In 1992 Jaguar excelled themselves with the XJ220, the fastest road car they’d ever produced. That record wasn’t broken until 2008 when the XKR-S was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. A limited run of 200 were made for the European market in LHD and RHD versions. Boasting a massive 410bhp and uprated aerodynamics and suspension set up, the XKR-S was only available in ultimate black.
The owner of this example had recently purchased the vehicle from London and was keen to get the car looking as good as possible. London life can be tough on a car, regardless of make and model. Heavy traffic flow, black cabs, buses, street parking can all add to a very contaminated paintwork and often go unnoticed with just washing and drying. The main goal was to rectify this and give the car a 3 step polish to really make it stand out. The ultimate black is truly a stunning paint colour and being only 1 of 200 ever made, this car needed to not only stand out from the crowd, but also stand proud as one of the best examples of the 200.
The car was given a multi stage wash process, combined with a 3 step decontamination. The wheels were deep cleaned and the arches pressure washed to removed all traces of road grime, mud and tar. Only then was the car ready for the bodywork polishing. Under our lighting system using 3 different light sources, the true condition of the paintwork could be seen. Many wash marks, swirls and even flatting marks could be seen, all of which needed to be rectified. The first cut of the paint was a heavy, water based compound with interval wipedowns to keep check as to the accuracy of the swirl removal. Then the paintwork was given a follow up refinement polish stage. Then the last stage would be to really bring the finish out and get the surface silky smooth and ready for the wax coat.
A hybrid wax coat was chosen for the finish on this car, then sealed with a spray sealant. The customer wanted to look after the car himself through guidance from Dream Detail, so waxing and reapplying the sealant would have been a task happily undertaken. Dream Detail built an aftercare package of products for the client and a brief lesson in proper wash technique was carried out.
Enjoy the gallery pictures, and stay tuned for more great cars coming soon!
