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2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat – New Car Prep: Factory Sanding Marks, Scratches, Swirls

Zach McGovern

The owner of this vehicle contacted us regarding our Elite New Car Prep for his Hellcat which had just been shipped from the factory.  He had requested that we take delivery of the vehicle shortly after it arrived so that it can be properly cleaned, polished, and protected from the start.

This vehicle arrived on a trailer from the dealership with just 24 miles on the odometer. Upon inspection it was clear that we had a very long journey ahead of us to get this brand new vehicle into good shape.  We found machine sanding marks on every panel of the vehicle, heavier scratches on various panels, and some swirl marks throughout.  Needless to say, this is not what we expected to see for a vehicle that had barely been driven, and was not touched by the dealership upon arrival.

The vehicle was delivered with a lot of dirt and grime on it, presumably from its trip from the factory to its new home.

I began with a thorough exterior wash and decontamination process to remove the contaminants that had settled on the paint.  The vehicle was covered in a thick layer of foam to help loosen the dirt before washing.  While the foam was dwelling, the cracks and crevices were cleaned with soft boars hair brushes, we then pressure rinsed the foam away, and proceeded with a 2 bucket wash.

After the wash process, the entire vehicle was clayed to remove any particles that had bonded to the paint.

With the paint clean, we turned our attention to the wheels and wheel wells.  The vehicle was lifted, and the wheels were removed.   The wheel wells and brakes were thoroughly cleaned using all purpose cleaner, degreaser, and various brushes.  The calipers were then coated for additional protection.

The wheels were cleaned inside and out, and then coated with 22ple VM1 Extreme Wheel Coating for easier cleaning and added protection.  We found this coating brought out more of the gold color in the wheels, which we really liked.

Now it was time to get to work on the paint.  Our bright inspection lights made it easy to see what we were up against.  In this single photo, you can make out various defects in the paint.  Clusters of deep scratches and a lot of machine sanding marks were our major concern.

Given the amount of defects found on this brand new car, it was decided that a multi-step correction process would be used throughout the entire vehicle to level the majority of defects.  The paint was extremely soft and sticky which meant there was an impressive amount of marring left from the compounding process.

Obviously this is not an acceptable finish, so we began polishing the paint to remove the haze and reveal a gorgeous finish.  This is what sets quality detailers apart from the “other guys”… anyone can run a compound and cutting pad over a paint and call it a day, but it takes skill and patience to perfectly polish soft, jet black paint.

Here are a few before/after shots of various defects that were found.  We were able to achieve a nearly flawless finish with only a few deep RIDS remaining.

After the correction and polishing process, the paint was covered with 2 coats of 22ple Mistico Elemento for years of durable protection and gloss.

All exterior plastic was coated with 22ple VR1 to enhance and preserve its appearance.  The windshield received 3 coats of 22ple VG1.

The car was pulled outside to inspect the paint after coating, and we were able to see the fruits of our labor… but we weren’t done just yet.

The engine bay received a light cleaning and was then dressed (check out the mirror-like reflections in the doors as well!).  All door jams were cleaned, and the interior received a light cleaning as well.

After roughly 27 hours of hard work, this brand new car was ready to be enjoyed by its new owner.  We were extremely pleased with the results, and so was he!

Process Overview

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