Focus RS

[Stuart]

Part one

Full works; engine bay, exterior, interior plus extras like alloy and exhaust polishing and sealants
Bug splatter
DSCF0020 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Coked exhaust and iron contaminants
DSCF0022 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Interior needs tidying but immaculate for the age
DSCF0023 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Lovely seats would need gentle cleaning
DSCF0024 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Grubby alloys also told me how bad the iron contamination may be on the paint
DSCF0025 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Wash routine with colour coordinated wash mitt
DSCF0026 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
After a basic wash routine it was time to start getting bonded contaminants off of the paint. The purple streaks you can see are Iron particles that have burnt into the paint, safely being dissolved so that they can be rinsed off. Much like Logan's Clio, this Focus has a functional rear diffuser and big brakes so there was burnt on brake dust everywhere!!
DSCF0032 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
After the first wash and decontamination cycle, I decided I'd sort the engine bay out. Basic cleaning was carried out without using any running water (safe!) and then all plastics were dressed
DSCF0035 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
With the engine bay sorted out, it was time to clay the car to get rid of the last contaminants that could be safely removed before re-washing it all, drying it and moving it inside for machine and hand polishing.
DSCF0040 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
The intricate bodywork meant that several sections needed to be hand polished, namely most of the black painted trim and also the front bumper. This meant a bit of trial and error getting the best combination of cut and finish but left me with a decent result and comparable to the machine polished majority. There were minor imperfections found but the car really was in very good condition overall.

[Stuart]

Part two


With polishing completed I gave myself a rest from the noise and got the tyres dressed, and the exhaust and alloys polished and sealed
DSCF0050 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
DSCF0056 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr

The sealant I favour for cars like this (value wise and daily driven) was going to be applied to all painted surfaces, as well as the boot shut, diffuser and front splitter underside. It applies easily enough but you have to be very careful to make sure it's thin and even coats
DSCF0045 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
All nooks and crannies were covered to ensure maximum protection
DSCF0046 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Here is the sealant in question, Serious Performance Ultra with one of my 'proper' buffing microfibres
DSCF0047 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Headlights were hand polished and UV protected
DSCF0049 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
The interior was cleaned including all fabrics, leather, metal surfaces (door shuts and pedals etc) and plastics
DSCF0052 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
DSCF0053 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
Completed
DSCF0056 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
DSCF0057 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr
DSCF0061 by Stuart Staples, on Flickr

This was a lot of work for one day, but well worth it. Tomorrow sees another type of beast altogether so that's all for tonight and I'll update again soon. April is now fully booked, May is busy and June is also looking very good so far. If you're interested in any aspects of this job or you'd like to discuss anything please let me know

Cheers

[pablo]

Damn thats showroom ready if not better. Take it this will be at RS Central day next weekend.

[MrBrooks]

That's a mighty fine job you've done. I'll definitely be booking soon.

[Stuart]

Thank you Gents

No idea Pablo...he really does love his Ford's so he could well be there. I only had time for the most basic of paint correction so there are still some scratches and marks that were too deep to safely tackle but it's certainly a big improvement.

Cheers Mr Brooks Look forward to hearing from you.

[RX7]

Wow what a shine, ace job considering the mix of paint and plastics.

Whilst I don't like the Kermit colour, these are impressive cars and look even better in white. Love the interior too.

[Ian200sx]

Good job, these Rs focus's are really growing on me. when you wash a car do you use a few mitts or just one? I've only started using a mitt (yeti fist, sorry I like sponges) and can see the swirl type scratches. Are this avoidable or is it only a matter of time before some form of scratching turns up from washing your car? Also having issues with water spots at the moment, never been a problem before. Have now got a building site up the road so lots more dust about.

[Daz_Ten]

A very shiny RS, really nice job, one of my next jobs for mine.

[Stuart]

Good job, these Rs focus's are really growing on me. when you wash a car do you use a few mitts or just one? I've only started using a mitt (yeti fist, sorry I like sponges) and can see the swirl type scratches. Are this avoidable or is it only a matter of time before some form of scratching turns up from washing your car? Also having issues with water spots at the moment, never been a problem before. Have now got a building site up the road so lots more dust about.

I use three mitts (at least) and three buckets

One bucket with brushes and mitts for alloys
Two buckets with mitts., one bucket with a grit guard and rinse water and one with shampoo in it

Most scratches are caused by either not getting the grit and dirt particles off of the car before you apply the mitt, poor technique (such as picking up dirt on a sill and then wiping it over the corresponding panel) or just using too much pressure. It's inevitable that some light scratches will happen over a year of regular washing but if they're happening faster than that, then something can be done to help.

Water spots are horrendous at the moment in East Anglia. Even rain water is leaving stubborn marks on the car so it makes it very tough to keep things looking minty. Keep plenty of quick detailer to hand and good quality microfibres If your car is fundamentally clean but has dust on it, rinse the dust off with an open hose and most of the water will either bead or sheet off. Once it's 90% dry spritz some QD on a panel and once on the cloth (first panel only for the cloth), and then go panel to panel making it look beautiful

Hope that helps

[Stuart]

A very shiny RS, really nice job, one of my next jobs for mine.

Thanks Daz