1997 Land Rover Black Detail (lots of pics)

[blkyukon]

Here is a 1997 Land Rover Black Metallic (Didn't know it was metallic until after I polished it).

Tools:
Flex 3401
PC 7424 w/4" pads
LC orange & white pads (6.5" & 4")
Menzerna SIP
Menzerna 106FF (only had enough for a couple of test sections) & PO85RD
PB Trim Restorer on all exterior plastic
PB B&B on Tires
XMT Finishing Glaze
Pinnacle Souveran Paste wax
- Land Rovers have a lot of plastic trim and small tight areas. The Flex with the larger pads was very awkward to use in those areas, but the PC with 4" pads worked great though. I was able to get into the tight spots and sharp curves with the PC without worrying about burning the trim or paint.

Paint condition:
Years of car washes and "normal" washing and drying:

Hood Under Halogens:

Hood Under Fluorescents:

Hood after Flex, SIP/orange pad, 106FF/white pad

Test area
Before:

After 1 pass with Flex 3401, SIP/orange pad

After 1 pass with Flex 3401, 106ff/white pad

side by side

Fender Before

Fender After PC 7424, SIP/4"orange pad, PO85RD/4"white pad (you can really see the metallic flakes here)

Fender side by side

After XMT Finishing Glaze & Souvern Paste Wax - Sorry for the limited afters and no full sun shots, it was cloudy and raining when I finished.

 

[Dieseldan]

wow great job and awesome correction from the flex

 

[Strokin04]

Wow, nice turn around that Land Rover looks brand new. Your video of the 3401 inspired me to buy one, now I can't wait to use it.

 

[maesal]

Great job and amazing pics, thank you for sharing
Have you tried the 105 with the Flex?

 

[BMSPEED]

thanks for the flex/pc comparison video, makes me look forward to receiving my flex. great job on the land rover as well, menz sip and 106 are also my polish of choice.

 

[blkyukon]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it!

wow great job and awesome correction from the flex

The Flex is a great machine and cut through those swirls/scratches very easily. The PC with the 4" pads did quite well to...it still amazes my how well the 4" pads cut.

Wow, nice turn around that Land Rover looks brand new. Your video of the 3401 inspired me to buy one, now I can't wait to use it.

You will be very happy it's a great machine and IMO well worth the money.

Great job and amazing pics, thank you for sharing
Have you tried the 105 with the Flex?

I haven't yet but it's on my next purchase.

thanks for the flex/pc comparison video, makes me look forward to receiving my flex. great job on the land rover as well, menz sip and 106 are also my polish of choice.

Your welcome...the Flex with SIP and 106ff is a great combo!

Thanks again!

 

[blkyukon]

I forgot to mention this...There has been a lot of concern about using pressure with the Flex 3401 and the backing plate touching/burning against the machine. Well I did a few pressure tests while using the Flex on the Rover and had no problem with melting or burning of the backing plate. I applied excessive pressure by leaned on it and applied heavy pressure on an angle with no problem at all. I applied the constant pressure through the majority of the pass when I was testing it.

It did rub though, as you can see in the pic below, but no slowing down, smoke or melting.

Here is the results of heavy downward pressure and pressure on an angle:

 

[mixxer]

Very nice work bro ! i also tried different angles and pressures on the flex and i got no rubbing ,burning or smell either.

 

[Gary Sword]

Great job blkyukon! I love the half and half shots. Like you I have not had a problem with my Flex.

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Great job blkyukon, you always to a great job on the details you post.

 

[blkyukon]

Thanks guys!!

Coming from you that must have been a lots of pressure, something unlikely majority will exert when polishing.

LOL...it was only a couple hundred pounds of pressure

As I mentioned before, once I double-washered this puppy and tightened it real good I was able to make things touch only with tons of pressure, not something I would be doing when polishing because by that time panel like hood or roof would be already flexing (no pun intended) down.

Exactly I was using a lot more pressure then I would ever normally use. I'm curious on the ones that the backing plate melted or smoked, was the felt pad in the machine flush with the machine? I wondering if that might be the problem because mine sticks out about 1/16-1/8" above the machine - see here:

 

[blkyukon]

Mine is not flush either but it does not stick out 1/16", more like 1/32", which is in line with a gap between plate and housing (which I estimate at 1/32" and I think Dave from PowerHouse measured at 0.035", which is practically 1/32"). Looking at your picture I am guessing yours is more like 1/32" too.

I thing you are right...my guestimation was not very accurate on that one

However, what I am noticing now is that gearing in your second picture does not seem flush with housing (I am not saying mine is, I am just commenting on picture).

If that is correct it makes me wonder would be actually gearing that is rubbing against plate and felt just gets stuck against melted surface but is not one whose friction caused the melting.

No, it is flush but does have some play and will move about half of the height of the felt pad (~1/64")....or more if I force it.

I think you might be on to something though...if the gear in the machine was at the same height as the felt it would definitely cause some friction.

 

[maesal]

Great job and amazing pics, thank you for sharing
Have you tried the 105 with the Flex?

I haven't yet but it's on my next purchase.

I tried it yesterday with a 5.5" LC orange pad and it worked like a charm, great combo. I used it in a grey Mercedes C Class and the clarity achieved is nice. Then a finishing polish or a glaze and a wax.