# Honda Civic Type R - New Shape (Nighthawk Black)



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Today's detail was a new shape Honda Civic Type R in one of my favourite colours on all cars: Honda Nighthawk Black, with a cracking dark blue flake in the black paint.

The car arrived looking very clean, despite the weather - pouring rain. Bryan set about the wheels and arches with Meguiars APC cut 4:1, and Chemical Guys Premium Blue Wheel Cleaner, while Stu and I washed the car demonstrating the two bucket method to the owner using Meguiars Shampoo Plus.

With the car washed, and the rain pouring down, we rolled it into the garage for the claying session. Using Sonus Ultrafine Green Clay and Meguiars Last Touch as a lube, the car was clayed to remove only a very light contamination from the paintwork.

Now it was time to assess the paintwork, which was showing light swirls and light to moderate hologramming. The bonnet was examined first as the test spot for the paintwork... Before:










For a combination on this paint, Menzerna PO85RD on a finishing pad removed the gologramming but left behind some deeper swirls, PO106FF also left the odd mark but was very nearly the desired correction. Meguiars #80 Speed Glaze on a Meguiars W8006 polishing pad seemed to have just a little extra cut to it on this paint allowing the full removal of defects from the paint, applied at 600rpm to spread, 1200rpm for two passes, 1500 - 1800rpm until it started to dust, and then 1200rpm to refine. This finishes down very well, but I decided that the soft Honda paint would definitely benefit from an independant set to burnish the finish to a deeper gloss. There's a lot more to machine polishing than simply removing the defects, and the process of burnishing the finish with very fine abrasives pays dividends in achieving a deep gloss and sharp reflections. This can be done either at the end of a set, in many cases, of a medium abrasive polish. Or, in this case, using a fine finishing polish to burnish the finish at slower speeds: Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish was chosen, applied using a Meguiars W9006 Finishing Pad, spread at 600rpm, worked at 1200-1500rpm until clear, and then refined at 900rpm. The result of the double-set:










This process was then repeated across the whole car with me on the rotary (Stu on the roof), while Stu worked on the PC with a 4" pad on bumpers and tight areas with Final Finish, or Intensive Polish where some deeper marks existed.

Before machine polishing, the defects:



















A 50/50 pic throughout the correction:










And after pics of the paint finish under the 3M Sun Gun and camera flash to assess the quality of the correction and clarity of the finish:














































The beauty of burnishing the finish is that a deep gloss can be achieved in the paintwork, a trait that's often sought after and promised by various LSPs on the market - there's only one true way to achieve the best finishes though, and thats through machine polishing: These pics show the finish after machine polishing only:




























The owner wanted a wet look finish to the Nighthawk Black, and with winter coming on, durability was also a serious consideration. For a wet look, we decided to go with a pair of products for the LSP stage, products not often mentioned in the forums, but products in my eyes that deliver amongst the best wet look finishes around - certainly in their price range, and also well above their price range too. Clearkote Yellow Cream Wax followed by Clearkote Carnauba Moose Wax added a nice wet-look nuance to the deep finish from the machine polishing:



















Bryan cleaned the glass using Clearkote Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze by hand. Wheels were waxed with Smartwax Rim Wax and the tyres dressed with ArmourAll Tyre Gel (we were finding the Meguiars Endurance UK version a bit to "blingy" for our likings). Arches were dressed with Meguiars All Seasons Dressing, plastics also with ASD.

The car was then rolled out into the natural light for pics - no sun unfortunately, but at least the rain had stopped! 









































































Another great day of detailing.


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Superb Work Dave. Shocking state for a New Car!  :thumb:


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## 2548 (Jul 19, 2006)

Very  Black honda paint, been there before with dealer damage !


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2007)

amazing finish there mate like a mirror


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## CleanYourCar (Jan 23, 2006)

That looks dripping wet, superb work as ever. The owners going to have fun keeping that swirl free.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Nice i'll inspect it more closely seeing as its on my door step. hehe


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## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

That looks amazing. Another house on a hill i see


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## ZrS (May 27, 2007)

So swirly CTR for a car not very old...

i hope you have advice the owner how to wash his car the next time Dave ? 

Great job m8


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## Cliff (Mar 4, 2007)

Excellent as always :thumb: 
Do like those Type R's :thumb:


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## evobaz (Aug 28, 2007)

Its amazing the swirls on that for a relatively new car.

Nice work though. Looks superb now.


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

Nice job lads, looking nice in the finishing shots!


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

very nice guys!


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## beardboy (Feb 12, 2006)

Stunning as ever guys!

Like the wheels on that, not standard Type-R wheels are they? The ones down this way have more spokes - or i'm going dopey! :lol:


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## Bulla2000 (Jun 5, 2007)

Wow, great. Very well done.


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## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

An excellent detail and write up :thumb:

A superb finish showing great depth and sharp reflections


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## Mark43 (Aug 12, 2007)

beardboy said:


> Stunning as ever guys!
> 
> Like the wheels on that, not standard Type-R wheels are they? The ones down this way have more spokes - or i'm going dopey! :lol:


They are 19" Rages which were an option or there are standard 7 spoke 18"s.

Car looks great by the way.......bet the owner was well pleased with that.:thumb:


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Top work chaps


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## winrya (Aug 4, 2006)

That motor is really growing on me. I'd be tempted if it was a turbo, just cant stand the high reving engine, such hard work when your not in the mood


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## matt (Jun 29, 2006)

Fantastic finish you achieved there fellas!! :thumb:


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## Slick 77 (Jun 19, 2007)

quality finish :thumb: interesting to read about burnishing too


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Veeery nice, but I still like the milano on the new ctrs, nhb comes a very close second with the awesome paint flecks.

Sounds like i'll need something after po106ff on mine then.


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

Amazing wet-look finish on that CTR but a quick question...

...Tim from CYC has been hammering on that the Clearkote mooses are the best for wet finishes and I have been ignoring these claims and have always backed Swissvax BoS to provided the wettest look.

Anyways... 

... I am about to order some JetSeal109 shortly but am now contemplating whether to pick up some Clearkote Yellow Cream Wax and Clearkote Carnauba Moose Wax after the finish I have just seen from what you have achieved. I take it that these are the only two products you used to get that finish in the LSP stage (i.e. you didn't top it up with another wax afterwards)?

Cheers - Hotwaxxx


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## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

Stunning Dave and Bryan

Fantastic work


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

top work as always chaps! 

good luck to the owner in keeping the swirls to a minimum:thumb: 

p.s - they look so much better with those optional wheels IMO


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## phil440 (Aug 19, 2007)

winrya said:


> just cant stand the high reving engine, such hard work when your not in the mood


you must be bad they are always always always in the mood to rev


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## ryanuk (Jun 22, 2007)

super work again dave!


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## nighty (Jan 28, 2007)

Sweet car and great results. Was in a real bad state for a new car.


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

hotwaxxx2007 said:


> Amazing wet-look finish on that CTR but a quick question...
> 
> ...Tim from CYC has been hammering on that the Clearkote mooses are the best for wet finishes and I have been ignoring these claims and have always backed Swissvax BoS to provided the wettest look.
> 
> ...


Hi mate,

No, no other LSP product was used here - after the Menzerna, Yellow Cream Wax was used as a cleanser and glaze, then the Carnuaba Moose Wax to top off the finish.


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

Good stuff - just added to my latest order at CYC the two products you used. I shall try them out as soon as I get them as a combination and see what results I get on my CTR which currently has a coat of BoS on top of EZ Glaze II at the moment.:thumb:


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

winrya said:


> That motor is really growing on me. I'd be tempted if it was a turbo, just cant stand the high reving engine, such hard work when your not in the mood


They are better than the previous engine. The i vtec kicks in at lower revs.


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## Ruth M (Feb 27, 2006)

That looks great! NHB is a cool colour, looks navy in some lights. It's a pain to keep it swirl free tho so I can understand how such a new CTR got in that state


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

stunning work as always!!


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## CK888 (Apr 23, 2006)

That's a wet look, stunning results guys:thumb:


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## matrix_808 (Sep 22, 2007)

wow car looks great


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

I have the 2002 model CTR and it is a fantastic car although I have once again got light swirlmarks after just 4 months machine polishing it (plus I wash and care for it the right way). 

The paint is ultra-soft and will always pick up swirls. I just wish Honda had made the paint a little harder and tough wearing for the new model but it seems they haven't. Personally, I don't like the new shape CTR (too modern too early for me) but it looks a fantastic drive since the iVTEC comes in a lot quicker.

Cheers - Hotwaxxx:wave:


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## Morph3ous (Jul 6, 2007)

Looking good.

I have a new Honda Civic in NHB, but its not a Type R. Needed 5 doors cos of the little one. Looks wonderful in the sun when its nice and clean, but the paint is an absolute nightmare. Sooo soft, and despite the amount of care I give it it's still swirling gradually. I've even stopped using QD lately cos it was causing too many swirls.

Was the paint very orange peel like Dave? Mine is terrible! 
Honda are good at so many things, but paint doesn't seem to be one of them unfortunately.


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

^^ Yes, some panels on this car had some quite bad orange peel (many cars these days do, though), others not so bad.

Its a very soft paint, so it will need meticulous care and even at that some swirls may be reinflicted... The upside is that correction is easy.


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## MickCTR (Mar 4, 2006)

Great stuff, nice work dave :thumb:


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## Thomas-182 (Mar 5, 2006)

That's now one lovely looking Type-R.

Excellent job there, the finish is fantastic.


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Superb gents. Love the Sun Gun


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## Dave Osborne (Oct 1, 2007)

What i would do to own that car - looks incredible - Great Work!


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## Fat Audi 80 (Nov 8, 2006)

Nothing short of amazing IMO.

Excellent, excellent work. :thumb:


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Great finish on that, crystal clear


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## Spankee (Apr 14, 2007)

Lovely car and a great finsh top stuff


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## RST appie (Oct 3, 2007)

very nice!great looking car:thumb:


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## visor (Sep 8, 2007)

W W thats a superb finish Dave KG :thumb: :thumb:


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## Trist (Jun 23, 2006)

Superb job Dave. Cool looking car :thumb:


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## Maxym (Apr 27, 2007)

Awful before, stunning after. You've made an iffy-looking car look great. :thumb:


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## Slangwerks (May 10, 2006)

stunning finish, by far the best looking one of those I've seen!


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Excellant finish, stunning reflections..


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

awesome brightness and perfection. I like the job done on this new civic type R. Mine has also a lot of light swirls, some of stone chips and bugs. I've read some of your posts because I'm very worry about the softness of my civic type R NHB. I don't want to do the wrong job on it.

I was wondering if I will get the same brightness and perfection without rotary device. I'll do the detailing by hand.

Please kindly give me advice and comments the following process:

1. washing my car in a car washing center
2. drying with waffle microfiber towel
3. applying AG SRP
4. applying AG EGP
5. applying Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0
6. applying TW Ice liquid polish
7. applying Meguiar's NXT Spray Wax

If I have to replace one of those products, which product should I use? BH Autobalm, PB World Polish with Carnauba Blue, PB Nattys paste wax, ClearKote RMG or ClearKote Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze, ClearKote Carnauba Moose Wax and PB QD+?

Do I need to clay my car after the step 1.? If yes, which one do I need to use? Which Meg, Sonus, Malco polishing cream, Presta UCC light product reference?

Thanks for your comments


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Could swap the BH AB for everything from 3 onwards, if you weren't using the SRP for sirl reduction/removal.
If you are, then continue to do so, apply AB x2 over it or after using IPA to remove the SRP.
Use whatever QD you fancy after that, between periodic applications.


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## 1996a6v6 (Feb 8, 2008)

Stunning !!! :thumb:


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## Jesse74 (Jul 19, 2008)

That finish sends chills up my spine! Thanks for the write up on what you polished with, it's very useful!


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

PJS said:


> Could swap the BH AB for everything from 3 onwards, if you weren't using the SRP for sirl reduction/removal.
> If you are, then continue to do so, apply AB x2 over it or after using IPA to remove the SRP.
> Use whatever QD you fancy after that, between periodic applications.


My car is new from 2007 but there are some bug contaminations on the hood. Is it worth using detailing clay? Which one should I choose? BH autoclay, BH autoclay soft, Sonus Green Ultra fine, Meg's clay?

What's the best bet for fine swirl and scratches remover? AG SRP + AG EGP or BH auto balm alone?


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

PJS said:


> Could swap the BH AB for everything from 3 onwards, if you weren't using the SRP for sirl reduction/removal.
> If you are, then continue to do so, apply AB x2 over it or after using IPA to remove the SRP.
> Use whatever QD you fancy after that, between periodic applications.


Thanks for the advice, I appreciate. Now, what do you think of the new receipt I may use while working by hand:

For the exterior:

- car wash center -> do I need suds?

- BH autoclay and/or Meg's 80 or Dodo Juice Lime prime -> for cleansing the paint and removing contaminants

- AG SRP or PB polish carnauba blue -> for "removing" or "masking" the swirls and scratches + stone chips

- BH auto balm or PB Natty's red limited -> for protection and durability

- ClearKote Yellow cream wax + ClearKote Carnauba moose wax (or Meg's NXT Tech Wax 2.0) -> for a super wet look and durable finish

+ between two applications : PB QD+ or Meg's last touch or Meg's NXT Spray Wax

For the interior:
- PB Natural look dressing

Are all these products compatible? I mean, any product will not alter the features of the others? Is it a good receipt suitable for a new car from 2007?


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## Robbieben (Feb 19, 2006)

lovely work as always guys, fantastic results:thumb:


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

stunning finish there Dave!


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## pampos (Mar 15, 2008)

Great correction,nice reflections,amazing car....


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## Saqib200 (May 13, 2008)

Absolutely awe-inspiring, something for all of us to aspire to. Machine polishing is an art, and to get that kind of finish is pretty tough.


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## Simon01 (Jan 14, 2008)

Exeptional Work again Dave, Bryan :thumb:


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

Yep did a Nighthalk DC5 recently...Lovely colour.


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## mattjonescardiff (Dec 12, 2006)

A crystal clear finish as always. Well done chaps.


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## M4D YN (Nov 24, 2007)

always the perfect finish dave :thumb: pat on the back sir


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## N8KOW (Aug 24, 2007)

Dave and the guys, that is the best black detailed car I've seen in a while. It looks SUPER wet.


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## boxstaman (Jun 25, 2007)

The depth of colour is fantastic and you certainly achieved the wet look. Excellent result!!


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

Dear Dave,

Now that I have bought several of the detailing stuffs used by DW members, I'd need some help to start the polish by hand process. Can you please tell me if the combo below will work:

Step 1: AG SRP (for the fillers)
Step 2: BH Autobalm (for longevity)
Step 3: Clearkote yellow cream wax + Clearkote carnauba moose wax (for the best wet effect)

Can I use these products all together? Does the clearkote combo erode the BH Autobalm if on top of it?

It'll be the first time I polish my civic. There are too many swirls and contaminants. I also have the Scratch master kit from Paints4u + IPA tin to hide the stone chips and scratches. When should I apply this kit between the claying and the polishing by hand? Is AG SRP harmfull for the paints4u kit?

Thank you for your advice


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## ELBOW GREASE (Sep 1, 2008)

:thumb:HONDA4LIFE


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## Big Bru (Apr 27, 2008)

WOW
Thats what i want my CTR to look like!
great job!!!


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## joe_0_1 (Apr 7, 2007)

Warsome!!

Great work Dave :thumb:


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

Dave KG, please rescue me with my choice 

srp topped by bh autobalm is enough for my requirements? or can I add layer of clearkote combos on autobalm?


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## wrx man (Apr 18, 2008)

Nice job dave :thumb:


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

kmeleon said:


> Dear Dave,
> 
> Now that I have bought several of the detailing stuffs used by DW members, I'd need some help to start the polish by hand process. Can you please tell me if the combo below will work:
> 
> ...


You have more steps there than you ultimately need to have  I woulduse either the Autobalm or the Super Resin Polish as using one after the other will act to remove the previous efforts as both contain the ability to cleanse the paint...

I would go for Super Resin Polish and then top off with the Clearkote Carnauba Wax only as this will do a good job of removing light to medium swilrs on your Honda and the wax will do a good job of boosting the light protection offered by the SRP 

Not sure about the paints for you kit, no personal experience of it, but if it worries you then use a glaze such as Meguiars #7 over the region for a few weeks to give the paint a chance to set (if it needs it), and then top with a wax


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

Dave KG said:


> You have more steps there than you ultimately need to have  I woulduse either the Autobalm or the Super Resin Polish as using one after the other will act to remove the previous efforts as both contain the ability to cleanse the paint...
> 
> I would go for Super Resin Polish and then top off with the Clearkote Carnauba Wax only as this will do a good job of removing light to medium swilrs on your Honda and the wax will do a good job of boosting the light protection offered by the SRP
> 
> Not sure about the paints for you kit, no personal experience of it, but if it worries you then use a glaze such as Meguiars #7 over the region for a few weeks to give the paint a chance to set (if it needs it), and then top with a wax


Thank you Dave KG, your experience of the products helps a lot.

I also have AG EGP. What do you think about this order for my first attempt of DIY detailing?
AG SRP + EGP + clearkote combo

If EGP applied on top of SRP for durability and protection, can I add layer of clearkote yellow cream + carnauba moose wax? The 3 abilities I'm looking forward to are: filler ability (SRP is best bet) + deep wet look (clearkote combos best bet?) + durability (EGP)

It is written on the back label that the CK yellow cream wax is silicone free and contains no abrasives. Is the AG SRP + EGP protection strong enough to be the base for clearkote combo?

I have a night hawk black pearl civic type R as the one you detailed. Should I swap AG SRP+EGP with BH autobalm during winter? I live in Switzerland and there is some snow at winter. If yes, is it good to use BH AB with top layers of clearkote combo?


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

great work on the civic, nice colour and nice car


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## chris l (Mar 5, 2007)

superb work dave


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## djcromie (Mar 22, 2007)

brilliant work fellas, the car looks perfect now


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## kmeleon (Jun 28, 2008)

Hello,

I'm about to get some polishing products to burnish the swirls and scratches all by hand with a german applicator. What's the best bet for that kind of job between Menzerma, Sonus sfx and Meg's?

- Menzerna Final Finish PO106FF
- Menzerna Final Finish PO85RD

or

Sonus SFX-1 Restore Polish
Sonus SFX-2 Enhance Polish

or

Meguiars #83 Cleaner/Polish
Meguairs #80 Speed Glaze


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

wet or what, great finish. Bet the owner was thrilled.


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