# SL Restoration - Maserati Gran Turismo S - Introducing AutoFinesse Illusion



## slrestoration

Welcome to another installment,

We were contacted about this Maserati Gran Turismo S with the owner knowing exactly the finish that he was after . . .

On arrival the car was wearing the usual dirt & grime but nothing too major














































As always we began by giving a thorough pre-soak to all the lower sections of the car, including the wheels with AF Citrus Power. These areas were then rinsed at 60c










Wheels cleaned with AF Imperial and the new AF Hog Hair wheel brush










Dooka mitt for behing the spokes










Large Wheel Woolie for the innners










Tyres given a deep clean with AF Citrus Power










Arches deep cleaned with Meguiar's Super Degreaser diluted 1:4 and a long handled Vikan brush










After a quick rinse, wheels then treated with AF Iron Out










Rinsed again and de-tarred with AF Oblitarate and an old MF cloth










Shuts etc tackled with AF Citrus Power & a detailing brush










Foamed with AF Avalanche at 60c with the aim to soften all the bonded dirt (again with the addition of AF Lather to increase foam consistency & dwell time)










The usual areas tackled with a detailing brush










Rinsed at 60c then safely washed via the 2BM with AF Lather and a Meguiar's Lambswool Wash Mitt










After rinsing via the pressure washer at 30c it was time for the first stage of bodywork decontamination with AF Oblitarate and Iron Out (this is rinsed in between)



















Time for a final soak with Avalanche, this time at 30c










Thoroughly rinsed with the pressure washer, followed by an open hose. It was into the unit for decontamination with AF Glide and AF Fine Clay










Decontamination fully complete it was back outside for a final soak and rinse again with AF Avalanche at 30c










Back into the unit and dried with i4D Uber Drying Towels & the Metro Blaster



















After the standard Spies Hecker 7010 wipedown, paintwork was inspected and readings were taken giving an average reading of 148 microns

In addition to the treatment was to be repaired for stone chips & repainted (again i'll save pictures of our paintwork services for another thread)

Once the bumper had been repaired & painted it was refitted to the car so that the treatment could really begin

Bonnet, door handles, locks, badges etc were all removed to allow me full access. Basically anything that wasn't bonded on. Remaining areas taped & sheeted up (you'll notice the badge on the bumper still present, this is due to being fixed via the underside of the bumper shell)










First up the paintwork was flatted down with 1500 3M wet and dry paper and a Meguiars E7200 block (OCD as it sounds 12 pieces of each were numbered and given a soak for a good few hours prior to the work commencing)



















Peel starting to disappear










This was followed by 2000 grit paper by hand (with my hand being kept as flat as possible, working in more than just one direction to avoid flatting marks)










Panel spritzed with water & a dash of Johnsons baby shampoo










Then 3000 Trizact on the MIRKA ROS650CV (this has a 5mm orbit)










Followed by 6000 Trizact on the Rupes SKORPIO RH 153A (this has a 3mm orbit for ultra refining). The 3000 stage basically refines the paper stages with the 6000 actually starting the polishing stage










3M DC272926965 75mm Sander used in the tighter areas










Everything now ready for polishing it was time for a rocket fuel break 










Once sanded it was time to start bringing the paintwork to life. Choice for the cutting stage was the Rupes LHR15ES Bigfoot coupled with a Megiuars MF Cutting Pad and Rupes Zephir Compound Gel. (Each panel was given 4 hits of cutting as the last thing you want with wetsanding is drop back) As always results were constantly checked throughout the polishing process after multiple IPA wipedowns. Readings were also taken throughout indicating an average removal of 8 microns.



















Pad regularly cleaned with the Megiuars Pad Conditioning Brush and the Snap-On blow gun



















Bonnet sanded










After first stage of polishing










Rupes LHR75 with the same pad/polish combo in the tighter areas










A few random work in progress shots




























Even under natural light the flake was really coming through










And starting to look nice & sharp










Paintwork was then left to rest for 12 hours before being given another thorough inspection for any defects or dropback

Pigtail found (this is caused by dirt in the sanding disk or interface pad)










Removed with both 3000 & 6000 Trizact










And polished










Cutting stage complete paintwork was then given its first refining stage using Rupes Keramik Gloss and their yellow fine pad. (This was completed before reassembly)



















Things were starting to come together nicely, under the sun gun










And the Festool Syslite










With the vehicle now completely reassembled it was time for the final refining stage with Rupes Diamond Gloss on their white ultra fine pad



















With the polishing work completed it was on to the engine bay with AF Citrus Power










Dusted down with an AF detail brush










Plastics dressed with AF Revive (this was buffed after 30 mins to leave a nice satin finish)










Interior hoovered and given a wipedown with AF Spritz










Vents, badges seen to










Leather cleaned with AF Hide Cleaner and a soft brush










Conditioned with AF Hide Conditioner










Glass cleaned with AF Crystal & Microfibre Madness Cloudbuster










Tyres degreased with AF Oblitarate then dressed with AF Satin










Wheels cleansed with AF Tripple










Than sealed with AF Mint Rims










Exhaust not being chrome was treated to an AF Olitarate wipedown followed by AF Tripple (the last thing you want to be doing is attacking this type of pipe with wirewool)










Badges all retaped










And trimmed (this alone took 3 hours)










New stone foils fitted










All the little bits taken care of it was back to the paintwork










Cleansed with AF Rejuvinate










So what's in the box then?










The new AF Illusion Show Car Wax (this was the perfect choice as by the owners admission it will be a garage queen)










2 coats applied 3 hrs apart with an AF Waxmate applicator (entire car was waxed, before buffing off)










Illusion curing










And here is the finished article shown in the usual variety of pics






















































































































As always we can only point customers in the right direction regarding aftercare but the Maintenance Kit we put together for the owner is definately a step in the right direction










Thanks for taking the time to read the article & hopefully you enjoyed it!!


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## dooka

Awesome work Nick :thumb:

I do envy you body shop boys, as you have all the toys to play with and complete a thorough job ..


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## slrestoration

dooka said:


> Awesome work Nick :thumb:
> 
> I do envy you body shop boys, as you have all the toys to play with and complete a thorough job ..


Thanks as always Rob, you must take a trip down here to the 'toy shop'

PS Aren't we the boys that can't produce this standard of work


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## Goodfella36

Stunning work not much else you can say top notch


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## Mr Face

*Stella ; A Pro at work*

Hi Nick, stella job :thumb:, some great paint correction and a truly awesome finish, that looked dripping wet outside.

Great thread, thanks for taking the time to put it all together !!

Catch you soon fella :wave:


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## CraigQQ

Absolutely brilliant. Those outside shots :argie: 

What's this with the handles and bolt on bits taken off? surely not  
I'll always remember turning up to do that 997 with you, expecting it to be a car taped up for sanding...
only to find the car to be a chassis with nothing but the wings and sideskirts on and all the bits on stands to be sanded  

I count myself very lucky to have experienced "the toy shop" in Crawley!! It's awe inspiring to see how wet sanding SHOULD be done!
The true master of wet sanding has arrived!


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## Wout_RS

that's some amazing detailing!


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## elfuego

excelent work!


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## Black.MB

Top work, excellent writeup!:thumb:


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## JBirchy

That's the best thread I can remember reading on here, full stop! Stunning car, the work looks incredible, something you should be really proud of.

Brilliant Nick, thanks for taking the time to share with us!

Jon

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## andye

Fantastic job, well done and thanks for sharing.


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## kk1966

Excellent write up and superb work. Ive been looking forward to this since seeing the teasers on Twitter. I seem to have a soft spot for any detail that involves a set of screwdrivers and a socket set to take it apart...thats real 'Detailing' in my opinion and the end result certainly justifies the extra effort taken.

Interesting to see the 6000 Trizacts in use as well, something alot of people overlook.

How many hours did this book at out of curiosity?


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## Swell.gr

Perfect job :thumb:


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## Luis

fantastic ... superb job .... :thumb:


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## SimonBash

The standard we expect from a Master Detailer.

OCD hasn't got a patch on your attention to detail mate

Liking the look of Illusion.


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## Jack

Amazing. The finish is outstanding. How long did it take to do the full car


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## stangalang

Amazing amazing finish. And great to see so much care in the strip down and prep stages


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## Ryboy_23

Awsome bit of work there pal


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## vapourblastuk

Spot on !!


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## Alan W

slrestoration said:


> Thanks for taking the time to read the article & hopefully you enjoyed it!!


Sure did, and thanks for posting Nick! :thumb:

Loving the watermark and it is indeed a very fine art when conducted by yourself. :buffer:

Alan W


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## aarondenney

amazing! no more words


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## Griffiths Detailing

Immense work!!!! Wow! 



Chris


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## dooka

slrestoration said:


> Thanks as always Rob, you must take a trip down here to the 'toy shop'
> 
> PS Aren't we the boys that can't produce this standard of work


Either us Body shop or ex body shop boys should be the ones producing the great quality work, unfortunately, not always the case, you and Kelly are certainly NOT in that group..

I would love to pop down sometime, been too long ..


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## Scrim-1-

Stunning work as always mate.

Epic finish!


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## Z4-35i

Great finish and attention to detail :thumb:


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## FabrizioTDI

One of the best wetsanding i've ever seen.


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## vick

Absolutely stunning!! :doublesho I literally work down the road from you guys may have to pop in for a cheeky visit! 

The guy that owns that maserati goes to the gym opposite where I work ... it's one brutal sounding car!!


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## Miglior

Proper job mate, well done


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## gally

On another level again Nick. Thanks for posting chap. Amazing machine.

Love the fact you posted the pigtail issue. Stunning workmanship.

Hope you're well.


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## Pedro92

Fantastic !!!! :argie:


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## ted11

Thats the way to do it,lovely job.


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## Ns1980

A stupendous finish! I know a *lot* of hours went into this, and it has clearly paid off.


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## carl450

Fantastic Finish! Great job.


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## tonyy

Amazing work:thumb:


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## Beau Technique

Lovely work Nick. Some nice efforts gone in with the old wet sanding and that bonnet looks epic.


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## Prestige Detail

Cracking work one one of my fave cars


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## The Cueball

yip... that's how it's done.... lovely....

:thumb:


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## unique detail

Absolutely stunning Job Nick!very well documented & a cracking finish:thumb:

Andy


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## Porkypig

The bees my man, very much the bees... tunning work. :thumb:


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## Bill58

Brilliant work!


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## President Swirl

Inspiring stuff mate. You must have the hands of a Surgeon. No colour can touch black when it looks like that.


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## 20vKarlos

this has come up beautifully


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## AaronGTi

Boom!

Outstanding sir!!


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## UCD

Wow....


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## Chris 9-5

wow, just wow!


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## bilout48

nice job


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## deni2

Amazing work there, :thumb:.


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## DMS

Sweet mother of God :doublesho


My favourite car and what a job, fantastic:thumb:


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## Serkie

Simply stunning. Awe-inspiring stuff.

Thanks for sharing.


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## bigslippy

Great write up and fabulous work , finish looks epic:argie: thanks for sharing Nick


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## Summit Detailing

Epic!....that is all

Look forward to the next teasers on twitter:wave:


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## Leemack

Cracking as always Nick 

Lovely work and thanks for sharing it dude


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## -Raven-

Epic detail Nick! Top work mate! :argie:


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## Eurogloss

slrestoration said:


> Thanks as always Rob, you must take a trip down here to the 'toy shop'
> 
> PS Aren't we the boys that can't produce this standard of work


LOL Nick, not everybody is as good as you :thumb:
Excellent job , excellent write up , excellent photography :thumb:

Mario


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## Miracle Detail

Awesome work guys! Hope your all well.

Kind Regards
Paul Dalton
Miracle Detail.


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## Trip tdi

This is perfection and proper detailing, the way it has to be done, no cut corners here, awesome work and write up :thumb:


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## gb270

Great work stunning


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## James95larman

Wow that is one of the best details I have seen!! It looks just as good outside the workshop as inside. Can only just imagine what it was like in the flesh


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## neilb62

Gobsmacked..... :argie::argie:


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## Jdudley90

Stunning work. Might get the sandpaper out :/


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## slrestoration

Thank you to everyone that's taken the time out to read the thread, as always your comments are much appreciated



kk1966 said:


> How many hours did this book at out of curiosity?


I've tried to work it out & i've probably missed out a few but it was in excess of 85hrs. I don't write the hours down as i go & in most part they're rather unsavoury but i love what i do & take massive pride in my work. Hopefully this is conveyed in the end results :thumb:


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## MR.Q

AWESOME!!!!!!!! enough said


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## D.Taylor R26

Superb work. An amazing finish.


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## paddy328

Lets be honest, it can't get any better that.

Could you drop me a pm soon mate. I've got some questions about the lhr15 I'd like to run past you.

Francis


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## Racer

Just amazing attention to the finest details , epic work Nick :thumb:


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## wbessada

Great job!

Worth looking at emblem tape to save you those hours with the scalpel!

http://www.3mdirect.co.uk/p-2330-3m...ive-51cm-x-305cm-adhesive-strips-10-pack.aspx


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## Megs Lad

amazing work


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## CraigQQ

wbessada said:


> Great job!
> 
> Worth looking at emblem tape to save you those hours with the scalpel!
> 
> http://www.3mdirect.co.uk/p-2330-3m...ive-51cm-x-305cm-adhesive-strips-10-pack.aspx


wonder how good that adhesive is, but it needs to be used on emblems that still have tape on (which when you remove emblems most of the tape is damaged and needs replaced.)


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## Adrian Convery

One of the best threads I've ever read and I'm sure would be a strong contender for best of 2013! Amazing attention to detail! How many hours total went into this, sorry if it already says.


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## slrestoration

wbessada said:


> Great job!
> 
> Worth looking at emblem tape to save you those hours with the scalpel!
> 
> http://www.3mdirect.co.uk/p-2330-3m...ive-51cm-x-305cm-adhesive-strips-10-pack.aspx


Thanks for the link, the reason i use the the 3M tape that i do is so that the badges sit proud of the surface by the same amount as originally from the factory


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## gally

It's the only way Nick. I spent many hours as an apprentice panel beater taping badges up! 

Laborious task but neccessary!


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## Soul Hudson

Oh the that is filth.

Epic car, epic detail and an epic finish. Spot on interesting write up to was a pleasure to read.

Do you have outside and inside gloves cos that is OCD ha.


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## stedman

gally said:


> It's the only way Nick. I spent many hours as an apprentice panel beater taping badges up!
> 
> Laborious task but neccessary!


I never knew you could post again.

Welcome back :lol:


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## MidlandsCarCare

Truly exceptional and inspirational to us all.

Russ.


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## Mad Ad

Epic write up and work Nick, attention to detail second to none.


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## dobbo99

perhaps the best post Ive read on DW. sublime.

what I particularly like, no LOVE about this, is that everything you have used (in terms of products) is available to joe bloggs on the highstreet which gives the amateur inspiration, but the actual finish comes from your own skill and experience and credit to you for that.


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## steeda

wow... just wow. simply amazing work.


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## twitchDC5

real in depth write up. outstanding work!


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## Matt91

Outstanding finish!

Could you elaborate about the exhaust cleaning?


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## jlw41

Stunning car and awesome work :thumb:


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## Coopertim

Damn thats a good looking car and epic work on the paint, dont think id ever wetsand, that first rub and my heart would be in my mouth. 

Those wheels are a terrible design though and would be right off if it was mine , love the heavy use of auto finesse products too!

Stunning though. Epic car


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## TopSport+

perfect work!


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## Ryboy_23

Nice car awsome work


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## B17BLG

incredible read throug, thanks for sharing


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## mike13098

absolutely beautiful


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## Mumbles

Stunning work and a very good, informative read.

Thank you,

Chris


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## vxrdan

Amazing work and finish to an awesome car can I ask what backing plates you used on the rupes Bigfoot lhr15


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## GreenyR

Top, top work. A brilliant write up for a brilliant finish.


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## sprocketser

Great job op , I have sooo much to learn & to buy in order to get there , it s almost discouraging ! lol Keep it on .


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## s29nta

Top write up on a top lookin motor, enjoyed reading that. Great stuff:thumb:


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## ampbmw

Some of the finest and most persnickety craftsmanship I've ever seen! Must have taken a full week or more I imagine!


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## Pedro.Malheiro

awesome work!! congrat.


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## LSpec

good work, but I wonder why you needed to sand the car, that "defect" can not be remove with a polisher?

of course I know you are doing it right, as a teacher of mine used to said "as you can see"


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## Spotless Detailing

Great job there

Callum


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## Ojai

Absolutely incredible work


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## alxg

Now that is the work of an expert, showing true talent. Thanks for sharing Nick :thumb:


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## alesoft73

Fantastic JOB!... the car is superlative!


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## G105ALY

I love this thread. You have balls of steel and great skill to carry out a full wetsand on such a beautiful car. The finish is incredible. Well done!

Aly


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## Jas16

top top work, its topics like like that act as inspiration for me to have a go at wet sanding


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## slineclean

Just excellent chap


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## TonyH38

Thank you superb job


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## khurum6392

Awesome work my man


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## Makalu

Awesome job!


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## Bowgs

Phenomenal.


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## Danny B

Nice work as always Nick, thanks for sharing another fantastic job :thumb:


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## muzzer

Wow, love the big Maser and that is an amazing job on making it look so good, you've done yourself proud there :thumb:


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## luke w

Wow!!!!


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## Lourensz

dooka said:


> Awesome work Nick :thumb:
> 
> I do envy you body shop boys, as you have all the toys to play with and complete a thorough job ..


Mega!


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## taz007

brilliant write up and pics. Really like these motors


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## Megs Lad

Superb work  the finish on the paint is rediculous it looks good enough to swim in


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## diesel x

Excellent work! Excellent attention to details and write up.


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## [email protected]

Looks amazing, great write up


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## jamesgti

Wow wow wow that's awesome, great work guys.


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## underworldmagic

amazing :doublesho

Can I just ask; the sanding step - I know you stated the owner was after a certain look - what was the reason behind the sanding stage and how did this contribute to the look the owner was going for?

Thanks


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## Mr Gurn

The more i see of these, the more i really start to like them.

What an amazing job, the customer must have been gob smacked!


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## Steve Saunders

Absolutely epic, it doesn't get much better than that. 

Stunning!


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## Schuey

Awesome. :thumb:


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## K777

Only thing missing is the sound of it revving.
A mate just bought a red one - sounds great.(Ferrari engine apparently)
Albeit not a great deal faster than my 640d.

Great post/job/pics


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## Dave Wright

:thumb:WOW


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## Ojai

Absolutely incredible work Nick!


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## magpieV6

wow! really enjoyed that, great great work


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## Markdevon

Stunning!


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## greg2222

Great read THX


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