[docapl]

Thanks to Robert Willis and Jeff McGoveran for their expert work in preparing and detailing my McLaren. A lot of hard work, but I could not be happier with the results.

They documented the whole process here:

http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/pro-studio/33430-mclaren-mp4-12c-correction-auto-concierge.htm

 

[LimeyBloke]

Very nice. But, I don't understand why there were so many minor paint flaws,"sanding scratches",blemishes, etc. in the paintwork that had to be corrected. Is that how most MP4-12C cars arrive from the manufacturer ???

 

[scottishxj220]

I seem to recall seeing a detailing thread of a brand new LP670 SV when they first came out and it was shocking the state of the paint. The car was black and, under the right light, it was terrible. But I don't know if this is usual or not.

 

[6th element]

Yes, it is like this on practically all brands and usually worst with the Italian marques, according to my detailer. Much of it has to do with the softness of the paint used nowadays (no lead). However, as I stated in my own thread about my car being prepped, you need strong lights and a keen eye to see many of the defects. As said in this post, the more fleck in the paint, the more it will hide the defects. These guys (detailers) are perfectionists - they will find and see stuff that you may never even notice in your lifetime of ownership of the car. But, if you want to start with perfection, it is well worth the investment.

 

[docapl]

The detailer said the McLaren paint was actually in much better shape than my Scuderia when delivered. It also had more uniform thickness. This is really subtle stuff but a sharp eye can notice the minor blemishes. Few will see these minor things, but everyone notices how good it looks when corrected!

 

[Wes_R]

Looking like it should!

It always baffles me that most of these exotic companies pay little attention to the paint finish after all that design and engineering.

 

[Picus]

In my experience your detailer is right on - cars that are hand painted/test driven at the factory almost invariably show up with buffer trails, sanding scratches, dust nibs, etc. We did quite a few new car preps for Lambo of Toronto and (if it makes you guys feel any better ) they arrived in much worse condition than the McLarens we've worked on.

The MCs may have had da sanding marks and some holograms but at least the paint was very consistent and the finish was nice, so when the issues were corrected they were bangin'.

FWIW, I think the primary issue is that the guys at the factory are working on un-cured paint. They almost always "detail" the car after spray but before baking, so they have to deal with shrinkage, filling, etc. A good example is this: http://gtaindetail.com/mclaren/luke/12.JPG That was after we removed the factory installed clear film - it must be applied after baking but before final detailing, which would example the crazy buffer trail.

In any event, you're all sorted out now. Looks amazing!

 

[hurstg01]

There was an F1 owner who, after having his car repainted at the factory, took it to a 'detailer' to remove the swirls, minor scratches and blemishes to get the paint to how we all would expect it to have come out of the factory.

Every manufacturer is the same, from Yugo [are they still going?] to Rolls Royce [on varying scales, of course!] but no car comes out of the factory as good as a detailer can get it