TLC

Ah swirl marks.

A blast around fine European fine roads is surely an enviable thing, but keeping the car clean was a challenge at times. Although there's lots of access to spray-washes over there, having all the good gear to keep the paint pristine and swirl-free wasn't really an option.

So, the GTS has a few 'love marks' from the quick cleans I did over there between hairpins. Time to put the winter months to good use and give the paint some care and attention. I'm not sure there's much I can do about the two stone 'bruises' in the windshield (can you believe it???), but I can definitely put my paint care expertise to good use.

Last night I started - I'd already put the car away clean, so it was simply a matter of gathering up my detailing supplies and getting to work. First off was to drape a sheet over the convertible roof. I learned that the hard way with the S2000 as it took years for me to get the polish overspray residue out of the semi-porous roof fabric.

With the roof protected, I started with the rear decklid, where there are two rather long scratches - a mitt that wasn't fully clean was clearly the culprit. A couple of unsuccessful passes with the least abrasive polish were enough to show me that the scratches were a little deeper than I had initially thought, so I broke out the more abrasive compound and went back to work. This time it worked, as each successive pass made the marks shorter and shorter. Phew.

Using the large polisher though was fairly cumbersome for the nooks and crannies and the attractive rear accent lines on the decklid. Hard to get the 6" pad to mate up to the surface cleanly. Cue up a smaller polisher from Amazon for an early Xmas present! So I left that alone for now, secure in the knowledge that with the right product and pad selection, I was going to be able to get those annoying marks out of the clearcoat.

With time still on my hands, as the garage was still nice and warm (2° C outside), I decided to turn my attention to the wheels and give them a good clean and wax. They definitely are 100% the easiest wheels to clean I have ever had. Even the 5-spokers on the Acura RSX I had weren't this simple.

I made short work of wiping them down, including the barrels, and then topped them off with a coat of spray way that will hopefully help make cleaning the brake dust off them just that much simpler. Wash them often enough, and it's not a problem, but woe betide those who leave the dust on there for long. That stuff is corrosive as heck and will make short work of a nice wheel finish if left unattended for too long.

Nothing like a little quality time with your passion project, as I know Dad and some of my friends will attest. There's something extremely satisfying about the quiet detail work you can do alone in a workspace with no other immediate demands upon you. A cold drink at hand, good lighting, some music, and most importantly, the right tools and materials, and you can while away hours in seemingly no time at all.

Of course I only got the trunk done...and by done I mean only polished. Not sealed and protected.

Ah well, I have all winter!

~ Luke