A client from Marquette contacted the team at Driven Sound and Security to inquire about refining the look of his 2016 Ford Shelby F-150. The truck had the usual swirls and scuffs that come with driving around and being treated to normal washing procedures, and some deeper scratches that would require special attention. Since the Shelby was black, these imperfections really stood out when the sun hit the truck. After an inspection, we let the client know we could restore his vehicle to showroom-new appearance.
Vehicle Cleaning and Preparation
We started by spraying the vehicle with a gentle degreasing detergent to loosen debris on the paint surface. After power-washing the paint, we washed the vehicle with a soft wash-mitt to take off any debris stuck to the finish. The paint surface has to be clean before we start polishing to ensure we don’t embed any debris into the clearcoat.
Shelby F-150 Paint Correction
Several areas on this F-150 needed some serious attention. We started with 1,500-grit sandpaper on a dual-action sander to work out the deep scratches. Once those were removed, we switched to 2,000-grit paper to refine the sanding marks. It’s crucial to our process to ensure we only remove the minimum amount of clear coat required to achieve a great result.
With the paint smooth, we switched to our Jescar polishing compound to take out the sanding marks and remove the swirls and haze from the finish. This is a large vehicle, so it took some time to cover the entire surface. The final step for the correction process was to restore a mirror-like shine to the paint with Jescar finishing polish. This is the step that makes the paint smooth and give it a rich, deep appearance.
Gtechniq Ceramic Coating
With the paint correction complete on this Shelby F-150, we moved to the protection stage: We covered the entire paint surface with Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light. This is a five-year ceramic coating that forms a protective layer on the paint and makes it much easier to keep clean and prevent aggressive washing from causing swirls.
Once the coating had cured, we topped it with Gtechniq C2 Liquid Crystal. Liquid Crystal increases the hydrophobic properties of Crystal Serum and enhances the gloss of the paint, so the vehicle shines like crazy.
Marquette’s Automotive Detail Experts
After a few days of work, we had this Shelby F-150 looking better than new. The paint was immaculate, and the client was thrilled.
If your car or truck looks dull, bring it by our store in Marquette and speak to one of our detailing experts. You can also reach us by e-mail using the contact form here on our site or by phone. Please note that accurate quotes on paint correction will require an in-person vehicle inspection.
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