Like Interview with a Vampire. I'm Brad Pitt. He smiled with out moving his mouth; a freezing chill shot across my body. I tried to respond but nothing came out.
Homer, he continued, wanna come to the Great White North and buff out some sweet rides?
No my mind thought. I could not endure another 2 weeks of sleepless nights and bad jokes. Like a rat marching to Pied Piper I uncontrollably answered, Yes.........
Who is Mr. X? What is The Great White North? Why did you just right that horrendous (and confusing prologue??
Those who missed the original story The Greatest Detailing Adventure Ever Told might have a hard time understanding the lack of logic in my unploughed. Mr. X is a (semi)fictional character who owns a massive car collection of some of the coolest and most rare automobiles in the world. The Great White North is a place, between Heaven and Hell, where Mr. X store the majority of this collection (he has cars around the world)..
What made The Greatest Adventure Ever Told such a fun(ny) story is that while I took some creative license, the story was true. Bud was a real guy, their was an Epic snow storm, and Ryan Blanchette and I had some pretty interesting experiences. It WAS an adventure. This trip, however, was more focused. 12 days (many of them lasting 18-20 hours, sometimes more). The quality of the automobiles was amazing: Bruce McLaren's personal road car (the first McLaren road car ever made), a 1965 Shelby Mustang, an original paint Lamborghini Miura, a 1 of 1 Bentley, the Pebble Beach winning De Tomaso Mangusta Spider (also 1 of 1) and so on.
As such, the focus of the story is solely on the incredible automobiles that I was allowed (and humbled) to work on,
The 1969 McLaren M6GT
In the later 1960's McLaren was considering a road car to rival Ferrari. The McLaren M6GT was, in many ways, the first super super exotic car and the Godfather to the fabled McLaren F1. Ultimately McLaren only built 3 (maybe 4) of these cars, and only ONE was built at the McLaren race factory. This is that car, the rarest McLaren, and first ultra exotic every built.
Despite being the only true McLaren M6GT, this one has the ultimate distinction of being Bruce McLaren's personal road car. This was the car he drove until his death in 1970. This amazingly unique automobile is unrestored except for a repaint. The steering wheel is the same Bruce spun, the seats are the same he sat in. The original Chevrolet solid lifter LT-1 V8 still sits in the back. (An engine which interestingly enough wasn't released until 1970). With a curb weight of less then 1700 lbs and almost 400 horsepower on tap, this car is a rocket-ship, with a power to weight ratio that is near par with a Bugatti Veyron! (4.2 lbs per horsepower for the Veyron and 4.6 lbs per horsepower for the McLaren). It even approaches the amazing 3.9 lbs per horsepower of the McLaren F1!) Only this was in 1969!!!!
Here is the McLaren M6GT prior to getting started. First the paint was washed using Optimum No-Rinse and clayed using Meguiar's Blue (Mild) Detailer's Clay while ONR provided the lubrication. Mikey is seen in the background rubbing the paint smooth.
Mikey started by polishing the numerous tight ares of this rare super car by hand. Here a microfiber towel and Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound clean up some of the scratching around the taillights.
The red-orange paint was riddled with deeper scratches such as the ones in this picture. While we started the McLaren on day one, delays from other projects, as well as the difficult paint required about 45 hours of my labor (and a total of 65 hours between Rory and Mikey) to complete. With Mr. Xs enthusiastic encouragement I was tasked at bringing all of the automobiles to the highest standard possible.
From start to finish compounding, or aggressive polishing, took the majority of the time to compete; approximately 25 hours. In the picture below I am using a Lake Country twisted 4-ply wool pad with Meguiar's M105. Each section of paint required at least 5 separate (and aggressive) applications, some required far more. Note: The tape covering the fabled OBH 500H tag that signifies this McLaren as the only one built by the McLaren factory for Mr. Bruce McLaren.
The complex body presented numerous challenges. Here the McLaren's door is flipped open to allow the edges to be polished. It is worth noting that this is true hand built car that is over 40 years old, none of the gaps are perfect. This required taping various body gaps and a lot of patience.
This picture, taken on the fourth day of the trip (but the second full day of working on the McLaren) shows the starboard side after multiple compounding at an intermediary step using M105 on a Porter Cable ala KBM.
The middle slat of the bonnet had yet to be compounded while the adjacent body panels have already received hours of being polished.
After the middle slat was compounded and polished.
The areas underneath the door handles required hours and hours of meticulous hand polishing. I tasked Mikey with the work and he worked until his fingers bled. (I did offer him a Diet Dr. Pepper once the bleeding became profuse)
Paint correction of the McLaren M6GT officially ended on day 6 due to multiple changes in the game plan. After paint polishing Rory got to work polishing the original wheels.
Note: The wheels (and tires) on this car are original. Even better, they are true Formula 1 magnesium wheels and treaded Formula 1 rain tires from the 1968 season. Rory is a metal polish expert and was tasked with restoring the magnesium finish to a high luster.
Here is the original F1 wheel wrapped in vintage F1 race rubber.
After an hour of being polished...
Polished wheels on the left.
With the wheels and tires re-mounted (they now look amazing!), Mikey and I carefully washed the McLaren of the dust that has accumulated by sitting for several days while Rory refinished the wheels. The original, pre-production LT-1 small block was gently wiped down with Optimum No-Rinse, as well as the rear suspension. Finally Mikey applied two coats of Blackfire Wet Diamond.
After Pictures.
These picture where taken on day 6 of the trip. We were fortunate to have sunshine at Area 51.
The bonnet radiated in the sun, with no swirl marks in sight.
The McLaren M6GT opened up.
Prologue
Upon completion of my previous trip to the Great White North, my life had returned to normal. I was traumatized, but therapy and a 1/5th of Vodka (per day) slowly erased those memories. Nightmares of Mr. X, complete with cool blue mask and yellow teeth, haunted my sleep. One particular rainy Thursday night a knock at the front door drowned out the thunder over head.
I opened the door slowly and asked into the darkness, Hello?
Hello Homer, I could see the yellow teeth in the black night. Those yellow teeth....
Mr. X, how did you find me? I asked, my stomach a pit. Just a toothy yellow smile answered me. I retreated a step into the safety of my house. In a flash, almost too quick to perceive, Mr. X was behind me. I spun quickly.
How did you do that? My door's not even open? How did you move so fast!?
Mr. X cocked his blue head to the side like a poodle-foo (or whatever those ummmm unique dogs are called). Mr. Xs eyes rolled back and his mouth hung open.
I didn't move fast, I slowed time. Your perception fools you, he hissed.
Like the Matrix?
No! Like Interview with a Vampire. I'm Brad Pitt. He smiled with out moving his mouth; a freezing chill shot across my body. I tried to respond but nothing came out.
Homer, he continued, wanna come to the Great White North and buff out some sweet rides?
No my mind thought. I could not endure another 2 weeks of sleepless nights and bad jokes. Like a rat marching to Pied Piper I uncontrollably answered, Yes.........
Who is Mr. X? What is The Great White North? Why did you just right that horrendous (and confusing prologue??
Those who missed the original story The Greatest Detailing Adventure Ever Told might have a hard time understanding the lack of logic in my unploughed. Mr. X is a (semi)fictional character who owns a massive car collection of some of the coolest and most rare automobiles in the world. The Great White North is a place, between Heaven and Hell, where Mr. X store the majority of this collection (he has cars around the world)..
What made The Greatest Adventure Ever Told such a fun(ny) story is that while I took some creative license, the story was true. Bud was a real guy, their was an Epic snow storm, and Ryan Blanchette and I had some pretty interesting experiences. It WAS an adventure. This trip, however, was more focused. 12 days (many of them lasting 18-20 hours, sometimes more). The quality of the automobiles was amazing: Bruce McLaren's personal road car (the first McLaren road car ever made), a 1965 Shelby Mustang, an original paint Lamborghini Miura, a 1 of 1 Bentley, the Pebble Beach winning De Tomaso Mangusta Spider (also 1 of 1) and so on.
As such, the focus of the story is solely on the incredible automobiles that I was allowed (and humbled) to work on,
The 1969 McLaren M6GT
In the later 1960's McLaren was considering a road car to rival Ferrari. The McLaren M6GT was, in many ways, the first super super exotic car and the Godfather to the fabled McLaren F1. Ultimately McLaren only built 3 (maybe 4) of these cars, and only ONE was built at the McLaren race factory. This is that car, the rarest McLaren, and first ultra exotic every built.
Despite being the only true McLaren M6GT, this one has the ultimate distinction of being Bruce McLaren's personal road car. This was the car he drove until his death in 1970. This amazingly unique automobile is unrestored except for a repaint. The steering wheel is the same Bruce spun, the seats are the same he sat in. The original Chevrolet solid lifter LT-1 V8 still sits in the back. (An engine which interestingly enough wasn't released until 1970). With a curb weight of less then 1700 lbs and almost 400 horsepower on tap, this car is a rocket-ship, with a power to weight ratio that is near par with a Bugatti Veyron! (4.2 lbs per horsepower for the Veyron and 4.6 lbs per horsepower for the McLaren). It even approaches the amazing 3.9 lbs per horsepower of the McLaren F1!) Only this was in 1969!!!!
Here is the McLaren M6GT prior to getting started. First the paint was washed using Optimum No-Rinse and clayed using Meguiar's Blue (Mild) Detailer's Clay while ONR provided the lubrication. Mikey is seen in the background rubbing the paint smooth.
Mikey started by polishing the numerous tight ares of this rare super car by hand. Here a microfiber towel and Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound clean up some of the scratching around the taillights.
The red-orange paint was riddled with deeper scratches such as the ones in this picture. While we started the McLaren on day one, delays from other projects, as well as the difficult paint required about 45 hours of my labor (and a total of 65 hours between Rory and Mikey) to complete. With Mr. Xs enthusiastic encouragement I was tasked at bringing all of the automobiles to the highest standard possible.
From start to finish compounding, or aggressive polishing, took the majority of the time to compete; approximately 25 hours. In the picture below I am using a Lake Country twisted 4-ply wool pad with Meguiar's M105. Each section of paint required at least 5 separate (and aggressive) applications, some required far more. Note: The tape covering the fabled OBH 500H tag that signifies this McLaren as the only one built by the McLaren factory for Mr. Bruce McLaren.
The complex body presented numerous challenges. Here the McLaren's door is flipped open to allow the edges to be polished. It is worth noting that this is true hand built car that is over 40 years old, none of the gaps are perfect. This required taping various body gaps and a lot of patience.
This picture, taken on the fourth day of the trip (but the second full day of working on the McLaren) shows the starboard side after multiple compounding at an intermediary step using M105 on a Porter Cable ala KBM.
The middle slat of the bonnet had yet to be compounded while the adjacent body panels have already received hours of being polished.
After the middle slat was compounded and polished.
The areas underneath the door handles required hours and hours of meticulous hand polishing. I tasked Mikey with the work and he worked until his fingers bled. (I did offer him a Diet Dr. Pepper once the bleeding became profuse)
Paint correction of the McLaren M6GT officially ended on day 6 due to multiple changes in the game plan. After paint polishing Rory got to work polishing the original wheels.
Note: The wheels (and tires) on this car are original. Even better, they are true Formula 1 magnesium wheels and treaded Formula 1 rain tires from the 1968 season. Rory is a metal polish expert and was tasked with restoring the magnesium finish to a high luster.
Here is the original F1 wheel wrapped in vintage F1 race rubber.
After an hour of being polished...
Polished wheels on the left.
With the wheels and tires re-mounted (they now look amazing!), Mikey and I carefully washed the McLaren of the dust that has accumulated by sitting for several days while Rory refinished the wheels. The original, pre-production LT-1 small block was gently wiped down with Optimum No-Rinse, as well as the rear suspension. Finally Mikey applied two coats of Blackfire Wet Diamond.
After Pictures.
These picture where taken on day 6 of the trip. We were fortunate to have sunshine at Area 51.
The bonnet radiated in the sun, with no swirl marks in sight.
The McLaren M6GT opened up.
05-27-11, 05:25 AM
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In order to save weight the McLaren was fitted with mechanical (as in you open them) headlights.
The rare fender in the sun. Note how scratched and swirled the rear plexiglass window is (which would be an accurate representation of the before condition of the paint.) Instead of investing the considerable amount of time in restoring the window Mr. X instead has decided to replace it and keep the original hanging up.
The gorgeous silhouette.
The Ford GT40: Once in a lifetime.
The second day of the trip was underway and I was working on the McLaren when Mr. X burst through the door.
Homer, I want to do some laps in the GT40. Wanna come? Mr. X asked.
And so it was on... The first thing about getting into a GT40 is that it is small. I had to hunch down in the seat to avoid my helmet hitting the roof, and contort my body in a unique position to avoid leaning against Mr. X while he piloted the beast. The side oiler Ford big block makes upwards of 600 horsepower, and with a curb weight of under 2000 pounds I knew I was in for a ride.Mr. X checked the tires rigorously prior to heading out on the track.
My view from inside the was slightly limited, although I had a great view of the speedometer. This made it possible to judge who close I was to dying at any given moment.
Mr. X took the first 5-10 laps rather slow to build heat into the tires and help reduce the risk of spinning this invaluable machine into the tire barrier. Despite the gingerly pace, lesser cars such as the 800 horsepower Supra ahead, as well as a host of ZO6's, Mustangs, and Bimmer's all faded into the mirror.
Once warmed up Mr. X planted his foot to the floor and began to take turns at amazing speeds. The unbelievable power-to-weight ratio made hitting 140-160 miles per hour on the short front straight a breeze. The problem was slowing down as antiquated brakes had the GT40 dancing around under breaking. Turn one is a slow bending right hander that required the GT40 to slow to 80 mph in a matter of seconds before snapping towards the apex. Each lap my heart would skip as the GT40 danced under intense breaking, its vintage brakes scrubbing speed in high drama. A few moments later my heart would beat again.
Here is Mr. X blasting down the front straight at upwards of 140, his Stig like helmet providing down force. This GT40 is equipped with the fabled Gurney Bubble but Mr. Xs long stature meant he had to go roofless just to fit. Inches behind his head a 427 based Ford big block inhaled the atmosphere at an alarming rate, blasting sound waves out it's headers that echoed long after the GT40 disappeared over a crest.
De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder Prototype.
One of one... Pebble Beach winner...
Alejandro de Tomaso was a famous coach builder who is most know for his Pantera sports cars of the 1970s. Before the Pantera, his company, De Tomaso Automobili SpA penned and built the gorgeous Mangusta (Cobra-eater). Many consider this design to be one of the most beautiful of all time. De Tomaso commissioned a prototype Mangusta Spyder, the only one ever built, and by default the rarest De Tomaso ever.
This is that particular automobile. Years had passed since this stunning auto had garnered a trophy at the world renowned Pebble Beach De' Elegance. The paint had been abused by previous care takers and was in need of serious polishing. Mr. X didn't give me any easy projects this trip....
Mikey handled the washing and drying duties, starting with Optimum No-Rinse. Much of this project ran parallel with the restoration work being carried out on the McLaren. The Mangusta Spyder was started late on day two, after returning from the track. A total of 35 hours of paint polishing, carried out over the next 2 days (and LONG nights) had this one of one show car back to it's award winning glory.
Car was taken to take all of the razor sharp creases and body lines. Polishing started with Meguiar's M105 UCC on the (then) unreleased Lake Country 1pad system wool pad. This was followed by M105 on a Porter Cable using a Lake Country Orange Power Pad. Final polishing was also done with the Porter Cable using a black finishing pad and Menzerna PO85rd.
Bonnet before...
05-27-11, 05:26 AM
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After...
Passenger door before...
After...
Front, passenger side fender before.
After...
Driver's side door before
After...
Rear fender before...
After...
The first day of polishing ended late. Mikey heads out the door at 3:15 AM, nearly 20 hours since we first started.
The second long day of polishing started with attention given to the rear section and vents. It is amazing how much the rear louvers (and over all rear design) is closely mimicked by the Lamborghini Gallardo spyder, built 40 years later.
Mikey continued to rub his hands raw on the vents and hard to reach areas. You can see the McLaren in the background with the wheels removed as the project ran side by side.
Mikey hand polished the rear while I worked out some deeper scratches with Meguiar's M105 and the 1Pad system.
Passenger door before...
After...
Front, passenger side fender before.
After...
Driver's side door before
After...
Rear fender before...
After...
The first day of polishing ended late. Mikey heads out the door at 3:15 AM, nearly 20 hours since we first started.
The second long day of polishing started with attention given to the rear section and vents. It is amazing how much the rear louvers (and over all rear design) is closely mimicked by the Lamborghini Gallardo spyder, built 40 years later.
Mikey continued to rub his hands raw on the vents and hard to reach areas. You can see the McLaren in the background with the wheels removed as the project ran side by side.
Mikey hand polished the rear while I worked out some deeper scratches with Meguiar's M105 and the 1Pad system.
05-27-11, 05:27 AM
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Unfortunately the lighting didn't allow for the direct sun shots that I was apple to capture with the McLaren, the Mangusta's shark like appearance still looked stunning.
While work was carried out on the Mangusta Spyder, Geoff (the shop foreman) and Rory prepared the next two projects. An original (and rare) 1965 Shelby GT-350 and a 396 Big Block Camaro pace car.
Rory removed the trim from the 1965 Shelby GT350...
Then carefully hammered out any dings, dents, or creases.
The 1965 Shelby GT-350.
The Shelby GT-350 was a race ready option that was applied to only a handful of Ford's famous Pony Car. While similar in appearance to the 1966 GT-350, the 1965 version is far more rare (and infinitely more valuable) and far more race applicable. Shelby famously tuned down the car in 1966 to make it more of a road car, but this car, complete with the Type R front clip, was (and is) a race car that Mr. X plans to enjoy on the track. As such the goal wasn't so much perfection (unlike the other cars on this trip) as it was to make the paint shine again.
Work began late on day 5 and was finished late on day 6. The surface was heavily scratched, but the paint proved to be surprisingly polish-able. Meguiar's M105 on an Orange Power Pad followed by Meguiar's M205 on a Black finishing pad (both via Porter Cable DA) removed 95 percent or more of the defects.
A before picture that I captured while Rory was working on the trim.
With the trunk already polished, numerous scratches could be seen just behind the famous “Fast-Back” rear window, courtesy of multiple T-5 halide lights.
After... Note: The passenger (near) side had not been touched at this point.
The off white color made it difficult to capture the difference under halogen lighting. A 50/50 shot shows the corrected (right) side of the light vs. the hazier appearance of the un-polished left side.
Mikey dove right in and after about 45 minutes of instruction, began polishing the Shelby using the KBM. The first car I polished was a 1988 Buick LeSabre at a body shop in high school. Mikey gets to polish a '65 Shelby GT-350...
As Mike finished up the Shelby by carefully washing it with Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Shampoo while we started another project. Mike completed the GT-350 with a coat of Wet Diamond and then we pulled it out in the late day sun to capture photos.
After Pictures.
A semi-sun-shot as the glowing ball of gas faded to the horizon
The original Bad *** Pony Car...
The 1967 Camaro SS/RS396 Pace Car Convertible
Perhaps the quintessential Camaro, the SS/RS 396. Armed with a 325 horsepower 396 big block, 4 speed, and air, this Camaro is believed to be one of only a few with these particular options. Just prior to begin work Mr. X and Geoff thought it would be fun to take it around the block. Apparently Mr. X hit a huge pile of cow dung which covered the side and under carriage. Mr. X hissed at Mikey to clean it, which he dutifully did. Mikey was apparently impressed by how fresh the dung was as he made several comments about its color, consistency, and odor. I'm not too familiar with cow dung so I took his word (and felt sorry for him.)
The paint on the Camaro wasn't nearly as bad as the paint on it's rival: The Shelby. However the paint proved to be much harder which slowed progress slightly Luckily for I had a new helper. Melanie, Geoff's wife, had helped Ryan and I on our previous trip, and she once again joined in on the Camaro.
Here is an after shot of the same area, only with the hood slightly opened.
Menzerna Powergloss and Lake Country's 1Pad system worked well to level down the deepest scratching. The massive 396 makes a great backdrop as well.
The rear fender before...
And after...
Melanie followed behind me wielding a Porter Cable armed with a Tangerine H20 pad and Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (PO83q). Mikey is in the background rinsing the Shelby. An interesting picture of two very rare, mostly original pony cars getting worked on...
Hard to polish areas required some contortion and a Porter Cable.
While work was carried out on the Mangusta Spyder, Geoff (the shop foreman) and Rory prepared the next two projects. An original (and rare) 1965 Shelby GT-350 and a 396 Big Block Camaro pace car.
Rory removed the trim from the 1965 Shelby GT350...
Then carefully hammered out any dings, dents, or creases.
The 1965 Shelby GT-350.
The Shelby GT-350 was a race ready option that was applied to only a handful of Ford's famous Pony Car. While similar in appearance to the 1966 GT-350, the 1965 version is far more rare (and infinitely more valuable) and far more race applicable. Shelby famously tuned down the car in 1966 to make it more of a road car, but this car, complete with the Type R front clip, was (and is) a race car that Mr. X plans to enjoy on the track. As such the goal wasn't so much perfection (unlike the other cars on this trip) as it was to make the paint shine again.
Work began late on day 5 and was finished late on day 6. The surface was heavily scratched, but the paint proved to be surprisingly polish-able. Meguiar's M105 on an Orange Power Pad followed by Meguiar's M205 on a Black finishing pad (both via Porter Cable DA) removed 95 percent or more of the defects.
A before picture that I captured while Rory was working on the trim.
With the trunk already polished, numerous scratches could be seen just behind the famous “Fast-Back” rear window, courtesy of multiple T-5 halide lights.
After... Note: The passenger (near) side had not been touched at this point.
The off white color made it difficult to capture the difference under halogen lighting. A 50/50 shot shows the corrected (right) side of the light vs. the hazier appearance of the un-polished left side.
Mikey dove right in and after about 45 minutes of instruction, began polishing the Shelby using the KBM. The first car I polished was a 1988 Buick LeSabre at a body shop in high school. Mikey gets to polish a '65 Shelby GT-350...
As Mike finished up the Shelby by carefully washing it with Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Shampoo while we started another project. Mike completed the GT-350 with a coat of Wet Diamond and then we pulled it out in the late day sun to capture photos.
After Pictures.
A semi-sun-shot as the glowing ball of gas faded to the horizon
The original Bad *** Pony Car...
The 1967 Camaro SS/RS396 Pace Car Convertible
Perhaps the quintessential Camaro, the SS/RS 396. Armed with a 325 horsepower 396 big block, 4 speed, and air, this Camaro is believed to be one of only a few with these particular options. Just prior to begin work Mr. X and Geoff thought it would be fun to take it around the block. Apparently Mr. X hit a huge pile of cow dung which covered the side and under carriage. Mr. X hissed at Mikey to clean it, which he dutifully did. Mikey was apparently impressed by how fresh the dung was as he made several comments about its color, consistency, and odor. I'm not too familiar with cow dung so I took his word (and felt sorry for him.)
The paint on the Camaro wasn't nearly as bad as the paint on it's rival: The Shelby. However the paint proved to be much harder which slowed progress slightly Luckily for I had a new helper. Melanie, Geoff's wife, had helped Ryan and I on our previous trip, and she once again joined in on the Camaro.
Here is an after shot of the same area, only with the hood slightly opened.
Menzerna Powergloss and Lake Country's 1Pad system worked well to level down the deepest scratching. The massive 396 makes a great backdrop as well.
The rear fender before...
And after...
Melanie followed behind me wielding a Porter Cable armed with a Tangerine H20 pad and Menzerna Super Intensive Polish (PO83q). Mikey is in the background rinsing the Shelby. An interesting picture of two very rare, mostly original pony cars getting worked on...
Hard to polish areas required some contortion and a Porter Cable.
Last edited by Todd@ProperAutoCare; 05-27-11 at 05:31 AM.
05-27-11, 05:33 AM
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Melanie handled the final polishing duties with a Crimson H20 pad and Menzerna PO85rd.
The Camaro took two days to complete, although progress had to be halted almost two days due to a little black Porsche. Here are the final after pictures, captured near the end of day 8. Two coats of Wet Diamond were applied to seal the paint and Optimum Tire Dressing was applied to the red-line poly-glass tires.
The sun washed out in the after pictures making the swirl free finish hard to appreciate
From this angle you can imagine the big block sliding to the side as the poly-glass tires spin in a desperate attempt to find traction, the 396 roaring...
The Lamborghini Miura
The story of Lamborghini is legendary. Ferruccio Lamborghini, a successful tractor builder, was disappointed with the quality of his Ferrari. After engaging Enzo Ferrari in a shouting match, Ferruccio set forward to built exotic road cars to compete again Ferrari. While early Lamborghini's were more grand touring, the Miura changed that. It was the first mid-engined exotic car. Penned by the famous Italian designed Marcello Gandini, the Miura is considered to be one of the most beautiful designs every made. To make matter's more challenging, this Lamborghini Miura still wore the original lacquer paint it was sprayed with in 1967.
When dealing with original (and invaluable) paint such as this it is important to remember how delicate it was applied. This falls more into the category of paint restoration vs. paint correction. Hand painted Italian exotics are notorious for their uneven finishes, and this Miura was no different. These protects require the utmost care and focus.
Given that the original Italian lacquer was more than 40 years old and displayed lacquer checking in a few places, extreme car was taken to polish finish to factory standard while avoiding burn through or twisting the paint off the old primer. The care required demanded nearly 60 hours of my time and almost 70 hours of total labor, although the results of polishing this original exotic were amazing.
Gandini famously penned the car to represent a bull, with the door pillars acting resembling bull horns when opened. The original lacquer still had some reflectivity but appeared lifeless and dull.
After carefully washing the car with Optimum Ops Clean (Miura's are famous for rust issues so no running water was used) the car was clayed using Blackfire Poly Clay and Opti Clean as lube.
Rory carefully removed all of the trim. I found it fascinating that every part (including each slat of every grill) is coded to the car it was made for. This is because Lamborghini Miura's were truly coach built cars and each one was slightly different. Parts from car 103 would not fit properly on car 104 and so forth.
I made my initial polishing attempt on the engine cover. The paint was very soft and proved to be quite durable, which allowed me to go fairly aggressive. Here some fine lacquer checking is visible on the correct (top) side.
The roof of the Miura before...
The Camaro took two days to complete, although progress had to be halted almost two days due to a little black Porsche. Here are the final after pictures, captured near the end of day 8. Two coats of Wet Diamond were applied to seal the paint and Optimum Tire Dressing was applied to the red-line poly-glass tires.
The sun washed out in the after pictures making the swirl free finish hard to appreciate
From this angle you can imagine the big block sliding to the side as the poly-glass tires spin in a desperate attempt to find traction, the 396 roaring...
The Lamborghini Miura
The story of Lamborghini is legendary. Ferruccio Lamborghini, a successful tractor builder, was disappointed with the quality of his Ferrari. After engaging Enzo Ferrari in a shouting match, Ferruccio set forward to built exotic road cars to compete again Ferrari. While early Lamborghini's were more grand touring, the Miura changed that. It was the first mid-engined exotic car. Penned by the famous Italian designed Marcello Gandini, the Miura is considered to be one of the most beautiful designs every made. To make matter's more challenging, this Lamborghini Miura still wore the original lacquer paint it was sprayed with in 1967.
When dealing with original (and invaluable) paint such as this it is important to remember how delicate it was applied. This falls more into the category of paint restoration vs. paint correction. Hand painted Italian exotics are notorious for their uneven finishes, and this Miura was no different. These protects require the utmost care and focus.
Given that the original Italian lacquer was more than 40 years old and displayed lacquer checking in a few places, extreme car was taken to polish finish to factory standard while avoiding burn through or twisting the paint off the old primer. The care required demanded nearly 60 hours of my time and almost 70 hours of total labor, although the results of polishing this original exotic were amazing.
Gandini famously penned the car to represent a bull, with the door pillars acting resembling bull horns when opened. The original lacquer still had some reflectivity but appeared lifeless and dull.
After carefully washing the car with Optimum Ops Clean (Miura's are famous for rust issues so no running water was used) the car was clayed using Blackfire Poly Clay and Opti Clean as lube.
Rory carefully removed all of the trim. I found it fascinating that every part (including each slat of every grill) is coded to the car it was made for. This is because Lamborghini Miura's were truly coach built cars and each one was slightly different. Parts from car 103 would not fit properly on car 104 and so forth.
I made my initial polishing attempt on the engine cover. The paint was very soft and proved to be quite durable, which allowed me to go fairly aggressive. Here some fine lacquer checking is visible on the correct (top) side.
The roof of the Miura before...
05-27-11, 05:35 AM
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And after (again complete with light lacquer checking).
After getting off to a quick start we had to put the Miura on hold to finish the Black Porsche Speedster (featured later). Ultimately the Miura was the second to last car completed, but for the sake of showing the projects in chronological order I will feature the rest of the correction below.
The front bonnets of Miura's are famous for cracking right about the thin spine between the to vents. Special car was taken to avoid using pressure and avoid vibration or flex. The front bonnet before.
After.
The very front before...
After (note the amount of blue lacquer on the wool pad).
The passenger side engine cover/fender before..
After...
A 50/50 shot that high lights the restoration in progress.
With the Porsche complete I was able to move the Miura back into it's work station.
The driver's side of the bonnet before...
After...
The fender before...
During (using Menzerna SIP on the 1Pad Tangerine H20 pad)...
After...
Driver's door before...
After (compounding)....
After getting off to a quick start we had to put the Miura on hold to finish the Black Porsche Speedster (featured later). Ultimately the Miura was the second to last car completed, but for the sake of showing the projects in chronological order I will feature the rest of the correction below.
The front bonnets of Miura's are famous for cracking right about the thin spine between the to vents. Special car was taken to avoid using pressure and avoid vibration or flex. The front bonnet before.
After.
The very front before...
After (note the amount of blue lacquer on the wool pad).
The passenger side engine cover/fender before..
After...
A 50/50 shot that high lights the restoration in progress.
With the Porsche complete I was able to move the Miura back into it's work station.
The driver's side of the bonnet before...
After...
The fender before...
During (using Menzerna SIP on the 1Pad Tangerine H20 pad)...
After...
Driver's door before...
After (compounding)....
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05-27-11, 05:36 AM
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The front fender before, note the gloss that has been restored to the top of the bonnet through careful final polishing/jeweling.
The rear fender before...
And after
In this picture I am cutting/polishing the paint with a short nap Lake Country 1pad wool pad and Menzerna Super Intensive Polish.
Driver's side before...
and after...
Final polishing was done with a Lake Country Crimson H20 pad and Menzerna PO85rd.
That's a lot of original blue lacquer!!! Perhaps I should sell these pads on Ebay?
I wonder if the paint had this much gloss in 1967?
Mike spent a lot of time hand polishing the areas near the door stakes as well as the rear bonnet over the engine. The Lamborghini Miura was then carefully washed (again using a waterless wash). I stayed all night finishing Miura, applying two coats of Wet Diamond, applying Optimum to the tires, and general detailing.
Final pictures were taken between a storm the following day.
After Pictures.
Perhaps the most stunning turn around of my career in terms of gloss enhancement/micro scratch jeweling, I was amazed at how well the 40 year old lacquer shone.
Unfortunately a quick approaching dust storm forced us to take the Miura inside turning the best light, although I did my best to capture the finish in the light available.
I am not sure if I believe there is a sexier car that Lamborghini Miura in neon blue....
The famous bull's horns, this time with shiny paint!
The rear fender before...
And after
In this picture I am cutting/polishing the paint with a short nap Lake Country 1pad wool pad and Menzerna Super Intensive Polish.
Driver's side before...
and after...
Final polishing was done with a Lake Country Crimson H20 pad and Menzerna PO85rd.
That's a lot of original blue lacquer!!! Perhaps I should sell these pads on Ebay?
I wonder if the paint had this much gloss in 1967?
Mike spent a lot of time hand polishing the areas near the door stakes as well as the rear bonnet over the engine. The Lamborghini Miura was then carefully washed (again using a waterless wash). I stayed all night finishing Miura, applying two coats of Wet Diamond, applying Optimum to the tires, and general detailing.
Final pictures were taken between a storm the following day.
After Pictures.
Perhaps the most stunning turn around of my career in terms of gloss enhancement/micro scratch jeweling, I was amazed at how well the 40 year old lacquer shone.
Unfortunately a quick approaching dust storm forced us to take the Miura inside turning the best light, although I did my best to capture the finish in the light available.
I am not sure if I believe there is a sexier car that Lamborghini Miura in neon blue....
The famous bull's horns, this time with shiny paint!
05-27-11, 05:37 AM
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As you can tell I got carried away snapping photo's. Wouldn't you?
I couldn't stop taking pictures!!!
Finally, and my personal favorite photo that I have ever taken of any automobile I have ever had the honor to work on...
I couldn't stop taking pictures!!!
Finally, and my personal favorite photo that I have ever taken of any automobile I have ever had the honor to work on...
05-27-11, 05:38 AM
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The Porsche 356 Speedster.
While I didn't quite believe it at first, it turns out that Mr. X has friends. While we can question the sanity of that decision, Mr. X's friend (who we will refer to as Mr. Y) owned (and still owns) a beautiful Porsche 356 Speedster that was in desperate need of paint correction. Instead of looking like a cube of ink the Porsche had a gray and hazy appearance.
After Mr. Y delivered the Porsche to Mr. X's shop, the crew got busy dissembling the Speedster. Pictured below are Mikey (to the right behind the raised trunk cover), Mr. X (now with green hair due to improved Photoshop skills), Geoff, and Mr. Y. You can see Rory's dust covered hair peaking up from the back.
Rory holds two pieces of trim from the Porsche, the bottom side has been polished.
This 50/50 shot clearly illustrated how gray the surface of the Porsche was. The right side of the picture shows the ink black potential of this otherwise stunning paint job.
Ultimately the Porsche took the better part of 25 hours to correct, although I was helped greatly by Melanie once again.
Before...
After...
The engine cover was removed to allow more precise polishing.
After 25 hours (approximately 35 including Melanies help) the Porsche was completed and awaited reassembly.
The process was M105 for 2-3 passes with a Purple Wool Pad and a rotary, followed by Menzerna SIP on a Lake H20 Tangerine Pad. Finally two passes of PO85rd and a Lake Country Black Pad jeweled with finish a liquid wet finish. Finally two coats of Blackfire Wet Diamond were applied to the Porsche prior to re-assembly
Rory installed the trim carefully to end day the night.
After pictures.
Nothing looks better then a swirl free finish on ink black paint.
The highly polished paint reflected the near by building like a mirror.
The man in the reflection would be the shortest lived member of the group, a quirky fella named Fredz (more on him later, and yes, he really goes by the name Fredz). I am not sure what he is doing in this picture.
IMO one the most simple and beautiful automotive designs.
After finishing the Porsche I completed work on the Miura (pictured earlier). The long trip was winding down with only two days left. After walking the collection with Mr. X and discussing the options we wisely chose the biggest car in the worst shape...
The 1938 ฝ Vanvooren Bentley 4 ผ
In 1938 the 27 year old daughter of a wealthy French businessman grew dissatisfied with the customer service she had received from Bugatti. This young lady was quite the enthusiast and had owned numerous Bugatti Type 57's. Her name was Lucie Vogt, and she would commission Bentley to build one of it's rarest cars, the 1 of 1 Bentley Vanvooren.
The body was custom built by Vanvooren in Paris, France. Mrs. Vogt specified that the Bentley look close to the Bugatti's she owned and adored but also was adamant that there where no rear windows (to avoid upsetting her dogs). Like a proper French-bodied automobile, this Bentley has unique head and spot lamps and Michelin tires. The styling is traditional French and very striking, with a rakish roof line and teardrop fenders.
This 50/50 shot (taken several days earlier) clearly shows not only how terrible the paint on the Bentley was but how much improvement could be realized.
Our genius choice to choose this car, with its deep scratches, hazy paint, and aircraft carrier surface area with only two days left was likely a result of the previous ten days of sleep deprivation. Luckily we had a secret weapon: Fredz
The Legend of Fredz.
With a hard slap on the back and an awkward smile I was introduced to Fredz. Fredz is some what of a local legend in The Great White North. He once owned a Camaro restoration shop that had earned the reputation of being a hack shop: Fredz Restorationz. Apparently the thought adding the Z to his birth name and business name was great move at marketing. Sometime in the last 3 years Fredz reappeared on the car scene, his reputation as a hack proceeding. There are many rumors to suggest why Mr. X would even consider letting him in the building, the most likely being blackmail.
With one look of the Bentley, Fredz drug his hand across it. I could polish this here car in 3 hours Fred offered.
My eyebrows raised cautiously. Fredz, if you mess this up our deal is off, Mr. X hissed. What deal?
With a laugh like Rocky Bullwinkle Fredz replied,Deal.
Fredz picked up the rotary, and with a grimace he was off. A skilled artist with a polisher with glide the machine over the paint like a Hawk gliding across the sky. Fredz resembled more of a moth with a broken wing.
Fredz in action, ready to prove he was no longer a hack...
Fredz failed.
While the damage was fixable Fredz was sent lumbering out the door. Apparently he is still missing (again.)
Back to the Bentley.
Geoff started late on day 10 removing all of the trim from the gorgeous French body. (I checked and the arm pits were shaven) (what am I even talking about)
The hard (and deeply scratched paint) proved challenging (the theme of this trip) but the results were dramatic. First we washed the Bentley with Optimum No-Rinse and carefully dried it. Mikey clayed the paint with Meguiar's Blue (mild) clay and ONR in a sprayer as lubricant.
The first machine correction step was (what had become a staple of the hammered paints I had been working on) Meguiar's M105 Ultimate Cut Compound on a twisted wool pad. This was followed with Meguiar's M105 on a Tangerine H20 pad on a Porter Cable. Final polishing was carried out with Menzerna PO106fa on a White Polishing Pad.
The windowless rear windows (that makes a whole let of sense) were custom ordered by Lucie Vogt. Apparently she was fearful that if her dogs could see the traffic they would be frightened. Before...
And after...
While I didn't quite believe it at first, it turns out that Mr. X has friends. While we can question the sanity of that decision, Mr. X's friend (who we will refer to as Mr. Y) owned (and still owns) a beautiful Porsche 356 Speedster that was in desperate need of paint correction. Instead of looking like a cube of ink the Porsche had a gray and hazy appearance.
After Mr. Y delivered the Porsche to Mr. X's shop, the crew got busy dissembling the Speedster. Pictured below are Mikey (to the right behind the raised trunk cover), Mr. X (now with green hair due to improved Photoshop skills), Geoff, and Mr. Y. You can see Rory's dust covered hair peaking up from the back.
Rory holds two pieces of trim from the Porsche, the bottom side has been polished.
This 50/50 shot clearly illustrated how gray the surface of the Porsche was. The right side of the picture shows the ink black potential of this otherwise stunning paint job.
Ultimately the Porsche took the better part of 25 hours to correct, although I was helped greatly by Melanie once again.
Before...
After...
The engine cover was removed to allow more precise polishing.
After 25 hours (approximately 35 including Melanies help) the Porsche was completed and awaited reassembly.
The process was M105 for 2-3 passes with a Purple Wool Pad and a rotary, followed by Menzerna SIP on a Lake H20 Tangerine Pad. Finally two passes of PO85rd and a Lake Country Black Pad jeweled with finish a liquid wet finish. Finally two coats of Blackfire Wet Diamond were applied to the Porsche prior to re-assembly
Rory installed the trim carefully to end day the night.
After pictures.
Nothing looks better then a swirl free finish on ink black paint.
The highly polished paint reflected the near by building like a mirror.
The man in the reflection would be the shortest lived member of the group, a quirky fella named Fredz (more on him later, and yes, he really goes by the name Fredz). I am not sure what he is doing in this picture.
IMO one the most simple and beautiful automotive designs.
After finishing the Porsche I completed work on the Miura (pictured earlier). The long trip was winding down with only two days left. After walking the collection with Mr. X and discussing the options we wisely chose the biggest car in the worst shape...
The 1938 ฝ Vanvooren Bentley 4 ผ
In 1938 the 27 year old daughter of a wealthy French businessman grew dissatisfied with the customer service she had received from Bugatti. This young lady was quite the enthusiast and had owned numerous Bugatti Type 57's. Her name was Lucie Vogt, and she would commission Bentley to build one of it's rarest cars, the 1 of 1 Bentley Vanvooren.
The body was custom built by Vanvooren in Paris, France. Mrs. Vogt specified that the Bentley look close to the Bugatti's she owned and adored but also was adamant that there where no rear windows (to avoid upsetting her dogs). Like a proper French-bodied automobile, this Bentley has unique head and spot lamps and Michelin tires. The styling is traditional French and very striking, with a rakish roof line and teardrop fenders.
This 50/50 shot (taken several days earlier) clearly shows not only how terrible the paint on the Bentley was but how much improvement could be realized.
Our genius choice to choose this car, with its deep scratches, hazy paint, and aircraft carrier surface area with only two days left was likely a result of the previous ten days of sleep deprivation. Luckily we had a secret weapon: Fredz
The Legend of Fredz.
With a hard slap on the back and an awkward smile I was introduced to Fredz. Fredz is some what of a local legend in The Great White North. He once owned a Camaro restoration shop that had earned the reputation of being a hack shop: Fredz Restorationz. Apparently the thought adding the Z to his birth name and business name was great move at marketing. Sometime in the last 3 years Fredz reappeared on the car scene, his reputation as a hack proceeding. There are many rumors to suggest why Mr. X would even consider letting him in the building, the most likely being blackmail.
With one look of the Bentley, Fredz drug his hand across it. I could polish this here car in 3 hours Fred offered.
My eyebrows raised cautiously. Fredz, if you mess this up our deal is off, Mr. X hissed. What deal?
With a laugh like Rocky Bullwinkle Fredz replied,Deal.
Fredz picked up the rotary, and with a grimace he was off. A skilled artist with a polisher with glide the machine over the paint like a Hawk gliding across the sky. Fredz resembled more of a moth with a broken wing.
Fredz in action, ready to prove he was no longer a hack...
Fredz failed.
While the damage was fixable Fredz was sent lumbering out the door. Apparently he is still missing (again.)
Back to the Bentley.
Geoff started late on day 10 removing all of the trim from the gorgeous French body. (I checked and the arm pits were shaven) (what am I even talking about)
The hard (and deeply scratched paint) proved challenging (the theme of this trip) but the results were dramatic. First we washed the Bentley with Optimum No-Rinse and carefully dried it. Mikey clayed the paint with Meguiar's Blue (mild) clay and ONR in a sprayer as lubricant.
The first machine correction step was (what had become a staple of the hammered paints I had been working on) Meguiar's M105 Ultimate Cut Compound on a twisted wool pad. This was followed with Meguiar's M105 on a Tangerine H20 pad on a Porter Cable. Final polishing was carried out with Menzerna PO106fa on a White Polishing Pad.
The windowless rear windows (that makes a whole let of sense) were custom ordered by Lucie Vogt. Apparently she was fearful that if her dogs could see the traffic they would be frightened. Before...
And after...
05-27-11, 05:39 AM
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The engine cover before.
And after.
The work was furious for the last two days and the immense size of the Bentley never stopped. At 3 AM (technically the morning of day 12) I asked Mikey to wash some pads. I saw him sit down, but after 10 minutes I noticed he was wasn't running the machine.
As I approached I saw his head bobbing up in down in a losing battle with unconsciousness. I did what any of us should do in this situation, I grabbed the camera.
Going...
Going........
Gone....
This seemed like perfect time to wrap up day 11, so I shut of the lights and left Mikey to his comfortable bed on the concrete.
Day 12, the end.
Day 12 was the day it all caught up to me. It was hard to wake up, hard to move, hard to make the short drive to Area 51. Melanie would be joining me to help later in the night, but for the majority of the day I was on my own. The majority of compounding had been complete so all that was left was the middle steps and final polishing steps, washing, and detailing (that's a lot).
Mikey, rested from his night on the floor, started by polishing wheels with M105/ and M205 on the Porter Cable. The hours of the day speed by as a polished then final polished the paint. Suddenly it was 8 PM, and the Bentley still needed to be final polished (in spots), washed, detailed, and sealed. Luckily my partner in crime, Melanie, was there to help out.
After rinsing the polishing dust off with Optimum No Rinse, Melanie applied Wet Diamond with a Porter cable. Geoff got to work resembling the Bentley. Time was passing by and the hand of the clock passed 11... My jet home was scheduled to take of in just 8 hours...
I worked to polish the chrome and metal Brighton while Melanie removed the last of the Wet Diamond. Done!
The gorgeous (and traditionally 1930s French) tear drop fenders.
Complete, the Bentley Vanvooren now sat proudly over the collection, like a Queen Mother. She was finished at 11:45 PM, day 12.
The transfer of the Bentley from the shop room to the storage room allowed several final photo opportunities.
Finally tucked away (next to an original paint LP400 Countache that will soon be polished to perfection).
The final picture I took from the trip: Saying farewell to the collection until our reunion this Autumn. The polished Queen Mother looks on re royal subjects.
Thanks for reading. Now it is back to therapy...
And after.
The work was furious for the last two days and the immense size of the Bentley never stopped. At 3 AM (technically the morning of day 12) I asked Mikey to wash some pads. I saw him sit down, but after 10 minutes I noticed he was wasn't running the machine.
As I approached I saw his head bobbing up in down in a losing battle with unconsciousness. I did what any of us should do in this situation, I grabbed the camera.
Going...
Going........
Gone....
This seemed like perfect time to wrap up day 11, so I shut of the lights and left Mikey to his comfortable bed on the concrete.
Day 12, the end.
Day 12 was the day it all caught up to me. It was hard to wake up, hard to move, hard to make the short drive to Area 51. Melanie would be joining me to help later in the night, but for the majority of the day I was on my own. The majority of compounding had been complete so all that was left was the middle steps and final polishing steps, washing, and detailing (that's a lot).
Mikey, rested from his night on the floor, started by polishing wheels with M105/ and M205 on the Porter Cable. The hours of the day speed by as a polished then final polished the paint. Suddenly it was 8 PM, and the Bentley still needed to be final polished (in spots), washed, detailed, and sealed. Luckily my partner in crime, Melanie, was there to help out.
After rinsing the polishing dust off with Optimum No Rinse, Melanie applied Wet Diamond with a Porter cable. Geoff got to work resembling the Bentley. Time was passing by and the hand of the clock passed 11... My jet home was scheduled to take of in just 8 hours...
I worked to polish the chrome and metal Brighton while Melanie removed the last of the Wet Diamond. Done!
The gorgeous (and traditionally 1930s French) tear drop fenders.
Complete, the Bentley Vanvooren now sat proudly over the collection, like a Queen Mother. She was finished at 11:45 PM, day 12.
The transfer of the Bentley from the shop room to the storage room allowed several final photo opportunities.
Finally tucked away (next to an original paint LP400 Countache that will soon be polished to perfection).
The final picture I took from the trip: Saying farewell to the collection until our reunion this Autumn. The polished Queen Mother looks on re royal subjects.
Thanks for reading. Now it is back to therapy...
