Remove water spots - Matte Shaker Hood Scoop - 2016 Challenger Scatpack 392 Hemi

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Remove water spots - Matte Shaker Hood Scoop - 2016 Challenger Scatpack 392 Hemi


A few weeks ago my good friend Ken contacted me about detailing his 2016 Scatpack Challenger with the 392 Hemi engine and the matte finished Shaker Hood Scoop and matte graphics. Upon inspecting the level of damage to both the Shaker Scoop and the matte graphics I made no promises except I would try my best.



Here's the car. This is the BEFORE shot as in before I did a full paint correction and coating.

Yeah I know, from this picture you can't see all the swirls and scratches in the paint but this is the condition.

Here's the matte finish Shaker Hood Scoop

These close-up shots are AFTER washing the car - thus what you're seeing are not spots or dirt ON the matte plastic but damage that is permeated into the plastic.

At this point I have know idea if this can be fixed or improved... but I figure I can't make it any worse.

Here's the hood popped open so I can cover-up the surrounding components and engine compartment.

Here's a before and after - after machine polishing the matte plastic using the FLEX Supa BEAST, RUPES 180mm yellow foam polishing pads and 3D One.

Here's after machine polishing the entire scoop. After polishing the scoop I took a cotton terrycloth scrap rag and saturated it with a rubber/vinyl cleaner/conditioner and carefully wiped and massaged the rubber gasket you see around the Shaker Scoop. It was dirty and very dull looking.

Not perfect but much much better...

Here's the car after the paint correction and ceramic coating install including coating the matte scoop and the matte graphics.


Looks much better...

See it?

Here's most of what I used

The pads that look yellow were used on the paint and glass. The pads that have black residue on them are from machine polishing the Shaker Scoop and the matte black graphics.

This is the replacement for the BEAST, which is being discontinued.

If you want an original BEAST aka the FLEX XC 3401 VRG - better get your order placed before they're gone for good.



My comments...

Working on matte surfaces to undo damage without changing or altering the matte appearance is both tricky and challenging. In this case I did in fact alter the matte plastic Shaker Hood and made it shiny. BUT - it sure looks better than the way it looked before machine polishing and the owner was happy. The matte graphics at the back of the car also came out really nice and while they are not shiny as in glossy, they do have a dramatically improved deep, dark black SHEEN.

Give the choice to pay to REPLACE the Shaker Hood and the matte graphics OR take what you get via machine polishing - the owner opted for polishing over replacment. My guess is replacement would cost more and it would also be a lot of work, at least to replace the graphics.


On Autogeek.com



Products

Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay - $20.00 (Not pictured but this is what I used and I used it with the SONAX Glass Cleaner. Also washed the car with the SONAX Glass Cleaner)

3D One 32 oz - $43.99

3D Wipe 16 oz. - $14.99

3D Ceramic Coating Kit - 30mL - $79.99




Tools

FLEX Supa BEAST - this is my name for this tool - here's the actual part number/name FLEX XCE 10-8 125 Corded Polisher - $436.00


I strongly recommend getting the optional 6" backing plate for your Supa BEAST so you can turn and churn larger pads. The factory backing plate is a 5" backing plate and too small in my opinion to leverage what this tool is capable of doing.

FLEX Multi-Polisher 6 inch Backing Plate - $25.00



RUPES iBrid Nano Long Neck - Systainer Case - $630.00

There's no inexpensive way to get into the RUPES Nano Long Neck, one of my favorite tool. This is new Systainer Case "kit" is new as I type on Tuesday, June 1st. It's on sale as I type but I've included the full retail price.






Pads

RUPES D-A Yellow Fine Foam Pad - 7 Inch - $11.99 (these are 180mm in metric, which is how RUPES identifies them)



Towels

And you'll need lots of towels. I would recommend at least getting a dozen of both of these. I used the orange towels for the Prep Wash and to wipe off the BLACKFIRE One Step and used the green towels to apply and remove the PBL Surface Coating.

The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel - $5.99 each (There's no bundle deal for a dozen at the time I'm writing this article)

Cobra Forrest Green Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloths - 12 Pack - $19.99



Hope this helps anyone that has to deal with one of these MOPAR Hood Scoops in the future.


:cheers:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

More...


Here's before and after - the big picture... because the Shaker Scoop is a focus point of the car it makes a big difference having it also look good.


BEFORE

Here's the matte finish Shaker Hood Scoop

AFTER

See it?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

More...

Here's part 2 for this detailing project...

Removing Water Spots from Matte Vinyl Graphics on a Dodge Challenger Scatpack 392 Hemi


Machine Polishing NEGLECTED Matte Vinyl Graphics and Matte Plastic

 

[Rsurfer]

Huge difference on the shaker and graphics. How was the paint. Did you do a one or two step?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Huge difference on the shaker and graphics. How was the paint.

Paint had water spots too plus light swirls and scratches. Entire outside of car was contaminated.

Did you do a one or two step?

This is what I call a one-step paint correction and ceramic coating.


I've posted the link to the write-up for the rest of the car above, but here it is also...

Removing Water Spots from Matte Vinyl Graphics on a Dodge Challenger Scatpack 392 Hemi




:buffing:

 

[Prange]

Outstanding work. This is why I'm not fond of these matte-finish parts and/or graphics on a daily driver.

Have you ever had to restore a newer satin-finish hood on Hellcat/Scat Pack cars?

Thanks.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Outstanding work. This is why I'm not fond of these matte-finish parts and/or graphics on a daily driver.

Same here - not a fan.

Have you ever had to restore a newer satin-finish hood on Hellcat/Scat Pack cars?

Thanks.

Can't remember a newer car where I've done this. I would do it as long as the owner knew the paint was going to gloss-up a tick.

 

[FlordPerformance]

Mike amazing shine on that hood scoop. But I'm still seeing some water spots after your procedure. hard water spots are extremely difficult to remove. But I've found that at surface scratch remove (paste) like a paste wax can remove a lot of these spots. But worse case, use plastic spray paint to restore the finish. I've even found that Bug and tar removed can remove these. But the most successful method is clay bar treatment.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike amazing shine on that hood scoop. But I'm still seeing some water spots after your procedure.

My repair of the damage is not complete and that's because the "damage" is IN the surface material deeply. It's not topical. I felt to abrade the plastic any further would compromise the surface forcing the owner to have to replace the entire scoop.

Part of doing professional detailing is knowing what to do and part of doing professional work is knowing what NOT to do.


We are miracle workers - we can only do so much.

Here's the BIG PICTURE - the OWNER is HAPPY. And that's the most important thing. :xyxthumbs:


:cheers:

 

[Farmallluvr]

My repair of the damage is not complete and that's because the "damage" is IN the surface material deeply. It's not topical. I felt to abrade the plastic any further would compromise the surface forcing the owner to have to replace the entire scoop.

Part of doing professional detailing is knowing what to do and part of doing professional work is knowing what NOT to do.


We are miracle workers - we can only do so much.

Here's the BIG PICTURE - the OWNER is HAPPY. And that's the most important thing. :xyxthumbs:


:cheers:

The owner being happy is the most important part...I too hate the matte decals and I have never been able to get stuff like this out either.

I have a few techniques I'd like to try but don't want to risk damage either ,,maybe I can find some trashed matte on a junk panel and try to discover a technique...who knows

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The owner being happy is the most important part...

Agree.

I shared this on a MOPAR forum and most of the members liked the before and after results. A few didn't like the change.


I'm not sure everyone was able to figure out that if I didn't "fix" the ugly - then only other option was to "replace" the ugly and the owner didn't want to go the route of replacing the shaker scoop or the matte graphics.


:dunno: