Audi R8 Photoshoot Preparation
This car is the latest demonstrator for Midlands based ICE specialists, Vibe Audio. In preparation for a forthcoming photo shoot with the car sporting their latest range of yet to be released speakers, they approached Shine On to give the car the full Swissvax treatment.
It was an early start, and on the cold but bright day I found the R8 waiting outside for me when I arrived, looking a little grubby.
Wasting no time, the car was rinsed using low pressure water to remove loose debris, before being covered in a citrus based pre-wash, designed to cut through road film and grease. Particular attention was paid to wheels and arches at this point. Once rinsed, the entire body was carefully washed using Swissvax Car Bath shampoo in warm water and a lambswool washmit.
Rinsed again and inspected for tar and other bonded contaminants, it appeared to be nearly perfect, just the lower parts mildly contaminated. This was quickly and easily removed using Swissvax Paint Rubber, a highly effective clay system. Time for a final rinse before drying and moving the car inside.
Using a digital paint depth gauge the entire car was inspected. A reasonable amount of swirls were obvious all over, the worst being concentrated to the rear of the car. The gauge showed the paint to be quite varied in its thickness, and surprisingly thin in a lot of places, so care would be necessary.
The polishing equipment was set up and a test patch done.
As you can see from this 50/50, the area on the left that has been polished is now free from the swirls and marring present on the left, leaving a glossy reflective surface that looks a lot darker ad allows the metal flake in the paint to really stand out in the light.
Happy with this improvement, the rest of the car was polished in the same fashion. Here are a selection of before and after shots to highlight the defects removed and the improvement made:
Working along the nearside door you can again see the clear difference of the polished side on the right, and the yet to be polished area on the right.
This particular car has been fitted with the optional beautiful carbon fibre ‘blades’, and once polished looked so clear and glossy that you could also put your finger right into them!
Even the light lenses needed some attention. A light polish left them crystal clear, removing the slight haziness that could be seen:
With the paint correction stage finished, it was time to prepare for the wax. In order to create a perfect surface for wax to adhere to, the whole car was treated using Swissvax Cleaner Fluid. Once done, the first coat of wax was applied, for this car it was decided Best Of Show would be ideal. Whilst curing, attention was turned to the interior.
Thoroughly vacuumed, all the surfaces cleaned including the glass, and the leather was carefully treated with Swissvax Leather Cleaner and Leather Milk. Being such a light colour means it shows any dirt very easily, but by keeping on top of it it means the dirt isn’t really rubbed into the grain of the leather.
Here is the base of the driver’s seat:
A couple of shots of the interior:
Finally the rubber door seals were treated with Swissvax Seal to keep the soft and supple.
Interior finished, it was time to buff off the first coat of wax, apply a second to the paintwork, together with a coat of Swissvax Autobahn Wheel Wax to the alloys to help protect them. Whilst curing, tyres were dressed with Swissvax Pneu and the engine bay was wiped down and dressed with Swissvax Motorshine.
The last step was to buff the now cured wax off the body and wheels, clean the exterior glass using Swissvax Crystal and dust down all the panel gaps and trim to ensure no polish or wax residue remained.
Just enough time to take some pictures of the finished article!
The customer was delighted with result and is looking forward to seeing it look its best in the photo studio.
Testimonials
“I know its your job and your paid for it but thanks again for bringing the car up to the standard that I really wanted. This was the first time I’ve ever had anything detailed but it wont be the last thats for sure!”
