Nth Degree
04-19-2013, 11:14 PM
This write up has been a long time coming. This detail was almost a year ago. After a hard drive crash and then getting married, all on top of normal day to day life, I haven’t had much time to do write ups.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up1_zps0ce4cb63.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up1_zps0ce4cb63.jpg.html)
The owner of this car had purchased it about six months prior. He knew that it had been detailed prior to his purchase but didn’t know to what extent. Based upon some of the issues I discovered I would say it had been detailed a few times in the past and at least a few of them had been less than quality.
Let’s get started with the initial inspection.
Greasy dressing all over the leather was the first indicator of the low quality of the previous detail.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up2_zpsbaf07ba8.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up2_zpsbaf07ba8.jpg.html)
More greasy dressing.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up3_zpse92e0b78.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up3_zpse92e0b78.jpg.html)
Dirt in the cracks of leather seats works like sandpaper every time you get in and out of the car.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up4_zps6812da40.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up4_zps6812da40.jpg.html)
Wax residue in the screen of the engine cover was lots of fun eradicating.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up5_zps42f600b6.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up5_zps42f600b6.jpg.html)
That was a lot of screen and required a lot of tape to allow me to polish all the bevels.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up6_zpsa7f916ee.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up6_zpsa7f916ee.jpg.html)
The ridges on the inner edge of the passenger C pillar had been burned through and touched up.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up7_zps7b2c02b4.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up7_zps7b2c02b4.jpg.html)
It is very important to do a thorough inspection before starting work. This issue was not immediately obvious. As you can see the light tends to reflect off the rounded edge so any change in color is hard to see. I had actually uncovered another area on the windshield frame that had been thinned. I made it slightly worse before I caught it since the light reflecting off the ridge camouflaged it. This is a before shot.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up8_zps80d13094.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up8_zps80d13094.jpg.html)
Notice how the light creates a white line along the top edge near the roof? The damage was about where the right edge of the light fixture appears.
My heart sank to my stomach. I went back to the video I had taken as I did my initial paint measurements and was able to see the pre-existing damage, so I felt a little better. Since the owner had recently acquired the car I doubted he was aware of it. Ultimately, I showed him the issue, told him the situation and told him that since I was responsible for making it more noticeable I was willing to pay to fix it. I am fortunate he was understanding and told me not to worry about it. The car is a driver and not a show car. There were other paint repairs I discovered on the hood and front bumper also but not necessarily detailing related.
I started with a thorough cleaning of the interior. OPC, Woolite and lots of various brushes and tools were used to rid the interior of dirt, grime and greasy dressing. The leather of the seats was like cardboard so Leatherique was then applied to the leather and allowed to sit for a few days to penetrate while the rest of the detail was done.
From dirty windows and greasy dressing to clean glass & a natural finish on the leather. (That was a fun window to clean with the curve and narrowing angle.)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up10_zps42673691.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up10_zps42673691.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up13_zpsf83df675.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up13_zpsf83df675.jpg.html)
I then moved on to the engine bay. It was dirty, but not bad.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up14_zpsde0caeae.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up14_zpsde0caeae.jpg.html)
Normally I don’t worry about water on an engine. In 20 Years of working with cars I have only ever had one issue and it was on my own car and it was minor. Of course having someone diagnose a Ferrari electrical issue is a little more expensive than a Ford or Honda issue.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up15_zpsee2a53bb.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up15_zpsee2a53bb.jpg.html)
Once the engine bay was clean I covered the engine with an old beach towel and a plastic trash bag to protect it from water entering the vented cover.
And on to the wash.
Foam bath of CGCW&G. Then a two bucket wash. A few areas needed a little coaxing with Stoner’s Tarminator.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up16_zps301594f9.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up16_zps301594f9.jpg.html)
A little extra attention with some ONR for the front grill and all the cracks and crevices.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up17_zps028bce6d.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up17_zps028bce6d.jpg.html)
A few other areas of focus:
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up18_zps3a5bcf47.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up18_zps3a5bcf47.jpg.html)
I wish I had gotten a before of this one. So much dirt and grime rested on those angle supports of the door air scoops it took as many as 3 applications of OPC @3:1 to get rid of it all.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up19_zps18fd1604.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up19_zps18fd1604.jpg.html)
The emblem on the engine cover was loose and had rattled and caused a lot of marring. The emblem was removed to deal with the issue.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up20_zpse71d68bd.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up20_zpse71d68bd.jpg.html)
Then on to the claying.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up21_zps0bb68e54.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up21_zps0bb68e54.jpg.html)
Paint inspection time. (I can never seem to photograph red very well.)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up22_zps26170cae.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up22_zps26170cae.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up23_zpsbc16aee6.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up23_zpsbc16aee6.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up24_zps5cbef17e.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up24_zps5cbef17e.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up25_zps94403a21.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up25_zps94403a21.jpg.html)
Then it was lots of tape and on to the compounding. M105 & D300, 5.5” yellow LC pad, PC7424.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up26_zps31cf0e2b.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up26_zps31cf0e2b.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up27_zpsc4cce66f.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up27_zpsc4cce66f.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up1_zps0ce4cb63.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up1_zps0ce4cb63.jpg.html)
The owner of this car had purchased it about six months prior. He knew that it had been detailed prior to his purchase but didn’t know to what extent. Based upon some of the issues I discovered I would say it had been detailed a few times in the past and at least a few of them had been less than quality.
Let’s get started with the initial inspection.
Greasy dressing all over the leather was the first indicator of the low quality of the previous detail.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up2_zpsbaf07ba8.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up2_zpsbaf07ba8.jpg.html)
More greasy dressing.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up3_zpse92e0b78.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up3_zpse92e0b78.jpg.html)
Dirt in the cracks of leather seats works like sandpaper every time you get in and out of the car.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up4_zps6812da40.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up4_zps6812da40.jpg.html)
Wax residue in the screen of the engine cover was lots of fun eradicating.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up5_zps42f600b6.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up5_zps42f600b6.jpg.html)
That was a lot of screen and required a lot of tape to allow me to polish all the bevels.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up6_zpsa7f916ee.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up6_zpsa7f916ee.jpg.html)
The ridges on the inner edge of the passenger C pillar had been burned through and touched up.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up7_zps7b2c02b4.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up7_zps7b2c02b4.jpg.html)
It is very important to do a thorough inspection before starting work. This issue was not immediately obvious. As you can see the light tends to reflect off the rounded edge so any change in color is hard to see. I had actually uncovered another area on the windshield frame that had been thinned. I made it slightly worse before I caught it since the light reflecting off the ridge camouflaged it. This is a before shot.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up8_zps80d13094.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up8_zps80d13094.jpg.html)
Notice how the light creates a white line along the top edge near the roof? The damage was about where the right edge of the light fixture appears.
My heart sank to my stomach. I went back to the video I had taken as I did my initial paint measurements and was able to see the pre-existing damage, so I felt a little better. Since the owner had recently acquired the car I doubted he was aware of it. Ultimately, I showed him the issue, told him the situation and told him that since I was responsible for making it more noticeable I was willing to pay to fix it. I am fortunate he was understanding and told me not to worry about it. The car is a driver and not a show car. There were other paint repairs I discovered on the hood and front bumper also but not necessarily detailing related.
I started with a thorough cleaning of the interior. OPC, Woolite and lots of various brushes and tools were used to rid the interior of dirt, grime and greasy dressing. The leather of the seats was like cardboard so Leatherique was then applied to the leather and allowed to sit for a few days to penetrate while the rest of the detail was done.
From dirty windows and greasy dressing to clean glass & a natural finish on the leather. (That was a fun window to clean with the curve and narrowing angle.)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up10_zps42673691.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up10_zps42673691.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up13_zpsf83df675.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up13_zpsf83df675.jpg.html)
I then moved on to the engine bay. It was dirty, but not bad.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up14_zpsde0caeae.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up14_zpsde0caeae.jpg.html)
Normally I don’t worry about water on an engine. In 20 Years of working with cars I have only ever had one issue and it was on my own car and it was minor. Of course having someone diagnose a Ferrari electrical issue is a little more expensive than a Ford or Honda issue.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up15_zpsee2a53bb.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up15_zpsee2a53bb.jpg.html)
Once the engine bay was clean I covered the engine with an old beach towel and a plastic trash bag to protect it from water entering the vented cover.
And on to the wash.
Foam bath of CGCW&G. Then a two bucket wash. A few areas needed a little coaxing with Stoner’s Tarminator.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up16_zps301594f9.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up16_zps301594f9.jpg.html)
A little extra attention with some ONR for the front grill and all the cracks and crevices.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up17_zps028bce6d.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up17_zps028bce6d.jpg.html)
A few other areas of focus:
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up18_zps3a5bcf47.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up18_zps3a5bcf47.jpg.html)
I wish I had gotten a before of this one. So much dirt and grime rested on those angle supports of the door air scoops it took as many as 3 applications of OPC @3:1 to get rid of it all.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up19_zps18fd1604.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up19_zps18fd1604.jpg.html)
The emblem on the engine cover was loose and had rattled and caused a lot of marring. The emblem was removed to deal with the issue.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up20_zpse71d68bd.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up20_zpse71d68bd.jpg.html)
Then on to the claying.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up21_zps0bb68e54.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up21_zps0bb68e54.jpg.html)
Paint inspection time. (I can never seem to photograph red very well.)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up22_zps26170cae.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up22_zps26170cae.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up23_zpsbc16aee6.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up23_zpsbc16aee6.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up24_zps5cbef17e.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up24_zps5cbef17e.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up25_zps94403a21.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up25_zps94403a21.jpg.html)
Then it was lots of tape and on to the compounding. M105 & D300, 5.5” yellow LC pad, PC7424.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up26_zps31cf0e2b.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up26_zps31cf0e2b.jpg.html)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up27_zpsc4cce66f.jpg (http://s1183.photobucket.com/user/nthdegreenc/media/Ferrari%20F355%20GTS/F355GTSWrit-up27_zpsc4cce66f.jpg.html)