# Mirror Image: VW Golf GTTDI Horrific paint condition



## Mirror Image (Apr 19, 2009)

I'd been asked to do this car ages ago but without having premises at the time i was struggling to find the conditions to do it in due to the length of time id need to spend on it. But i found premises and got the car booked in. It is a 2001 car with over 100k miles and although the car was always kept polished paint was in terrible condition.

How it arrived




































Washed with 2 bucket method and snow foam.


















Wheels cleaned with smart wheels;









Examind under lights to highlight paint defects:













































Paint readings were takin all over the car and the bonnet was reading quite high along with o/s/r door and quarter panel, everything else seemed to be standard paint.
Car was then masked up and I then began correction using 3m FCP on a hexlogic pad, i popped the side repeaters out for easier correction, this method proved fairly effective.




























I found the rear quarter on the nearside appeared to have been attacked with a rotary or similar before









Before








After

















Boot panel was also particularly bad:
Before








After









Car was continously pulled out of the unit to check for an defects under natural light as sometimes the artificial light can hide certain things.

























At work on the roof:









After the main correction was done i went over the full car again with 3m ultrafine on a blue pad.

All compounds were spread at about 950rpm then worked at about 3000rpm then back down to 950 rpm again to finish.

Car was then snowfoamed, rinsed and dryed ro remove dust from compounds









Next day the car was snow foamed, rinsed and dried once more to remove excess dust. The car was then coated with chocolate wax, wheels recieved a coat of jetseal. While this was left to cure, the tyres were dressed with Autoglym Rubber Cleaner, Windows with Autoglym Glass Cleaner and the Plastics done with Autoglym Super Sheen.

Wax was then buffed off and car was taken round the corner for a few pictures.













































































































Thanks for reading, sorry the pictures and write up are a bit guff, my next investments will most likely be a sungun and a digital slr!


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## Prism Detailing (Jun 8, 2006)

I can see the pics, looks good Mark 

did you get hold of a paint depth reader ?


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2009)

Mirror Image said:


> All compounds were spread at about 950rpm then worked at about 3000rpm then back down to 950 rpm again to finish.


WOW some serious speeeeeeed there


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

Race Valeting said:


> WOW some serious speeeeeeed there


Thats what I thought :doublesho
Thats speed 6 on the Makita.

Robbie


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## badly_dubbed (Dec 11, 2008)

oh my!

3000rpm then down to 950rpm jeeeeesus! your nuts.

panel temps must have been skelping hot!!


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2009)

*MAGIC* said:


> Thats what I thought :doublesho
> Thats speed 6 on the Makita.
> 
> Robbie


Lol, I get worried sometimes putting the BIG M at speed 3/4 :buffer:


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2009)

very nice indeed :thumb:


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

Race Valeting said:


> Lol, I get worried sometimes putting the BIG M at speed 3/4 :buffer:


I cant remember the last time mine went over 3. :thumb:


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## DE 1981 (Aug 17, 2007)

Isnt there already a Mirror Image in the supporters section.

Yikes your a braver man than me going at 3000rpm's with a Makita.


Edit- Its Mirror Finish got my wires crossed with all these Mirrors


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## M4D YN (Nov 24, 2007)

Detail Ecosse said:


> Isnt there already a Mirror Image in the supporters section.
> 
> Yikes your a braver man than me going at 3000rpm's with a Makita.


grinding speed mate :speechles


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## ross-1888 (Feb 22, 2009)

is that not dangerous and more likely to cause damage than correction. im suprised there isnt strike throughs all over the car


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

3k! feck! nice looking afters mind you.


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

*That has to be a typo.*

*Very nice work though. *


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## colarado red (Jun 5, 2008)

awesome


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## paddy328 (Mar 4, 2007)

he must have meant 2000 surely.


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## mel (Mar 8, 2008)

Nice work.....

It looks like the near side front caliper is red and all the rest are yellow?????


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## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

is bebo not for 12 year old girls? or have i got that mixed with somethign else? :lol:

nice finish too btw


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## Finerdetails (Apr 30, 2006)

3000 rpm is more likely to cause paint burns than anything, think the OP needs to clarify.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Typo surely :doublesho


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## RRobert (Aug 10, 2007)

zzzoooooooooooooooom :buffer:
am sure he'll be along to clarify/defend this


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

3000 RPM and using FC+ :tumbleweed: :doublesho 

Im going to make a guess here and say he hasnt been doing this long.

Robbie


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## ross-1888 (Feb 22, 2009)

the most worrying thing about all of this is that the guy has openly posted on dw about polishing at 3000 rpm on a customers car. And they are also a "PRO" hmmmmmm??? questions should be asked.


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## waxy (Feb 27, 2006)

*MAGIC* said:


> 3000 RPM and using FC+ :tumbleweed: :doublesho
> 
> Im going to make a guess here and say he hasnt been doing this long.
> 
> Robbie


Spot on.There seems to be quite a few people who appear to be pro's because they have a business,but have questionable techniques with regard to detailing,and i can name several that are up here in scotland.I believe there are plenty of Valeters who have jumped on the Detailing 'band wagon' in order to try and command higher prices for their work.Most very good Detailers,were excellent Valeters before, for many years,it's not something you learn overnight,and certainly not straight away just by hanging around with other Detailers.


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## ross-1888 (Feb 22, 2009)

my thoughts exaclty. everone sees this as a way to earn a qucik buck but its tarnishing the buisness that is detailing. is it going to get to the point where folk aint going to want to leave there cars. i currently run a valeting business and am looking to branch into detailing in the future. i.e. about a year ish? im not just going to be shown once then all of a sudden im a "pro"


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## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

Looking good - I know how hard these can be :thumb:


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## Guest (Sep 29, 2009)

and this is meant to be a friendly forum :lol:


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## ross-1888 (Feb 22, 2009)

its not ment as a personal attack but to use any polish at 3000 rpm will only burn paint and destroy pads.


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## Gez G (Oct 6, 2009)

Its my car...paintwork was atrocious beforehand and its not perfect but a huge improvement on what it was. With regards to buffer speeds etc - none of it means much to me but it does not appear to have damaged the paint in any way.


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## Mirror Image (Apr 19, 2009)

sorrry, not been on in ages to update this, polishing speed was incorrect as it was running off generator as oposed to mains power and generator does not give full power needed, runs a good bit slower than it does on mains supply, sorry for the confusion.

Mark


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## ross-1888 (Feb 22, 2009)

does this mean that you wont show us how to use fast cut plus at 3000rpm then?  

just glad you have changed this. dont want folk to think that you dont have a clue, compounding at 3000rpm lol


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## Mirror Image (Apr 19, 2009)

I shall demonstrate my mis conception at the meet tomorrow and i shall show my rotary on generator power and then on mains power.

lol
M.


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## Sav (Jan 9, 2007)

Just seeen the Van there, are you based in Clarkston?

And how much would say a 57 plate BMW Mini cost to Machine polish, or even the black roof that is looked after but could still do with a good machine?

cheers
Stewart.


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## jedi-knight83 (Aug 11, 2006)

Lots of close up photos of the swirls before under halogen lights but not many of the afters? In fact you turn the lights away for the after shots?


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