Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Starting point

An Aston Martin V8 Vantage came to Schwaikheim with paint that should really have been of new car quality; according to the report at the time, 50 hours go into the paintwork alone at the factory. Instead it showed surface scratches, holograms and, most seriously, a door edge polished through. During the vehicle inspection, further edges that had been sanded into came to light: the consequences of improper work by third parties.

Work

Where paint has been polished through, any paint enhancement has to be carried out with extreme care, especially as Aston Martin paints are very hard. The decision was to preserve the original paint. The polished-through edges were touched up by airbrush with additional clear coat, which could be concealed well because the damage was on the edges and not on the flat surfaces. The rest of the paint was carefully polished up and sealed with the LZ 730 brilliance sealant. The Vantage then received stone chip protection film on the complete bonnet, the complete bumper, the complete left and right wings, the complete left and right sills, a large stone guard section, the complete rear bumper and both door mirrors. Relief cuts have to be well thought through in advance; finally the film was preserved with a spray gloss.

Result

No holograms, no dull patches, no surface scratches: new car paint as in the brochure. According to the report at the time, the film is hard to spot from a metre away, because the LZ 730 supports the depth of gloss under the film and silver metallic and pearl tones are not swallowed. Wrapped and unwrapped areas therefore look uniform in gloss. According to the manufacturer, a stone chip protection film can stay on the paint for up to five years; the better its gloss is maintained, the less noticeable it remains.

Workshop archive, original report. Product details reflect the state at the time.