# Polished Bliss: Audi RS4...



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Hi guys, been keeping a bit of a low profile recently but decided this would make for a nice write up 

*Car*: 3 year old Audi RS4.










*Detailing Service*: 3 day Major Paint Correction.

Monday morning began with the pre-foam, using Meguiars APC through the foam lance at 60 degrees:










This was left whilst I filled up the two buckets for the wheels and then rinsed off at high pressure, taking a good 10 minutes to cover every inch of the car to ensure as much dirt and grime was removed.










The wheels were then cleaned with Meguiars Wheel Brightener (10:1) and the arches/tyres were done with Meguiars Super Degreaser. No Pics of this stage as I had to put my camera batteries on charge.

The engine was next, which was rinsed at medium pressure after being soaked with Super Degreaser:










Super Degreaser was used once again for the door shuts. These were left for a couple of minutes...










...before being rinsed at low pressure:










All the exterior trim/badges etc were then cleaned with APC and a Meguiars Slide Lock brush:










I then washed the car with the 2 bucket method and Menzerna Shampoo (using up old stock) then rinsed.

The first signs of the condition of the paintwork were becoming visible now the sun had come out:










I then finished off the wash stage by removing some minor tar spots from the paintwork and wheels with Autosmart Tardis and then put the car inside after a final rinse off.

Gloss-It's aggressive clay bar was then used to remove bonded contaminants from the paint and glass, using Last Touch as lubricant.

Paint depth readings were then taken with all the metal panels showing healthy levels and the plastics were similar:










Now it was time to assess the condition of the paintwork:

Some areas weren't too bad, with just some scuffs and the odd scratch or two:










Other areas were worse, with significant signs of incorrect rotary use over the majority of the car, plus some nasty RIDS here and there:




























I then gave the paint a thorough wipe down with Menzerna Top Inspection as I've noticed Last Touch (if used during the claying stage) can cause problems with polishing now and again and it can also prevent the masking tape from sticking to the trim properly. The Top Inspection just removes any traces of LT and leaves the paint squeaky clean 

Correction of the paint was carried out with a Menzerna Polishing Pad and 3M Fast Cut Plus mixed with a bit of Ultrafina. This was worked @180rpm's with some sections needing 2 hits before I was happy:





































*Before*:










*After*:










*50/50 on n/s wing*:










A smaller compounding pad was used for the bumpers and tighter areas:










The front fog light grills were removed to gain better access to the lower parts of the bumper:




























*Bumper fully corrected*:










I gave the headlights a light polish with Menzerna 85RD RE5 to remove some light bug splat etchings:



















A 3m Compounding Pad was used for the rub strips:










It's important to keep the rotary moving quickly over these parts to prevent heat build up and potential delamination.

The lower halves (including side skirts) were also done with the 3M pad, some deeper marks remained but overall I was very happy with the level of correction:










After close to 17 hours in total, the first stage of correction was complete.

The second polishing stage was then carried out using a Yellow 3M Polishing Pad and Menzerna PO85RD RE5.

Out came the wool duster to remove all polishing dust once complete:










Top Inspection was then used again to ensure the paint was free of all polishing oils:










With the paint and glass now completely free of dust and oils I applied the LSP. This was to be Zym0l Vintage applied by a Blackfire LSP applicator pad:










This was applied to the whole car:










It was then buffed off after approx 10 minutes.

Whilst I'd been concentrating on the paintwork, Marsha had some spare time so she sealed the wheels (Blackfire Metal Sealant), dressed the tyres (3 coats of Gloss-It Signature Tyre Gloss), polished the exhaust tips (meguiars NXT Metal Polish) and shampoo'd the interior mats.

The interior was also detailed, including the leather, which was fed with Raceglaze Leather Balm:










The engine bay was dressed with 303 Aerospace Protectant:




























The paintwork was then given a final wipe down to remove any fresh oils from the wax "gassing" and then out came the camera for the after pics 

A quick walk round the car with the Sun Gun to show the true condition of the paintwork (temperatures had dropped significantly so there were still a few very light smears after the wipe down and I wasn't prepared to marr the finish by trying to buff them off again):

*Roof:*









































































*Bonnet*:































































































































Then out came Rich's SLR and I tried to do my best David Bailey impression 



































































































































































*Total Work Time*: Approx 33 hours (Including a 1am finish on Tuesday!).

Thanks for reading 

Clark


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## bbigman2000 (Aug 28, 2006)

Very impressive Job Clark, Have to say, I am impressed by the added work you guys put into getting the job just right, taking trims off etc.
Glen


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## reign (Oct 6, 2008)

gotta admit.... i'm partial to the audis.

very nice job, mate. That's perfection!


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

bbigman2000 said:


> Very impressive Job Clark, Have to say, I am impressed by the added work you guys put into getting the job just right, taking trims off etc.
> Glen


Cheers Glen, much appreciated :thumb:



reign said:


> gotta admit.... i'm partial to the audis.
> 
> very nice job, mate. That's perfection!


Perfection is a dangerous word mate...


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

wow!!


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## tdm (Feb 2, 2007)

wow from me also, that last series of pictures is perhaps the best ive seen from you guys ! do you use the small 3m pad to cut in around the trims also, or is that taken care of when you machine the main panel ? thanks


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## Andyuk911 (Sep 10, 2006)

Lovely to see a clean RS4, lets hope the owner keeps it like that :argie:


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## m4xmw (Mar 22, 2006)

Great car to work on, and a well executed detail!( as your usual very high standards)

Thanks for taking time out to post too


Mark


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## Tiauguinho (May 1, 2007)

Very nice finish and lovely pictures of the finished car!


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## Elliott19864 (May 11, 2008)

Stunning car, stunning work, stunning photos.


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

stunning work on a stunning car


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

nice job
nice car


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

I have done alot of RS4s in my time i know how much time it takes and i also know how rewarding it is to see it done.

Top work as always mate.

Robbie


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## Mike V (Apr 7, 2007)

WOWWWWWeeeee!!


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## Simonez (Apr 14, 2008)

awesome job and an awesome car!

gotta get myself one of those beautys!


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## evojkp (Jun 28, 2007)

stunning


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## G105ALY (Dec 6, 2006)

Great work Clark, loved the Sprint Blue one you did a while back too!


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## atomicfan (Jan 21, 2008)

Have you applied hd cleanse before vintage or directly after the menz?


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## Jesse74 (Jul 19, 2008)

Luuurvly work Clark, as expected!


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## Turbo weasel (Nov 1, 2008)

Clark said:


> Clark


That is outstanding.:thumb:


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## notsosmall (Sep 13, 2008)

Great work yet again :thumb:

I love these cars :argie: 

Great after shots looks amazing :thumb:


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## jonjay (Feb 28, 2008)

that is just wow...the owner must have been gobsmacked.


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Truly awesome as always Clark :thumb:

That's some of your best pics yet with Rich's camera  any chance of a really Hi res one for my screen saver  the last 4.... can't decide which one.


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## rossdook (Aug 20, 2008)

Lovely motor that. Cracking job again.
How do you really rate the Vintage Clark? PM me if you'd like to tell me the warts and all from a pro's point of view!


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## [email protected] (Dec 21, 2005)

Superb Clark!! 1 am?? Hope your being payed overtime eh??:doublesho:thumb:


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## Scud (Jun 30, 2006)

Been waiting for a thread from you Clark and once again its a cracker.

What differences do you find between the BF tyre gel and the Gloss-it stuff you are using now ?


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## vpricey (May 8, 2006)

Stunning as usual Clark!:thumb:


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## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

That looks stunning - the RS4 is one of the nicest cars I have driven.


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Ooooh yes superb job Clark and proper write up, not been one of them on here for a while.


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## leo_jones (May 27, 2008)

superb matey! yeah where have u been hiding not seen any of your work for a while, worth the wait spot on as usual!


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Attention to detail is excellent throughout with good correction and machine finishing. Very nice


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## S-X-I (Sep 6, 2006)

Simply stunning work!


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## Jim W (Feb 3, 2007)

Brilliant.

Thanks Clark


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## Piratez (Jun 28, 2008)

Excellent job...astonishing result :thumb:


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## Petrol-head (May 26, 2008)

Very nice work as always! :thumb:


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## Sandro (Mar 16, 2008)

awesome finish man! good tip about the LT making masking tape not stick etc, will try that out in future if i have issues.

Do you think the Gloss it tyre gel is better with layered up? i see you has 3 layers on the tyres. odd to see that done.


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Correction looks awesome Clark 

How much more durable is the Blackfire Metal Sealant on the wheels over Poorboy's W/S?

Are you still applying the tyre dressing by spraying on, then buffing?

I still can't fault the Blackfire Tyre dressing, and as a one stage application, the results are superb (both left or buffed).


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## KleenChris (Apr 4, 2008)

Great work and some excellent photos too :thumb:


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

Thanks for posting again. I've been waiting. 

Excellent results!!!:thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

Top work mate. I was going to ask if you were using the d300 to take the pics, but then at the end, you answered the question for me.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

nice work it looks brilliant


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## adam87 (Dec 11, 2008)

shweeeet! i love audis.

Where did you get that chemical mat from?? As seen in the snowfoam pictures.


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## Frothey (Apr 30, 2007)

That's the money shot for me!










Cracking work as always Clark :thumb:


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## supercharged (Feb 1, 2008)

simply amazing work and pics.


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## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

Nice corection work Clark

Do you prefer the 3M yellow pad with RE5 as apposed to the blue UF (super soft one).

Speak soon


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Valet Magic said:


> I have done alot of RS4s in my time i know how much time it takes and i also know how rewarding it is to see it done.
> 
> Top work as always mate.
> 
> Robbie


Cheers Robbie :thumb:



atomicfan said:


> Have you applied hd cleanse before vintage or directly after the menz?


I didnt apply the HDC at all mate. If the paint is extremely well prepped then it's a wasted step in our opinion. The only use it has after machine polishing is to remove any oils but it then leaves it's own glazing oils which we've found from experience can actually reduce durability of the wax. We've been getting far better durability from applying the waxes over a nicely polished surface that has then had a top inspection/IPA wipe down and no HDC



ads2k said:


> Truly awesome as always Clark :thumb:
> 
> That's some of your best pics yet with Rich's camera  any chance of a really Hi res one for my screen saver  the last 4.... can't decide which one.


Send your e-mail address to [email protected] and i'll sort you out mate :thumb:



rossdook said:


> Lovely motor that. Cracking job again.
> How do you really rate the Vintage Clark? PM me if you'd like to tell me the warts and all from a pro's point of view!


I still really rate Vintage. Looks wise it doesnt always have much more over some other waxes but in direct sunlight I still believe it produces that little bit extra. Durability wise - even on a daily driver you'll see at least 6 months from one coat if it's properly maintained. Those that find they only get a couple of months aren't maintaining it properly in my opinion.

From a business sense it's a no brainer as we're on our 3rd re-fill now and it's already paid for itself several times over. In that sense it's the cheapest wax in the world 



autobrite-direct said:


> Superb Clark!! 1 am?? Hope your being payed overtime eh??:doublesho:thumb:


I'm well looked after mate :thumb:



Scud said:


> Been waiting for a thread from you Clark and once again its a cracker.
> 
> What differences do you find between the BF tyre gel and the Gloss-it stuff you are using now ?


Looks and durability wise I'd say they're pretty evenly matched. I like the Gloss-It becuase it completely dries into the tyre and doesnt sit in the tread like some gels can. I still use the BF alot and to be honest I just fancy a swap about now and again so thats why I use the Gloss-It at the moment 



Mark M said:


> Correction looks awesome Clark
> 
> How much more durable is the Blackfire Metal Sealant on the wheels over Poorboy's W/S?
> 
> ...


The metal sealant is considerably longer lasting than the PB's from what i've experienced, although it's more expensive. Cost wise, the PB is still very good and has it's many fans although I have the luxury of being able to use what I like so the BF is what gets used for the majority of the time. It's awesome on exhaust tips too!



Epoch said:


> Nice corection work Clark
> 
> Do you prefer the 3M yellow pad with RE5 as apposed to the blue UF (super soft one).
> 
> Speak soon


Not really mate, however i needed that little extra bite from the pad to make sure i fully removed any feint buffer trails i'd left from the compounding stage. I'd have needed 2 hits on some parts if i'd used the finishing pad 

Thanks for all the feedback folks!


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## Dan Carter (Jun 21, 2008)

Amazing as ever, always enjoy a Polished Bliss write up


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## s3 rav (Apr 30, 2008)

great work, always look forward to a detail by polished bliss especially if its an audi. why are you now tending to use apc over hyperwash when foaming at the beginning? great work as always love it


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## dillon733 (Feb 18, 2008)

Superb job as always Clark. Fantastic work and fantastic write up. :thumb:



s3 rav said:


> great work, always look forward to a detail by polished bliss especially if its an audi. why are you now tending to use apc over hyperwash when foaming at the beginning? great work as always love it


I was wondering the same thing? Do you use APC to strip away old sealents/ waxes that may be on the paint?


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## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

Very nice work as always mate, haven't seen you on the forum lately, thought you'd retired and were sunning yourself in the south of france.


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## Phil_b88 (May 18, 2008)

i love reading your threads, such attention to detail!


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## Yoghurtman (Dec 9, 2008)

Brilliant write up, really good detail. There is something about the RS4, I just love the aggressive stance, all big wheels and bulbous arches....I'm stuck with the 2.0TDI unfortunately...


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## Kadir (Jun 14, 2007)

AMAZING. The End! :thumb:


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## Reds (Jan 14, 2009)

I have a love hate relationships with your write ups Clarke; I love 'em because they are just awesomeness personified but I hate them because I then have this urge to buy stuff from you guys (again  ). Seriously though, great work and if you ever need an apprentice


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## Gloss-it (Nov 14, 2008)

Well Done as usual:thumb:


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

fantastic work as always Clark


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## DCR (Sep 12, 2008)

i love these cars
im itching for an RS4

great work Clark

may pop in past to say hi next time in ABZ


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## lego_man (Mar 29, 2007)

Stunning!!


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## RYN (Oct 3, 2008)

Great work Clark, your write up's never disappoint! 

Excellent photo's as always. Especially the ones using Rich's camer, great clarity.

Was curious about the BF sealant over the PB, but you've cleared that up.

Look forward to the next write up.

Ryan:thumb:


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## bricktop20 (Dec 2, 2008)

cracking job on a cracking car


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## ALANSHR (Jun 29, 2007)

Cracking job time after time Clark and on a pretty tasty machine though cant quite come to terms with the window trims on the audis, the ones with matt or gloss tlack trim look so much more 'together' imo.

Looks great all the same, met black does look good without defects.


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## woodybeefcake (Oct 12, 2008)

Stunning! Best write up I've seen in ages! Lovely pics!


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## AutoshineSV (Feb 21, 2008)

Great work :thumb:


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

Stunning work as usual mate. :thumb:


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## M9 RS (Feb 14, 2008)

another stunning finish clark:thumb:another right up on showing how it should be done:buffer:


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## Noakesy85 (Dec 27, 2008)

Stunning work dude!!


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## Dave Richardson (Feb 3, 2008)

Graet & rewarding work.

Nice one :thumb:

Dave


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## ghosty (Aug 14, 2008)

wow great job clark always look forward to a post by you guys there always a good read !!
A quick question on the pdg its shows 110 /36 and a total of 146
how does that work out ????? is the 110 the clear coat thickness and the 36 the paint ??? just really interested as to how these top of the range kit work


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

What else in new:lol: Seriously Clark you never cease to amaze me, always enjoy a good PB write up:argie:


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## scooby73 (Mar 20, 2007)

Great correction and attention to detail as ever!:thumb:


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## 'Buzzkill' (Jan 16, 2009)

Great read


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## Nick_S (Dec 20, 2008)

Absolutely amazing work. That color is :doublesho


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## Eurogloss (Jan 22, 2008)

Excellent work there Clark :thumb:

Mario


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Amazing detail, the level of finish is just outstanding!! 

Great reflection shots too.

Dan


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## ryanuk (Jun 22, 2007)

very nice mate....


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## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

Top work and stunning results


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## Toolman (Nov 17, 2007)

Top notch work as usual Clark...in my opinion phantom black Audis are always a joy to work it and the end results after some good detailing are very satisfying


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## Envy Car Care (Aug 17, 2006)

Looking very good Clark, certainly had your work cut out there


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

ghosty said:


> wow great job clark always look forward to a post by you guys there always a good read !!
> A quick question on the pdg its shows 110 /36 and a total of 146
> how does that work out ????? is the 110 the clear coat thickness and the 36 the paint ??? just really interested as to how these top of the range kit work


Yep, you got it  Normally I'd say that was quite high for a clear coat reading but it was very consistant throughout and the gauges get checked against calibration shims every time so I was more than happy with the readings. Alot of newer cars appear to be coming with less pigment (colour) but more clear now a days 



Reds said:


> I have a love hate relationships with your write ups Clarke; I love 'em because they are just awesomeness personified but I hate them because I then have this urge to buy stuff from you guys (again  ). Seriously though, great work and if you ever need an apprentice


Sorry 



Gleammachine said:


> Very nice work as always mate, haven't seen you on the forum lately, thought you'd retired and were sunning yourself in the south of france.


Just lack of time mate  That and some of the stupid arguing and bi*ching just drives you away from forums sometimes, it's nice to just sit back and take a break now and again :thumb:

Cheers for all the feedback folks, it's much appreciated


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## Superhands (Jan 7, 2009)

I just peed my pants !!

Amazing work


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## KKM (Dec 10, 2007)

Seriously though, those final pictures are simply stunning!! Drooooooooooool.

High Five!!

:thumb:


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## N8KOW (Aug 24, 2007)

I need those buckets in my life!!! Clark, what can we say? Perfection as always.


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## Nickh2007 (Apr 30, 2007)

Another fantastic job!

wishI had 33 hours to detail my car..
:buffer:


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## Maxym (Apr 27, 2007)

Awesome as always, Clark. Love the last shot.


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

very impressive! stunning in black


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## Bigears (Feb 5, 2008)

Amazing! :thumb:


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## Ebbe J (Jun 18, 2008)

Wonderful work - awesome attention to detail! I can see that you are foaming with APC.. Could you tell me the dilution that you're using?


Kind regards,

Ebbe


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

was just wondering, does the hot APC seem to work better through the lance than a cold APC?


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Ebbe J said:


> Wonderful work - awesome attention to detail! I can see that you are foaming with APC.. Could you tell me the dilution that you're using?
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Ebbe


approx 4:1 mate 



alan_mcc said:


> was just wondering, does the hot APC seem to work better through the lance than a cold APC?


Yep, quite a bit better too :thumb:


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## otterolly (Mar 19, 2009)

Very very nice job


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## mr kuryakin (Nov 20, 2005)

great finish .stunning car


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## carrera2s (Jun 28, 2009)

Top job mate a credit to you!:thumb:


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

nice work as always clark :thumb:


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## gordy1984 (Jun 4, 2008)

looks great :thumb:


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## Sparrow'90 (Jul 19, 2009)

nice car. NICE photos , stunning work man


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Over 1 year old but still doesn't take away the finish :thumb:


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## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

has any one seen clark or the guys around been far to long for no polished bliss right up


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

We've been too busy to make a proper appearance unfortunately mate - I just finished another Ne Plus Ultra Detail (at 2am on sat morning!) and have another one coming up in a fortnight plus our second detailer has started so that's keeping me busy too. 

Fortunately, Rich has also been very busy so there's another couple of Ne Plus Ultra HD videos on their way plus a few pictorial write ups when I get the chance


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## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

Clark said:


> We've been too busy to make a proper appearance unfortunately mate - I just finished another Ne Plus Ultra Detail (at 2am on sat morning!) and have another one coming up in a fortnight plus our second detailer has started so that's keeping me busy too.
> 
> Fortunately, Rich has also been very busy so there's another couple of Ne Plus Ultra HD videos on their way plus a few pictorial write ups when I get the chance


did u hear your name in hushed terms :lol: clad u have been very busy bit poo about the finishing at 2am  clad you are well and the business is on the up and keep u running around. 

take it easy

clark

tom


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## Select Detailing (Feb 19, 2009)

Hi Guys & Gals....

Cracking write up and as per the norm, always a pleasure to read and see the results, dont expect nothing but perfection from you. It was nice to hear that you guys still hit little niggles and that you mention.

As norm always pick up pointers from your work.

Regards

Gareth


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## dirtybarrys (Jul 28, 2008)

nice work!


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## Shashan (Apr 17, 2009)

Super job :argie:


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## GSVHammer (Feb 7, 2009)

Now that is how black should look. Fantastic finish achieved there, bet the owner was well pleased with the result.


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## GIZTO29 (May 8, 2009)

Awesome Clark!


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

lol thanks - but this thread is over a year old now!  :lol:


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## chillly (Jun 25, 2009)

Clark said:


> lol thanks - but this thread is over a year old now!  :lol:


:lol::lol: Still looking nice thou after a year :lol::lol:


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## chris141 (Jun 5, 2008)

Top work clark some stunning pics as well !


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

Cracking work - comment thought and I know it's not you, and nothing can really be done but the brake discs let it down:










Not a dig but a genuine comment - is there a way round it, aside from brand new discs?

EDIT: Ha ha, just read few posts back - over a year old :lol:
Perhaps you've developed something for the brake discs in the past 12 months?


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Coops said:


> Cracking work - comment thought and I know it's not you, and nothing can really be done but the brake discs let it down:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Run the car backwards and forwards a few times to clear the discs, which is what we do if it's not pouring with rain outside - which is why more often than not the discs are still rusty by the end  :lol: It happens to all discs (ceramics aside) when they get wet.

Admitedly it doesnt look great but the cars never sit with the handbrake on in the studio and they're clear again within the first few stops the car makes when it leaves us


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## Rasher (Mar 6, 2006)

brilliant!!


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## 106rallye (May 12, 2008)

One of the best details i have ever seen and on such a stunning car too, top work.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

This is awesome - if our old details keep popping up then I can hold back all the new ones we have to post  :lol:


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## dbaillie (Apr 6, 2009)

wow 1 mint looking audi.


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