# SL Restoration - Jaguar XF Enhancement



## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

This 10,000 mile Jaguar XF was booked in with us after a recommendation from a previous client. After a lengthy discussion on the phone it was decided that the most beneficial treatment for the car would be one of our ADN Enhancement Details. A new purchase, to be his daily driver. This would allow us to put some life back into the paintwork and lay down some decent protection against the elements. But allowing the customer to top up the protection at his leisure should he so wish.

Day 1
So after collecting the car from Buckinghamshire here's how it looked on arrival back at the unit.























































Hhmm looks like someone's been here already . . .










First up the wheels, tyres & arches were given a pre-soak with AF Citrus Power before a thorough pre-rinse (we've found that the addition of Citrus Power really helps in the pre-rinsing stage)










Next up the wheels were cleaned with AF Imperial and a variety of brushes




























Then given a thorough decontamination with AF Iron Out



















Tyres then deep cleaned with AF Citrus Power and a detailing brush










Arches thoroughly cleaned with AF Citrus Power and the large wheel woolie










All lower sections of the car were given a pre soak with AF Citrus Power










Before a foaming with Avalanche at 60c (to help soften and remove as much of the lesser bonded dirt as possible)



















All the nooks and crannies seen to with a detailing brush




























Front grille cleaned with a detailing brush & a mini wheel woolie



















AF Citrus Power and a detailing brush on the shuts










After rinsing the vehicle was then washed via the 2BM with AF Lather and a CarPro mitt 










This shot shows just how little protection the car was present on the car










After a thorough rinse via the pressure washer followed by an open hose, we moved in to the unit for the decontamination

AF Oblitarate doing it's thing on which was suprisingly a low amount of tar



















Clayed with AF Clay and Glide



















Decontamination complete it was back out for another foaming with AF Avalanche










Before being brought back inside and dried with an Uber Plush Towel aided by the Metro Blaster and compressed air via the Snap-On blow gun




























Tailpipes also treated with AF Oblitarate and #0000 grade wire wool










Parked up for the night ready for the polishing stage










Day 2
The entire vehicle was given a thorough wipedown with Spies Hecker 7010 panel wipe before any of the polishing work commenced. This is used in panel preparation before painting and ensures a squeaky clean surface removing any of the nasty silicon based products that the dealership may have applied and allowing us to see the true condition of the paint.










On inspection the paintwork was typical of a year old demonstrator, with no major concerns just lacking that bit if sparkle.
Only areas of any real concern were the bonnet which had seen some machine work and a bit of overspray which was probably the result of being in the wrong place when a smart type repair was taking place nearby.
I opted for the Flex 3401 VRG with Menzerna 3.02 on a Lake Country Orange Hydrotech Polishing Pad. With the aim being to enhance the paintwork rather than correct it this combo allowed for a slightly greater level of cut without hologramming or achieving any less clarity in the finish.










Bonnet Before










Bonnet After










Area of overspray, bonnet was raised with two 2" tape cores to allow better access





































Wing before










Wing after (the overspray isn't blindingly obvious but the difference is more noticeable when you look at the 2 light streams)



















The rest of the car was polished in the same manner which brought out the flake nicely










Piano black B-Pillar trims dealt with using the Rupes LHR15, Megs D300 and an MF cutting pad, then refined with Menz 106FA on a yellow Megs polishing pad.










Before










After, not perfect but looking much better










Overspray also present on the front bumper trims










Dealt with by hand and some Menzerna 3.02



















Next up the arches were dressed with AS Finish (diluted 1:4)










Followed by a thorough IPA wipedown for the whole car










Paintwork then prepared for its protection with AF Tough Prep via an MF applicator










The choice for the base layer of protection AF Power Seal via the Festool Rotex 125 with an AF Supreme Pad










Day 3
With the sealant given plenty of time to cure 2 coats of AF Spirit (applied 3 hrs apart)










Wheels prepared for sealing with AF Tough Prep










Sealed with AF Mint Rims










Tyres dressed with 3 coats of AF Satin










Glass sealed with Nanolex Glass Ultra










Then cleaned with AF Crystal and a Microfiber Madness Cloudbuster Towel










AF Revive used on interior door rubbers and exterior plastic trims










Exterior britework and door shuts cleaned and protected in one with AF Tripple










Tailpipes finished off with AF Mercury & #0000 grade wire wool










Leaving the following result










Interior given a good hoover and cleaned with AF Total










Ignition started allowing access to the vents










Final interior wipedown with AF Spritz










Final check over and wipedown with AF Finale










Of course an ADN Treatment isn't complete without the finishing touch










And here's the finished article in a variety of shots from both in and outside the unit




































































































Thanks for taking the time to read the thread, hope you enjoyed it!


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

very nice thus far Nick, welcome aboard as a Supporter too :thumb:


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## steview (Sep 23, 2010)

Great work and some nice machines there too :thumb:


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

bout time England's best signed up :thumb:


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Awesome work, photos and finish :thumb:


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## MR.Q (Apr 19, 2010)

Nick that is simply OUTSTANDING mate :thumb: Im a HUGE AF fan/nut but that aside, there is a brilliant shine and finish. Love it


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Exemplary work Nick, you real set the benchmark. I'm (of course) very impressed with the tail pipes :lol:

Fantastic gloss injected back into this car.


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## TopSport+ (Jul 22, 2012)

great work


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## DetailedClean (Jan 31, 2012)

Very nice work Nick


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

Fantastic work Nick


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

Bl0dy Hell Nick, thought you had fallen off the face of the earth, looks like just a job shift instead ..

Welcome on-board bud, no escaping now ..

Oh, and great work by the way :wave:..


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## Luis (Sep 10, 2012)

great work
:thumb:


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

Looks well mate. So you finally jumped on the supporters list eh. Good for you.:thumb:


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Superb work Nick, saw some shots on Twitter whilst you were doing this and was looking forward to the write up!

Spot on stuff, look forward to seeing a few more from you too!

Jon


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## B&B Autostyle (Apr 4, 2010)

Cracker work Nick.

Great Studio write up to boot!


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

dooka said:


> Bl0dy Hell Nick, thought you had fallen off the face of the earth, looks like just a job shift instead ..
> 
> Welcome on-board bud, no escaping now ..
> 
> Oh, and great work by the way :wave:..


No he's still alive. Still texting me at 4am saying he's been at work since 8am and still got 3 cars to finish before going home lol. Workaholic.


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## gibbo555 (May 3, 2011)

Great work there, really brings out the cars beauty :thumb:


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## 888-Dave (Jul 30, 2010)

Nicely done Nick, come up a treat that.
Congrats on the supporter too. Speak soon mate :thumb:


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

Great job, love the Tattoo by the way


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## Swell.gr (May 7, 2008)

Great work mate :thumb:


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## CarPro.UK (Nov 22, 2011)

Very excited about you coming on board. 

Really enjoyed the write up on that car. 

Andy


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## Refined Detail (Nov 27, 2006)

Good to see you on board Nick! Cracking work as ever, look forward to seeing some write ups from you when you eventually get the time :lol: Photos on Twitter always look spot on


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## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

Nice write up Nick, work not to bad either :lol:

Stunning finishing shots fella:thumb: one very happy owner. Perhaps print off the Do Not Wash and leave in car for him.. When I had my Jags I had a real battle with the dealership when I asked them not to wash the car.


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## tom-225 (Aug 30, 2009)

Oh hey Nick, dont really need to leave you any kind of comment LOL will chat soon about the exciting things coming over


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## kk1966 (Aug 8, 2007)

Nice work & an excellent write up :thumb:


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## skorpios (Sep 11, 2011)

Cracking job Nick! :thumb:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

At last, and not before time! :thumb:

Congratulations on 'going Pro' (your considerable skills certainly won't be underrated any more :lol and DW will be a better place for it! :buffer:

Kind Regards,

Alan W


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

Well look who it is!:wave:

Cracking effort as always chap ..nice to see a writeup to accompany the Twitter pics!:thumb:

That colour would look wrong on 99% of cars but somehow works on the XF


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## SimonBash (Jun 7, 2010)

Superb work mate, glad DW will finally get to see a selection of your repertoire.

Keep them coming, less Flex action though please, RAP and Rotex

Si


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Nice work Nick, and its good to see you on here showing off your work.

Feeling the water mark on the pictures by the way


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Great Work Nick , what a joy to read this write up :thumb:


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

Stunning, simply wonderful a great presentation.

Thanks John Tht.


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## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

Great write up and great finish.


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

Cracking work freshening up the paint work. Car looks so much better for it.

Lovely write up as well planty of pictures. Many thanks for posting and ill be looking forward to future write ups.


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## Auto Detox (Dec 22, 2007)

Lovely job that Nick & welcome to DW as a supporter too 

Baz


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## steve from wath (Dec 12, 2008)

cracking work
love these cars 

you have made it look like a different car

well done


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## craigblues (Jul 24, 2011)

Nice work. Looking good.


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Very good, and very detailed writeup. I like the amount of pictures demonstrating clearly what was achieved throughout. Did you try a finishing combo (dedicated finishing polish and pad) after 3.02 to see if the clarity could be enhanced further? Sometimes while 3.02 finishes down LSP ready in terms of being hologram free, an edge in clarity can be achieved over it with a dedicated finishing polish.


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## ted11 (Jul 8, 2011)

Fantastic work mate.


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## afry (May 28, 2010)

Great work nick and a brilliant write up, glad your keeping busy.


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## unique detail (Jan 26, 2012)

Great work as usual.


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks to everyone that's taken the time to read the thread. Your comments are much appreciated :thumb:


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## Griffiths Detailing (Mar 29, 2011)

Awesome work Nick!!! 


Chris


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

Nice work,looks good


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Great to see you on DW Nick - you took your time


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## Rich @ PB (Oct 26, 2005)

Like a boss.


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Clark @ PB said:


> Great to see you on DW Nick - you took your time


Thanks Clark, problem now is more that write-ups mean less working time 

You'll be facing a similar dilema once the weather gets better, finding the time to enjoy the toy when there's work to be done


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

slrestoration said:


> Thanks Clark, problem now is more that write-ups mean less working time
> 
> You'll be facing a similar dilema once the weather gets better, finding the time to enjoy the toy when there's work to be done


Hence why one or two a month does us fine, no need for daily/weekly write ups in my opinion


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Great job Nick and good to see the master posting some work up on here


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## Dan J (Jun 18, 2008)

Top work as always Nick, good to see you've signed up.

Will pop in next time I'm passing.


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## stedman (Aug 13, 2009)

Great work. 

I can't wait to see some more threads, hopefully with some wet-sanding sexiness.


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

Great read well detailed and the finish is nothing less than I expected Nick. As many have said before welcome to the fold. 
I have long watched and respected the quality of your work. Top class as always. 
But it is now open to a much wider audience than before. Looking forward to the next honest and well written instalment. 
Gordon.


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## dazmac b35 (Apr 4, 2013)

awseome job great work

daz


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