Long commutes and usually hauling three young kiddos means this family sedan needs some tender love. While the interior got some much needed cleaning, the exterior paint needed help.
The owner purchased this Genesis a few years ago and never really did much to it in the way of paint care so it was long overdue especially since it spends almost no time in a garage or covered parking space. That means a lot of Texas sun and all the other season we can get in the span of a day!
Diagnosis: Lots of swirl marks, paint stains (sap, bird droppings, etc), faded sections (an issue with factory paint), and haze/oxidation.
Prescription: Two stage paint correction and a sealant polymer wax coating.
Wash
First thing up was a wash with nextzett Lotus Ultra Power Foam Wash Shampoo to remove dirt and debris prior to iron decontamination.
But before washing, I sprayed one wheel at a time with Nanolex Wheel Cleaner & Iron Remover. Allow the cleaner to dwell and change color indicating that decontamination had begun. Using a detail brush, I got into the crevices to remove any loose brake dust and stubborn grime. Rinsed the wheel once that was complete.
Now it was time for the wash using Lotus and a foam cannon for even coverage that would allow the car wash shampoo to dwell properly. Washing with a microfiber wash mitt from top to bottom and rinsing as I went along to make sure the soap didn't dry on the surface (not much of an issue this time of year but a habit I stick to year round.
Iron Decontamination
Time to decontaminate the paint. For this procedure I use a double combo of Gyeon Iron and a clay bar. I spray a mist of Iron on to one panel at a time (hood for example), allow to dwell for a couple of minutes to allow the formula to work against any iron contaminants. Then using the lubricating properties of Iron, I glide the clay bar along the surface. I do this for the entire vehicle rinsing each panel once I'm finished with it.
Vehicle is dried and pulled in for the remainder of its treatment.
Paint Correction
Time to tackle the paint. I'll be using two polishes in this situation both from Rupes. The DA Coarse Fine Polishing Compound and the Cut Polishing Compound as well as the Coarse blue foam pad and yellow fine polishing pad with the occasional use of the blue wool pad and yellow wool pad on areas that are of particular trouble (like the rear trunk panel with the faded paint).
With some time and finesse, the swirl marks, marring and most of the paint stains came out. Some of the deeper issues that would require wetsanding were improved but not completely eliminated since the client had not requested this deep of a treatment.
Needless to say, the paint looked many time improved.
Addressing the Glass Roof
The Genesis roof is almost entirely glass which gives a great view from inside when it's clean. As I mentioned, this car sits outside all the time so you can imagine what the glass looked like. Fortunately, I have two products that can turn it around: einszett Glaspolish for a deep cleaning of the glass using a Rupes cutting pad and nextzett Glass Sealant to give it a water repelling protective layer that will last 6+ months.
Protecting the Finish
The newly polished paint was sealed off with a coating of nextzett SF3 Premium Protect polymer wax. I applied a thin layer on the paint by hand with a foam applicator pad. By the time I got around the entire car, I began to buff off the panel I started with. This allowed the wax to cure fully for a longer lasting finish.
Then it was given a final wipe down with nextzett Perfect Shine for added polymer protection and gloss.
Finishing Touches
As always, I gave all the door weather seals a reconditioning with nextzett Gummi Pflege stick to keep them from becoming dry and brittle which can allow for increased wind noise, possible water leaks, and complete failure down the line which can be quite expensive.
