Italian Icon in Beauty & Power

Perhaps one of the most popular models of Ferrari’s in recent years has been the 458 coming in a variety of special models; the Italia, the Spider and of course the rare and ultra valuable Speciale.

When this 458 Spider arrived at Project Detail Sydney it was looking dull and the owner wanted the car rejuvenated and for us to reapply PPF to side mirror as it needed replacing and the original PPF job was done through another company. The overall paintwork had swirls and lacked clarity typical signs from regular washing but it was clear the owner cared about the vehicle.

The car was optioned with a very striking combination, Nero Daytona Metallic paintwork with Gloss Black wheels and yellow brake calipers. While on the inside, it was bedecked with a gorgeous Beige leather option. The interior was slightly worn and had typical body oils and a glossy finish to the leather.

We opted for our Full Swissvax Detail and Paint Correction Services, more information can be found by clicking the links.

Inspecting & Preparing the Ferrari.

Project Detail inspects every vehicle thoroughly before starting the service. This hopefully detects any anomalies such paint chips, car damage or scratched wheels, anything that may concern the owner as early as possible.

One of the standout features of the Ferrari the vehicle had general wear over all. It wasn’t in bad condition but it definitely had not had any regular or standout detailing done in the time the owner had taken the vehicle. The exterior was dirty and there was contamination bonded to the paintwork. The paintwork also showed light to medium swirl marks and marring.

The Interior was not dirty or soiled by any means but being beige leather, a slow build up of body oils, sweat and grim and begun to make the leather look glossy which is not what clean leather looks like.

After inspecting and taking notes on the vehicles, the 458 Spider underwent our 21 stage washing procedure before it was ready for paint correction and further stages of the detail.

One of the major points of difference at Project Detail is the time we spend on each vehicle during it’s detail at our Detailing Studio. We are fortunate to not work on too many vehicles per week as we undertake larger projects then most car washes or detailers, this allows us to be extremely thorough.

Many detailers overlook the importance of the ‘wash’ stage and simply rush through this step. But a proper wash achieves two things other then a ‘clean car.’ By properly removing all dirt, debris and contamination, this allows the vehicle to represent it’s true self when it comes time to paint correction. Secondly, by washing properly, it actually saves time for the detailer in an efficient manner as nothing needs to be redone or repeated.

Once the vehicle has been washed, decontaminated and thoroughly stripped of any waxes and sealants that may be on the surface, you will find that the water naturally clings to the surface. This raw paintwork has zero affect on water behaviour and would be easily contaminated by dirt of water spotting if left without any product.

Paint Correction & Rejuvenation

Once the vehicle was properly prepared for paint correction, the painstaking process begins polishing each panel individually to remove the defects that would be found on the paintwork. Project Detail uses the newest polishing methods and equipment such as the Rupes Bigfoot System and a combination of the modern style of abrasive polishes and compounds.

Our Specialised detailing studio also has access to 3 scissor hoists. These allow us to work on the lower parts of the car with absolutely no compromise. This means a better finish for your vehicle.
Without these hoists, many detailers need to lie on the ground and this makes it extremely difficult to get the optimum results.

Our expectation is so high that if you have engaged us to perform paint correction, we will guarantee no holograms or buffing marks in the paintwork. But depending on the level of paint correction, we can remove differing levels of defects and scratches in the paintwork.

Paint correction depending on the type of vehicle or the level the client has engaged us can be a very timely process. Usually taking up to a whole day and easily taking several days to complete. The reason for this is to get the best finish, multiple stages of polishing is still required.

There are many products which some detailers (and even us on the situation) which are claimed to be ‘one step’ polishes. These marks a major advancement in technology but still lack the refinement of a multi-stage correction.

Application of Swissvax Scuderia

Once the paintwork on the 458 Spider was refined and we were happy, the paintwork was then wiped down with a diluted ratio of IPA. This removes any final oils left over from the paint correction compounds and polishes. This also allows one final inspection to make sure we are happy with level of paint correction.

Because the owner opted against applying a glass coating on the paintwork, we chose the best wax suited for the task of making the cars paintwork standout. Swissvax’s Scuderia is a handmade and hand poured wax manufactured in Switzerland. With a special blend of fruit oils, carnauba palm wax and other ingredients, Scuderia is specially designed for the softer paintwork on Ferrari’s, Alfa Romeo’s and Fiat’s. We apply this thick paste wax literally by hand. A small portion is massaged into the palms and slowly and gently applied over the paintwork.

With high quality waxes such was Swissvax, the wax must be allowed to cure and bond to the surface. In this instance, Scuderia needed 2-3 hours before it began curing and bonding otherwise it would still smudge and not protect the paintwork properly.

PPF Film & Wheels

During the long curing time for the wax, time was taken to finish the other parts of the 458. In particular, the client requested us to redo the PPF Film applied to the mirror as the older film (applied by another company) was lifting and required fixing.

It was during this time, we wanted to highlight the issues with the existing Paint Protection Film applied on the vehicle. Rather than using a properly designed kit which is cut with a plotter, the application has been ‘bulk fitted’ this means that the PPF was applied in one large piece and completely cut by hand. While this method is acceptable for areas like bonnets, more complex areas like the front bar and especially on a vehicle as complex as a Ferrari 458 Spider, there was a large amount of seems and joins versus a properly designed kit.

The worst part though is the more you cut by hand, the larger the chance there will be cut lines on the paintwork from the blades used. In order to decreases this risk, proper kits should be used in order to maintain both the paintwork and achieve the best finish in safe manner.

We also gave special attention to the wheels of the Ferrari, while normally we would remove and apply a coating such as Modesta BC-06 to the wheels, the wheels were cleaned and treated with Swissvax Autobahn Wheel Wax. This is a wax with a special concentrate of PFTE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) which is more commonly known as Teflon. This provides a slick and heat resistant finish to the wheels which allows easier cleaning and a nice glossy finish for a short period of time. While a wheel wax is fantastic, the heat generated from the brakes and wheels from driving greatly impacts the lifespan of the wax.

Project Detail recommends Modesta BC-06 for Wheels and brakes as it is highly resistant up to 1,300 °C.

The Finished Result

Once the wax was cured, wiping off the excess is always exciting to see the level of finish underneath. The richness and depth of wax is still something that is mind blowing to this day in an era of coatings.

Total Time Taken: 20 Hours
2 Hours for 21-stage wash and decontamination
15 Hours for 2 stage paint correction
3 Hours for Interior Detail

If you would like your vehicle rejuvenated with Swissvax or would like to protect your vehicle with an exclusive coating like Modesta, contact Project Detail to start a discussion on how we can assist.

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