Complete car detail....50 hours and counting...Check it out!

[CobraMac]

I started a thread a while back...but I'm make this one and going to keep updating it!

So I haven't driven my cobra in 10 months...I took the whipple off, sold it and saved for my massive twin turbo project. It was finally completely finished last Monday...so I towed it home Tuesday....took it for a spin around the block with no bumper, then immediately put it on jackstand haha. Not driving it for 10 months...you can't imagine how dirty a car can get just sitting around...and the gang at RET even took greattt care of it, washing it all the time, etc. This needed to be done for a whileee now tho! I'll be updating, as I continue over the next two days. Full 100% detail!! :clap:


I have spent around 50 hours on the car so far...have a ton of things done.
-Cleaned the entire wheel wells and inner fenders and then used duplicolor bedliner spray to re-coat the inner fenders
-Buffed the car and removed the swirls...on the polishing stage
-Painted the gas tank cover and straps
-Polished the exhaust
-Put in new ARP studs for the wheels and put on 1/2" spacers
-Moved the intercooler and mounts up higher in the front


Things still need to do:
-Clean entire interior
-Finishing polishing the car...then glaze and then wax
-Put on new 3rd brake light
-Put on new front chin spoiler





First thing...the wheel wheels and everything under there.

What it looked like before:

Then after (Different side obviously haha):

Now with the Duplicolor bedliner spray!

Rear with flash off:

Flash on:

Front with flash off:

Flash on:

Next step....polishing the exhaust. This is a chore and a half (especially since I haven't cleaned the metal in 3 years). It took soooo long! 5 hours for each side! It was sooo worth it though!

Before I began:

After 150 grit:

After 440 grit:

All finished and polished!! What a transformation huh??

Pics of the exhaust installed now...AND the gas tank cover and straps painted! (Did that myself)

Next step....the body....I spent 2 hours alone clay-baring every single spec of the car.

These are the products I'll be using! Optimum compound II. Optimum finish. And finally Poorboy's Blackhole.

Before the compound (yahhh...normal, the car look amazing, but the car looks like CRAP realllly close up):

After only one pass:

After the compound only and on to the polishing stage (that's just dust on the car btw):

The rear shines too! Still need to put my new 3rd brake light in...I broke the old one on accident haha.

And lastly for now...The studs and wheel spacers!

Before:

After:

 

[EBCOBRA]

Brandon keep up the good work. The Cobra is looking awesome. :beer:

 

[jtm]

looking good, how did you like the poorboys glaze?

 

[Camaro_94]

Great work man! :rockon:

 

[blkGT500nCA]

Looks amazing! I've always been too scared to use something like a porta-cable or something similar. Are they difficult to use?

 

[SLVRBLT]

Looks great.

 

[murse]

amazing as always

 

[yellow03vert]

Looks like it is turning out great.

 

[CobraMac]

Brandon keep up the good work. The Cobra is looking awesome. :beer:

Thanks Eric!! You know how I love clean cars..you saw that when I was staring at yours! haha :rockon:

looking good, how did you like the poorboys glaze?

I haven't tried it yet! It's going on tomorrow so I will let you know...and take pics as well!:beer:

Great work man! :rockon:

Thank you! :banana:

Looks amazing! I've always been too scared to use something like a porta-cable or something similar. Are they difficult to use?

Thanks man! It's soooo easy with a porter cable...it's nothing like an orbital buffer....I can leave the porter cable on one spot for 30 seconds and it won't ruin my paint! They are very easy and veryyyy safe!

Looks great.

Thanks!!:beer:

amazing as always

Thanks Brian!! I hope you're still loving your beast :rockon:

Looks like it is turning out great.

Thank you very much!:coolman:

 

[MAD SVT]

Ideas stolen so far...

Painting gas tank cover and straps.

Painting inner fenderwell

Keep posting =) "I" keep getting new ideas :thumbsup:

 

[T-Bolt]

Looks great so far, but I have one big suggestion that I'm surprised a detail freak like you didn't do: paint the rotor hats. Get yourself some POR 15 for the rusty areas or just use regular old barbeque grill paint. It makes it look nicer and you won't get those ugly rust spots when you take off the wheels.

 

[ZYBORG]

Awsome, I have so much respect for someone that takes such pride in their car and pours so much hard work into it!

Super clean ride..

 

[mec03svt]

makes me want to get a black one now. you should try higher grit on your catback and really get it shining with some polish on top. it would really look nasty. nice work :thumbsup:

 

[Cookieman00x]

nice, looks alot better.

 

[CobraMac]

Looks great so far, but I have one big suggestion that I'm surprised a detail freak like you didn't do: paint the rotor hats. Get yourself some POR 15 for the rusty areas or just use regular old barbeque grill paint. It makes it look nicer and you won't get those ugly rust spots when you take off the wheels.

I never even thought of that! Thank you for the advice on that. You can get that stuff at like lowes or Home Depot right? And you paint the WHOLE rotor, or just the rusted part?? (After u get the rust off of course). And just get a silver color right??

Awsome, I have so much respect for someone that takes such pride in their car and pours so much hard work into it!

Super clean ride..

Thank you very much! I definitely take a lot of pride in it...I'm young and a ton of my money has gone into it, so I have to keep it immaculate...it would be a waste to let something I've put so much effort into look shitty haha. :beer:

makes me want to get a black one now. you should try higher grit on your catback and really get it shining with some polish on top. it would really look nasty. nice work :thumbsup:

I actually did....went all the way up to 2000 grit...and polished it at the end as well...that's why it's so shiny on the car :banana:

It won't get anywhere near "sleepers" shiny quality though...mine was never cleaned for 3 years (never thought to do it)...I spent 5 hours at least on each pipe, so it's as good as it gets for now lol.

nice, looks alot better.

Thank you!!:beer:

 

[Lloyd Xmas]

Car is looking great bro. I polished the exhaust recently also and your right, it was a freaking chore, but well worth it. I have gotten several compliments from it thus far.

 

[DVJ38]

Lookin good!

 

[T-Bolt]

I never even thought of that! Thank you for the advice on that. You can get that stuff at like lowes or Home Depot right? And you paint the WHOLE rotor, or just the rusted part?? (After u get the rust off of course). And just get a silver color right??

No, just paint the center of the rotor, not where the pad touches. Personally, I would do flat black, because it will just blend into the background behind the wheel. Just grab standard high-temp barbecue grill paint (rated to like 1100 degrees or something ridiculous), or if the centers are very rusty, POR15 will neutralize the rust and provide very good coverage, though it's only rated to 500 or 600 degrees (don't think the brakes will get nearly that hot though).

 

[Bouttime09]

I used satin and it looks great. Will post pics later.

 

[jtm]

is the car done yet? any finished pics