Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Made Show-Ready With Kamikaze Collection Infinity Wax – Part 2

Last week’s blog covered Part 1 of an extensive show car preparation on a Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth. This week the story continues!

Having removed the deeper scratches from the soft, solid black paintwork, the next stage was finishing. Every section of the car was polished including the bonnet, boot and door shuts. Using a FLEX PE14-2 Rotary Polisher at the lowest possible speed, a 3M PERFECT IT-III High Gloss Polishing Pad and Menzerna Super Finish Plus 3800, the paintwork was slowly and carefully refined.

The paintwork was really soft, so it was important to keep a low polisher speed to minimise heat generation. This helped avoid introducing micro scratches into the surface whilst generating enough friction to ensure the finish had a brilliant shine. – Derek Ginger, Master Detailer, UF Detailing Studio

To bring out a reflective, wet-look shine, Kamikaze Collection Infinity Wax Hybrid was selected. Containing over 53% by volume carnauba wax to provide the signature carnauba candy-gloss, Infinity Wax Hybrid also contains ceramic resin, giving the finish the added durability of a glass coating.

Infinity Wax requires mixing before use to combine the two elements, catalysing a chemical reaction that gives the durable finish. The wax is applied using a foam applicator pad and it glides on to the surface really easily. I left it to cure for around ninety minutes to allow it to bond fully with the lacquer before removing it by buffing with a soft clean microfibre. – Derek Ginger, Master Detailer, UF Detailing Studio

The result is a stunningly glossy finish with enhanced durability. The reflective shine it provides is mirror-like.

The light covers had to be perfect too, in order not to ruin the overall appearance of the vehicle. The front lenses were made from glass were free from blemishes. The rear lenses were plastic and in need of some corrective attention.

The light covers required absolute precision. Because the top of them sits proud at right angles to the bodywork I needed a polisher with a small head and small orbit so I could correct the scratches in the plastic, but without catching the paintwork. If I had touched the rotating polisher head to the paint at that point, the whirling edge of the pad would have left significant marks on the bodywork or worse, would have potentially gone straight through the paint. – Derek Ginger, Master Detailer, UF Detailing Studio

To tackle this tricky area the FLEX PE8-4-Mini 3 inch Rotary Machine Polisher was used with the FLEX M14 Rotary Backing Plate Extension Bar, FLEX Yellow 2 Inch Backing Plate and the FLEX 3 Inch Orange Heavy Cutting Pad. The process took several hours of careful machining to ensure the scratches and swirls were removed from the entire surface of the lights.

The next step was to rejuvenate the black plastic trim. Typical of a car of this age, the effects of UV had taken a toll and the black had a slightly faded appearance. Additionally, in some areas the surface bore white streaks from contact with old polishing products.

After the car had been resprayed it was probably machine polished and during the course of that process, polish had come into contact with the trim and left the tell-tale milky white residue. The best way to deal with these types of marks is to use a nano sealant designed for plastic trim. Derek Ginger, Master Detailer, UF Detailing Studio

To restore the trim back to black, Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer was used. In places where the rubber seals had also been affected, Swissvax Seal Feed was applied to address the issue and to nourish the natural material. Left untreated, rubber is susceptible to UV which dries it out and causes it to crack. The repeated opening and closing of doors and boot will also flatten the rubber over time. Seal Feed re-plumps the rubber, giving it a fresh look.

The exhaust pipe had been heat-wrapped for protection. The system was unbolted from the underside and the exposed metal parts polished by hand using Meguiar’s All Metal Polysh.

The wheels also needed to dazzle, so they were machine polished using the RUPES Duetto and a Flexipads Microfibre Pad, with care taken not to disrupt the decals on the wheel face.

The alloys were then removed from the car and the front and back of each rim was coated with Gtechniq C5 Alloy Wheel Armour. Brand new wheel nuts had been ordered to replace the previous ones which had become stained and discoloured. Using the new wheel nuts the protected wheels were replaced on the vehicle.

Choosing to use C5 over a wheel wax was potentially being over protective considering this car is going to be taken to shows on a trailer, so it’s not going to be driven a great deal. But C5 is highly heat resistant so if the owner does want to take it for a proper drive he doesn’t have to worry about the protection being comprimised. C5 will also inhibit brake dust from bonding firmly to the surface of the wheels so they’ll be that much easier to clean afterwards. – Derek Ginger, Master Detailer, UF Detailing Studio

All the glass was polished using Gtechniq G4 Nano Glass Polish to remove the fine scratches and restore absolute clarity. The exterior of the windows was then sealed with Gtechniq G1 ClearVision Smart Glass. This will ensure rain water beads easily and blow away should the RS500 be driven in bad weather conditions. The final stage was to enhance the natural satin sheen of the tyres with a coat of Gtechniq T2 Tyre Dressing.

Initially, the owner had commented that he was only going to drive the RS500 occasionally in good weather and for the majority of shows he would be using a trailer. However, given the spectacular results at the end of an intensive, five-day bodywork detail he may well have changed his mind! Infinity Wax Hybrid had produced an incredibly reflective shine which complimented the overall stunning finish.

It was so impressive that the customers parting request was to order a Specialised Covers Prestige Fully Tailored Indoor Car Cover to ensure the results are preserved for many years to come!

Check out what Tiff Needell thought about the RS500 Cosworth on Top Gear in 1989!

UF Detailing Studio – Award Winning Detailing. Call 0333 800 8004 to discuss your requirements and arrange a free vehicle appraisal.