Detailed Detail: '03 Lamborghini Murcielago **Picture Heavy**

[BeachZone]

Happy New Year Geeks!!

It's hard to believe how quickly time passes! 2 years have come and gone since I've posted a thorough detail write-up, so I am beyond overdue for some material! I'm really going to make it a point to catch up and share a few projects here and there, so stay tuned for future posts. Anyway, let's get to it...


Year - 2003
Make - Lamborghini
Model - Murcielago
Color - Giallo Orion


Well, I've been patiently waiting nearly 3 years to get my hands on this monster, so when the call came in I was more than ready. This car is no doubt special in many ways, but for me I am in love with the paint and couldn't wait to see how it would turn out. The color shift from multiple pearls and yellow paint color really jumps out and is something that must be seen in person to really appreciate. Very difficult to describe in words. Depending on the angle and light, it can have a green hue and shift from different shades of Gold, Yellow, and Orange. The good thing about this paint is that it really does a great job at hiding defects in all lighting conditions, but to the trained eye it definitely needed some TLC. It had plenty of room for improvement and I knew I had some serious work ahead of me! I was told to do whatever it takes to make the paint look the way it should. Especially on a car of this caliber, why not have it looking it's best? Roughly 25 hours went into correction alone and it really paid off. Main focus and energy was put toward the paint, however the engine and interior would be getting a basic detail as well. In addition to the restoration work, the old yellow and dull Paint Protection Film would also be removed and replaced with fresh film to compliment the freshly restored paint. The end result was nothing short of spectacular and I hope you all enjoy the time spent on putting this write-up together.



A few photos showing condition upon arrival before sundown:


Tire dressing had become a little grimey and brown... Soon to be stripped and replaced with a clean matte finish


Wheels and calipers covered in brake dust, giving the Matte Black wheels more of a Matte Brown look





Barrels had an extra thick layer of dust


Very difficult to capture defects in the finish with such an intense paint color and pearl effect




Piano Black trim had quite a few deep scratches and quite dull




Tails needed some refinishing as well


Unfortunately we had some water spot etchings from PPF removal in both the trim and paint



This picture shows the unfortunate reality of having "custom" cut PPF installed on your vehicle... After it's removed, you will (more than likely) be left with deep razor cuts that cannot be corrected


Tips needed a little work


Interior glass needed a good cleaning as it was very difficult to see through. Rest of the interior received an all around thorough cleanup from accumulated dust and dirt. Nothing too special went into this area as we will be revisiting the leather for rejuvenation in the spring time



Not filthy, but definitely in need of a clean-up




-DiamondDetail

[BeachZone]

Cont'd...



Onto Prep:


Special care taken to not allow excess water "forced" into areas we don't want... Engine will be delicately steamed and wiped down later in the detail


Badges, seams, and tons of honeycomb grille brushed out prior to full wash



Vehicle was then rinsed, foamed, and hand washed using the 2-Bucket Method. Wheels and wells were not washed being that the vehicle would be leaving for PPF install after front-end was corrected and then return for final correction etc.


All cleaned up and ready for Decontamination


Clar Bar - Before. Surface felt gritty and I knew some heavy contamination would be lifted.


After... Sure enough, Clay Bar shows quite a lot of contaminates picked up off the paint surface on just the Frunk (front trunk lid/boot lid, whichever you prefer) and front fenders. The original owner may have clayed the car prior to my client taking ownership, but I know for a fact it hasn't seen clay in over 8 years.



Paint Correction:


Now that we have a contaminate-free surface, we're able to dial in a test-spot and determine a plan of attack for the rest of the project.

...But first, out came the thickness gauge to give us some insight as to how much paint we're working with! Being that the Big Boy Lambo's are hand-painted, I expected to see some good thickness, and the gauge helped to confirm that. With that said, although we had plenty of paint to work with, paint preservation is always kept in mind and constant readings were taken throughout the process of correction on each panel. This is time consuming, but no shortcuts are taken. Period.


Deep scratches on the Bat Wings. Again, very hard to capture on camera


After


Before


After



**NOTE** These photos are after the 1st Step of Correction only! Two additional polishing steps would follow to remove any/all micro-marring and produce the highest gloss possible.**

After the Test Spot was dialed in, it was time to move onto the front-end. Additional time was spent safely removing leftover adhesive residue from PPF removal before correction.

Deep scratches and marring from PPF removal and existing defects


After


Frunk lid completely corrected



Front fenders Before/After





Holograms among other defects from a previous "Buff Job" rediscovered after film removed


Handled


Fender Details


After


After Front-end, Doors, and Skirts were all corrected and polished up to near perfection (only a handful of deep scratches remain), it was time to head over to get some fresh film applied. Pulled out in the sun to try and capture the incredible effect of this special paint before delivery. I was in disbelief seeing this in the sun for the first time after being polished. It was absolutely stunning and I couldn't wait to get my hands back on her!

Close-up Sun shots don't lie!





-DiamondDetail

[BeachZone]

Cont'd...


Back from PPF install and ready for bath #2...


Back at it in the Studio


Roof defects just behind windscreen


After


Top rear quarter


After


Total paint thickness is nearly half of the readings pulled on the front end here on the panel behind the engine compartment... still have plenty of clear to work with, but a prime example of the fluctuation between panels on the same car.


Driver's side Bat Wing. Forgot to take a before picture


Waterspot etchings and factory sanding scratches here on the lower rear quarter


After


Before


After


B Pillar trim - Before


After. ~90% Correction achieved on all trim. Due to the severity of multiple scratches, it was in our best interest to not go any further.


Before


After


Tails - Before


After... Couple deep scratches remain


Close up shows sanding scratches on tail lamps for tinted clear to adhere, creating a not so crisp appearance. Obviously nothing could be done about this unless the lamps were completely refinished


All Correction work done and then it was on to bath #3 due to the amount of dust the cutting step produced


After the bath, 2 refining polishing steps were then completed. No pictures were taken of these steps because the difference will not translate through photos with this particular paint. Following the polishing steps, all surfaces were protected with a synthetic sealant (including PPF).

The next set of photos shows a rinse after sealant application to show the hydrophobic properties. Increased surface tension produces some serious water beads for a synthetic sealant. Almost as tight and spherical as CQuartz Finest water beads





Ready for final touches and then it's picture time!


Carbon filled engine bay cleaned up nicely




-DiamondDetail

[Hokie335i]

Great work! That metallic flake really pops now.

[BeachZone]

Cont'd...




Yellow stitching on black leather compliments the interior well







T Dub, aka Tim Walsh, aka Automotive Digression stopped by to snap a few photos



Finished Photos:



Matte Black wheels a bit more Matte Black now



Calipers on point
















ZERO orange peel on this guy. Carbon fiber weave can be seen on certain panels though which is pretty awesome






-DiamondDetail

[BeachZone]

Cont'd...


























Unfortunately the weather wasn't playing nice and we weren't able to get any sun shots on the day of pickup. As disappointed as I was for putting in so much work and not being able to see the true results in bright sunlight, that disappointment was completely forgotten when I was tossed the keys and told to take the big bull for a cruise :beer: v12 tied to a gated shifter is an experience I can never forget!


Although the sky was filled with clouds, you can see the paint just glows!










Thanks for looking!


-DiamondDetail

[Boejoula]

Awesome detail on an awesome car!

[Sizzle Chest]

Very nice!

[fly07sti]

Great work. Very cool of the owner to let you drive it.

[FinishingTouchA]

Beautiful work!