# 36hour "Mini-Resto" on an NSX w/ Gloss It



## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

*These past 3 days have been quite long thanks to this 1992 Acura NSX...

No need for a lengthy introduction about how great the NSX is or why it was so "ahead of its time". Yes it was/is a great car and we all know it deserves a place in automotive history, now lets move on 

On with the detail that is... couple suprises along the way too 

Upon arrival the car appeared to be fairly clean, even still the usual wash process was carried out routinely.

First up a thick foaming of CG Maxi Suds after a very through pressure wash. I make it a point to pressure wash the paint, wheels and trim throughly before moving on to any form of washing. If there is any surface dirt on the car it usually will be taken write off with the initial high pressure rinse, that way the foam can do a better jpb of breaking down or at least loosening up some of the tougher dirt and grime.










I let the foam sit and began working on the wheels and tires.

I used the Gloss It (GI) wheel gel with the EZ , boars hair, Swissvax and DD spoke brushes. I like using a few different brushes to make for easier cleaning of every part on the wheel, in this case the Volks were not very dirty to begin with but nonetheless they needed to be spotless from every angle.

Me on the racatac rolling creeper, this is a great little seat for wheel cleaning and polishing down low.










Using the detailersdomain spoke brush to agitate the inner wheel. The tires were cleaned with Megs APC 3:1 as well as the wheel wells. After the tires were pre cleaned with the APC I used Stoners Tarminator, yes TARminator to clean the tires again. I learned this trick from a good friend and fellow detailer Bob from AutoConcerige. Basically the mild solvent based Tarminator helps to further breakdown the grime really trapped in the rubber.

You would be surprised at the excess dirt which is pulled off the tires even after cleaning with strong APC or degreaser.

After the wheels were in order, I PW'ed the paint once more before the hand wash. Again I used CG CWG as my shampoo of choice, the NSX was wearing some form of protection as the paint was beading pretty well during all the rinsing so I used a heavy mix of CWG to hopefully strip away at the current LSP which was applied by the owner.

I used the new LC blue sponge to wash the paint, have heard rave reviews about it so I picked up 2 and am very happy with it.










I snapped some sun shots of the paint defects before pulling the NSX inside, didnt seem to terrible with the exception of some deep RIDS.










A-pillars were pretty hacked



















The wash process went rather quickly until the final DI rinse where some of the water froze on the paint, the temp dropped considerably during the end of the wash process so I quickly pulled the car inside to begin claying.

I used sonus' fine green clay with Megs LT 1:1. Very little contaminants were picked up on the bar. The nose of the car was covered in a clear bra and had some residual rubber marks from the track (this NSX is a bonafied track car)

Heres the rubber marks on the bra'd nose



















These were taken out using Tarminator (again) and a lot of elbow greeese.

Now onto the fun part, paint correction. I took tons of paint readings and found the car to be very very inconsistant. Some panels averaged 7mils and other up to 14mils:yikes:

I later came to find out the car had areas re-sprayed because the hood and drivers side were the original formula red single stage paint and the trunk and passenger side panels were re-sprayed and no longer single stage. My guess would be the re-spray was done a very long time ago as the defects were the same around the entire car. I couldnt tell by eye the car was re-sprayed.

Heres the headlight under the Fenix LED light, not soo bad here...










Little worse










I did a test spot to find the best combo and landed on 3 polishes for correction. I thought a 2 step would be sufficient to correct and finish the paint but in order to get 100% or as close to that as possible I found using a 3 step did the trick far better.

I started my first stage of correction with Gloss It extreme cut compound and a GI pre polymer white cutting pad on the flex rotary. This knocked down the deeper rids and swirls, I worked the extreme cut at 1900rpm to achieve maximum correction before backing down to 1400rpm and then 1100rpm, I did the same with the second step of correction with Gloss It evolution cut and a yellow GI pre polymer med. polishing pad.

Using the 4inch yellow med. polish pad with evolution cut and EVP (pad primer)










Here is the hood after stage 2 of correction, all the big stuff was knocked out. This is under the infratech CM5300










Close up of the defects










After finishing with a 5.5inch red ccs pad and menzerna micro polish at about 1400rpm jeweled down to 1100rpm (used the micro polish with GI EVP to extend the working time) As with every step prior, I used an IPA wipedown to check my work










50/50










Just a camera flash










Now under the Fenix LED light before the micro polish, some light trails need to be cleaned up still










Center all finished










The left side headlight cover was in a little worse condition, here it is under the fenix LED










After correction










50/50 on the clearbra which has slightly less defect than the hood itself










The final shots of the hood after jewling under a few spectrums of light (halogen, LED and a camera flash)

LED and camera flash together










Heres a video under the Fenix TK10 LED after correction



Some sun came out finally so I rushed the car outside to take some shots of the hood and to better inspect my work

no lsp yet, still had the rest of the car to correct:thud:










little closer up




























Now that I was confident that the right steps were taken to correct the finish I moved onto the rest of the car using the same process

As I said before the hood and driver side of the car was single stage, I took a break from my gummed up pads and went right for the black roof and A-pillar

I used the 4inch GI pads and 3inch GI backing plate on the flex rotary

50/50's



















Before










After










The door handle itself was rather tough to correct so I worked at a lower RPM to ensure I did not damage the edges at all

before



















after jeweling and an IPA wipedown










The roof itself had some deeper RIDS an required 2 passes with the GI extreme cut to fully correct, here the extreme cut working with EVP










After finishing










I like to use the flex overhead handle when working on open flat areas like hoods and door panels but for tighter spaces I take the overhead handle off so I can manuver the machine better

example










Driver side rear fender before










After










Finishing out the rear bumper with the GI pre polymer finishing pad










Before



















The trunk area is where the car was resprayed on, no more single stage so the defects were a little more difficult to polish out and needed the use of a lambswool light cutting pad from GI










After the second step of correction I moved onto jeweling with micro polish and a red 5.5inch css once again, heres a short video



The sun came in through the garage so I snapped a pic after polishing










Onto jeweling the rest of the car










Please note

I dont wear the ear protection to look like a nerd, for anyone who owns the Flex 3403 you will know that it has a considerably louder drone compared to a makita. After endless hours of paint correction that constant high decibel drone can cause some damage to your hearing. I learned from a fellow detailer that after years of exposure such noise as the whine of a polisher can cause damage to your hearing, permanently. Im young and will continue to do this for a while so I figured its better to be safe than sorry.

Back to the detail

This is the passenger side roof under the LED










Now after correction,










That part of the roof was particularly sticky, I switched up a few different foams to get the least amount of hop. I found the new green uber pad from Phil at DD buffs really smooth on sticky paints, I used that for the middle step of polishing with evolution cut on the roof area

After correction I rinsed the car inside with DI water in a pressurized hand pump sprayer. I find this helps to blast away some of the polish splatter caught in between the trim of the car. I lightly dried it with a WW MF and did one last IPA wipedown to prep the finish for LSP. I also dressed the tires..

here is the NSX after correction no LSP










Now that the grueling paint correction was finished I went to work on the interior, shouldnt be a problem after all its a 2 seater track car :doh:

Well this car unfortunately has a little incident at the track as I was informed by the owner. He was doing about 90mph and went off the track onto the dirt... BOTH WINDOWS were open at the time if the mishap and dirt, gravel and dust flew in both sides of the car.

The result










I took the seats out to better clean the interior and get into all the cracks and crecvices




























A good 1/2lb of sand made its way into the trunk jambs..










After some vacuuming I agitated the area with APC and an SV brush










Here the drivers side after










Back to the lovely interior










The sand was un-escapable :help:





































My plan of attack was intially to wipedown all that I could with a damp MF towel. There is no need to waster leather cleaner on surface dust and sand. I wiped away and vacuumed out all that I could before actually cleaning and conditioning the leather and plastic



















With the seats out i had some extra space to fit in the racatac..










Most tighter dust fille areas need the attention of a Q-tip of detail swab










I took out whatever vents I could to better clean them, some dust and sand was way down in there










Wiping down the cloth stripping by the doors with a damp MF to lift some of the dirt from the fibers before vacuuming










Everywhere I looked there it was...



















little brushes helped get out the dirt from the crevices










Before










After










I moved onto the seats next




























I used some DI water to help brush off the dirt, obviously nothing too serious just a very tedious process of finding and cleaning out all the dirt I could










After










Once all the leather in the car was pre-cleaned it was time to really clean the leather itself, meaning using a dedicated leather cleaner to open up the pores followed by a nice coating of conditioner.

I used Gloss It satin leather cleaner and the satin leather polish, both products worked beautifully to clean and condition the leather. I found a nice finish left behind, no streaking either










All plastic was cleaned with Einzett Co-ckpit premium




























I started with this...










Finished with this...










After the seats were back in and carpets were all cleaned up using folex and a wet/dry



















I moved onto the engine compartment next

Vacuumed and treated with 303 fabric protectant



















Engine all cleaned up










The plastic trim by the engine bay was cleaned with 1Z CP, there really was no dressing that would leave a streak free finish on the slick plastic by the engine bay so I simply cleaned it with the CP.










Exhaust before










During w/ steel wool and Noxon










After



















Front lower lip before










After the adams in and out spray, very quick product for small areas such as this.










Some quick notes before I get to the final shots.

-Plastic trim by the windows was treated with 1Z gummi pledge stick (thats not the proper name but thats what I call it)

-Lower front lip treated with Adams In and Out

-Tires dressed with 2 coats of Gloss It Signature Tire gloss

-Glass cleaned with IG and treated with Rejex

Now for the final shots after LSP

LSP was a 3 stack I find works awesome on colors especially like red and blue

1st- I used Danase wet glaze as a base coat. I find DWG gives a nice wet glow to the paint and on this red (which is pretty deep by nature) it really added a little pop to the finish. DWG has no cleaners or fillers and is fine to be layered over

2nd- I used Gloss It Gloss Finish sealant for the protection, this product has rivaled ZFX'd Zaino in every situation from extreme summer heat to ice cold winters. It leaves that same Zaino clarity just with some added depth.

3rd- My final and favorite product used was Gloss It Cocourso Gloss. This product is purely for looks, on its own it has a bit of protection but when layered over your sealant of choice it just takes the finish to a deeper wetter level.

All 3 LSP products were applied by hand with the 100ppi gold CCS hand applicator pads, these pads are very soft and buff very smoothly. Unfortunately they do not make an oval version of this pad without the white polishing pad as a backing (these are the ones I have)










Now some final shots, tried to get as many sun shots as possible.



































































































































































This car has no cats and a full ARK exhaust, it sounds incredible





































After the final GI gloss enhancer wipedown before being delivered








*

UPDATED PICS I FOUD ON THE COMP














































Total time for the interior and exterior was around 36hours.

Thank you as always for letting me share :thumb:


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## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

Amazing work - very thorough :thumb:


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## Piratez (Jun 28, 2008)

Amazingly detailed job :thumb:


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## Car Key (Mar 20, 2007)

Amazing job as usual :thumb: I'm a little curious why all that sand was left in shuts, whilst doing the polishing. Why didn't you clean that out with the initial wash?


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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

superb turn around and i just love your little skate thing.


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## woodybeefcake (Oct 12, 2008)

Thats awesome! Well done!


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## North east Car Care (Jan 14, 2008)

Stunning work matey


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## Drysponge (Feb 12, 2008)

What a car! What a detail & what a write up!!!!! :driver:

Top job fella!!!! :thumb:


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## OrangePeel (Feb 19, 2007)

Amazing work and a similarly amazing write up, a pleasure to read...

Many thanks for sharing.


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## Chris RB (Aug 11, 2008)

Stunning work.


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## Ollie_Escort (May 5, 2008)

excellent work, especially on that interior! So detailed!

Has anyone ever told you that you look the spitting image of Shia LaBeouf from theTransformers movie?


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Cracking work Dave. The NSX is actually one of the cars on my detailing "to do" list :thumb:


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## TimG (Apr 2, 2008)

Very detailed indeed. Again, great work mate! :thumb::thumb:


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## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

Fantastic detail and writeup but I'd also question leaving the sand removal until after polishing? Surely a thorough foam down into the shuts would have helped remove this prior to any other stages?

Not a criticism, more an observation but TBH I've never seen debris that bad before :doublesho


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## auto concierge (Nov 24, 2008)

*Nsx correction*

Dave did you invert the steps on the pics, no matter the finished product from oh c**p to oh yah....... that was a bad one and your client really knows this now!!. A nineteen year old car brought back to life.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

superb work - cracking finish in those pictures :thumb:


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## AM8 (Jan 3, 2009)

A reat job...well done..turned a nice car into a stunning one!


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

Absolutely fantastic results mate. :thumb:


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## rapidseven (Apr 26, 2007)

very nice, i rarely comment on these threads but this i feel deserves a well done


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## Breezy (Jun 24, 2006)

absolutley stunning work and attention to detail along with an immaculate level of correction :thumb:


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2009)

Wonderful detail - thanks for sharing.


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## pampos (Mar 15, 2008)

Just Amazing.........


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## scottmmw (Aug 11, 2008)

the interior looked a tough job but you did a quality job on it, looks immac inside now and the paint looks well now also!


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## MickCTR (Mar 4, 2006)

Awesome! Thanks for sharing that matey, you've really done that NSX some justice! :thumb:


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## solarwind (Sep 10, 2008)

Amazing job and an even more amazing setting. Whereabouts are you located just out of interest????


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## andye (Apr 15, 2007)

Great job, looks like new :thumb:


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## Jochen (May 21, 2007)

Stunning work!


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## Petrol-head (May 26, 2008)

WOW the inside of that car was bad! 

Really enjoyed this write up and great work :thumb:


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## Ebbe J (Jun 18, 2008)

*Praise and questions..*

Great results! Also read your thread about the e36 - amazing attention to detail on both of them:thumb:

I have a question for you.. I can see, that you use both the Flex L 3403 and the Makita 9227. I have polished a lot of yachts(both gelcoat and laquer) with the Makita and I have also been using the Hitachi SP18VA which is almost the same machine..

Now I need to buy my own polisher, and I think that the Makita is a little too big for some areas on cars.. So, I'm thinking about buying the 3403 instead of a Makita, although I'm very confident in using it..

So, what is your preference? And why is that? If you were to choose between the Makita and the Flex, which of them would you pick? And why?

As far as I can see the downsides on the flex would be the noise, starting speed at 1100 rpm and it not having a d-handle. And for the Makita it would be the weight and size.

Hope that you can spare a few to answer my questions. Thanks.

Kind regards,

Ebbe


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## Sveneng (Apr 20, 2008)

As the others have said.....amazing! I really like your attention to detail, both in your work and your write up, thank you.


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Simply stunning job


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## chrisfoster1971 (Feb 16, 2008)

Drysponge said:


> What a car! What a detail & what a write up!!!!! :driver:
> 
> Top job fella!!!! :thumb:


Could not agree more... what a job.. I love your rider/skate fantastic.

p.s. i dont think you look a nerd.. better safe than sorry


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Ebbe J said:


> Great results! Also read your thread about the e36 - amazing attention to detail on both of them:thumb:
> 
> I have a question for you.. I can see, that you use both the Flex L 3403 and the Makita 9227. I have polished a lot of yachts(both gelcoat and laquer) with the Makita and I have also been using the Hitachi SP18VA which is almost the same machine..
> 
> ...


If you have to have only 1 rotary I would choose the Makita. Mainly because the Makita is built like a tank. The Flex is a joy to use because its very light and nimble but its just not cut out for heavy duty use. The flex will build up some heat after extended use and it does have a thermal shutdown feature where the machine will automatically shut off to cool down to prevent damaging the brushes... if this happens in the middle of a paint correction it can be a problem

If your depending on 1 machine to tackle big jobs it may not be a wise choice. Also note the L3403 was designed to be used with pads no larger than 6.5inches, so 8" wools or foams used to buff SUV's or boats etc is a no-no, such pads will put the machine into thermal shutdown very quickly.

In regards to the 1100rpm starting speed it really isnt an issue for me and its just something you get used to. If your not great at picking up a bead of polish on the panel at that speed, compared to 600rpm on the Makita than simply spread the polish before hand with the pad and the machine off.

The Flex overhead handle takes some getting used to but it is nice on hoods and flat door panels, I prefer the D handle on the makita overall because you can work all areas of a car comfortably depending on the grip you use. And if you think the Makita is too big to work on cars juts look at all the detailers who use it as there 1 and only machine... it will do just fine as long as you have a smaller BP and pads, plus if you need to just take off the D-handle to get into the tighter areas.

Now that I have both I am very happy, I will more likely grab for the Flex just because its lighter and easier to maneuver but the makita is just dead on reliable and runs smoother and quieter.

Hope this helps Ebbe:buffer:.

To all others thank you greatly for your compliments:wave:


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## talisman (Nov 20, 2006)

Car Key said:


> Amazing job as usual :thumb: I'm a little curious why all that sand was left in shuts, whilst doing the polishing. Why didn't you clean that out with the initial wash?


same here!!!


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## Ebbe J (Jun 18, 2008)

dsms said:


> If you have to have only 1 rotary I would choose the Makita. Mainly because the Makita is built like a tank. The Flex is a joy to use because its very light and nimble but its just not cut out for heavy duty use. The flex will build up some heat after extended use and it does have a thermal shutdown feature where the machine will automatically shut off to cool down to prevent damaging the brushes... if this happens in the middle of a paint correction it can be a problem
> 
> If your depending on 1 machine to tackle big jobs it may not be a wise choice. Also note the L3403 was designed to be used with pads no larger than 6.5inches, so 8" wools or foams used to buff SUV's or boats etc is a no-no, such pads will put the machine into thermal shutdown very quickly.
> 
> ...


It certainly does. Thank you - a big help for me. Makita it will be. And, yes, they are extremely reliable. I have never experienced over-heating or a failure when using them.. Simply superb machines.

It's not that I haven't used a makita on a car before, it's just that I think that it's a little big for some situations, but I can live it. Sometimes I do remove the handle, which of course makes a difference..

No problem with picking up a bead, I just like to jewel/refine some polishes at 8-900 rpm. 

I'll hopefully get both of them some time, but while I'm studying I get a little short on money, so I have to compromise..

Thanks again:thumb:

Kind regards,

Ebbe


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## branter33 (Aug 23, 2007)

Crackin' job there on a monster of a car. I love the Volks :argie:

Also, really enjoyed the write up:thumb:


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Superb work :thumb:


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Ebbe J said:


> It certainly does. Thank you - a big help for me. Makita it will be. And, yes, they are extremely reliable. I have never experienced over-heating or a failure when using them.. Simply superb machines.
> 
> It's not that I haven't used a makita on a car before, it's just that I think that it's a little big for some situations, but I can live it. Sometimes I do remove the handle, which of course makes a difference..
> 
> ...


It was a pleasure to help you out, its always tough deciding between two very comparable products:thumb:



branter33 said:


> Crackin' job there on a monster of a car. I love the Volks :argie:
> 
> Also, really enjoyed the write up:thumb:


Thanks Branter!



Racer said:


> Superb work :thumb:


Many thanks Racer, looking forward to your next write up too


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## mouthyman (May 1, 2006)

absolutley stunning

fantastic work :thumb:


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

dsms said:


> Many thanks Racer, looking forward to your next write up too


You will :thumb:


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## Kap01 (Aug 12, 2007)

Fantastic work! Its so funny the amount of sand in there!! Must be a good 1/2 s second faster!! Engine looks BRAND new!


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## Elliott19864 (May 11, 2008)

Easily one of the best details I have ever seen. Amazing.


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Kap01 said:


> Fantastic work! Its so funny the amount of sand in there!! Must be a good 1/2 s second faster!! Engine looks BRAND new!


The sand was a little beyond belief, I opened the trunk and saw the jambs like that was was shocked it made its way into there. It was a quick cleanup even still on the jambs after vacuuming, I wasnt used to "vacuuming" door jambs:lol:



CupraElliott said:


> Easily one of the best details I have ever seen. Amazing.


What a compliment, thank you!


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

I updated the write up with some more after shots I found on my camera.
:thumb:


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## VZSS250 (Jan 8, 2008)

Wow, what an amazing thread, thanks a lot for the huge effort in putting this together. Very helpful.


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## Vyker (Sep 17, 2008)

That was fantastic, you've done a great job, to get all that muck out!

Loved the post-correction pre-LSP shot of the hood outside!


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## Nick_S (Dec 20, 2008)

Wow, extremely thorough, one of the best write ups I've read :thumb: Excellent work!


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## Mr Sparkle (May 28, 2008)

Thorough!


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## jimmie jam (Oct 3, 2007)

beautiful work :thumb:. the owner should be beaten to a pulp for not taking care of this fine machine :doublesho :thumb:


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2009)

Astounding work :thumb:


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Vyker said:


> That was fantastic, you've done a great job, to get all that muck out!
> 
> Loved the post-correction pre-LSP shot of the hood outside!


I feel its important to show pre-LSP shots when possible, people sometimes doubt the level of paint correction achieved, direct sun shots are just about the best way to disprove anyones doubtful thoughts:lol:



jimmie jam said:


> beautiful work :thumb:. the owner should be beaten to a pulp for not taking care of this fine machine :doublesho :thumb:


Its not the owners fault he only has had the car 1 year, but rightfully so the prior owner should have been beaten to a pulp.. at least for not using a proper wash technique:devil:

Thanks all!


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