3PedalMINI

a little background on me since im new here. Ive been a car nut my whole life and always had a soft spot for Audi's. my love for them grew immensely after test driving a 2008 A5 6spd manual. It was the first one i had ever driven and they had me from the beginning. I run a business designing and installing residential/commercial audio video systems (home theaters, automation, whole home audio ETC.) unfortunately the timing wasn't right for the a5 as the economy was starting to collapse. in September of 2009 we purchased a Q5 to cart around customers and do sales consultations. Now there is a A6 sitting in the driveway. I also have a thing for MINI's. my first car was a 6 speed 2006 mini cooper s and sold it when the economy took a dump. I know have a 2011 6 speed clubman S black with lime green accents. I dont feel connected as much as i did with my 2006 and will be purchasing either a TTrs (if i can get one) or an S5. I am a complete and total car care nut. I spend hours on my rides making sure they are perfect. Neither the MINI or A6 have swirls (they are black and you know how hard black is to care for). I look forward to becoming part of the Audi world community

Took delivery of this Beauty last Monday. Traded in our 2010 Q5 premium plus for her. The dealer gave us a bloody good deal and my jaw about hit the ground when they came back with the number on the q5, of course i didnt show that and squeezed another 1500 out of them in the trade. i cannot believe how well the Q held its value lol.

After i picked the Audi up from getting tinted i pulled it in the driveway and got to work. It started off with the wheels, used sonax full effect wheel cleaner. I then hit the tires with Adams All purpose cleaner to remove the dealers nasty tire wet. I then proceeded with a two bucket wash and three foams. For the initial foam i used McGuires hyper wash i then pressure washed it and did two foamings with adams car wash. The reason for the megs hyper wash is because adams soap doesnt cut the dirt and grime because its PH Balanced. I wanted to ensure there wasnt anything on the paint before i touched it with the Wool Wash Mitt. The paint is near perfect and wanted to prove to my self that my method is good (self test) I then used the master blaster to blow the water off the paint.

My methad proved right as there were zero swirls/scratches put in by me. I then got to work De-badging her. I found that using turtle wax bug and tar remover provides ridiculous lubrication for the fishing line and does not induce scratches. I Wash the area with soap and then used 3m adhesive remover and a Autozone microfiber. I found out the hard way if you spray the adhesive remover and it scatters and hits any plastic it is near ruined. Spray the 3M adhesive remover on the cheap MF (saturate it) and hold it over top the adhesive. Keep spraying it on the MF and place it over top for 20 or so seconds (you want to keep doing this at least 6 times) grab another Cheap MF and lightly spray the towel and begin **GENTLY rubbing the adhesive. you will see it start disintegrating, fold the MF and spray a little bit on and continue the process until the adhesive is removed. Once removed wash the area with soap and dry. your done and have a scratch free area where you were working

I have de-badged 9 or so cars and am near a pro at it. This one was easy as the car is brand new and the adhesive didnt have time to "cure" It took me a total of 30 minutes from start to finish. Cars that have the badges on there for years you can be looking at a 1-2 hour job and 3M Adhesive remover is a MUST.

I then pulled it in the garage and got to work. I looked it over under the lights and there are zero swirls in the finish. There was a scratch in the roof the dealer had placed in when they washed it off the truck and some marring when the salesmen rubbed it while being dirty. I clayed the roof and hit it with one quick pass of adams fine machine polish. I wiped the area and the scratch/marring was removed 100% after that i took a waterless wash towell and sprayed 70% IPA alchohol to strip the finish of any wax. I was sure to find scratches/swirls underneith from any filler wax they used but i was totally shocked to see the exact perfect finish underneath. After that I hit the car with Revive Polish just to make sure any wax I had left behind was removed.

I then used adams machine super sealant to seal her from any acidic droppings (mostly bird bombs). once i allowed the sealant to cure i hit it with some brilliant glaze and finally Adams American Paste wax.

* i do not work for adams, i have been a car cleaning enthusiest for years and have been through it all. turtle wax, megs, ice, mothers, autoglym, griots, menzerna and now finally Adams Polishes. The stuff is absolutely amaizing!!! unfortunately it was over cast the day i took the before shots and the sun was going in and out today when i pulled her out after 2 days of rain. Also, my DSLR took a dump so im stuck using my P&S camera which is crap. Tje ics really doesnt do my work or this paint justice. Once i get it working ill snap some new shots and post them

Product used:
Craftsman 2600PSI pressure washer rinsing with 40 degree fan nozzle.
Italian Made foam gun
Sonax Wheel Cleaner
Adams All purpose Cleaner
McGuires hyper wash for initial foam
Adams Murana Whool wash mit
Adams Car wash in bucket/ 2 foamings
Adams Car was buckets (2 for 2 bucket method)
Master Blaster Air force dryer
Turtle Wax bug&tar remover (for de-badging)
3M Adhesive remover
Fishing Line
Adams Detail Spray
Adams Clay
Adams Fine Machine Polish
Adams Revive Polish
Adams Machine Super Sealant
Adams Brilliant Glaze
Adams Americana Past Wax
Adams Super VRT (tire wet)
Adams Glass Cleaner
Adams Glass Sealant
Adams Waterlesh Wash towel
Adams Single soft microfiver towels (6 to wipe polishes & waxes off)

You can really see the scratch in one of the pics.







Roof where the scratch is






Rinsed with pressure washer, Zero scrubbing and effort:banana:

adams foam 5 minutes after initial foaming




10 Minutes after

Pooling rinse method


Had to get the master blaster in the shot

Dry Wheel







De-Badging materials

Bug & Tar Remover

After removing the badge



After 2 twenty second segments

Gone, kinda lol

It got dark but i then washed it again to remove any strangling adhesive *****/3M Remover


The scratch really shows up


After Revive, after this shot i did a DS wipedown so the streak is gone. Im just showing the debth and clearity of the paint after Revive polish (paint cleanser)

Cant seal a german beauty without some german brew:jester:


The final shots. my DSLR isnt working and my point and shoot is over/underexposing the pics.








The scratch on the roof is totally gone!!! the sun is hitting it in this shot

Hood



This last shot is the sun hitting it. Those are not streaks or swirls in the corner i just cant steady my hand enough


The black phantom pearl effect really is one of the most impressive metalic black paint i have ever seen. Usually im a "black" paint only guy but i fell in love with this at the dealership.

Enjoy, ill get some better shots once this rain ends!

lostnspace

First off congrats on the A6!

Secondly WOW what a difference! I'm a microfiber, elbow greese, shamy kind of guy lol, it looks like I need to up my car washing game. I'm going to check out some of those products! Namely the airblaster and pressure washer (I spent more time on my rims, because I didn't have enough water pressure).

I'm a little nervous about using a hand buffer becuase I am "heavy handed". I don't want ruin that pain job...

Thanks for sharing your method and welcome to the boards!

AutobahnA6

Looks great ! I have ordered the same color. Your cleaning tips make my process look like an automatic drive thru. I need to change my cleaning game as well !

psychodo

Congrats and welcome!! I too ordered the same color, usually only a wash/wax guy, however. The pics look amazing, so I need to look into improving my effort! Tried Griot's just recently and was impressed but will look into Adams.
Jim

Dedalus

Wow, that seems like a lot of work. I'm sure there's a noticeable difference compared to a mere regular wash, but is it really worth all that effort? I mean, yeah it makes sense if you're going to be displaying the car at a show or something, but what's the point if it's just going to get dirty in a few days? My A6's finish (moonlight blue metallic) looks amazing even after going through the automatic car wash (with no towel-drying), without any haze or swirls.

OR, does all that work mean the car's paint and wheels will stay cleaner longer? That might make it worthwhile.

das2.7t

Wow, even your buckets are clean. Excellent work on the new ride.

3PedalMINI

Thanks! im a nut. The less you touch your paint the less swirls you can/will induce. the only time the paint gets touched is with the wash mit (murano wool, softest you can get)and when i detail her. The mit is only after two full foaming's initial to knock the dirt off and the second to add lubricity to the mit (on top of the soap bucket)

two bucket method is a must too, preferably with grit guards to trap any particles. The MB airforce dryer is also a very nice item to have. not only does it prevent swirls induced by drying (chamois are the worst for paint) but blows all the cracks and crevices so when you pull away your not stuck with all the hidden drips

i use a porter cable 7424xp Random orbatal buffer. You can hand this over to a six year old and as long as the pad is primed and has polish on it you cannot harm your paint!

Thanks! you will LOVE this color. Its incredible. against what the dealer tells you metallic paint WILL/DOES show scratches more. Also, one of the biggest things to keep in mind is that the dealers are for speed. To protect your paint even more you have to deny the inital "free" detail and everytime for service you tell the SA to not touch your paint. For black paint especially i would highly recommend getting a foam gun, the master blaster and doing the two bucket method.

I used Griots too only to find that it didnt give me the results i was after. Seriously, give adams a shot. I know it seems "gimicky" for lack of a better term but they have a 110% guarantee and i have not heard of one person not loving the products. Customer Service is second to none too, Its like an obsession lol. The forums over there are great too and wealth of knowledge. Check out "Junkman" on youtube. They are pretty good to watch, sometimes comical but he is awesome and is a wealth of knowlege about properly cleaning a car. Also adams has how to vids from start to finish too, they are a little easier to watch I would watch both junkman and Adams though because both use different techniques. Mine is a combination of both and work well for me.

I am in the ever persuit for paint perfection. I enjoy driving a near perfect car and people do notice. Especially when your in a parking lot and your car has a dripping wetshine while there's has swirls galore/dull finish and they cant figure out why there car looks like it does. When your driving cars like this they are always on "show" IMHO

Since the car is brand new and the wax they put on at the audi distribution center is garbage, doesn't do the paint justice and offers minimum protection I striped it. What i did in the pictures took 6 hours from start to finish (including the de-badge). My car will have a dripping wet shine to her for 6-8 months. (i seal & wax every 6 months) but could easily be protected for a year.My paint is also well protected from bird bombs & bugs too. Now had i not told the dealer to NOT TOUCH my car i would spend 14-15 hours paint correcting it. But since it was a near perfect finish i didnt have to polish her.Proper washing only takes me 45 minutes and is vital to keeping the finish up.

Car washers are a paints worst enemy, they use extremely harsh soap that does strip the wax (touchless car washes are the worst) and the rotating scrubbers and "drying" fingers trap dirt and grime and do induce swirls and scratches. Be carefull! when they blink "wash/wax" it really is a glaze in the water that fills minor imperfections for a day or two.

Now i understand i am on the extreme but if there is one thing i can/will never do is go through a car wash. i dedicate the time to keep my finish perfect and requires constant attention (theres a joke, that a black car is a second job with overtime) I know others are busy and devote there time to other things. But i am a firm believer that a car is the second biggest investment next to your house so why not treat it like you treat your house. *Smart* washing at home with even a wax every 3-6 months will yield better paint then the guy that is trading in your same car at the same time that has only taken it through car washes. (Guess whose going to get the bigger number on the trade )

lol! yeah they are sadly probably cleaner then the placemats i eat off of every day

AutobahnA6

3PedalMINI, what do you do in the winter for cleaning off the salt? I like the drive thru wash as its the only thawed out wash that can rinse the underside of my car. I wish I were as dedicated to the paint finish, but, I just don't have the time. Just curious how you keep it clean/fresh in the NJ salt.

Dr.Aronis

Very nice clean up job!

Two Things:

Set the Date on your camera

Come to Binghamton and wash my RS6!!

Wow, that was a lot of work.

I usually do a similar thing in the spring.

Mike

3PedalMINI

I use a product called "Salt-Away" its used in the marine industry for flushing out your engines, exhaust and engine bays. It neutralizes any salt and when it dries it forms a protective coating to withstand the next beating of salt until you can get under there and was again (prevents corrosion from happening immediately) I use it in my jet ski and there is not one rusty bolt or screw to be found (i ride 100% in salt water)

I hook the mixer up to my pressure washer inlet and spray down the under carriage. It does a really nice job of coating everything. However, since the A6 is so much lower to the ground i am going to have to build something like this to get under there



Salt away really does a much better job at protecting your undercarriage rather then at the local car wash where they only spray water.

You use so little of salt away the little quart will easily last you 2-3 winters
http://www.amazon.com/Salt-Away-Prod...7429330&sr=8-1

Lol, my cameras internal battery is shot so everytime i pull the battery out it looses all the settings.

I work for beer and women ill be happy to come spend a day and detail your S6