# Aston Martin DB9 3 day concours detail...



## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

*2008 Aston Martin DB9 Sport Pack

Car was booked for a 3 day full correction and show preparation.

Wheels came first, tires pre cleaned using ARO. P21s wheel gel was left to sit for a few minutes, even though the wheels were very dirty I just dont believe in letting wheel cleaner sit on the wheel for 20 or 30 minutes. If it works, it will do the job in a few minutes or so... otherwise you need a stronger wheel cleaner but thats just my opinion.










Behind the spokes, calipers, hub mounting face etc. all cleaned with various brushes. Wheel wells received APC 4:1 scrubbed with a MF mitt.










Everything was rinsed thoroughly...










After, inner barrels de-tarred with Tarminator later on before polishing.










Paint was rinsed at high pressure, then foamed using a mixture of CG maxi Suds and a Biodegradable APC to help strip some of the prior LSP

Rinsing off the foam










2 bucket method carried out using CG citrus wash and clear.










Before the sun came back out I pulled the car inside to dry it and begin claying. Megs mild clay and ONR lube were used. The clay picked up a good amount of grime, some areas like the hood and truck were clayed twice.










Before starting correction I worked on the interior

Interior, although small took me about 2 hours to get back to 100%. All plastics, glass, trim, doorjambs and leather were treated.

Doorjmabs were hand polished and sealed, the rubber trim around them was dressed with TRV too.










Some finished shots (Passport 9500i properly hardwired and discrete like it should be, so many of my customers have valentine 1 wires hanging from the windshield:shakehead




























The aluminum trim around the shiftboot was hand polished using wet mirror finish, which has proven to be a killer all around product. After










Trunk jambs were cleaned and sealed as well...

during










After...




























After claying the car was given 2 IPA wipedowns to ensure all prior waxes or sealants were stripped off as well as any clay residue. Good test to see if the finish is well stripped if to place your finger tip on a panel and gently rub, if it squeaks instantly your usually okay to move onto correction.










All delicate areas and trim were tapped off. Paint readings were taken after that, the driver side front fender had been repainted but was a surprising perfect match to the rest of the car.










(Yes I got a haircut as the heat was getting to me)

The front nose and headlights had clear film protection. I started with those areas. While the paint was rotary corrected I found that Bob's DA method works best on the clear film.

I used the Flex 3401 and a polishing pad with Menzerna 106FA to correct, and then followed up with 106FA again on a finishing pad. I like the FA on the film because its pretty oily so it helps keep the heat down.










Under the halogens










The car had some RIDS and wash induced stuff. Nothing major but this was not a 95% job, this was a 100% so I chose a 3 step process which would properly correct and finish down the paint the way I wanted it.

Menzerna Power finish w/ a polishing pad
Menzerna 106FA w/ a polishing pad
Menzerna 85rd w/ a glazing pad

Working the hood with Power Finish. I started at 1100,1500, 1900rpm then backed down to 1100rpm. I finished down each stage as thoroughly as possible to really ensure the finish was properly leveled.










This being an Aston my main concern was sanding scratches which come from the factory. The car seemed to get away clean except for a few select areas like by the lower blinkers.

This same area on the blue vantage Bob and I did has a ton of issues. Spotting them in the halogens on the silver was tough but with the lights off in the garage the fenix picked up some pigtailing and RIDS.

I switched up to M105 with a 3" tufbuf wool pad, and then followed up with the 106FA and 85rd again.










Some various correction shots...










Working 85rd with a 3' finishing pad










The passenger side had a tiny scratch just above the door handle. After a few attempts at compouding it didnt budge so I had to wetsand it with 2500grit and follow up with the wool. Its lightened a bit was not able to be removed 100%.










Some more cut was needed on the passenger side so I stepped up to the DD yellow cutting pad from the green. Very surprised at the level of cut and finish you get with this, much more smooth than the orange foams.










Powerfinish breaking down










Trunk under the halogens, 2 steps down.



















After correction..










Some old wax residue by the plate










Fixed










Tailights needed some attention. Before shots under the fenix



















Before..










After..



















Jeweling. When jeweling I only brought the rpms up to 1500 for 2 or 3 passes just to ensure i broke down 85rd all the way, after than I just made slow passes at 1100prm until I was happy with the look.










Trunk after jeweling










Trunk under the fenix LED with teh lights off, otherwise you cant see much of anything!










Some finished pictures after all the polishing and 2 IPA wipedowns. No wax or sealant applied yet.

I left the plastic tag on one of my halogens wire grills btw if your wondering what the little hook is in some of the pics.




























After correction, no LSP yet either










Since the car was silver I decided to get it as wet looking as possible. I started the LSP process with Danase wet glaze on a LC 100ppi foam pad using the Flex 3401. I worked in the glaze at speed 5 until it was clear and buffed off right away. This helped with the wetness and slickness of the paint.

Working DWG










After that I applied Jetseal 109 by hand and let it cure for about 2 hours before buffing off. While it was curing I moved onto the trim.

Rear plate areas was pretty dry. After a light cleaning I applied TRV to all the plastics using a foam painters stick.

Before



















After










I appled the first coat of tire dressing (secret sauce I call it) with a DD sponge, living 5 minutes away from Phils place has some benefits... I just pick up whatever I need but also I get to feel a product before I buy it. I really like how thick these were so I bought 1 and ended up buying a bunch more a few days later.










I always dress the tires first before polishing or sealing the wheels, no matter how careful you are some sling will end up on the wheel at some point:doh:

Flaps before










After dressing with TRV










Engine was cleaned using a light mixture of APC and DI water, no direct spraying. Just a damp MF works best for me, that is if the engine is not a total mess.

Engine all finished










Dressing applied on front cover as well



















Under the hood was cleaned and sealed using Werkstat, in an area like this a sprayable selaant really helps.

After cleaning and sealaing...










The DB9 had a QuickSilver exhuast system, even at idle it just sounded great. Stock tips kept everything looking as it should however, I like that.

Tailpipes before..










polishing with #0000 steel wool and white diamond metal polish










After










Lower rear valance was dressed as well for a dark matte finish










Wheels and brakes were hand polished with CG wet mirror finishm then sealed with 2 coats of JW acrylic jett



















All finished with the undercarrige dressed










Glass was hand polished and then sealed using Werkstat again










All metal trimwork polished as well...










Wiper cowl cleaned and dressed



















As a finishing touch I like to spay some lightly scented de-odorizer in the interior. Back in the day (about a whole 2 years ago) I would spray some Febreez but Bob showed me Ozium (glycol-ized air fresherner) and I loved it.










I like the smell of well treated leather but I also want a lasting fresh scent in the car when the owner opens the door.










After all the finishing touches were taken care of I applied.... a carnauba wax? :shead:

To be honest I have not put a nuba on my own or a customers car in about 8 months, I just prefer sealants. But I decided since the Aston was on its way to a show (concourso type event) than a nice nuba may add something to the finish.

Phil gave me a sample of the new Lusso Oro wax to try and I figured this would be a great test bed. I applied one thin coat to the DB9 and let it cure for a little bit and buffed off. It is a very very hard wax, but goes on very smooth and buff off easy.

I had no issues with sweating either as I went back and checked the finish hours later.

Okay, enough of my longwinded explanations and some final shots...










Of course, cloudy skies however:waiting2:



















(The plate is just too cool to blur out)




























Before the rain came I pulled it back in























































Halogens only as backlighting





































Total time: 22.5hrs

Always enjoy these longer details, get a chance to do everything all out.

Thanks for looking :thumb:

*


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## WyattEarp (Mar 9, 2008)

Beautiful after shots on an amazing car. Great job.:thumb::thumb:


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## PLuKE (Mar 4, 2009)

Very nice!. Plate is cool, 12 cylinder 4TW! ha.

Luke


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

very impressive!


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

what a stunning job! :thumb: 

Interesting you did a 3 stage correction. Did you remove much clear?

Cheers

PaulN


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

Amazing work there


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## NKS (Feb 22, 2007)

That is stunning, a real credit to you and you detailed every piece of that Aston - Do you have a written down list of everything you need to detail to refer back to? :thumb:


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## T18DPT (May 3, 2009)

Wow, looks stunning. Really good job there, a credit to the car.


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## maca535 (Sep 2, 2009)

Nice looking car


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## Planet Admin (Jul 11, 2009)

Great car. Great Detail.:thumb:


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## mwbpsx (Jun 23, 2006)

sorry but what is "trv" and how long does it last?

cracking job btw


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## martyp (Oct 24, 2006)

wow wow wow!!!

Stunning, work. Sure it will go down very well at the show looking as good as that! :thumb:


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

NKS said:


> That is stunning, a real credit to you and you detailed every piece of that Aston - Do you have a written down list of everything you need to detail to refer back to? :thumb:


Thank you! No "to do" list of things to care for on a detail. Most all of those things are handled in all of my details to some extent, in this one I was able to spend some extra time in areas that usually get less attention.



PaulN said:


> what a stunning job! :thumb:
> 
> Interesting you did a 3 stage correction. Did you remove much clear?
> 
> ...


Clear was measured every step of the way, Aston had plenty of paint (250mics+) to begin with. No exact printout of the measurments however.

People think 3 steps equates to a good bit of clear being removed but that is no the case at all. I like to finish down every stage of polishing like a finishing polish, I work at lower RPMS for a longer amount of time to help help refine the finish and keep it as leveled as possible, as well as reducing the amount of heat generated.

Thanks for the feedback Paul!


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## 98m3/4 (Aug 12, 2009)

Paul definitely has a great point and thankfully dsms is thoughtful and intelligent enough to continually take measurements. 

My only question is:

Are you using a multi-level paint meter like an advanced Defelsko PosiTector 200 Series in order to accurately indicate the actual clear levels or a total thickness paint meter?

Thanks for your help!


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## mouthyman (May 1, 2006)

looks fantistic :thumb:


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## rsdan1984 (Jul 31, 2009)

did i spot a sponge in one of the pics?! thorough detail though, i particularly like the tyre product you used.


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## Planet Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Top work as always guys:thumb:


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## danny2009 (Aug 26, 2009)

nice car, looks stunning


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

98m3/4 said:


> Paul definitely has a great point and thankfully dsms is thoughtful and intelligent enough to continually take measurements.
> 
> My only question is:
> 
> ...


Nope! We all got along with paint corrections just fine way before the new Defelsko meters were around and I am fine using my HighLine paint gauge. Just because it doesnt cost $2k doesnt mean its not accurate, people associate a less expensive and less advanced product as sometimes offering poor results... but in this case that had no bearing at all. The paint was more than adequate and the need for a multi layer readable gauge is not needed, especially on a modern clear coated car.

Thanks


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## 98m3/4 (Aug 12, 2009)

dsms said:


> Nope! We all got along with paint corrections just fine way before the new Defelsko meters were around and I am fine using my HighLine paint gauge. Just because it doesnt cost $2k doesnt mean its not accurate, people associate a less expensive and less advanced product as sometimes offering poor results... but in this case that had no bearing at all. The paint was more than adequate and the need for a multi layer readable gauge is not needed, especially on a modern clear coated car.
> 
> Thanks


I have no experience with the highline nor the defelsko and didn't imply anything about yours or anyone's previous results, your 'inexpensive tool', or anything else. I was just curious how you determined how much clear coat you removed if you did not use a multi-level gauge. So, the honest answer is you really don't know. I understand the paint maybe more than adequate however, isn't the clear coat what we are decreasing and what it the most important layer?

For my informational purposes and hopefully to help others understand as well, without mentioning that these are valid questions.... can you explain the modern clear coat theory, why a multi-level guage would not be required, and finally how much clear coat is safe to remove without compromising the finish's integrity?

I know someone mentioned previous somewhere that you can take a reading under the hood where typically clear coat is not used and then compare this reading to various readings on the exterior panels. Would a door jam be better? It doesn't appear to me that there is much paint under the hood so this potentially could calculate an incorrect clear coat thickness measurement.

Help! 

Thanks!


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## 98m3/4 (Aug 12, 2009)

It appears dsms doesn't have an answer for my questions. Is it possible someone else could provide some insight?


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## Franzpan (Mar 2, 2009)

Lovely job


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## KKM (Dec 10, 2007)

That was a pleasure to read. Great write up and some awesome photos.

Thanks for sharing

:thumb:


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## Nofastyerlast (Dec 2, 2008)

beautiful finish there and a really cool number plate


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## RefinedDetails (Dec 17, 2006)

That is some absolutely superb work there.


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## auto concierge (Nov 24, 2008)

98m3/4 said:


> I have no experience with the highline nor the defelsko and didn't imply anything about yours or anyone's previous results, your 'inexpensive tool', or anything else. I was just curious how you determined how much clear coat you removed if you did not use a multi-level gauge. So, the honest answer is you really don't know. I understand the paint maybe more than adequate however, isn't the clear coat what we are decreasing and what it the most important layer?
> 
> For my informational purposes and hopefully to help others understand as well, without mentioning that these are valid questions.... can you explain the modern clear coat theory, why a multi-level guage would not be required, and finally how much clear coat is safe to remove without compromising the finish's integrity?
> 
> ...


I was just curious, if you do not have experience with either paint thickness meter how can you determine if someone knows the answer to a question when you are asking a question that you need an answer to....... that you cannot answer yourself but can determine that the person who does have the meter cannot??.

Most shops and services cannot afford the more exspensive Defelsko multilevel paint thickness meter, and if you have "before" readings when you start a correction then would it not be deduced that the readings thereafter are an accurate measuring of the substrate removed?.

I was also wondering if you could define "the modern clearcoat theory" because in my experience that is a leading question as if you already know the answer and ask someone if they can define the topic at hand.

By the lack of a specific answer to your question I think most people here just enjoyed the write up and the beautiful Aston displayed now fully corrected.


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## 98m3/4 (Aug 12, 2009)

auto concierge said:


> I was just curious, if you do not have experience with either paint thickness meter how can you determine if someone knows the answer to a question when you are asking a question that you need an answer to....... that you cannot answer yourself but can determine that the person who does have the meter cannot??.


_Well, this seems to make a lot of sense....._ 

_Do I sense a bit of animosity or frustration? No need to get offended as I was not intending to ruffle anyone's feathers. There was no ulterior motive to my questions and am still seeking answers.

It would appear that you are implying that someone with no experience with a specific tool or process shouldn't ask questions of someone with the said experience with the specific tool or process? Seems rather pointless to have a professional forum doesn't it? BTW, how did you learn all you did in life and with your detailing/car wash business? All trial and error?_



auto concierge said:


> Most shops and services cannot afford the more exspensive Defelsko multilevel paint thickness meter, and if you have "before" readings when you start a correction then would it not be deduced that the readings thereafter are an accurate measuring of the substrate removed?


_
There is clearly a misunderstanding here and obviously avoids the actual concern and question. I am not convinced that a deduction of clear coat thickness is possible to perform without knowing the individual layer's measurements, as such begs my first question - isn't total thickness some what of a pitfall if the *CLEAR COAT* is the main concern and ultimate integrity of the paint system? It would appear that the clear coat thickness theory is all speculation :lol:

Perhaps I should have been more specific and asked how thick is the typical clear coat e.g. 8mils - 18mils and how much is safe to remove? Maybe that wouldn't have sounded so offensive._



auto concierge said:


> I was also wondering if you could define "the modern clearcoat theory" because in my experience that is a leading question as if you already know the answer and ask someone if they can define the topic at hand.


_No, I do not know, "the modern clear coat theory", hence the question because in my experience 'his' response begged the question as he surely implied he knew the answer._



auto concierge said:


> By the lack of a specific answer to your question I think most people here just enjoyed the write up and the beautiful Aston displayed now fully corrected.


Perhaps the lack of a specific answer is simply that most people do not know the answers.

Again, I simply asked a question of someone who I thought may know the answer and when he came back with a somewhat snotty response (ironically, kind of like your response), I therefore asked more questions. :wave:

Don't you think perhaps a less arrogant response would have been more appropriate when I was simply attempting to learn something from what I thought appeared to be professionals.


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## auto concierge (Nov 24, 2008)

In order to not ramp up the rhetoric, I saw in my opinion a question asked which was answered. The snotty part I think most people will agree that read this thread was "he does not know" well Dave does know I have worked with side by side on over ten exotic cars and the answer if you do know if you have extensive rotary experience is any total reading @ 4 mils and below means proceed with caution!!.

Modern finishes are much thinner than the solvent urethanes of the Nineties and older,also the single stage paints of the Eighties and older with the thickest paints being the Laquer and Emron finishes which oldtimers polished with cornstarch.

The best way to of probably asked the question was to say can I get more clarifacation instead of "he does not know" would you answer a question back if put that way to you?


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

stunning! wish i got my hands on a db9


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## 98m3/4 (Aug 12, 2009)

auto concierge said:


> In order to not ramp up the rhetoric, I saw in my opinion a question asked which was answered. The snotty part I think most people will agree that read this thread was "he does not know" well Dave does know I have worked with side by side on over ten exotic cars and the answer if you do know if you have extensive rotary experience is any total reading @ 4 mils and below means proceed with caution!!.
> 
> Modern finishes are much thinner than the solvent urethanes of the Nineties and older,also the single stage paints of the Eighties and older with the thickest paints being the Laquer and Emron finishes which oldtimers polished with cornstarch.
> 
> The best way to of probably asked the question was to say can I get more clarifacation instead of "he does not know" would you answer a question back if put that way to you?


Well, I suppose if my original question, one that was asked in a positive manner and a genuine request for help to understand the situation, wasn't responded in such a dick fashion in the first place maybe I would have not been so adamant about his 'not' knowing.


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## Pomsteroonie (Jan 15, 2007)

So, just for fun - how much does a detail like that set a customer back.

It is a brilliant job I have to say.

Kp


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## gb270 (Aug 22, 2008)

great write up on a stunning car.


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Super work and yes i enjoyed the fully corrected AM :thumb:


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## Select Detailing (Feb 19, 2009)

Impressive results, have to say thacar does look strange on US Plates.

Gareth


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## madis (Apr 21, 2010)

beutiful work :thumb:


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## Eurogloss (Jan 22, 2008)

Nice work Dave , you really bought out the gloss out on that Silver DB9:thumb:
Excellent correction work as usual !

The Lusso Oro is a great product and it shows !

Mario


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## Saqib200 (May 13, 2008)

Great work on that DB9, awesome attention to detail.


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Very nice work, great looking db9


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Nice work mate :thumb:

Lovely car


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## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

Great work with superb results :thumb:


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## TelTel (Aug 21, 2010)

absolutely amazing work there, good write up aswell. good on yourself fella. look forward to future write ups and of course, PICS. lol


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## connersz (May 3, 2010)

What is TRV?


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## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

Great work Dave, nice correction and simply stunning reflection for any colour let alone silver


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

excellent work there mate :thumb:


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Throughly enjoyed the write-up, great attention to detail. One things buggin' me though.. what trv? It brought the mud flaps up amazingly and would really like something like that for my own.


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## 123quackers (Jan 29, 2009)

great work the attention to detail is first class hats of to you :thumb:

Great indepth write up thanks


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Very, very fine work, really got that silver looking wet!!


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