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**the_invisible** · Aug 12, 2009, 04:16 PM

Re: Audi S-8

Which year of Audi S8? Just so you are prepared, the older ones have inferior paint.

**MJachkar** · Aug 12, 2009, 04:21 PM

Re: Audi S-8

Im not sure. I believe he said 2006?

**3Fitty** · Aug 12, 2009, 06:22 PM

Re: Audi S-8

Originally posted by MJachkar View Post

Hey guys!
I'm new too the forums, and a bit new too detailing.
I have a question though! Hope someone can answer it.
I will be detailing a black audi s-8 sometime next week, and have some questions regarding detailing it!
I usually do a 5 step detail.
Wash, Inspect, remove bonded contaminants, polish, wax
I usually apply waxes and polishes by DA polisher.
The guy I am doing the work for keeps the audi in fairly good shape.
Light oxidation, light swirls, and or light scratches.

What products should I be using to best bring out that deep black shine?
Also regarding swirls on the black paint, should I rely on the wax taking them out, or should I have another product to apply on, like Ultimate Compound.. ect?
Thanks for your help guys!

There are NO set rules on any car, although I would gather *most* people will tell you that Audi's typically have hard paint. (That does not mean the car you will be working on will have hard paint).

Having said that, tape off a few sections and do various test spots and see what gives you the best results.

I recently did a black A8 and the paint was rock hard. M205 would barely dent the swirls after multiple passes. I moved up to M83 and still was not happy. I ended up with a single pass of M105 followed by a single pass of M205 for about a 90% correction. The car was good, but NOT perfect.

I did not have enough time to get it perfect, so "good" had to be enough.

I carry a lot of different polishes for that very reason. I have M80, M83, M09, M205, M105, SwirlX, ScratchX v.1 and v.2, and D151. Pretty hard to not find a winning combination amongst that bunch, although now I really want to get some Ultrafina.

**MJachkar** · Aug 12, 2009, 08:59 PM

Re: Audi S-8

Ok cool, but does it make a difference if I don't use a rotary buffer?
I only have with me a DA polisher..
Also, what pads should I be using?

**3Fitty** · Aug 13, 2009, 06:17 AM

Re: Audi S-8

Well, unless you are super skilled (like Kevin Brown), you probably can't match the effectiveness of a rotary, with a DA, but that doesn't mean you can't achieve amazing results.

Some pros I've discussed this with tell me that a rotary just give you a bit of extra shine that a DA can't provide.

If you are using the new polishes, M205 or M105, it is suggested that you use a flat pad, instead of a dimpled (CCS style) foam bad. The thought is that you want a flat level surface to make the most of the polish.

The next thing you'll have to think about is the size of the pads. I use a combination of 4" pads and the old Meguiars 6.5" pads. I'm not fond of the new pads with the DA because I find they bog down too easily with a day.

Many people love the 5.5" LC flat pads, so that might be the way to go. If you go the route of LC pads, I'd invest in about 9 orange pads, 9 white pads and a few blue or black finishing pads. Orange has the most cut (of the bunch) followed by white. Again, it is a question of finding the right combination for that particular paint. I once read Mike Phillips write about using 9 pads for a full correction on a car. There have been times I have used MUCH less, but I like having a lot of pads, so if they do start bogging down, I simply swap them for a fresh pad.

Also, don't forget to prime your pad if using M205/M105. Look up a thread called "A look into pad priming" to see the proper technique.

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