Did exactly the same on my Santorini black. Took me about a week on and off and that was using more aggressive microfibre pads. Do I spot Pirelli Scorpion Zero tyres? Was gonna order some yesterday and wondered what you think of them? Cheers Kev.

Don’t really want to hijack this thread but I found the zeros to be very grabby in standing water at speed. Scarily so compared to other tyres I’ve used. Can’t speak for off road performance or snow as I didn’t experience either. I’m now on the scorpion verde all round and they seem much better for tarmac use and I get none of the grabby behaviour in gutter puddles! Don’t know about wear, as corona has put paid to much mileage yet. That don’t seem any quieter on the road either. Hope that helps.

I was a bit concerned about hijacking the thread as well, but thankyou.

Sorry to admit, but I can not really comment on the tires as I have not made any considerable mileage with them. I've switched the tires along with upgrade from stock 18" rims to 20", and since it's a Td6, which is not supposed to wear 20", I've got all the vibration in D while stationary and that frustration was so huge that I completely forgot to try & feel the new tires. Sometimes I'm thinking to go back to 18", but oh, I don't want to do that so badly.

Click image to enlarge

I did my van when i first purchased it... It was three yr old and had never been cleaned properly let alone waxed! It was absolutely covered in tar! Like you say, clay the paintwork and a light machine polish and the results were astonishing! Never had the nerve to do the RR, i have a great detailer for that (would rather pay him than risk ruining my paintwork myself) but didn't mind practicing on my much cheaper van...

Yeah, I understand that, not sure if I'd go for it with a 405. Mine 322 was already in a poor shape, absolutely neglected, never cared, never properly cleaned, and yup, starting price is no comparison, so it was worth to try. Came out really well
Got some more to tackle outside and whole interior to give it some love too...

I was also worried about doing mine (Santorini black). Bit the bullet and bought a Das 6 Pro with Maguires Compound and polish in a nice bag. Couple of 5" pads , clay bar and detailer spray, Turtle Wax Ceramic spray. All cost about £220. Not far off the cost of getting it detailed but justified because I've got the kit and do it again and the wifes car and the daughters......

Anyway, by the time I got three quarters around the car I had some idea what I was doing. The paint is quite hard and my pad was medium so the compound got rid of swirls and minor scratches but didn't touch the typical bushes marks on the nearside. I could have done more but was not looking for perfect just shiny and was not sure I wouldn't create problems.

I learnt
1) Need more than one pad for each compound/polish. They can clog quick, use a toothbrush to keep them clearish and wash out overnight.
2) Don't use lots of product, just clogs the pad.
3) Don't let the pad dry out. Creates powder in the pad which slings off all over the car and is a pain to dig out of crivices.
4) Takes forever especially when dodging rain and sun! After four days still to polish the bonnet, compound and polish the roof. Turned the car around to work in the shade to complete the rest.
5) Turtlewax Ceramic spray leaves horrible smears and an oil slick look which returns after rain.
6) Scratches, marks and stone chips are highlighted by the white primer under the black.

Still think it was worth doing. You may want to get the RR detailed by a professional, will be a better job and won't cost much more. There is no way I can get close to Walters result.

Might be going against the grain here but that seems an awful lot of effort! Mine is my daily drive to/from work and whatever the weekend entails. It’s 15 years old, I wash and polish it as and when - but I (personally) don’t see the need to keep it in ‘as-new’ condition L322 TDV8 4.4 - current
L322 TD6 - sold
Disco 2 TD5 - sold
Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7 - sold
Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 - part ex'd
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0 td - sold
Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 - sold

Sorry chaps, I must be missing the point, when do you get the time to do all this??

You are both spot on. I have the time and know this will be a one off. By doing it I have re-assured myself that there aren't any more rust spots. I've fixed both rear arches and had the sill covers off - no rust. Still the usual rust on the upper tailgate but no more.

It's a shiny new toy at the moment.