Watch how a classic Ferrari gets a concours prep
If you are into car detailing, then don’t miss this video made by car channel Hagerty about a classic Ferrari from 1965. The beautiful yellow sports car is being prepped for a concours by specialist Tim McNair. We can learn a thing or two from him. Did you know a dentist brush can be of use on a Ferrari engine?
Many consider the Ferrari 275 GTB Longnose Alloy Coupe to be the most beautiful Ferrari ever built. Even though some car lovers insist on Ferrari’s being red, this rare yellow variation is quite a gem. Only five are known to exist of this particular configuration.
Specialist
Classic cars like this are often presented and judged at concours around the world. Standards are very high during these competitions, so you need a real detailing specialist for the job.
Well, Tim McNair is just the right man for this. The renowned car detailer starts with the engine, on which he -among other things- uses a copper filled paint pen and a cordless dremel. The latter has a very tiny brush which is normally used in the dental industry. “The idea is, to get this incredible contrast that we are always after”.
Tim then moves on to the interior, where he first cleans the dashboard and then turns to the switchgear, the wooden steering wheel and the wooden panel. For this, McNair uses a furniture grade beeswax. “Probably the best wood preservative I’ve ever used”, he says about this very common product.
Airplane canopies
that, it is back to the engine where he methodically cleans the lower parts and the steering compartment.
Before heading to the body, McNair first turns his attention to the delicate plastic covers of the headlights, first cleaning them with a ceramic component and then polishing them with a product that is normally used for airplane canopies. “The idea is to make it better than it was’ ‘, McNair concludes.
Unlike regular cars, when detailing a multi-million-dollar classic Ferrari you have to know when to stop. As not everything has to shine like a new piece of chrome. After all, this beautiful piece of machine is 56 years old. And beauty often comes with age.
photo: Rutger van der Maar, Unsplash
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