A Shamrock Cobra is a replica of the AC Cobra built by Shelby in the 1960’s. Shamrock Autocraft in Cape Town built replicas of the Shelby Cobra’s with fiber glass bodies in the early2000’s.
Detail My Ride was recently asked to bring a maroon colored Shamrock Cobra back to showroom condition.
We spoke to Kaydon Hutchison from Detail My Ride who took us through the detailing process.
Cleaning the Cobra
Kaydon said, “Our first task was a decontamination wash and exterior detail to make sure paint and surface is clean. Once we had dried the vehicle, we clay barred much of the body work with Scholl Concepts Knet & Clean Eraser Clay 200g to get rid of industrial fall-out or any contamination that was left on the paintwork.”
The vehicle was then dried again, and the surface wiped with surface cleaner to remove any previous waxes or polishes on the painted surfaces. We then masked all the non-paintwork area says Kaydon.
“We could not measure the paint film thickness due to the fiber glass body and so we ran some tests on small areas with different pad and polish combos,” adds Kaydon.
Polishing the Cobra
The results of the tests showed that Scholl Concepts S17+ Rubbing Compound with the Scholl Concepts Spider Pad Navy-Blue and a rotary machine polisher was the best fit for the first step.
For the second step they used Scholl Concepts S30+ Premium Swirl Remover and Scholl Concepts Spider Pad Purple on a dual action polisher.
“Once the polishing process was complete the car was panel wiped with surface cleaner and we cleaned up all the nooks and crannies. We then applied one coat of Scholl Concepts Neo-Polymer Protection for that extra seal and shine. The Neo Polymer-Protection provides outstanding protection against the elements and guarantees a natural and very long-lasting, semi-matte finish,” explained Kaydon.
The windows and mirrors were cleaned with Scholl Concepts ICE Glass and Waterspot Cleaner Gel, using Scholl Concepts MicroPlus Polishing Cloths. Just spray and wipe with 1st microfiber cloth to clean. Use 2nd microfiber cloth to final buff glass and mirrors for a streak free result. Tyres were dressed with Scholl Concepts SLIME Tyre Dressing Gel as it dries within a few minutes and doesn’t leave any wet and greasy residues.
Kaydon says that they gave the interior a proper vacuum and detail to get rid of any dust and dirt and then removed the two vinyl seats so that they could be given a thorough cleaning using Colourlock Artificial Leather Cleaner. The same product was used on the vinyl panels.
“To finish off the detailing process we returned the seats to the car and gave all the vinyl areas a treatment with Colourlock Artificial Leather Protector. This seals the surface and reduces possible soiling. It also prevents the vinyl from becoming brittle or shiny,” adds Kaydon.
“The end result was fantastic and not only did the Cobra look great but thanks to the combination of products we used, it will remain in this condition for some time,” concluded Kaydon.