Check out the depth of this baby!

**Tassadar** · 04-22-2004, 05:16 PM

I found this at this website (http://www.web-cars.com/detail/polish.php) when I was just generally messing around and reading stuff. Good lord is that clear or what!

**Beemerboy** · 04-22-2004, 05:18 PM

600 coats of clear coat later

**ranch4x4** · 04-22-2004, 07:21 PM

Truely impressive, nice site too with great tips...

**dr_detail** · 04-23-2004, 12:06 AM

welcome to the Pebble Beach Concourse de Elegance ....

Been there.. done that... will do it again

**Clean Dean** · 04-23-2004, 12:46 AM

Cool pic... Here is one of mine from a Black 1991 560 SEL I detailed yesterday.

**Clean Dean** · 04-23-2004, 12:49 AM

I was trying to get a cool pic of my company sign and this famous German marque.

Too bad the sign is written backwards!!!

**zesty-man** · 04-23-2004, 01:37 AM

seeing a reflection on black is one thing, seeing a reflection on red is another. i should know that beceause my parents have both a freshly painted black car, and a repainted red car (actually its my aunties). i can tell you, it takes a lot more to make that red give such a vibrant reflection than it does vs black. amazing pic, must have been thousands and thousands for that paint. if my cat scratched that, i would cry.

**Clean Dean** · 04-23-2004, 02:02 AM

Come on now... I know that the first shot is cheesy, but you cannot appreciate the second shot with the Mercedes Marque? Man you are one tough critic !!!

I agree that red shot is spectacular !!!

**zesty-man** · 04-23-2004, 02:57 AM

oh yes, i do appreciate very much. dont get me wrong, but i just like to see reflections on a color other than black. nah just joking, nice job everyone. i think these reflections are better reflections than i get in my mirrors in my bathroom.

**newbie04** · 04-23-2004, 08:04 AM

Originally posted by Clean Dean
I was trying to get a cool pic of my company sign and this famous German marque.

Too bad the sign is written backwards!!!

Play with it a little in Photoshop - A Flip Vertical gets you this:

A Horizontal flip keeps the perspective, but the sign is still backwards, but perfectly readable.

Anyway, cool pic!

**dr_detail** · 04-23-2004, 08:43 AM

as long as we`re nit pickin`.... ya missed a spot

Only Kidding... looks awesome

**Jngrbrdman** · 04-23-2004, 09:26 AM

While that picture is impressive, I think it has very little to do with the number of clear coat layers and everything to do with the angle and the lighting. Any color will look like that at the right angle. That is a dark color in the shade reflecting an image that is brightly lit. Its a tribute to the photography and not the detailing. Black does that exact same thing only it looks like a chrome surface doing the reflecting. Blue does that, red does it, yellow does it. Even white can do that. Its all about the angle. I agree that the paint on that car is probably super fine, but it probably isn`t a 20,000 paint job or anything. Its just a good camera angle.

**Jngrbrdman** · 04-23-2004, 09:30 AM

Here is an example in our own gallery of what I`m talking about. If this truck had a surface that was as flat as the door on that car up top then you would see the same thing. The fact that the red car up there has a nearly totally flat surface to reflect off of makes the picture really clear too. There is little distortion due to bends in metal. Get the right light and angle and you can get that picture on anything. I would love to see pictures of that car in the sun so we can see the real gloss and depth of whatever they used and not just the trick photography of the shady side. Ya know?

**dr_detail** · 04-23-2004, 11:23 AM

Ok, I will step in here and give my buck fifty`s worth....

The Concourse car (the first in this post) probably does have a $20k paint job on it. For the Pebble Beach Concourse, (which I believe the reflection shows clearly) you are asked to bring your vehicle, not you bring it and enter it. I have attached a composite picture for us to really compare the difference.

In the lower sample image (attached), look at the reflection of the mountain- it is crisp, straight and free from any waves. This is a million dollar car. This car, at some point, has been completely disassembled, meticulously prepped and primed, block sanded prior to painting, color-sanded and rubbed out most likely while still unassembled. Then assembled, and re-detailed. Look at the jambs, and where the body meets the running boards. This caliber of car owners see no bounds in paying for quality. $1000 dollars for a detail is not out of the question, if you can do the job. Be prepared to know how to mask every edge, remove trim pieces, touch-up slight imperfections, prep and polish silver, brass, copper, wood and ivory. In the same aspect of performing, you better know your sh*t before working on one of these babies for the slightest oops, will cost you thousands of dollars in repair.

In the sample of the (I`m guessing) Ford, look at the orange peal - the reflection of the jungle jim has a distinct waviness to it that is uniform. I will go a little bit farther not to nit-pick but to point out things that separate a concourse detail from others -- look at the screws in the fender of the Ford. Having detailed cars specifically for advertising, auto shows and concourse de elegances`, It is quite easy for me to know and see the difference. Granted they both are awesome detail jobs, with lots of depth and reflectance, but too compare the two and call it just the bends in the metal or trick photography, to me is ludicrous. For me, driving out on the 18th green at pebble beach was a pinnacle of detailing piste a la resistance. Then seeing the two cars I worked upon drive across the boards, and one taking "best of show" is indescribable for an over obsessed detailing nut... it`s kinda like great sex I guess.

I also add please study the shadows on the car taken at Pebble Beach... that picture is taken on the sunny side but not in the direct sun (look behind the spare tire cover and the reflectance off of the door hinge). If one was to shoot a reflectance on the sunny side in the direct sun, the light from the sun would in most cases, be so blinding it would blow out the image.

**elortt** · 04-23-2004, 11:41 AM

I believe this is the other picture. I have to agree with both jngr and the dr, but I think we all agree that a good aftermarket paintjob can be MUCH better than a factory job. I think what jngr was getting at is the reflectivity, if you could eliminate the orange peel from the truck then it probably could be as good as the other vehicle. I work with a guy who builds classic rods and has a paint guy that averages about 6-10 grand ( not 20k ) per job and I would bet that his jobs are just as good. Flawless finish each time and I would bet that 85+% of his cars win best of show, at least in southeast MI area.

Eric