Toxix Detailing - 2004 Cobra Finally Brought Back To Life
Hey all,
Before we get started on Rick's Cobra, take a moment to look at this before and after picture; This is a half and half shot which shows what we had to work with. Going to start off by saying this one really put us to work.
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When you have a 15+ year old vehicle thats been so neglected, never polished or protected the paint starts to give eventually. Heavy scratches, fading, swirls, acidic contamination, you name it, this one had it.
We put about 30+ hours of labor into correcting this Cobra and getting perfect and protected for many years to come.
Presoak and Wash
We start every vehicle with a proper two-bucket-method car wash. We use a decontaminating, degreasing, paint safe soap that thoroughly cleans all exterior surfaces of the vehicle while also diminishing previous waxes, sealants, spray detailers, etc.
Along with fresh water, multiple buckets and freshly washed microfiber wash pads, we never reuse anything until it has been thoroughly machine washed, cleaned and dried. After every wash, we dispose of all water and machine wash all microfiber product. We use only the finest Korean Microfiber Wash Pads, Drying Towels and Buffing Towels. This is a key important step that ensures paint is not scratched, swirled or marred in the wash and dry process.
If you're interested in purchasing detailing product or are even looking for a full detailing kit feel free to reach out to us and we can help put something together.
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Clay and Iron Removal
After the wash, all exterior painted surfaces and glass are clayed to ensure removal of all surface bonded contaminants. Claying the vehicle ensures a clean, contaminant free surface that allows extended durability and bond of the Ceramic Coating. After claying and iron removal we dry the vehicle using a blower and then do a final wipe down using a clean suede lined microfiber drying towel. For an additional cost we also offer to chemically pull and remove all surface bonded iron elements on the vehicle, we generally recommend this if it has never been performed on a vehicle and also on brighter, lighter colored vehicles as the orange spots stand out significantly more.
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Tape
Depending on the condition of the paint we ensure all exterior, unpainted plastics and trim are taped up. This prevents staining of trim while compounding, polishing. In some cases we also cover up custom vinyl, stripes, logos and emblems.
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Compound and Polish
This is where a good amount of working time is put into the vehicle. The key to a good looking vehicle with a show car finish lies in the prep itself. When it comes to paint correction, unfortunately there is no one, magical product that will do everything that you want it to do. Automotive manufacturers use different brands, blends and thicknesses of paint and clearcoat; This requires us as detailers to use a variety of cutting agents, cutting compounds and polishes to get the perfect finish and not just rely on one product to get the job done. For example, in our experience GM Paint and Ford Paint plays and finishes down very differently when compared to one another, even when using the same polish and pad. On the other hand, classic car, single stage paint needs to be treated and handled differently when compared to cutting and polishing a newer vehicle. Repainted vehicles and panels also need to be managed differently depending on what was repainted, blending of adjacent panels, etc.
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***IMPORTANT***Panel Prep - Please Read This
If you've made it this far, it should be noticed that this is probably the most overlooked, yet most crucial step when it comes to Ceramic Coating vehicles.
The most common mistake we see when we have clients bring us their previously "Ceramic Coated" vehicles is that there just is no Ceramic left on the vehicle, even after a matter of months, sometimes weeks.
This goes back to our original point where prep is key. After cutting and polishing a panel, the polishing oils, fillers and residue need to be completely removed from all surfaces that are about to be coated.
A simple isopropyl alcohol wipe down is NOT going to achieve that surface preparation that a proper Coating needs. The surface needs to be properly prepared and chemically cleaned by using products that are designed to remove and dissolve polishing oils. Entry level coatings and inexperienced brands may call for a simple IPA wipe down but this doesn't suffice when dealing with more durable, professional grade Ceramic Coatings.
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Coating Application
There are hundreds of different brands of Ceramic Coatings that litter the market currently but only 5-6 real, solid manufacturers. At Toxix Detailing, we only use top of the line, warrantied and certified coatings. Coatings that we apply on our own vehicles. Over the course of the past 10 years we've used brands like CarPro CQuartz, Optimum OptiCoat, IGL Coatings, Feynlab Nano Technology, etc. The only two brands we've decided to hang on to strictly due to durability and finish are Feynlab and IGL Coatings.
Our own vehicles are wearing Feynlab Ceramic Plus and a Feynlab Self Healing Coating.
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Dwell Time
This is the stage where we've applied the Ceramic and are patiently waiting for the Coating to chemically bond to paint. We also take this time and opportunity to inspect the vehicle that no spots were missed either in the paint correction phase or the coating phase.
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Buff Off
All Ceramic Coatings need to be properly leveled and buffed off. This ensures that there are no high spots anywhere on the vehicle.
When it comes to thicker coatings like Feynlab 5 Year Ceramic or Self Healing Coatings, these need to be chemically leveled using a leveling aid in order to ensure proper removal.
The vehicle generally goes through three to five full wipe downs prior before we are fully satisfied with the end result. Its important to note, any towels and applicators we use in the buffing and leveling process are immediately scrapped after usage.
Inspection, Cure and Photography
Once the Ceramic Coating has been fully buffed off and leveled, we allow the vehicle to stay with us for anywhere between four hours to twenty four hours, depending on the coating applied. The hardening phase can take up to a week but it's very important to avoid water exposure and outdoor elements for the first four hours. During this phase we ask the client to not wash their vehicle.
Before delivering the vehicle, we thoroughly inspect every panel on the vehicle with our ScanGrip Lights and then take the time to photograph the vehicle as well.
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