Hey all, Mike here. Like the title says, this Raven Black received a 2 step process instead of the regular 1 step. It was in pretty rough shape considering how new the car is, but it had to be done to achieve maximum gloss.

It was compounded with a Festool Rotary + Buff & Shine orange pad + Scholl Concepts S3 Gold, then it was polished via my trusty old GG6 DA + Lake Country CCS red pad + Scholl Concepts S17+. Smaller sections of the car was polished with GG3 DA + 3 inch MF cutting pad from Meguiar's + European version Menzerna SIP.

Now it's time for pictures!

Before,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034440069/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034439213/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034438462/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034436818/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034435581/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034434476/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034433033/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034432217/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034430834/
I stopped mid compounding to snap these pictures, you can see my Festool on the floor next to me in the first picture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034428194/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034427714/
Close up of the same spot as above

http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034427465/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034426661/
Prior to Opti Coating the car

http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034425600/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034425463/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034424478/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034424541/
Unfortunately by the time I got done applying the Opti Coat, the sun had almost gone down. All that polishing did create a really rich depth for the Raven when the metallic flakes aren't popping like crazy in the sun though!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034424161/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034423641/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034422766/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/detailmaniac/8034422755/

 

 

Looks great, nice work.

 

Thanks Scott!
Thanks Terry!

 

Very nice. You use opti coat a lot. How do you feel about it since you've got such experience with it? Do you think it prevents swirling, or, does the opti-coat itself get re-swirled?

 

I had a customer text me about how great his car looks 2 months after application. Not a single swirl since then.

 

Nicely done, sir!! Just my opinion but with the Scion badge removed and in black, this shot makes the front of the car look like Toothless from 'How to Train Your Dragon'.

 

looks great

 

Great job Mike! Do you know if the owner is planning on replacing the badges with Toyota ones? It does look a little bit empty at the front with the gap there.

 

Damn, love the paint on that thing.

Great job Mike.

 

nice work

 

very detailed and shiny, great work!

 

where is morgan?

NICE job OP!

 

Thank you! The customer has Toyota badges at home, he just wanted the areas under the badges to be opti coated as well lol.
Thank you!
Vince, read above, lol.
Thank you, Steven!
Thanks!
Thank you!
Thank you!