Hello from Luxemburg

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chargecooler

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Hello,

been reading here for a while and decided to register as I ordered some detailing products from AG and figured this might be a nice place to chat :)

I have a 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE as a daily driver that needs some good swirl removal. They are all over the place and pretty intense. If the sun shines on it the red really stands out but the swirls too !

I will be attempting to remove the swirls with a DA and a couple of menzerna compounds and mf pads. Then add some sealer and wax to protect it for a while. I also ordered some claybars. I think I can make it. Larry Kosilla gave me the motivation to do this myself :)

Attached 2 pics of the beast in question. Note the first image is made with traditional Fuji slide film. I like how it works with car colors :)

Brgds
Steven
 
Hey Steven,

How are you doing today? Love the color, same as my 2015 Kia Soul +, yes indeed they love the sunlight. Your Lotus looks great, nothing a proper detail can't take care of. A few passes with a quality polisher, and as you mentioned, some good MF pads and and perhaps a little FG 400 followed by SF4000 and you are set.
I love Menzerna products, high quality and excellent results.
Good luck & take care.

Peace,

Darrin
 
Welcome to AGO and you will learn alot from this site. Beautiful car!!
 
Thanks !

As for the Menzerna, I ordered the PF-2500 and the SF-4500. I thought this would be a reasonable combo. Does that sound like a plan ?

I also have some type of clearcoat overspray on the roof. The clear is completly dull. The front bumper actually is worse because its completly covered with impact craters. Same for the side skirts. It needs a full respray at some point as there are cracks and paint chips all over the car. Looks like the primer didnt bond very well and the paint doesnt like being flexed.
 
Hi from Brazil, Sir, wish I had a Lotus for a daily driver!
Regarding your choices, they are good, but I would start polishing with a foam, since mf is quite abrasive and the paint has some 25 years. Maybe the clearcoat is too thin. Do you know if it is a single or two stage paint? The paint must be hard as a rock, I would add a Fg 400 or a 300, since you seem a Menzerna fan.
In case you decide to go with mf, start cutting with polishing mf pad first, although it is polishing pad they will cut as well, but in a less abrasive way.
Older cars are a problem, because sometimes you work with a hard paint with thin clearcoat, therefore one mistake and you hit the paint. But probably your beloved Lotus is single stage, so you will be safer.
And indeed, Fuji slide film is excellent for color matching, especially for the greens, reds and yellows, while the kodak used to be good on blues, purples, violets and the end of the spectrum, I was a film photographer back in the days. My long two cents. ;)
 
The paint actually has a clearcoat. I can see it lifting on some places. I will start with the least abrasive combination and then move up as needed. I doubt there is a lot I can do to this paint since the condition is so bad but it will be a fun and educational excercise.

I love my Fuji slide film :) Its awesome, but the Kodak Ektar negative isn't bad either, its difficult to scan though. So for car photography Fuji Velvia is my first choice :) I only use film for serious work, sold my digital :)
 
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