# Audi RS4 - Dave KG & Caledonia Teamwork



## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Wednesday saw a trip down to Glasgow for me for a detail on this Audi RS4...



















This is the first full detail (and it wont be the last ) carried out as a team with Gordon (caledonia), an excellent day of detailing with a good friend who I regard as a skilled detailer 

The car itself in the befores was looking rather grey and dull rather than deep and black, and after the wash you could see why in the morning sunlight,



















Dull and grey...










The car had been resprayed in places and had been in the bodyshop where the full car appeared to have been machine polished.... so we had our work cut out to deal with these marks, as the rest of this writeup will show.

Into the garage following the wash and clay procedure and using the Sun Gun we can begin to see the extent of the damage. Starting on the bonnet, under the gun the finish actually does not look to bad for swirls and holograms...





































However, using the strip light we can see evidence of either heavy wool compounding or sanding - note the pigtails under the light...



















You can also see an egg-shell effect to the paint. Removal of this, and the deep scratches would require compounding, and the compound and pad combo of choice was 3M Fast Cut Plus on a Meguiars W7006 cutting pad, applied as follows:


Spread at 600rpm
Begin working at 1200rpm
Work at 1800 - 2000rpm with moderate pressure until residue goes clear

Two hits were sufficient for the removal of marks and on the outset looked to have dealt with the eggshell effect - but as the paint cooled after polishing, this effect returned. Two further hits were required to deal with this effect and restore the gloss and the paint was assessed when fully cold before moving on to the next polishing stage. The results following the compounding:



















Menzerna PO85RD3.02 Intensive Polish was then used to remove any light hologramming and deaden the severe sanding pigtails which couldn't be fully removed with removing too much paint, and enhance the overall gloss of the finish:










Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Polish was then used to refine the finish and give the best possible gloss and clarity, applied using a Detailers Domain Blue Finishing pad as follows:


Spread at 600rpm, light pressure
Begin working at 1200rpm, light pressure
Work at 1500rpm, moderate pressure for a couple of minutes
Refine at 1200rpm, light pressure, slow machine movements
Burnish at 900rpm, supporting the rotary weight for very light pressure, slow machine movements

The end results...





































Much better 

Now, onto the wing which was baring deep looking marks in natural lighting...



















And with the Brinkmann










Alas, one "small" issue with correction here - the paint thicknesses on this wing were very low:



















Heavy compounding with Fast Cut was out of the question here. It would turn out under close inspection that this panel had not been painted, but had been sanded by the bodyshop - the sanding pigtails could be seen under the strip lighting. This would explain the suspiciously thin paint, and serves as a great reminder as to the importance of the PTG when detailing!!

So, softly softly approach was used, starting with Meguiars #205 as above which delivered the following...





































Impressive for a finishing polish, I'm sure you'll agree  ... But the pigtailing remained, so after assessing the thickness of paint removed and found to be only a couple of microns, Intensive Polish was used (avoiding the very thin spots on the front lower arch region) to try to deaded the pigtails and achieve better correction still. Refined using 205, and this leaves the following:




























Meanwhile, Gordon set to work on he passenger side of the car where there was evidence of previous machine polishing as well as severe swirls and some deeper marks as well...























































Using metal halide lights to assess the paint (assessment of various light sources in the pipeline soon )...



















Gordon used Fast Cut and Meguiars #205 restoring the clarity and removing the marring from the paintwork... the 50/50 shows the extent of the correction achieved and the restoration of the beauty of the paintwork:




























While Gordon was enjoying his 50/50 shots, I moved onto the bootlid, which had its fair share of swirls...




























and scratches...



















This region was standard Audi paint, and was actually pretty easy to correct - deeper RDS easily taken care of here by one pass of Fast Cut as above, followed by #205 to refine the finish and give the following...





































Mmm, glossy 




























My turn to do some 50/50 shots, this time on the driver's side - you can see the marring and hologramming in the befores...
































































Using metal halide lights again...










Fast Cut followed by #205 as above to give the following... Grey to black 




























And using the Sun Gun...



















More befores from the driver's side...




























A-pillar before:










and after... (yes, I can reach the high up parts! )










The results of the correction and refining process on the driver's side...









































































And the afters from the passenger side...























































Onto the tail end of the car...



















After correction and refining using a long-hit of Intensive Polish applied by DA as follows (used owing to thinner paint on the rear of the car and the ability to control the level of paint removal with a bit more precision on this paint):


Spread at speed 2, light pressire
Work at speed 5, light to medium pressure, for four or five passes
Work at speed 6, moderate pressure until residue went clear
Reduce speed to 5, and pressure and make two or three passes until residue returns
Repeat passes at speed 6 with moderate pressure, until residue clear again
Repeat above three or four times, leading to a work time of around 8 or 9 mins

This gave the following results...
































































Yes - a DA can happily correct hard Audi paint  And Intensive Polish can finish down LSP ready quite happily 

Tail light before:










After:










Gordon meanwhile worked Intensive Polish on the front of the car by rotary. Before:










After:










After polishing stages complete, the paint finish was back to looking mean, moodie and black! 



















Wheels were protected using Collinite 915 with tyres being dressed with Meguiars Endurance. Plastics were dressed using Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel. Glass cleaned with Stoner Invisible Glass.

Post-polishing, the paintwork was cleansed using Lusso Revitalising Cream, in preparation for wax... Now, we have a great many waxes at our disposal from a variety of manufacturers. But for this car, it was time to revisit an old and very popular friend - a wax I have a lot of time and respect for, for its durability, ease of application and its ability to add to the finish in just the same way as far more expensive waxes... That wax - Meguiars #16. Look out for me using this far more often, its performance in terms of initial application and long term durability is very good indeed 

The after shots:


















































































One mean looking car


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## Ruthless (May 10, 2006)

now thats what im talkin about, what a car.

great job guys!


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## Bridges (Jul 12, 2009)

Im not keen on black cars but awwwwwww my god that is lush, always had a soft spot for the rs4. Do i also see a bentley in your shiny detail work!! Kinda tells me this owner isnt skint lol!!


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Truely exceptional work there gents :thumb: :thumb: Those afters shots outside are fantastic - the depth of gloss and pin sharp reflections there are something else!!

I have to be honest and say I was surprised to see you reach for the #16 when you've no doubt got a wealth of other more 'high end' waxes between you both. Glad you did though, and it's currently my LSP of choice :thumb:

Top work fellas


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## slimjim (Mar 22, 2007)

Cracking job on a nice car :thumb:


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Top work there guys, looks spot on, and great correction shots also. :thumb:


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2009)

Now that looks mean, cracking work chaps.

Paul


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

That looks stunning!! May have to try the trusty Megs #16 

Excellent job guys :thumb:


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Great work Dave.


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

Always enjoy your writeups Dave, if not just for the quality of the photo's.

Quality job as ever:thumb:


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## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

Smashing work there guys. Don't you just love black:thumb:


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## jonnyw59 (Jan 31, 2009)

Awsome. Dave you are da man!!!!


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## yetizone (Jun 25, 2008)

Wow - what a difference guys - just superb :buffer:


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## badly_dubbed (Dec 11, 2008)

holy crap.

that is EPIC work.
that first reflection shot of the garage roof trusses is one of the best reflection shots ive seen.

well done to you and Gordon :thumb:


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## Nanolex (Jun 8, 2008)

Stunning work guys, that 2nd to last pictures looks truly amazing!:thumb:


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## imy! (Sep 1, 2008)

good work!!!


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## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

WOW! Great work boys! Thats the car for me!


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## Vyker (Sep 17, 2008)

Excellent, a good read, thanks!


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## PaulB (Mar 26, 2009)

outstanding stuff guys. An awesome car and an even better finish.


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## rossi007 (Sep 17, 2008)

great correction work .... well done Dave + Gordon:thumb:


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

stunning work and finish on a stunning car, god that looked meaty


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## Will-S (Jun 5, 2007)

What a fantastic turnaround:argie:

Well done Dave and Gordon:thumb: Hope to read more of your excellent write ups in the future.


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## alx_chung (Aug 13, 2006)

OMG that is a beastly looking car!! Great work again guys!
Alex


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## Reds (Jan 14, 2009)

I may have to go for a cold shower and a lie down now.

Great work Dave and Gordon, you turned that stunning car into a work of automotive art.


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## ROB WOODHOUSE (Nov 13, 2005)

Love it! What a difference you made to the paint.


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

superb correction, looking much much nicer


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Many thanks for the kind words, folks 



TheProtector said:


> What a fantastic turnaround:argie:
> 
> Well done Dave and Gordon:thumb: Hope to read more of your excellent write ups in the future.


There will be plenty of them, I'm sure :thumb:


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## UBRWGN (Nov 25, 2007)

The owner must have been gobsmacked, I was scrolling down the thread looking at the 50/50s thinking "these are amazing!" :buffer:

The car itself?.... It is THE sh!t. :doublesho


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## Sharpy (Mar 25, 2007)

why does it have odd shaped tail pipes?


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## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

All i can say is WOW. The difference you two made is insane. Alot of people dont realise the difference a good detail like this one can make to their car. 

I actually said wow out loud when i saw the finished shots.


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## Envy Car Care (Aug 17, 2006)

Stunning work guys, its nice to havecompany on a long correction as the time goes so much quicker.


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## nighty (Jan 28, 2007)

Absolutly amazing work there guys! That car is sex on wheels u guys transformed it to an amazing standard.
Fancy doing mine next?


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## Archway (Apr 3, 2007)

fook !! thats stunning .


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## rallyman1978 (Aug 8, 2007)

Another great write up and fantastic pics
Many thanks


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## Robmgti (Jun 26, 2009)

Stunning, simply awesome  Use to work at Audi, RS4's are brilliant fun - especially with the Sport button pressed!


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

Thank for all the comments.
Much appreciated.
Gordon.


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## CleanYourCar (Jan 23, 2006)

Fantastic work fellas, those two final pictures are stunning with incredible shine! :thumb:


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

sharpy24 said:


> why does it have odd shaped tail pipes?


Miltek apparently


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Don't really have enough photos to see the finish properly 


Only kidding guys... superb work as per the norm from you two...

:thumb:


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## alx_chung (Aug 13, 2006)

Dave KG said:


> Miltek apparently


Ohh I missed that...blacked tipped Milltek exhausts. Must have sounded pretty awesome!
Alex


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## Jim W (Feb 3, 2007)

Great work on the Audi paint guys - certainly showing some skills


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## Dipesh (Oct 12, 2007)

Great write up as always Dave.

What a mean looking RS4!!


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## Fastmonkey (Aug 4, 2006)

Stunning, truly stunning.........

The de-chroming makes it look so tough and those RS4's sound the best, but with a Milltek I bet it was awsome.

The time it takes to do a proper job like that + the time to write it up for everyone to see. Top Job.


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## Jody 4444 (Mar 12, 2009)

Fantastic turn around and some stunning after shots :thumb:


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## mouthyman (May 1, 2006)

fantastic turnaround, the after shots look great


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Fan-bloody-tastic fella's :thumb: truly exceptional finished results.


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## Planet Admin (Jul 11, 2009)

Great Finish mate. That is one mean looking Audi lol


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## Brad Vts (Apr 28, 2009)

Awsome mate awsome great car too a love rs4's great job Dave


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## charlie53 (Apr 14, 2009)

That's an awesome turnaround. When I got to the end I thought it was good, then I scrolled back up to the first pic - AWESOME :thumb:

From this:










to this:


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## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

Great work there - looks spot on :thumb:


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## chris141 (Jun 5, 2008)

Great work chaps


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## Stuhil (Jun 5, 2009)

Stunning looking car Dave...beautiful work...having some knowledge of Audi spec it is clear the owner has had the wheels painted by an after-market specialist...my wife has a new white A3 S-line and I was toying with having the wheels painted dark grey (aka black edition - which she liked but couldn't get her to cough up the extra for) or black...is the laquered painted finish as durable as factory finish (if taken care of) or does it require remedial work through the years i.e after tyre fitting etc?


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## Planet Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Amazing work guys. 

Great correction, great car, great write up - Top stuff all round.

That paint look so wet it looks as though it world react just like my PC screen would when I push it:thumb:


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## sunwing (Aug 1, 2009)

Stunning car those RS4's. Great detail and a quality job.


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## mark m. (Aug 13, 2007)

Cracking job, love the dark wheels


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

missed this as I was away but what an absolute corker of a detail :thumb:

amazing work guys - clearly a great team!


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## five£wash (Oct 12, 2008)

great work


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## ALANSHR (Jun 29, 2007)

Superb work Dave and Gordon, a great turn around, the depth and clarity returned so well done to you guys.

I was really surprised by how bad the damage was, some of these so called body shops should really up their game, they seem to think that a quick go with a rotary is enough and all the customers are happy when they are clearly not especially when you see all the folk on here correcting their mistakes.

It would be really nice to take a car in for paint and not have to re-detail it afterwards due to the damage they inflict, maybe in another world..


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## rossdook (Aug 20, 2008)

Loving the work guys - a great job there!

Really like the RS4 too, although I'd prefer the normal alloys - those are a bit "stealth bomber" for me!


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## Bluetacker (Feb 6, 2009)

Fantastic work. Looks amazing in the afters!


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2009)

Great work there chaps. 

Regarding FCP, how much would you apply to the Megs pad, and what else would you use to stop it creating dust? I've tried many time with my AP12QE on the exact pad you used at the lowest speed on cool panels and its dust city!


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## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

Apply a few skittle size dots of 3M Ultrafina along side the FC+. Should help keep the dust down. FC+ is a nightmare for it.
Gordon.


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2009)

caledonia said:


> Apply a few skittle size dots of 3M Ultrafina along side the FC+. Should help keep the dust down. FC+ is a nightmare for it.
> Gordon.


Thanks Gordon, i'll give that a try :thumb:


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## Caped Crusader (Sep 27, 2009)

Great write-up. A truly fantastic detail.


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## 123quackers (Jan 29, 2009)

stunning weapon that!! fantastic job....:thumb:

P.S 

Had to buy a new rotary so picked up a Menz polish pad an finish pad, plus some stoner invis glass haven't used it yet any good?? 
Megs 205 worth a purchase then???:wave:


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## missyR (Oct 6, 2008)

Simply Gorgeous!!


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