Ford Focus ST3 - Performance Blue

Ford Focus ST3 – Performance blue

Hello and welcome! Although the format of this report is the same, there is a slight twist!

Offering a mobile service is all well and good until you get caught out in the rain and/or dusty/dark/cramp environments. Many times I have had to cancel a job or continue to struggle on against the elements and battle on regardless… Not ideal! Like other professionals in related sectors, a decent working environment is paramount.

In teaming up with 66 Motorsport, WhiteDetails is now able open the doors to our new studio. Work in progress still, but on a whole, a massive leap forward for both companies. Exciting times indeed.

Product

• 3M Fast Cut Plus
• 3M Glass Cleaner
• Autosol
• AutoGlym Vinyl & Rubber Care
• AutoSmart G101
• AutoSmart Tardis
• Chemical Guys New Look Trim Gel
• Elite Fine Grade Clay
• Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild
• Dodo Juice SuperNatural
• Meguiars Last Touch
• Meguiars Wheel Brightener
• Menzerna 85RD 3.02
• Menzerna 203s Power Finish
• Menzerna 106FA

Job was split over two days. The first day was a Wednesday and then all was finalised the following Tuesday! (For why? All will be revealed)

The Focus is currently SORN. It’s been off the road since March and hasn’t been washed since. Having been transported here by 66 Motorsport, it was left with us until the work was complete.

Inspection:














Bird etchings which look like they’ve been stood for a while… (could be interesting later on!)









With the owner not realising, a fence panel with a protruding nail had dropped against the side of the car whilst parked. When the car was next moved, a scratch from the N/S door all the way back to the edge of the rear quarter was formed. Brilliant.




Engine bay just needing a quick tickle.






Kitting up for the first time at the new unit, I started with the Focus’ wheels.

AutoSmart G101 up into the arches and tyres. Megs Wheel Brightener to alloy facing and deeper into the rim.






Door shuts and sills then attacked. Megs Hyper Wash used to foam the car and lift the surface dirt.




After a thorough pressure rinse (concentrating on all panel gaps and crevices where six months of muck/spider-webs and moss had accumulated) a second snowfoam layer was given to assist the two bucket wash stage.




Armed with Elite Car Care’s Fine Grade Claybar, I went at it with Meguiars Last Touch as lube.




Contaminants collected from half the roof alone…




Once clayed and tar spots removed with AutoSmart Tardis, the car was wheeled inside for drying.

Using a deep plush microfibre towel for the most of and the Black Baron Vehicle Dryer for the crevices, badges and wheels.




Left looking like this:




Defects:

Overall, the swirling was quite mild – just one or two area’s that would require special attention due to a number of random deep scratches.

Paint thickness readings taken on the bonnet to work out my best approach for the bird etchings.






Readings were pretty much the same all the way round – nice and healthy.

After a preliminary Menz 203s/Hexlogic light green cut pad test, it was clear more cut would be needed. Stepping up to Menz IP 85RD 3.02 but still, little change in the defects. Using a heavy cut spot pad and 3M Fast Cut Plus with multiple hits did the trick. These areas were later refined down with 203s and finally 106FA.

Before and after of bird bombs:










The rest of the bonnet was corrected with 85RD 3.02 and later refined with a 3M polishing pad and 106FA as seen below:




Before:



After:




50/50:










Same combo used for the rest of the car.
















Drawing close to the end of day 1, I mixed things up a little and decided to dress the engine bay.

Before calling it a night, the roof and tailgate were worked leaving the bumpers and the complete N/S to finish.




Before:






After:






Fast Cut Plus used with the orange heavy cut spot pad again to visibly reduce this hairline scratch:






Tailgate before/after:






End of day 1.

Here, I will add a little timeline of the happenings so far at the 66 Motorsport/WhiteDetails unit.

It all started like this…




It took me the best part of three days to gut and clean the place in readiness for paint.












Getting some help in:







It was at this time the Focus was delivered and my first day commenced once the floor had dried.

More details…






I won’t take the full blame for this one!



I was passed the stencil for fitting and continued to sponge on the red paint. Little did I know at the time that there was an ‘E’ missing!? Absolutely gutted!


Recycling some unwanted work surfaces, it was time to test my (poor!) DIY skills!














And now fully functioning!!




Once both the car and the workspace had been dusted down, it was time to pick up where I’d left off… Bumpers!

Machine work complete:






But as predicted, plenty of dust to remove from the polishing stages.






Once re-washed and dried with the Black Baron Vehicle Dryer an IPA wipedown was given to remove the oily polishing residues Menz tends to leave behind.

Dodo SuperNatural wax then applied to protect.








Two hours after the wax was removed, a second pass was given to ensure any ‘gassing’ traces were buffed up.



Windows. Tyres. Exhaust and interior… we’re about there.

One final detail:




Finished.

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading..

Watch this space.

Jim