2020 Shelby GT500 CFTP paint issues! (big wet sanding and polishing project video)

Goose17

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In this video, I tackle all the paint problems my 2020 Shelby GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack arrived with. The car has 10.5 miles on it at the time of this video and went straight from the dealer to my house in my enclosed trailer. It received its 1st wash and then all the issues were discovered. Four days of wet sanding (including on the $10k painted stripes as well as the carbon fiber wing) and extensive polishing ensued. Follow along while I work to fix this car's paint before sending it in for PPF and ceramic!


 

CobraBob

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One would think this was a video of a several year old car driven frequently. But factory new? And upper tier cost? Unacceptable IMO. I realize that Ford's paint is not even close to perfect, but WTH!? Nice work, though, Goose.
 

Goose17

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Thanks guys. It’s a good thing I didn’t initially see all the issues or realize the amount of time/effort that would be involved in this project... I just might have burned it and claimed it! :mad:;)

I lost 4 days/evenings of my life, but in the end, I am happy with the results. I should be picking up the car today from the PPF shop... I’m curious to see how it looks!
 

FLYIN

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Awesome job with the paint correction. If I were in DFW area (where I do hope to end up some day), I would be hitting you up to pick your brain about everything from airline flying to paint correction tips. Haha. I am scared of the wet sanding, but you don't make it look too bad.
 

Goose17

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Awesome job with the paint correction. If I were in DFW area (where I do hope to end up some day), I would be hitting you up to pick your brain about everything from airline flying to paint correction tips. Haha. I am scared of the wet sanding, but you don't make it look too bad.
Thank you sir!

With wet sanding, start with foam-backed 3000 grit. It would be hard to mess up the paint with it... you’d have to be persistent. I have learned not to use anything more aggressive than 1500-2000 grit. It leaves deep sanding marks that then need to be sanded out with higher grit. With 3000 grit, you can just hit it with compound and a DA polisher to make shine once again.

As for airline flying... get your 4 year degree, get your ratings through ATP and avoid things like DUIs/arrests. Then all you need is competitive time like the ever so important turbine PIC that you can get at the regionals. Once you check all the boxes, the majors will scoop you up.
 

bigdave03svt

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Great work getting that out and looking 100%...For a 10k painted stripe option on a 100k price tag already, that car should come polished sealed and wrapped!
 

andymarkv

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While annoying that you had to go through all the effort...I'm just happy that the paint was correctable to begin with! And now that this initial push is over...with your careful maintenance, this should never be an issue again.

I am not disagreeing with others that for the money, it seems like the paint should have been better...but at what price point DO cars come from from the factory with corrected paint...?
I don't think there is any factory finish that is flawless without handwork after the fact?
I really have no idea?
 

CobraBob

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That’s true @andymarkv, the paint from auto factories is never perfect, and often very poor (thin paint, defective clear coat, and other blemishes).



Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com
 

FLYIN

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As for airline flying... get your 4 year degree, get your ratings through ATP and avoid things like DUIs/arrests. Then all you need is competitive time like the ever so important turbine PIC that you can get at the regionals. Once you check all the boxes, the majors will scoop you up.

Been doing the Marine Corps Aviator thing for 19 years now. Have a shade over 3200 hours, with all but the 100 hours I did in the T-37 for primary flight training JSUPT at Vance Air Force base being Rotary Wing Hours. I have all my ratings on civilian side through ATP on the RW side and Commercial Ratings on the Fixed Wing side. CFI and CFII. Still have that weird Multi-Engine limited to Center line thrust rating from my T-37 training. Big box to check is like you said the Fixed Wing turbine PIC hours. Was going to retire at the 20 year mark this next June, but with the recent events and hopes of avoiding the regionals all together, trying to work a sundown assignment over at the training command as a flight instructor at Corpus Christi either T-6s or T-44s which is basically the C-12/King Air or Pensacola in hopefully T-6s. Only down side to Pensacola at least for follow on career aspirations would be a good chance I would end up as a Flight Instructor on the Rotary Wing side. If all goes well though I would be looking at 24 years of commissioned service when I hang it up summer of 2025 and would estimate another 1500+ hours of FW turbine PIC as an instructor if I get 4 years on station time. Hopefully the world looks right again by then. Sorry for taking thread off topic. Back to GT500 CFTP content. Haha
 

Goose17

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Been doing the Marine Corps Aviator thing for 19 years now. Have a shade over 3200 hours, with all but the 100 hours I did in the T-37 for primary flight training JSUPT at Vance Air Force base being Rotary Wing Hours. I have all my ratings on civilian side through ATP on the RW side and Commercial Ratings on the Fixed Wing side. CFI and CFII. Still have that weird Multi-Engine limited to Center line thrust rating from my T-37 training. Big box to check is like you said the Fixed Wing turbine PIC hours. Was going to retire at the 20 year mark this next June, but with the recent events and hopes of avoiding the regionals all together, trying to work a sundown assignment over at the training command as a flight instructor at Corpus Christi either T-6s or T-44s which is basically the C-12/King Air or Pensacola in hopefully T-6s. Only down side to Pensacola at least for follow on career aspirations would be a good chance I would end up as a Flight Instructor on the Rotary Wing side. If all goes well though I would be looking at 24 years of commissioned service when I hang it up summer of 2025 and would estimate another 1500+ hours of FW turbine PIC as an instructor if I get 4 years on station time. Hopefully the world looks right again by then. Sorry for taking thread off topic. Back to GT500 CFTP content. Haha
Happy to answer your questions... first off, thank you for your service... even if it was in the Marines! :D:p

I am an ex Air Force pilot, so I have to keeeed you a bit.

My college roommate went into special ops like I did, but he went into helos and I went the fixed wing route. I advised him to go back to teach UPT to get fixed wing time and get back in that track, which he did and went on to fly U2s. I thought he was all set for the airlines and he ended up getting a job flying life flight helos and still does it today. Why am I sharing all this... it relates to your story. There are many more lucrative fixed wing jobs on the civilian side than rotary wing. The airlines, especially the majors, pay quite handsomely and you also get a lot of time off to play with your toys. Whenever someone asks me about becoming an airline pilot when leaving the mil, my advice is to get out as soon as possible and get your seniority number at an airline... seniority is everything and every day you delay getting one, it will affect you the rest of your tenure. Having said all of that, the passenger side of the airline business is in a state of turmoil right now. It would be a challenge to get out and find a secure paycheck in the current environment. The mil offers a good secure paycheck... that would be hard to surrender, but you will have a monthly retirement check, to soften the blow.

Back to the rotary wing thing... do whatever you can do to get as much fixed wing time you can. Helo guys getting out of the mil with some fixed wing time typically go to the regionals to get more hours and to accrue the ever so important turbine PIC.


If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to me via PM and I’ll give you my cell number.
 

svtfocus2cobra

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I wouldn't consider those blemishes to be a fault of the paint process which is usually the case and is usually a bigger undertaking to fix when those blemishes do come up. That is more poor finish work and transporting preparation in that they weren't careful enough and it appears they didn't wrap the car or cover the panels with plastic for transport which is surprising considering if it moved by rail the paint will get torn up by rail dust.

Great work on the detailing and correction and the Meguires products you are using is what we used and a lot of shops use for compound. It's really good product and the heavy grit compound works great on all kinds of stuff. Between that and paint thinner you can fix a lot of blemishes that come up.
 

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