Gemstone Auto Detail: full detail and paint correction on a Volkswagen R32

Finally, Gemstone Detail gets their hands on Volkswagen's American race car, the R32. This vehicle comes equipped with a 6 speed 250 hp transmission, dual exhaust, and all wheel drive, all wrapped in a beautiful tornado red.

When the car arrived at the shop, from a distance, the paint looked to be in great shape.

I always start with the wheels first. The wheels were covered in your typical road grime.

Here, I have the wheel cleaner doing work, while my other "secret cleaner" works on the tires and wheel wells.

Much better.

Next was the wash, and before each wash, I like to go around the entire vehicle with an air gun to make sure I get rid of any stray leaves and such in tight areas.

After the wash was the claying process. You have no idea what contaminants are hiding in your paint until you clay it!

Okay. All washed, clayed, and dried. I'm all done now. I can go home, right? WRONG!

Here is the main reason the owner came to Gemstone. The entire vehicle was covered in swirl marks, destroying the beauty of the R32. Swirl marks come from improper drying and automatic car washes. Go check your paint. Chances are it looks just like this picture.

Before I decide what polish and pad to use, I first do a test spot. Here, I have one side of the door polished and the other side is untreated. Look at the difference!

After the polishing was done, I gave the car yet another wash, then moved onto the engine bay.

The engine is neatly organized under the hood. Pure German technology at its best right here. As the following pictures show, the engine is covered in dirt, dust, grease, and tar.

~AFTER SHOTS~

It was raining outside so I couldn't get a great shot of the paint. But trust me, all the swirls have been permanently removed. Apart from the polish, the entire vehicle was sealed, waxed, then treated with a non-static spray wax to keep dust from sticking to the paint.