Dan's Garage - 2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage - Carbon Black

This was another pre-delivery detail for a dealer. A Carbon Black 2013 V12 Vantage. Though as you'll see from the pics below, the colour is actually closer to a deep metallic blue. It's a BMW colour I'm told.

It was a strange detail this one. Not your usual process. Mainly because I was needing to work with and around a guy installing paint protection film to the front of the car at the same time.

I had only one day with this car as it was being delivered the next day.

First up I needed to quickly correct the bonnet area so the PPF guy could start his job. Once he started though I had to be careful where I was correcting otherwise he'd get polish dust under his film while he was trying to apply it......no good at all.

So I effectively started at the back of the car, and gave it a full two stage polish before most of the rest of the car had had even a single stage polish. I had to do it this way otherwise I'd have been completely behind the eight ball.

So here's a pic of the completed rear. Seeing some nice reflections already

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3936.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3954.jpg



Taillight Before

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3944.jpg


After

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3946.jpg


Some sanding damage on the boot

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3948.jpg


Minimised

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3949.jpg


Some random "before" pics, while I was waiting for the PPF guy to finish

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3937.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3938.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3939.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3952.jpg



Once the PPF guy finished, I was a good hour and a half in arrears, so I had to push hard to make up for lost time. Very few pretty before and afters unfortunately. No time

Here's a post-first stage correction shot. Swirls are gone but still not as much clarity as I'd like

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3951.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3950.jpg


Before

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3956.jpg


After

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3959.jpg


The bonnet as presented.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3960.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3961.jpg


It's worth noting that this car had been on the showroom floor for a long time. It then got put into carpark storage for a period, which I'm assuming is where it got all the water marking on the bonnet. The paint on this Aston was also quite soft. Something I wasn't expecting to be sure. To the point where I had to lend the PPF guy some microfibre towels because his cheap SuperCheap ones were marring up my beautifully corrected paint surface while he was dusting off the car. Again, not something I was expecting from Aston paint. I'm used to it being almost the perfect balance of hard vs soft. Not so with this one.

Front Guard before

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3962.jpg

Post first stage correction

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3964.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3965.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3969.jpg


Onto the second (finishing gloss) stage and we now start to see why Aston paint is some of the best there is

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3967.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3968.jpg

Final shots

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3970.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3973.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3974.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3971.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3972.jpg


The car being carefully driven to it's place on the showroom floor. I got a few pics before a protective cover was put on it waiting for tomorrow's delivery

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3975.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3976.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3977.jpg

Next to a beautiful red McLaren (new arrival)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3978.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3979.jpg


As a final note, it's worth mentioning that the car had never had a decent detail and many of the staff were curious as to how it would turn out. Some were, I found out later, even dubious that it would turn out well at all! Over the course of the day I had about four of five different staff members come out of their way to see how it was going. A couple of times I got the obligatory sucking of air through teeth and the words "that colour's a real challenge!"

I'm very happy to report that one of their techs, who works around these cars every day mind you, was genuinely bowled over by the result. He said that with the condition it was in on the showroom floor, "you'd have looked at it and thought no way would I buy that thing". "Now", he said, "I've got activity going on" (indicating pants lol)

When the car got to it's final spot in the showroom a few staff members wandered up to walk around it and have a good look. All were very complimentary and quite impressed. I don't think anyone expected it to end up in that state. It was a real buzz to see the sort of reactions the car got. Especially from people who don't normally bat eyelids at supercars that most people drool over.

Total time = approx 8hrs

Thanks for looking. I hope you also enjoyed the little story :)

Excellent work Dan.

That colour is spectacular, and the gloss, clarity, and depth is mind blowing.

Sweet car, sexy ass.

Sent from your mums phone

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Caffeine Fiend

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l1...k/IMG_3973.jpg

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That's the money shot right there!!

Incredible, especially given the circumstances!! Amazing colour.. Am def not a fan of any colour that resembles dark/navy blue hues, but this is nice!

Fantastic work once again!!

I didn't see a Dan's Garage sticker on the window mate... :p

It must be another world working on these cars...

How much more time would you have preferred to spend on the car mate?

Sent from Samsung Note 2 LTE

Damn that looks good, top work

Wow. Simply awesome
I envy you and the satisfaction you must get.

Well done mate. Hope it continues on in the future.

Proud to wear the "Dan's Garage Detailing" badge of honour!


Peter "SLIXX"

I'd still take mine in Volcano Red tyvm.

So glad to finally get home and look at the pics of the awesome work... as always.

Some of those shots make the paint look so deep... like you could fall into it....

Thanks Guys! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yeldarb

I didn't see a Dan's Garage sticker on the window mate... :p

It must be another world working on these cars...

How much more time would you have preferred to spend on the car mate?

Sent from Samsung Note 2 LTE

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I'd love to sticker these but I don't think the dealer would be too happy lol.

I was pretty happy with the time I spent with this one. Probably not much more I could have done. The only thing I would have recommended to the owner had I met him was to put a coating on the car. The clear was incredibly soft and I can see it going back to being a swirl monster within two months.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slixx

Wow. Simply awesome
I envy you and the satisfaction you must get.

Well done mate. Hope it continues on in the future.

Proud to wear the "Dan's Garage Detailing" badge of honour!


Peter "SLIXX"

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Thanks Pete! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dr. Teeth

So glad to finally get home and look at the pics of the awesome work... as always.

Some of those shots make the paint look so deep... like you could fall into it....

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Thanks Owen. Yeah it's an interesting colour. Same colour that you see on E46 BMW M3s

Sooooooo.....how do you polish out that reflection of the guy with the camera??!! ;-)
Great job Dan.

Bahahahah thanks Doug ;)

Great job Dan!

Cheers Kev :)

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta