A concerned enthusiast contacted me regarding his 2011 Audi S4 with just over 5000 miles on the clock. He was very interested in high-level paint correction and had found it difficult to locate anyone in the area providing that service. In the end he was referred by Matrix Integrated, the premier euro tuning shop in the Portland area. This owner was between a rock and a hard place in terms of car care. The water at his residence was exremely hard, leaving dreaded water spots all over the paint. A discerning enthusiast, to avoid this, he did some research and began to perform waterless washes on this Deep Sea Blue S4. This solved one problem, but left him with another- scratches and other defects induced from the regular waterless washes. The car was brought back to proper form via the following process and over the course of 20+ hours: *All surface decontamination - Body panels, gaps, trim, glass, door jambs, wheels, calipers and arches - Degrease foam/wash, tar removal, forced air dry, clay, multiple IPA wipedowns *Wheels and calipers sealed *Trim sealed *Car completely debadged *95% Paint Correction- compounding, polishing, jeweling *2 coats of sealant, 12 hours in between *All exterior glass polished, water spots removed, super sealant applied *Engine bay degreased, water spots removed, dressed with protectant Initial Presentation Some patches of heavier scratching were visible through the grime in broad sunlight. More on this cluster later More shots of the level of grime, the owner has definitely been enjoying this car and using it for what it was made to do! Elbow grease is the way to a clean tire Initial Engine Mild covering of dust, with collections of debris in the cracks and crevices. Hoses and trim were in need of a deep clean and application of protectant. Water spotting present on underside of the hood. Foam soak and 2 bucket method wash to remove grime and wax the owner had faithfully applied. Door jambs were cleaned and sealed This once again shiny beast was treated to a forced air dry, ensuring no chance additional paint defects were induced Exhaust tips before Exhaust tips after- cleaned, sealed, and protected. Showing some great beading. Trunk arms showing a hazy, dull appearance Revitalized! Miscellaneous Work performed prior to paint correction Chalky colored film build up from minerals in the hard water Cleaned up, not yet protected Trim A pillar, inside trim. If you have worked on the latest generation of Audi, tihs trim piece is made from an extremely soft material that will scratch if you look at it wrong. Add in the water spots leaving it faded and gray, and this trim was in special need of rejuvenation. 50//50 of rejuvenation process Driver side grill before After Driver side inside trim before Driver side after, much better. Its the little things that count! Grime under the side mirror After cleaning Paint Correction Examples of the defects present under various lighting. Little marring was found on the vehicle, but plenty of scratches ranging from light to full blown Random Deep Scratches (RDS) needed to be dealt with Concentrating on clay! Hood before correction During Afterwards Driver front quarter before Afterwards Driver door 50//50 Driver rocker panel before After. This section had clear bra needing much more finesse and not allowing for full correction. Driver door handle cluster of scratches, right side of picture After correction Driver C pillar and rear quarter- Remember that cluster of scratches from the pre-wash picture? Here it is again exposed, also note the bird bomb etch at the base of the C pillar. After correction Trunk deck 50//50 Passenger side rear quarter before Afterwards Post Paint Correction, prior to application of protection coat: LED/camera flash inspection. This car now passes the test, deep, crystal clear reflection Engine The engine bay is now looking sharp and spotless with protection applied Afters This S4 has been rejuvenated and the following pics are proof. Despite an overcast day, the glossy, deep reflection is extremely evident. Thanks for reviewing this project, comments and questions are welcomed as always. Car sporting its new 'stealth' look, per owner's request And now for the absolute best shot of the bunch. One of the best car pics I have seen in a while!
Great job Sean! It is you or me in Oregon. You should have seen what NW Autosalon did to a brand new black Acura. $1800 worth of damage in repaint, plus what ever I am going to make correcting the paint.
Thanks Brian! Appreciate it Ken! Thanks! Did you notice the different trimmed fog lights? For some reason the passenger side has a chrome outline, driver has a black outline. Not sure if this is typical of the titanium package or some sort of error from the factory?! Thomas there is plenty of paint correction for both of us in this area!!! Send me some pics of the NWAS hack, I am shocked.
Did not notice the different trimmed fog lights until you pointed it out. I am pretty sure that the titanium package has no chrome trim. That is strange; a car with heterochromia!
Just to clarify, the shop in question is in Portland, NW Auto Spa, not NW Auto Salon in Seattle. :thumb:
