Enhancement detail on a Astra SRI

[butler2.8i]

This is a enhancement detail on a friends black Astra SRI which is about 7 months old with approx 9000 miles on the clock. The car has had too many visits to the sponge and scratch washes which had resulted in the cars finish being muted and dull, and also had been a victim of a bump and run resulting in a large scrape on the rear passenger door and wheel arch. Wash and clay stages done during light/heavy rain showers but cleared up for polishing which ended up with me getting sunburn.

Products and equipment used

Dodo Lime prime
Dodo supernatural hybrid
Uber microfiber towels
Uber drying towel
3m yellow pads 150mm 75 mm
Valet pro bilberry wheel cleaner
Valet pro tyre gel
Valet pro citrus bling
Valet pro orange pre wash
Valet pro PH neutral snowfoam
Meguiars hyper wash
Meguiars Hyper dressing
Meguiars 16 wax
Werkstat Prime Acrylic
Autosmart Tardis
German applicator
I4detailing orange clay bar
Various wheel brushes
Makita rotary polisher
Karcher pressure washer
Noodle wash mitt
Uber Microfiber drying towel
Poorboys microfibre clothes
Snow foam gun
3m masking tape
Finish kare 425
Jetseal 109

The car before I start

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2497.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2498.jpg

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http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2500.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2501.jpg

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http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2503.jpg

I started by giving the lower parts of the car a coat of the valet pro orange pre wash, which was left to dwell before being pressure washed off. The car was then given its first coat of snow foam made up of the valet pro PH neutral snowfoam and a shot of Meg’s hyper wash

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2515.jpg

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http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_25192.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2521.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2522.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2523.jpg


Whilst this did its stuff I cleaned the wheels using the bilberry wheel cleaner and various wheel brushes, the bilberry got the worst of the muck off just leaving some small tar spots to be removed by the Tardis and a microfibre cloth.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2504.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2505.jpg

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http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2514.jpg

[butler2.8i]

The snowfoam was then blasted off with the pressure washer, and then the car was given another coat of the same mix snowfoam and washed using Meg’s hyper wash and the 2 bucket method and a wash mitt before being power rinsed off and dried. The lower parts of the car and inner arch lips where sprayed with Tardis which was left to do its stuff before being wiped down with a microfibre cloth.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2520.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2524.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2525.jpg

Rinse bucket after washing, and car had received a pre-wash soak and 2 coats of snowfoam

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2542.jpg

The car was then rinsed off using a open ended hose( plus rain) and left wet before claying using citrus bling and water mix( 4 to 1) I4 detailing clay bar which didn’t really pull much from the paint work it was then rewashed using the same method and dried using a Uber microfiber drying towel.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2526.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2527.jpg

Giving me this

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2528.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2529.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2530.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2531.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2532.jpg

Car was then taped up using 3m masking tape and the bonnet vents removed to be polished separately , a couple of quick 50/50 using the lime prime and 3m yellow polishing pads before getting on with the rest car.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2533.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2536.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2537.jpg

Then started to work my way round the rest of the car

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2538.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2539.jpg

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http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2548.jpg

[butler2.8i]

Car was then rinsed off using the pressure washer to remove any splatter/dust, giving this beading from just the lime prime

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2549.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2550.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2551.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2552.jpg

So after polishing my way round the car with the rotary, I applied the first coat of Dodo supernatural hybrid wax/sealant using a german applicator pad and left to cure before buffing using poorboys microfibre clothes. Whilst waiting between coats all the exterior plastics where given a coat of Meguiars 16 wax and chrome trim polished using Werkstat Prime Acrylic.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2563.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2564.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2565.jpg



The car was then given a second coat of the Hybrid wax after approx 1 hour as I get to see this car on a regular basis so I can see how long the 2 coats hold up. The car was then given a final wipe down using Finishkare 425, and the glass was cleaned using neat citrus bling. The wheels were given 2 coats of Jetseal and the tyres giving a coat of Valet pro tyre dressing, arches dressed using 2 coats of Meguiars Hyper dressing

Leaving me with this, the car as it should be with a cracking purple hint to the paint.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2554.jpg

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2555.jpg

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http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/28ibutler/Astra%20SRI/100_2577.jpg

[Guest 2]

Sounds like alot of effort was put in :) pics don't work though :(

[butler2.8i]

Sounds like alot of effort was put in :) pics don't work though :(

Are they working now Chris ???

[Guest 2]

Are they working now Chris ???

Nope, still says they've been moved or deleted!

[butler2.8i]

Nope, still says they've been moved or deleted!

Working for me, even logged on using different computer to see if they working. Puzzled now like

[Guest 2]

Working for me, even logged on using different computer to see if they working. Puzzled now like

Working now! Mustve been Tapatalk wasnt allowing them or something?

Looks spectacular, I have a soft spot for the new Astra too.

Keep up the good work :)

[k31tha]

black cars look amazing when they have been polished, perfect mirror image

[JimC64]

Nice work Butler, thanks for sharing

[butler2.8i]

Cheers guys