Detailing "Exotic" cars can present an entire new level of challenges. More often than not, these vehicles are designed and built very differently than a daily driver. We recently worked on this Ferrari Spyder. Although this vehicle is rarely driven and usually stays under a car cover, it still needed some attention. The paint was in overall good shape. It had some light to moderate marring and desperately needed to be clayed to remove surface contaminants that had built up over the years. The interior was also in pretty good shape as well. The leather on the dash and seats were not cracked or discolored, but it had been a while since they had been conditioned. The carpet was black and did not have any visible stains, but after cleaning a sample area, there was some light soiling. The wheels had some brake dust that had built up and the pipes had a thick layer of exhaust residue that stood out. The engine compartment was dusty and required some protection from the intense heat from operating the vehicle. We knew the results that we wanted so we planned an aggressive course of action to achieve those results.
(this was just after we finished washing and claying)We began by washing the outside of the vehicle using a citrus based paint cleanser that would also prep the surface for paint correction to eliminate any marring in the paint. We applied this soap with through a high pressure "foam cannon" that would also act as a lubricant allowing us to clay the surface preventing any additional marring. after thoroughly drying the car, we began the paint correction process. This took several hours to complete. Once finished, the paint surface looked like glass and had the depth that we wanted. We applied two coats of a durable nano-tech paint sealant that added gloss and some much needed protection. As paint sealants require time to cure, we began working on the interior of the vehicle. We began by properly cleaning the leather and carbon fiber with safe cleaners that will not discolor or damage the delicate fibers of leather or stain carbon fiber. Once cleaned, we conditioned the leather to moisturize and protect it from drying or cracking. We vacuumed and shampooed the carpets and mats removing any soiling. We went to work on the engine compartment as well wiping away any dirt or dust on the engine, hoses, and aluminum frame.
(Interior after cleaning and conditioning)After removing the paint sealant, we hand applied two coats of one of the best paste waxes available on the market. This wax contains a very high concentration of the highest grade carnauba. This was important because in addition to being more durable thank most waxes, the high concentration of carnauba adds much more protection. The wax assists in illuminating the paint color creating a glow. The final steps were a hand application of metal sealant to the wheels and pipes to prevent build up of brake dust or exhaust residue and finally cleaning the glass windows, and mirrors with an alcohol and ammonia free cleaner to prevent damaging or discoloring any tint to a crystal clear finish. This was an amazing car to work on because it is an engineering masterpiece. From the hand stitched leather on the interior to the ceramic based clear coat, the level of craftsmanship is incredible. A clean car and a happy client is what makes this job so special for us.
