# New car and it's a Jaaaaag.



## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

I became very attached to my S3 but after 2 and a half years extracting every bit of enjoyment (and gloss) from it, it was time for something new.










I've never owned a new car and while I liked the idea of one, even the entry level 'performance' cars are sounding more and more like lawnmowers - (just look at the A35 or modern day S3s). To get modern day looks and tech with the excitement factor I'd narrowed my search to either a Mercedes C43, or C63 and while lovely cars, visually I remain unsold by the coupe's rear end!

After nearly a year of searching I started looking further afield, I've always loved the F-Type and recall Clarkson's famous F-Type love affair, few years later remember hearing the V8 going round a track and it hit me for 6. I was really surprised to see just how much the F-Type had depreciated making them (just about) affordable. I did my research, talked myself in and out of it given Jaguar's bad rep for reliability, but eventually the man maths added up and I'm now really chuffed to now own what's been one of my favourite looking cars over the last decade.

- 2016 Jaguar F-Type
- 3.0 V6 Supercharged 340bhp 
- 18k miles
- Full Service History & (the crucial) year's approved used warranty
- All the key spec I was after - Ammonite Grey, Black Pack, Active Exhaust, 5039 style alloys with the panoramic sunroof. I didn't get the full leather but not a game changer in the grand scheme of things!

Drives really well, suspension is firm but it gobbles up the miles and is even more refined than I first anticipated, and important as although I don't do big miles this won't be a garage queen. The main selling point was the sound, I can't do it justice with words but it's got the full repertoire of the v6 burble, supercharger whine, farts on the upshift and burbles on the over-run. Crazy loud start up which the wife believes draws too much attention but sure..

My detailing obsession has gone up a notch or two in the last couple of years and honestly it's made purchasing the right used car that bit much more difficult... gone are the days of a quick drive and then signing on the dotted line. [Anyone else?! ]

I was too embarrassed to get my inspection light and depth gauge out in the forecourt but did drive it around the corner to inspect every inch of the car 

In terms of the exterior condition, bar a little bit of road rash on the very lower panels, a few stone chips, a couple of deep scratches and a repainted bonnet the paint work is in resolvable condition. I've since noticed some scratching on the drivers and passengers glass, a known issue with the window rubber design which I've since flagged with the dealership.

Updates on detailing progress to follow.

Thanks for reading. Here are a few photos of the car on the day I first drove it :thumb:































On my second day of ownership it snowed... didn't fancy testing out the Rain & Snow mode!


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## sharrkey (Sep 11, 2017)

Health to enjoy the new beast bud

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## suds (Apr 27, 2012)

Stepped up a class or two there matey - no brainer when you look at both pics :thumb:


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## TonyHill (Jul 28, 2015)

Agree with the crazy loud start up. A customer of mine has the SVR and it's very loud.
Is there a reason for it.....or just Jag showing off?!? :lol:


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

TonyHill said:


> Agree with the crazy loud start up. A customer of mine has the SVR and it's very loud.
> Is there a reason for it.....or just Jag showing off?!? :lol:


I really don't know... the wife cringes and I can totally get where she's coming from. I've pre-apologised to the neighbours and thankfully they are all very understanding (will see if that's the case when I get back to my 5am darts to the train station!).

Once started it's extremely refined to drive, it has the active exhaust so with that turned off and the car kept in normal or the ice/snow mode it makes no more noise than my S3. Surprisingly it's as economical as the S3 too, I'd get between 33 and 35 mpg on a clean enough commute driving sensibly, maybe a few more on a long motorway run. On average so far with plenty of spirited driving I'm getting mid to late 20s which I can live with.


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Looks a nice example. Enjoy the cold starts


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## pete001 (Dec 21, 2006)

Fantastic car luv the colour


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## huddo (May 29, 2006)

Very nice, great colour, may you have many happy hours both behind the wheel and on your driveway washing and polishing the Jaaaagg


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## TakDetails (Apr 25, 2020)

Congrats.
A definite upgrade.
Hopefully it spends more time on the road than the fuel station that V6 is sensational!


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

Nice car! An ex-colleague had one and sounded fantastic indeed:thumb:

Just think of all those new products you can try out on it!!!

(buy it from Perth?)


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## CharliesTTS (Jan 30, 2018)

Stunning motor m8! Looking forward to the detailing updates! :thumb:


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

That's one of my favourite cars, and the colour combo you've bought is just perfect. I can't wait to see it once you've 'gone to town' on it. 

Health to enjoy it, buddy. Hopefully I'll get a look around it some stage soon. 

Cheers

Niall

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## Stoner (Jun 25, 2010)

Lovely car, great upgrade. Keep us updated on the detailing of it, I am sure it'll be a pleasure to work-on :thumb:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Oooh, nice - looks great and will sound even better! 

Enjoy the detailing journey and look forward to updates on the car and the detailing process. :thumb:

You realise a new car means you have an excuse to buy new detailing products, despite what the other half says. :lol:

Have fun! :buffer:

Alan W


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

:thumb:


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## Mclarxn (Sep 3, 2018)

Bloody lovely motor that marra, always had a massive soft spot for the F-Type. Just tick so many boxes!

Hope you enjoy every mile you put on it and look forward to see your updates.

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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Very nice.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Very nice, enjoy :thumb:


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

Stunning car that buddy.

Looking forward to seeing pics of the interior and some nice gloss shots when detailed.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFPHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I've had a crisis!!

That. Is. Gorgeous.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Please get rid of the max power valve caps, then enjoy your latest love


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## bellguy (Feb 4, 2021)

Very very nice, enjoy.
My 440i has this loud cold start too, sometimes i like it but most times when in quieter area i certainly do not lol, actually getting it coded out soon along with the asd.
Don't think i would have wanted to push it in the snow either


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## Rappy (Oct 2, 2020)

While we don't agree on most things. I have to admit, you have a very nice motor :thumb:


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

Great cars, I've been working on one in this colour today.

You'll love machining the paint, it responds very well, with little effort.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Chris


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## Dave50 (Mar 14, 2013)

Welcome to the club Adam 👌

Dave


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Thanks for the kind comments 

So the detailing commenced this weekend past - I have had the car for the guts of a fortnight but due to snow, rain and work commitments I hadn't even been able to wash it - as I'd asked the dealers not to do any more harm by washing it before collection... was just my luck that it was covered in crusty bird sh*te.

On initial inspection the car looked in good knick but as is always the case once the 'makeup' was removed the car's condition was synonymous with an owner that only has only ever bought 2 buckets in KFC - to be fair it would have been in better condition had he not washed it at all, nor plastered it with that spray on rinse off nonsense I absolutely hate.

*Before photos:*







































Stop reading here if you don't fancy detail-overload! I'm a product fanatic, I test a tonne of them and love any opportunity to share my experiences with the ones I use on my own cars (which are generally selected after a fair amount of testing).
*
Step 1 was the wheels.*

Annoyingly they were beading (well) which I knew would mean I'd to bring out the heavy hitters to cut through the previously applied LSP and get to the sealed in contamination. The brake calipers being a light grey colour were more like gold in person with the amount of fallout present.










- Anachem Automotive Articulate 15:1 as a pre wash
- AutoGlanz Alkalloy 5:1 as a wheel cleaner which I agitated
- Garage Therapy Zero Decon Shampoo (50ml in half bucket) as a strip wash - more on this later, it's a super product and must have for anybody.










The protection was stout (I suspect fresh and multiple layers) but it was all but gone and you could see the embedded fallout even on the wet wheel.










- Labocosmetica Sidero Iron Remover - a product I have recently found and really enjoy using. I'm usually an Auto Wheel or Korrosol fanboy, but this has some interesting USPs namely the fact it's dilutable up to 1:4, even diluted has a Fluid-in-Reverse design which gives unbelievable and safe dwell time and cling, it also has Limescale Removers and Lubricants in it for safer agitation. With all these added extra USPs I was concerned that it wouldn't have focused less on the task at hand, iron removal - but it was actually really good and my mop up with Korrosol picked up next to nothing which is a testament to it.


















- CarPro Tar X - haven't used this before and it was a big surprise, it's the first and only product of it's type to smell good. Smell isn't usually a huge deal for me but I just thought I'd mention that this couldn't feel less like a tar remover which is a good thing. CarPro not only say it's safe on plastics but actually encourage it's use to remove old polish residue (of which there was some plenty of dealership SRP). It worked well, and it rinsed free which was impressive to. Tardis is hard to beat for pure value but this is just a nicer product for the enthusiast like myself and worth every penny.

- Tyres - very brown.... two steps required... Black Pearl who make tyre coatings make a super concentrated tyre cleaner Omni-Clean (glove worthy stuff), and then usually finish them off/check they are clean using AutoGlanz rebound. You know your tyre cleaners are powerful when your two year old tyre brush looks like this:










*Step 2 was the paintwork...*

Lots of grime, traffic film, a few bugs and mud on the lowers to be removed. I was deliberately aggressive with the paintwork as I knew the protection applied to the wheels wasn't easy to remove.

- Anachem Automotive Articulate on the lower panels 
- Direct sunlight so I chose Wax Planet Eight Below mixed with some Koch Chemie GreenStar as the snow foam (100ml WP, 30ml GS in a 600ml snow foam bottle)










Protection was knocked back but still there...

- Garage Therapy Zero Decon Shampoo (60ml in 400ml in the lance). I then used a further 50ml in half a bucket to then agitate it with. I love this product, it has no distinguishable scent which I was pleasantly surprised by given it's cleaning power as a strip wash. It's up there with TAC Mystic Bubble as the slickest shampoo out there, albeit not one you'd need to use regularly. Worked well through the lance, suds lasted an age in the bucket, remaining protection was obliterated (video shown here https://photos.app.goo.gl/xv5n8TDgRvNYBPa36).


















- Labocosmetica Sidero Iron Remover (lovely to agitate, so much so that I later used it as a clay lube)










- CarPro Tar X

Despite the above, the car failed the plastic bag test.. I can guarantee you that it has never been clayed. I hadn't planned to clay or polish, but I didn't fancy applying a 3 month sealant (to get me through to the better weather) over that amount of contamination.

- Bilt Hamber Auto Clay Soft










Whilst claying I noticed the spray and rinse product residue... to me spray and rinse products are about as safe and time saving as a Jumbo Sponge. Best case with them is that you get someone who applies them per instructions and there's just an uneven haze to remove, worst case as happened here was that every inch of the glass and paintwork was streaked with the stuff.










- To rinse free any previous decon product residue, residual water spotting on the paint and glass I used another cracker of a product Labocosmetica Purifica. I've posted a fair bit about it so I won't bore everyone again, but it's an acid pH snow foam/shampoo that removes any trace of mineral deposit from the car and in case of coated cars revives hydrophobicity. I always apply as a snow foam and as the water spotting was bad on the glass, used some neat product on the mitt I agitated the snow foam with. Everything Labocosmetica smells amazing btw.










Car was then dried off to reveal the horror of clay - I know how to clay, I was using a particularly mild clay and still the marring was just too much for me to have left alone and passers by (future clientele ) to have seen.

I ran around the car with Scholl S40 with a just a couple of Scholl Neo Honey Spider Pads, just one pass as I was not aiming for anything more than to remove the clay marring and spray and rinse residue. @Summit Detailing was spot on when he says the paint is a breeze to work on.. the single pass was enough to remove a good number of defects from the paint too (I'd love to say it was skill). Sadly will have diluted down some of the end transformation 50/50s that would have been stark to say the least!!!










*Step 3 was to lay down some temporary protection..*

I plan to get the lend of my mate's garage for a week in late spring, get out the DA and the PXE80, correct and jewel every nook and crannie before coating all surfaces in and out. But to tide me over until then and make washing easy, I dried the car off, did my normal 2 stage panel wipe with UPOL Slow, then CarPro's Eraser and laid down 2 layers of Siramik SC Mist. Its not a flashy product by any means, kind of slides below the radar but it had got a phenomenal review from Forensic Detailing, Brian who I very much value opinions from had also repeatedly suggested it too. Lovely to use, visible on the panel, leaves a super slick finish which beads water well and is very chemical resistant - Siramik say 2 coats can do 6 months plus, and having used it as a topper to Cancoat previously I know a single coat holds up well.

- Glass is to be coated using Pyramid's new glass ceramic so I stuck on a couple of layers of H2GO in the meantime, spaced 1 hour between.

- Tyres were dressed using trusty AutoSmart HighStyle which Niall (Cookies) kindly decanted for me to try some time ago and I've been enjoying since. Gives a nice finish, no sling and I like the brush application.

End results are below... the important thing to note is, this is just the decon stage... and a few areas (e.g. the calipers, arches, spoiler intricacies) will require repeat decons to get them to a truly 'clean' state.

I can't wait to get stuck into the paint correction, refinement and protection. This decon involved a long, hard weekend though... I do a fair bit of correction throughout the year, yet it's Tuesday and my body still hurts... the Jag is a bit lower than most so maybe that's where the pain has come from!!

Thanks to those who have endured the verbal diarrhoea, I really enjoy documenting any testing I do and if it saves another poor soul wasting as much money as I have in the process, happy days!


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

I can only see some of the photo's Adam, not all of them, not sure if anyone else can see them?


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## TonyHill (Jul 28, 2015)

Great detailed description. I too can only see the last few pics. 
With regards to Highstyle, I absolutely hate that stuff!! Applied a thin layer to thoroughly cleaned tyres at the weekend, and 3 days later I'd say half of it is now dotted up the sides of my van.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

nbray67 said:


> I can only see some of the photo's Adam, not all of them, not sure if anyone else can see them?


Sorry guys photo uploading via TapaTalk so taking a little while


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## bellguy (Feb 4, 2021)

Ouch, don't you just love all the algae along the rear spoiler front lip, why can't people clean things properly


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

TonyHill said:


> Great detailed description. I too can only see the last few pics.
> With regards to Highstyle, I absolutely hate that stuff!! Applied a thin layer to thoroughly cleaned tyres at the weekend, and 3 days later I'd say half of it is now dotted up the sides of my van.


I am really surprised to hear that about High Style - I normally leave it so that it is dry to the touch before I drive, I could do a journey in rain or shine and I've never got sling, and find it a breeze to keep on top of.

My tyre go-to in Summer is something water based like CarPro Perl whereas in advance of Winter I try to get the tyres coated with Black Pearl or Optimum TPC as they last months with the odd spruce up with CarPro Perl to restore gloss every other week. Obviously not possible with the Jag as it hasn't had the wheels off decon, polish and coat yet :thumb:

A solvent based dressing like High Style / AutoGlanz Uber Schwartz have been my winter stop gap and been really impressed by both tbh.


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

really like these such a nice looking car, i love how they made even the V6's sound amazing too


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

atbalfour said:


> Sorry guys photo uploading via TapaTalk so taking a little while


Got them now buddy.

Loving the final shots there, beaut colour.

Cracking effort all round.


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## [email protected] (May 30, 2006)

what a class turnaround.

I love the F Types - a really sleek looking car, and had a 3.0 supercharged as a loaner for a few days and its scary fast!

colour is subtle and entirely in keeping with the classy lines and long bonnet, but when the flake pops it really pops!

Hope to see it out and about at some outings this year!


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

I mean, it looks ok.....sure it will be fine when you have finished it:lol:


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## BrummyPete (Jun 10, 2010)

I thought your S3 was nice but that Jag is on another level, great work on cleaning it up 

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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

Lovely car and a great write up on your decon detail!!:thumb:

The F-Type 3.0 V6 S is top of my list when I finally sell the Porsche.

That colour is nice, very grown up, classy.

I was thinking about getting one this spring but having hardly used the Porsche last year I think I'm going to try and get out in it as much as poss this year and then go for the Jaaaaaaggg 

Keep the updates coming and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the build quality/reliability in time


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

If that is what it looks like after a Decon stage, then i can't wait to see the corrected stage as it will be something else :thumb:

With regards to spray and rinse products, i will be using one but only on the caravan as i am sure you can imagine how much fun trying to hand wax something 7ft tall and 24 ft long will be :lol:


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

muzzer said:


> With regards to spray and rinse products, i will be using one but only on the caravan as i am sure you can imagine how much fun trying to hand wax something 7ft tall and 24 ft long will be


That is definitely one use for them  light colours v forgiving also.

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## sidewalkdances (Apr 19, 2007)

Looks like a cracker mate! Cant wait to see the final results as that is looking very very good even from a one pass blow over!


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## ibiza55 (Feb 22, 2008)

Lovely Jubbly, its a beast of a car.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

percymon said:


> Please get rid of the max power valve caps, then enjoy your latest love


Ha, hated them from the day I picked up the car as they don't match the centre caps.. plastic ones on their way as I have heard horror stories about metal ones seizing, valves needing replaced and the risk just isn't worth it for me!



ibiza55 said:


> Lovely Jubbly, its a beast of a car.


Thanks mate


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## Itstony (Jan 19, 2018)

Looks great Adam, looks lovely shape and my type of car :thumb:


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Just realised that I never posted results (or process) of the big detail which happened in June last year... took a couple of weeks off work, decided to strive for as close to '100%' defect removal as I could manage on 5 year old (factory) paint. There is some road rash on the skirts and front black plastic but other than that everything felt salvageable.

I'd completed the interior deep clean the month before during a spell of good weather.. despite low mileage the car was surprisingly dirty inside, not helped by the stealership applying their usual slimey dressings EVERYWHERE!! Once restored to an as-new standard and fully dry I applied long term coatings applied to every surface from fabric to plastic to leather. Then had the calipers re-painted and very typical of Jaguars, had a couple of panels aligned.



















I had use of a friend's garage for 7 days to do the exterior before he had another car booked in. I ended up spending 8 long days detailing including 2 days of 12+ hours... a bad idea in hindsight and was physically and mentally exhausted by the end... especially with temps in the garage between 21 and 28 degrees. Hats off to the guys who do this week in week out... I do a lot of detailing but I will not sign up to such an intense period of detailing again!!

- Pre wash with GT Decon shampoo
- Contact wash with GT Decon - neat into mitt to remove remnants of SC Mist applied in February.
- Wheel removal, wheel arch and underside clean.
- Magic eraser on worn plastics / AG Rebound on rubber trim and wipers
- Iron (Korrosol) /Tar (CarPro Tar X) / Clay (AM details) / Waterspot Remover (Purifica)
- Cutting stage on Glass - 5 and 3 inch rayon glass pads with CeriGlass, Edge work with rayon block.
- Polishing stage on Glass - Scholl spider blue cutting foam pads.
- Exhaust polishing - CarPro Metallicut 
- Localised spot correction with 1500 then 3000 grit sandpaper
- Paint correction - mid-soft paint so Scholl S20 and Purple Pad were sufficient with only minimal haze (5, 3, 2 and 1 inch)

All in the details: https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPLVJxjBtlrRF5Lu2-sVmH25o9EttaICJEbpBtp

- Refining - Scholl S40 on Neo Honey Spider Pad (5, 3, 2 and 1 inch)
- Solvent panel wipe - UPOL Slow
- Snow foam, rinse, and hot fairy liquid wash
- Car dried with forced air then panel wiped with alcohol based panel wipe (CarPro Eraser)
- Paint touch ups
- Glass coated with Nanolex Ultra Glass coating - similar to Gtechniq G1 apart from easier to use and requiring longer cure time
- Exhaust coated with x2 layers of KKD Revolve
- Paint coated with 2 layers of CarPro SiC (Silicon Carbide) 60 minutes apart
- Plastics coated with Gtechniq C4 
- Wheel pre-wash
- Regular fallout remover - BH Auto Wheel
- Follow up use of wheel acid to remove stubborn deposits - Original Wonder Wheels
- Tyre deep clean using Omniclean, then AG Rebound (dressing had not been applied for 6 weeks prior to ensure proper tyre coating bond)
- Alloy wheel correction using Rotary extension, polishing cone and Scholl S20

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9Ssm8mZF85J84xbX6

- Alloy wheel refinement using Flex PXE on DA mode - Scholl S40 and Neo Honey Spider Pad.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mhbefgAPuBTqAGhc9

- Alloys foamed and fairy liquid hot wash to remove all polishing residue then wiped down with Eraser.
- Alloys & calipers coated with 2 layers of KKD Revolve 
- Semi-permanent tyre coating applied - Black Pearl (2 coats)

Was really pleased with how it turned out, the various stages of degreasing the paint and glass isn't fit everyone but I wanted to give the coatings the best possible chance to bond and they've been performing brilliantly, definitely time I can justify having spent. CarPro SiC is a lovely coating and one I would recommend, probably not as a first time coating because the flash time climate dependant and is not 'set'.

Videos:

Wheels BEFORE: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZpTQTfwQzsiD6k1i6
Wheels AFTER: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YuHhU4c5crpY2MD28

Photos:














































Thanks to anyone who has got this far. I am probably bordering on sad having documented all of this!


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Definitely not sad. What a beautiful machine.


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

Stunning with one hell of a lot of effort to get there pal.


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## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

Lovely!! A tribute to your hard work. :thumb:


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## Teamleader 21 (May 7, 2019)

Lovely job, satisfaction and pride knowing heads will be turning as you drive past.


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## RT1994 (Jun 25, 2019)

Nice little write up and a fantastic job on the detailing, paint looks amazing from the photos and it’s clear just how much work has gone into it. 

Do love the look of the f-type and that grey is also perfect. Not jealous at all :thumb:


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## Ian-83 (Mar 28, 2011)

Really nice car and looks amazing.

Recently being back into detailing why don't you like the spray on rinse off type of products? Been looking at them for ease of use but wondering now if it'll be a waste of time.


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Lovely looking car mate, has been on my bucket list since they were launched :thumb:


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Ian-83 said:


> Really nice car and looks amazing.
> 
> Recently being back into detailing why don't you like the spray on rinse off type of products? Been looking at them for ease of use but wondering now if it'll be a waste of time.


I personally don't find that I can get an even finish with them, particularly if the surface is already hydrophobic.

I'm always fixing other people's mis or repeat application - especially on glass - and so often that I just wouldn't touch them for anything but wheels. Just my personal opinion and many quite like them.. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king... as I saw quoted by a detailer today 

Ironically I boosted my Revolve X coated alloys with Wetcoat the other day following a full decon. Just in a moment of madness and laziness where my logic escaped me. It's actually made them less hydrophobic and not quite as glossy to the eye, no spray and rinse product will quite achieve that top top level of beading or look though Wetcoat and Megs HCW aren't too bad.

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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

Ian-83 said:


> Really nice car and looks amazing.
> 
> Recently being back into detailing why don't you like the spray on rinse off type of products? Been looking at them for ease of use but wondering now if it'll be a waste of time.





atbalfour said:


> I personally don't find that I can get an even finish with them, particularly if the surface is already hydrophobic.
> 
> I'm always fixing other people's mis or repeat application - especially on glass - and so often that I just wouldn't touch them for anything but wheels. Just my personal opinion and many quite like them.. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king... as I saw quoted by a detailer today
> 
> Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk


Agree with Adams' findings on spray n rinse products.
I simply can't get used to them, tried 2, AF Aquacoat I think it's called and a Turtle Wax one, both left what I would call, a finish I wasn't happy with.

Possibly user error from me but I won't be using them again in truth.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

nbray67 said:


> Agree with Adams' findings on spray n rinse products.
> 
> I simply can't get used to them, tried 2, AF Aquacoat I think it's called and a Turtle Wax one, both left what I would call, a finish I wasn't happy with.
> 
> Possibly user error from me but I won't be using them again in truth.


I'll agree with this too. I tried the version released by Auto Allure, but it left a horrendous residue after power washing off. I haven't bothered with any after that experience.

Cooks

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## gkerr4 (Oct 27, 2005)

very nice!

I'm not usually a "jag" person - but that is a seriously good looking car and you've worked some wonders on the detailing - very very nice.


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## Sawel (Aug 5, 2016)

Good car choice!

I've had my R for 3 and a half years and am still smitten with it! Currently have quite a bit of equity in it but not interested in cashing in.


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## Ian_R (May 4, 2008)

Looks lovely, How does it drive compared to the S3?


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Sawel said:


> Good car choice!
> 
> I've had my R for 3 and a half years and am still smitten with it! Currently have quite a bit of equity in it but not interested in cashing in.


Nice :thumb:


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## AnnE (Mar 10, 2015)

Loved reading the whole write up. I know a lot of folks cover in detail the outside of the car but I’d love to know more about protecting the interior. We will be collecting a brand new car in a few weeks and I feel confident about tackling the outside but haven’t done the homework yet on interior work.

Not sure is your old car in in Perthshire but I saw the shiniest Audi heading up the A9 yesterday. Could only ne an enthusiasts car.

Thanks for the write up 👏👏


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Sawel said:


> Good car choice!
> 
> I've had my R for 3 and a half years and am still smitten with it! Currently have quite a bit of equity in it but not interested in cashing in.


Beautiful - us detailers tend to avoid white but on yours it really pops against the black wheels and accents. The v6 sounds good but I would one day fancy an AWD R.. there are few better sounding cars below £70k and I think the quad pipes just complete the aesthetic of the rear. Don't want to tempt fate but they're as reliable as Jag's get these days - have you found the same and would you brave it outside of warranty? Mine is up this month with £1100 for an extension... gulp...


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Ian_R said:


> Looks lovely, How does it drive compared to the S3?


Thanks folks. Very different to the S3.. as much as I like the new RS3 I think I would miss the Jag. Definitely pros and cons..

+ Supercharger = No turbo lag
+ One of the best sounding V6 and stock exhausts I've heard
+ More economical on fuel (was not expecting this one - I can get 43mpg on a run and nearly every 'sensible' journey is touching 30.. both drink as much fuel when pushed)
+ Super responsive ZF gearbox
+ Built to corner, unlike the S3
+ Just about enough room for our small border collie in the boot and plenty for luggage, lugging detailing stuff around and the weekly shop. Weirdly it is a more useful boot than the S3's.
+ No issues reliability wise thus far - I did really contemplate whether this was a wise choice and the fear of a big issue probably soured the first few weeks where I was weary of driving, let alone thrashing it tbh.. a year on this has eased and I enjoy driving it a lot more.

- F is undoubtedly more powerful but with launch control the S3 launched half a second quicker and rarely lost a traffic light drag race 
- RWD and Pirelli PZeros (whilst beautiful) have led to a few twitchy moments.. vs. Quattro never really phased by any conditions.
- Servicing and warranty extension costs are a bit nuts, but a compromise I am happy to accept given it's an expensive car that I got for a very reasonable price (and that is now worth £8k more a year on!!)
- Something I hadn't considered but it is very low to the ground and not something you'd want to be hopping in and out of 10 times a day!!
- Few design idiosyncrasies in the interior which annoy my OCD 
- Reversing camera is not covered so inevitably gets covered in rain/dirt in winter
- Poor stock sound system


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## Ian_R (May 4, 2008)

atbalfour said:


> Thanks folks. Very different to the S3.. as much as I like the new RS3 I think I would miss the Jag. Definitely pros and cons..
> 
> + Supercharger = No turbo lag
> + One of the best sounding V6 and stock exhausts I've heard
> ...


Interesting, thanks for the info, I have a Very Comfortable e60 Auto, and Have the Megane 225 Now, completely different driving experiences. As long as you said you can live with the differences and both have pro's and cons.

Its crazy the car market Jut now, My Cousin Had an S3 hatchback thing, went up in Value and traded it for another brand new S3 Saloon there wa that much equity in it. the Jag is super looking thing in this Guise and they do sound awsome.


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## Sawel (Aug 5, 2016)

atbalfour said:


> Beautiful - us detailers tend to avoid white but on yours it really pops against the black wheels and accents. The v6 sounds good but I would one day fancy an AWD R.. there are few better sounding cars below £70k and I think the quad pipes just complete the aesthetic of the rear. Don't want to tempt fate but they're as reliable as Jag's get these days - have you found the same and would you brave it outside of warranty? Mine is up this month with £1100 for an extension... gulp...


I wanted the Glacier White metallic paint and not the solid paint. Solid white paint doesn't come to life like metallic white does.

The noise is something else... it's just savage and the pops and bangs are insane. The newer F-Types (built within this past couple of years) don't sound as loud due to stricter regulations and the facelifted F-Type which came out last year sounds noticeably quieter.

I haven't had any issues with my car at all. Saying that, it only has 12200 miles on the clock and I got it with 4300 miles back in April 2018. It has a large garage to itself. I think if you check the F-Type forums then the general opinion is split between getting warranty and not getting it. I could never justify getting warranty given how few miles I put on the car. If yours is a daily driver and puts on reasonable mileage then it might be sometime to consider. However, there's plenty of folk who have had no issues with their car and have opted to save the money by not taking out the warranty and are of the opinion that the money saved would go towards fixes down the line if required.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

AnnE said:


> Loved reading the whole write up. I know a lot of folks cover in detail the outside of the car but I'd love to know more about protecting the interior. We will be collecting a brand new car in a few weeks and I feel confident about tackling the outside but haven't done the homework yet on interior work.
> 
> Not sure is your old car in in Perthshire but I saw the shiniest Audi heading up the A9 yesterday. Could only ne an enthusiasts car.
> 
> Thanks for the write up 👏👏


Ah thanks! I think Sepang is one of the nicest colours out there and cheating a little.. definitely shows the gloss a lot better than the Jag!

I have to admit I don't do any form of interior work on any cars but my own, even if it's family or a friend. Just a personal choice which I will probably ramble about in another thread at some point in the future..

IMO it's a sin not to protect a car's interior when it is brand new... unlike the exterior it's pretty much perfect from the factory, and most elements of wear are less 'fixable'.

My wife's Merc was 4 years old but came with dealership applied GardX coatings inside and it took me about a third of the time and effort to 'reset' than the non-coated Jag did. On a new interior the 'lack of dealership prep' which so badly impacts the durability of exterior coatings isn't an issue at all, and the products if applied right are pretty good (albeit the service is more expensive than doing it yourself).

If you are doing it yourself have a look at Gyeon Leathershield and CarPro Leather V2 which are specifically recommended for new leather and give really long term protection and easy cleaning. I didn't have that luxury on a 5 year old car and had to settle for a long term sealant on the leather rather than a coating.

Until recently I've always thought protecting carpeted mats was a little counter productive as you want mats to absorb water from your shoes - I bought new OEM mats for mine and did protect them because I seldomly drive the car when wet anyway :lol: If you wanted to do this then Gtechniq Smart Fabric V2 worked better than CarPro Fabric for me - neither are perfect but I haven't heard of anyone mentioning anything better.

I would be very careful with applying exterior plastic coatings to interior plastics, I've seen some darken the surface and leave a really uneven finish. I just used Gtechniq Matte Dash AB which leaves a nice finish and gives added protection. I *think* it makes makeup, suncream etc. easier to remove but difficult to determine relative to others.

I did put some self-healing PPF film on a couple of sensitive bits and that seems to be working well.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Sawel said:


> I wanted the Glacier White metallic paint and not the solid paint. Solid white paint doesn't come to life like metallic white does.
> 
> The noise is something else... it's just savage and the pops and bangs are insane. The newer F-Types (built within this past couple of years) don't sound as loud due to stricter regulations and the facelifted F-Type which came out last year sounds noticeably quieter.
> 
> I haven't had any issues with my car at all. Saying that, it only has 12200 miles on the clock and I got it with 4300 miles back in April 2018. It has a large garage to itself. I think if you check the F-Type forums then the general opinion is split between getting warranty and not getting it. I could never justify getting warranty given how few miles I put on the car. If yours is a daily driver and puts on reasonable mileage then it might be sometime to consider. However, there's plenty of folk who have had no issues with their car and have opted to save the money by not taking out the warranty and are of the opinion that the money saved would go towards fixes down the line if required.


Exactly, not only is the depreciation with newer Jags an absolute disaster but those emission regs are a pain.. we have definitely bought from the right era... there is a specific 'Pass by Noise' software update that they're trying apply to quieten mine which I have been politely declining!! I am on a few F Type forums alright and often see the debates.. I just don't think I could relax if I didn't have the warranty.. for me the peace of mind is the difference of whether I drive the car enough to justify having it in the first place!

I'm sure yours sounds as fantastic as it looks! It's rude not to coast off at 4,000 revs when you hear that racket from the back


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I gave mine a full wet sand to get rid of as much orange peel the coated it.








































Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

That looks insane... the reflections are just nuts and a credit to your work. I'd love to be confident enough to do a full mirror finish on my own - dabbling in hand and machine sanding vs. a proper mirror finish are miles apart.

Was it all factory clear and what sort of readings were you getting when you got the car? IIRC mine is between 170 and 190.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

atbalfour said:


> That looks insane... the reflections are just nuts and a credit to your work. I'd love to be confident enough to do a full mirror finish on my own - dabbling in hand and machine sanding vs. a proper mirror finish are miles apart.
> 
> Was it all factory clear and what sort of readings were you getting when you got the car? IIRC mine is between 170 and 190.


Thanks
Yes was factory clear was around 170um was about 160microns when i finished. I dry sanded it 2000 then wet 3000. Compound and polished. Coated in Finest Reserve. Sadly had to sell it when we moved back from Texas.

Ive sanded lots of cars and if you don't go nuts it tales off no more clear than heavy swirl removal. Just dont sand edges.


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## SarahAnn (Apr 6, 2011)

Hooray. It's lovely. One of my favourites. I wanted a 2 litre but it was too wide for my garage.
Enjoy it. It's gorgeous, especially in the grey. Lovely jubbly


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