Hi guys and gals! So I guess this guy was hoping to be in the next The Spy Who Loved Me film but things went awry... terribly. This is no Esprit and you're not Bond, dude. So, they say the owner of this car swerved to avoid hitting a child on a bicycle... Anyway, I've been eagerly awaiting this detail for a couple months now and the next day it came out of cervix I got my grubby hands on it !! Here's why I was anxious >> YouTube - Ferrari F430 In the Lake, Accident Aftermath It sat in the lake for almost a week!!?? Either that guy was a really sh1tty driver or he lost control from going too fast and took it for a plunge because it looks to me that he's got plenty of space between the road and the lake to avoid hitting a kid. Or perhaps he was avoiding something else when he went into the lake? Nationwide is on your side... My customer was the highest bidder for this at an auction and what a lucky duck he is, because after lots of work and after putting my mojo on it, it looks almost brand new... Here's the goods >> Texas inspection stinker... Step one: Remove all barnacles and fish . The a$$holes that polished this car before the owner came to me left polish all over the car and it's been a few weeks so it was very difficult to remove. Gift from above This little surprise set me back about 2.5 hours... A clear bra that had been cooked for the entire time the car was out in the auction lot... roughly 1.5 years I believe in the Texas heat. Yeeeah!! The clear bra came off but the glue decided it wanted to "stick around" for a bit longer . OK I'll get my coat now. :whistle: Glue boogers that I collected. I think I'll place these strategically in front of my shed door where the neighbor's Persian cat usually craps. Ever seen a shaven Persian? Looks something like this My new wheel cleaner doin its thang... Part 2 of the wheel detox: My new nano wheel cleaner. Cleaning usually isn't necessary after the 2st step, but just in case. This leaves the first coat of nano protection (the foundation) behind... sweet stuff . Let the beadings begin!!! The wheels bead much better after the 2nd coat of wheel sealant is applied by hand. Some of the damage. This thing had water spots galore everywhere, but not from it's maritime mayhem, but from being outside for so long. Most of the engine bay and glass had to be cleaned with 20% vinegar. I started out with the engine bay and soaked it with APC to loosen up the poopy inside then brushed and blasted out with a PW. The i snowed the outside , rinsed and then snowed again. I've started using a new method of washing and IMO it's much better than the 2BM. The first foaming is of course to loosen contaminants. Then rinse. Foam again, but this time don't rinse. Use the foam to wash the car with and your single bucket of soapy water to rinse off the wash mitt. With this method you get a super slick layer of foam between you and the car, which is much slicker than soap & wasser alone. Also, what I've done here is I've used a non-pH neutral foam for the second layer of snow, which when combined with agitation from the wash mitt will strip any wax on the car, as seen in exhibit A below (no sheeting). I shall call it "The 2FM" or "two foam method" (coining that!! ) This is the "Trout Hangout"... Leather not too bad... considering. The "Crab's Corner" The paint... Couldn't get this one out. This is where the side-view mirror dangled like a dingle berry throughout the entire trip to Europe... Polishing was done with my new soon to be "not-so-secret" cutting pad and a cutting polish which is also soon to be announced, followed by a finishing pad and finishing polish. LSP for today was my nano sealant, all outside trim dressed with my nano dressing, front and back glass got a nano treatment, leather, etc., etc. Enjoy the afters!! Truck Norris popping in for a cameo appearance... B&W UP NEXT: Ferrari Fiorano 599 GTB "Desert Storm" Edition This car has been sitting in Dubai for more than a year in the 45-50 degree heat and it's been through a few desert storms I'd say!!! The owner has been kind enough to invite me for lunch next week when I go back to do his Escalade and of course I'll be behind the wheel for some play time on some long and windy country roads... Thanks for reading and to all the Playboy subscribers, thanks for "reading"! - Jesse O'Connor
Very interesting story! So this Ferrari was a total loss, sold at auction, and shipped to Europe where your client picked it up? Or sold at auction in the US, then shipped overseas? What kind of damage was done to the car? Does it still drive? What did they have to do to make it as we see above again? Any idea how much he paid for it?
Thanks! So yeah, it was totaled, auctioned off in the US, my client bought it then shipped it here. I'm not exactly sure what the damage was, but it was under repairs for some time. I think the bumpers were replaced, some other aesthetic parts, some engine components, etc. I can't say how much he paid for it, but believe me, he got a steal... Actually it's as mechanically sound as a 4 year old Ferrari should be! I'll be taking it for a drive next week so I'll be sure to make a video ! Cheers Phil!
NICE. Glad to hear it. I have driven one....its nothing short of amazing. Wait until it hits redline.....its music to your ears.:thumb:
Thanks Joey! It's an awesome car, but pales in comparison to the Italia... now THAT will make you crap your pants when it accelerates...
looks great man. but the car sat in the lake for a week and that was all the damage that was done by the water? I would have thought some electronics would have failed, maybe some water behind the instrument cluster etc . . . . . but you made it look better then new for sure.
A "two for one"........ great write up and comedic discriptions of the "sorted history" of this now dialed in F-430. :lol:
Wow Jesse, that is the true wonder of what a good thorough detail can do for any car. However, you need to stop teasing all your nano products, release them already!
Thanks Slang! Thanks! Dunno, I think there's something "fishy" about that too . Thanks buddy! I'm not sure exactly what the boys did to repair it, but considering it was living with the fish for a week, it wasn't much... Ferraris may have crappy finishes, but their engines are bulletproof... Thank you my friend! I take it you enjoyed the shaven "P" picture ! I piss myself every time I see that :applause2:! Thanks Christian! Coming very soon my friend, very soon!
Ok, now that's amazing story Great work on this,I'm just curious, was there any unpleasant smell inside ? Sometime ago I heard that car after flood will always have specific smell that cannot be erased.
Thanks Rui! I do love working on them . Thanks man! Surprisingly enough, the leather still smelled new... go finger! Also, the moldy smell usually comes from letting the car sit in a poorly ventilated place. This one was pulled out of a lake in Texas and after that I'm sure it was thrown off the flatbed in some impound lot outside... I'm sure it dried out pretty quickly in the Texas heat . I'll be taking it for a drive tomorrow ! Thank you, sir!
