Reflections Detailing of Utah 2011 Lambo Performante 1:3
by Greg NicholsWell ladies and gentlemen I was lucky enough to get the honor at a new Lambo a 2011 Performante (LP 570-4) Spyder. This is only 1 of 3 white ones in the USA and while I’m not a white color fan, this really got to me after the many hours I worked on her. In my opinion the Lambos are really hitting their stride right now, amazing engine sounds, great drivers, and styling looks are really giving the long held Ferrari’s a run for the money.
This car from a distance is a stunner, even up close you have to have a discerning eye for the details that needed to be addressed. My client is such an owner, while 95% of the public would just goo and aaawww over it, he could see its full potential was yet to come. When white cars are perfected they are become really glossy and blinding in full sun……..pure brilliance. I have tried to capture the paint defects, white is a difficult color to video or photograph the defects. You will be looking for haze, sanding marks, a few pigtails and just general not up to standard for such a super-car.
The paint on these newer lambos is rock hard, they don’t release defects very easily…….so you will see purple foam wool used to correct the finish. For the compounding stages I used Megs 300 and 105, together…..yes I was mixing to get what I wanted out of both polishes. I like the 300 because of the next to no dusting, yet the cut of 105 is a bit more, so when I mix the ratio of the two that worked the best in my test areas I was ready to go! What is amazing is that you can almost call it a day and throw on some LSP and be done after this combo, however if you just refine the finish with a burnishing polish such as 106fa, menzerna 203 or megs 205 you can amp up the gloss. While many of these polishes are not true burnishing polishes on this rock hard paint they act like it. The owner and I talked over what LSP to use, and the advantages of each choice, we settled on Blackfire wet diamond, now many know its a great LSP for black and dark colors but lately, glossed out white cars really love this stuff.
The real challenge with this car were the engine vents, super small, easy to burn edges, and this are had most of the major damage. I guess mario at the Lambo factory knew this area would be a pain and just left it for Reflections Detailing of Utah to take out………I need to send mario a thank you card. This car also has a lot of small areas that are super hard to get into with large pads, so using the small 3″ pads really helped. While it seems to take forever to correct these areas, it was far more effective and easier than trying to compound by hand! Now remember this is a unmolested car, the dealer didn’t even wash it when it came in per the owners request, so ALL these defects are factory installed options. If I recall the total time to work this paint was close to 14 hours, a lions share on one day. While I could have finished in one day, when you start to get tunnel vision and you’re tired you need to know to stop, this is when trouble starts and you can make careless mistakes……get some rest and start fresh.
You can see the haze and un-clear reflections in the paint. You want clear sharp images in the paint.
Yet another reflection lacking clarity. In order to obtain maximum gloss, you have to have absolute clarity.
You want to work towards images like below, these will yet be refined to a higher clarity, but much improved over the above.
A video (below) of corrected areas and untouched, while you don’t think its much when you multiply that times the amount of surface area…..that is how a car gets it gloss on.
The following photos are of the rear engine deck lid. This was a slow process, protecting all the decal work, the thin edges……..this area took about 4 hours to work over……..its also the area with the most defects in the paint!
You will also notice I keep using various towels to protect the car, this simple detail can save you if the polisher gets away from you…….protect at all cost.
Time to pull it out in full sun and get on the sunglasses, its going to be brilliant.
Yes the stance is not right, we had to raise it so it didn’t scrape going into the garage, and we where so blinded by the glowing white forgot to lower it for the photos!
I have been working with a local professional photographer Tyson Bybee here in Utah to help capture the workmanship of reflections detailing of utah. As you can see, he truly captures and shows far better than I can, the true appearance of the cars!
I look like a bum wiping down this car, I spent so much time polishing the lower sections of the car I got filthy on the floor (almost sounds wrong like a dance move in a club?).
While I looks like I was polishing with my eyes closed, rest assured they are wide open……..Just checking the amount of correction with my cree bulb flashlight.
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Great work Greg! What an awesome car to be able to work on too! You lucky dog! 🙂
Thanks Chad! I am a lucky dog………Lucky is when opportunity meets prepardness.
Cheers,
GREG
Great Job Greg! You kicked some major Lambo butt! Saw it on Autopia
Thanks David,
You have always been a great mentor of knowledge over the years.
Cheers,
GREG
Nice work on a very cool car. I’ve got a client of mine that just purchased the exact vehicle…so we have 2 of the 3 covered properly. 😉
If you have the 2nd one, we need to get another DI writer the 3rd one! How can we figure out where it is? Have fun if the rear deck vents have pig tails, such tedious work. It was also rock hard paint
Cheers,
GREG
WOW she’s a mean looking lady. Looks like we have some top-notch DI Ask-A-Pro Blog authors keeping busy on some very nice rides, and even have south Florida detailer extraordinaire David Fermani stopping by checking out things here on the blog! Outstanding work Greg(as expected from Reflection Detailing: Utah’s best auto detailing), and a special hello to any other detailing friends stopping by the blog 🙂
Getting a complement like that from the top tier detailer AutoLavish is fantastic.
Cheers,
GREG
Such a nice car!
What pads were you using?
Adam,
I used Purple foam wool, black open cell, and red all from lake Country pads. I’m planning on doing a write up about the foam wool in the future, they have great cut (better then orange) and finish down better on many paints than other wools.
Cheers,
GREG
hmm, interesting, I definitely think you should do that write up, as I trying to find a better cutting foam pad than Orange.
I know how you feel. My white car blinds me all the time ;p
When a properly polished white car is done and it glows from the glossing you gave it, it really is a sight!
Cheers,
GREG
nice work Greg, pays off in the end!!!!
stunning!
Eric,
Wow thanks for the compliment from Envious Detailing in Southern Calif. I can’t wait to see your full on mega hour restoration of that lambo myself.
Cheers,
GREG
Hey Greg, fantastic write up! I had no idea you were in Utah, check out this guy…. maybe you should give him some guidance!! lol
Jordan,
Thanks for the kudos! I’ve been Buying from Detailed Image for years, and been a writer for almost 18months…..I’ve got to do a bettter job of letting Utah know that Reflections Detailing is the detailer in state.
Where in Utah are you? I’m attending Euro sl Ut car show at Wheeler Farms this Sat, stop by!
I think you tried to post a link, which aren’t allowed. Fire off an email to me instead.
Cheers,
GREG
Greg,, great write up, and absolutely stunning work!
Thanks Ron,
Good to see you here on DI.
Cheers,
GREG
Looks amazing I hope to see 1 of these 3 someday!
Thanks Greg,
Just sitting in one of these when they start up is a joy, I imagine a few more will show up in the states.
Cheers,
GREG
Why is it hat you put blue painters tape on your PC is that something that I should do?
Ian,
I use the tape to protect the car from the housing of the machine, the small pads can “jump” on bump the car so the tape helps in case that happens. A piece of foam would be better but its all I had at the time.
Cheers,
GREG
Thanks
Lovely work Greg! though I am a Ferrari guy, this looks like a torpedo!
I keep hearing good things about the LC foam wool and I am looking forward to your write up.
Great decision on the dedicated photographer. I think it does justice to your hard work.
K
Thanks Kostas!
The LC foam wool article will have to wait a bit, I’m so swamped with work. Working on two cars going to Pebble beach this week. I’ll get it going soon, keep my feet to the fire will ya?
I really like Tyson Byee, hoping he will come and shoot the cars going to pebble beach. A 1955 Porsche speedster carrera Pre A (1 of 40 in US) and a 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO orginal (1 of 20 in US).
Cheers,
GREG
nice job
look at you out in Utah!!!!! If I had a car out there, I would send it to you in a heart beat!
awesome work dude!
Really cool,Hope that I could have this it is great.