Firstly please allow me to apologise for the lack of write ups from us recently - those of you who follow us on Facebook will see that we've been somewhat swamped recently with work so write ups have had to take a back seat for a little while but I'm keen to get back into the habit of posting them as I complete a project.
Also please excuse the state of our unit which is finally seeing the beginning of its overhaul (that'll be another thread) which will include a number of rooms being built, the entire unit is being insulated and re-walled, a false ceiling along with a smaller shutter door behind our main large outer door. A scissor lift or two and air conditioning will also be added towards mid April and a fresh lick of paint - I can't wait to see it all completed!
Onto the RS4 which is the subject of this write up. The owner recently sold his K04'd Mk6 Golf GTI and bought a car he'd wanted to own for quite a while - he managed to find the right example in terms of spec (RS4 buckets, carbon interior, sat nav etc) but the paintwork was looking a little tired and being black it was very evident. He approached us regarding the paints condition and to see what would be possible restoration wise. He opted for a Correction Detail and chose Best of Show to get the car looking its best for the forthcoming Spring period (if it ever comes!)
We were also tasked with fitting replacement OEM rear lights, new number plates, an interior overhaul along with fitting new number plates. The car has also recently had its wheels refurb'd.
A few before shots with the existing LED style rear lights, which were to be removed:
DSC06157 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06160 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06161 by
RussZS, on Flickr
The wheels, tyres, arches and calipers were cleansed first with AutoSmart G101, Smart Wheels, Tardis and IronX with various brushes:
DSC06162 by
RussZS, on Flickr
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RussZS, on Flickr
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RussZS, on Flickr
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RussZS, on Flickr
Next up we foamed the RS4 with Autobrite Magifoam which was left to dwell on this cool and cloudy day for around 8-10 minutes. The solution was also used with various brushes to clean the more intricate parts of the car:
DSC06166 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06168 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06170 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06173 by
RussZS, on Flickr
After removing the snow foam with a high pressure rinse we hand washed the car with a CarPro Mitt and Auto Finesse Lather shampoo:
DSC06174 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06175 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Following another high pressure rinse we began to decontaminate the paintwork safely and efficiently using IronX to remove any fallout and AutoSmart Tardis on the tar deposits, which were liberally scattered along the lower half of the Audi.
Next the car was moved inside to finish off the decon process using Auto Finesse's clay bar in conjunction with Valet Pro's Citrus Bling as lubrication, which is a good choice as it aids the following drying process:
DSC06176 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Next we safely dried using the patting method with new Uber Drying towels and also used our Aeolus blower to remove any trapped water from areas such as the wing mirrors:
DSC06177 by
RussZS, on Flickr
This left us with a clean car free of contamination but it was very evident at this stage that the paintwork was looking very tired. We moved on to begin assessing the paintwork for any signs of resprayed areas and also to assess the paintwork for thickness.
Average paint reading was around the 160 mark, which is common for Audi's of this age:
DSC06179 by
RussZS, on Flickr
We never begin machine polishing under the assumption that all Audi paint of this era is 'hard' so we methodically tested various machines and combinations whilst assessing removal rates and results until we found the optimal combination to progress around the car with.
We settled on Rupes BigFoot with Optimum MF Discs and Meguairs 101 for cutting, followed by BigFoot and the Rupes Diamond Gloss and matching pad for refining. We also used the same pads on a Festool Rotex 90 'forced DA' in tighter areas.
Some pictures from the corrective process - most are before we refined so please excuse any marring evident in the photos:
DSC06182 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Before:
DSC06186 by
RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC06187 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Drivers side rear door under 150W Halide:
DSC06190 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06191 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Some deeper defects remain but generally massively improved.
A section from the bonnet:
DSC06199 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Drivers side wing:
DSC06203 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Zoomed shot:
DSC06206 by
RussZS, on Flickr
We also have a modified Caddy in with us at the moment, which has been wet sanded and is being machined back - a little sneak peek:
DSC06216 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Back to the RS4 - before:
DSC06229 by
RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC06230 by
RussZS, on Flickr
We also removed the number plates and existing residue to ensure the new plates would bond correctly by soaking the area with a tissue saturated with Tardis, leaving it for a few moments, then wiping clean:
DSC06237 by
RussZS, on Flickr
The V8 badges were also placed incorrectly so we removed these at the owners request:
DSC06239 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06240 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06243 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Before:
DSC06246 by
RussZS, on Flickr
After:
DSC06248 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06250 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06251 by
RussZS, on Flickr
The exhausts were looking a little tired thanks to the V8:
DSC06270 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Britemax Easy Cut was used to make short work of restoring them:
DSC06274 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06272 by
RussZS, on Flickr
After a final dust down, we finished with this Swissvax trio - Best of Show on the paintwork, AutoBahn on the wheels and Pneu (two coats) on the tyres:
DSC06275 by
RussZS, on Flickr
The new number plates were fitted:
DSC06276 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Finally, after a good 25 hours or so (I lost count!), some after shots:
DSC06277 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06278 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06283 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06288 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06291 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06298 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06299 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06301 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06304 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06306 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06309 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06311 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06313 by
RussZS, on Flickr
DSC06315 by
RussZS, on Flickr
Thank you for taking the time to read this - any feeback or comments would be greatly appreciated.
We have a busy week ahead including a VW Amarok, VW Caddy, Audi TTRS, Focus ST Mk3, Toyota GT86, Clio 172, Mk1 Focus RS and a Mk5 Golf GTI! I do have a good 15-20 write ups to post too including a stunning Audi S4 and a very nice white Evo 9 GT, which hopefully I'll be able to do over the next few days.
Thanks,
Russ.
