Last week we spent 2 days preparing a 2008 Shelby GT500 to go on display at the Cootha Classic at the weekend…
With the Cootha Classic being re-launched this year, we decided we needed something special to display. It doesn’t get much more special than this 700 rwhp GT500.
Imported and converted by our good friends at STANGFEVER INTERNATIONAL on the Sunshine Coast, we knew after 45,000kms this GT500 would be due for a spruce up.
It was in pretty good condition to start with, just the usual wash scratches, especially on the black vinyl stripes. We’ve got some good photos of the process to help you through it all.
The wash, decon, and prep stage…
We started with the usual rinse then safe FOAM pre-soak. Followed then by a two bucket method wash. All performed with a lambs-wool wash mitt to significantly reduce the chances of inducing any more scratches and creating more work for us in the correction stage.
Next up is to remove any bonded contaminants, including brake dust, rail dust, pollution and many more.
With a combination of chemical decon and use of a traditional clay bar, we achieve this without marring or other damage.
You can see some of the black lines and brown sections to show the removed contaminants. This is ESSENTIAL before polishing.
HINT: If a “detailer” offers a polish and charges extra for the clay bar, run for the hills. You must clay bar before polishing.
Once we had completed the decontamination and got the GT500 in under lights we could see the extent of the damage. Mostly just swirl marks/wash scratches, some light water spotting.
Here you can see the black vinyl’s damage.
The correct combination of machine/pad and polishing compound, along with the great technique, of course, make short work of the defects. Removing scratches and restoring gloss and clarity.
HERE ARE A COUPLE MORE BEFORE/AFTER SHOTS
Once the correction stage is complete, we use an IPA solution to remove any traces of oils left on the paint. These oils would hinder the bonding of the coating, thus reducing its lifespan and effectiveness
Next step – Applying the P-01a Primer
The next step is to apply Modesta’s P-01a primer. This phenomenal product has a number of roles, it creates a thick resin layer that;
a) has deep, candy gloss levels.
b) acts as a crosslinker to promote bonding between the coating and the paint itself. Increasing effectiveness and longevity.
c) can eliminate finer defects prior to coating.
The key to effective use of Modesta P-01a is to create enough heat to get the panel to around 40 degrees centigrade which we measure using an infrared thermometer.
At this temperature the bonding is efficient and a deep, hard resin begins to form.
WE THEN LEAVE THE P-01A TO CURE FOR 3 HOURS…
Finally, we apply the final Modesta coating paint protection, the choice for the GT500 was Paul Dalton private label. The world’s most exclusive coating. This was only the 4th car in Australia to receive this honour.
Sadly we didn’t take photos during the process, it is VERY unforgiving and all of our attention was on getting it perfect…
Once the coating was applied, we bake with Infrared lighting to increase hardness, gloss, and protection
