Moving on from my previous post about safe washing, the next natural step in the detailing process is decontamination, which is a somewhat narrower topic but one that is often misunderstood. Prior to discussing decontamination with Rich I had an understanding of what decontamination does and how to do it, but didn’t know how it actually works…

To be honest, I was a little worried about being blinded by science when Rich started talking about organic and inorganic particles, electrolysis, charges and so on; he’s got a PHD in hydrochemistry whereas I scraped my way to a Standard Grade in Chemistry! However, I needn’t have worried as the basic principles are just that – basic.

After washing your car, there is every chance that the paint will still be contaminated with particles which can’t be removed by shampoo alone and these fall into two categories: organic (carbon-based and generally more ‘natural’ like honeydew and pollen) and inorganic (sometimes still carbon-based but in a highly processed form, or everything else that doesn’t fall into the organic category).

It seems logical to make this post follow the detailing process so the first step, after assessing that the imaginary car in question is contaminated with all manner of nastiness, would be to remove any bonded organic contaminants. Autosmart Tardis is the product of choice here and this liquid solvent is simply sprayed onto affected panels, left to dwell for around a minute, wiped with a work towel and then rinsed off thoroughly with clean water. Result; tar spots, honeydew, bug remains, etc, all removed (obviously heavier deposits may require repeated applications).

The next stage, and a relatively new addition to the process at PB headquarters, is the removal of inorganic bonded iron-based particles. Iron-based particles tend to come from brake components (heavily iron-based and filled with lovely sticky binding materials – great for holding pads together, but also great at bonding the dust to paint), from industrial sources such as processing plants and factories, and especially from railway lines.

One of the newest additions to the PB store is Aquartz Iron Cut which, as its name suggests, removes inorganic iron-based deposits. Once applied, Iron Cut quickly dissolves bonded iron-based particles and turns purple as the chemical reaction takes place, making it easy to see the cleaning process in action. Iron Cut can also penetrate the pore structure of paint systems and remove iron compounds stuck below the surface of the paint. Sounds like the perfect product? It pretty much is, although the only downside is that it has a particularly pungent odour which tends to cling to your clothes – cue many jokes in the PB studio…

In many cases, after these two stages the paint will require no further decontamination, but with our virtual car we’ll assume that it’s still plagued by non iron-based inorganic contaminants. To remove these, we need to clay the paint. I was a little confused when Rich told me to think of a clay bar as an applicator pad. This is actually true, because clay bars contain loads of abrasive particles that abrade away bonded contaminants from the paint surface. As a meerkat would say, simples!

However, if we merely rubbed the clay over the paint it wouldn’t glide smoothly and would probably leave clay deposits all over the paint. Also, the abrasive particles would mar and actually scratch the paint – in some cases quite badly. To avoid this, a layer of lubricant is needed; this essentially acts as a barrier between the clay and the paint but allows the contaminants, which sit proud of the paint, to be cut away. Lack of lubricant equals scratched paint, so beware.

By gently rubbing the clay over an area of paint, with lots of lubricant between the paint and the bar, the contaminants will be removed leaving a smooth paint finish. Whilst it is true that a clay bar will effectively remove tar, therefore negating the use of a solvent such as Tardis, one should always bear in mind that this carries a highly increased risk of causing paint marring. This is because removed tar sticks to the face of the clay and is then moved around over the paint surface.

In addition, tar deposits will also very quickly contaminate and ‘fill up’ the clay bar, requiring it to be replaced. Using a tar remover instead results in an almost touchless removal procedure, and is thus safer and much preferred. Our full guide to using a clay bar and decontaminating paint can be found on this link for those wanting to learn more – Decontaminating Paint.

So, decontamination of paint; basic principles, lots of highly technical aspects we don’t really need to know about (yet) and the result being perfectly clean, ultra smooth paint ready for the next stage in the detailing process – polishing. As probably the largest and most complex topic of all, it could be a little while ‘til the polishing post appears!

Every now and again the car care rulebook is torn up and rewritten by innovative new technologies that come along and redefine what we can expect from car care and detailing products. Currently, we are in the midst of such a period of change, this time brought about by the application of nanotechnology to surface coating science. At the most basic level, nanotechnology can be defined as the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. In relation to car care, nanotechnology can be used to make advanced protective coatings that do not just adhere to vehicle surfaces, but rather become part of the surfaces themselves. As a result, surface properties of interest and importance (such as etching resistance, scratch resistance, hydrophobicity, etc) can be altered on a semi-permanent basis; we are now moving into an era when car care coatings will truly last years rather than months. 

Aquartz Paint & Glass Protection is one such revolutionary new nanotechnology coating that simultaneously protects and enhances the appearance of exterior automotive surfaces on a semi-permanent basis. It combines silica and titanium to form a relatively thick (0.5 micron per layer), super hard (9 on the Mohs Scale) fully transparent hybrid quartz coating that chemically bonds to treated surfaces at the molecular level. As a result, minor sub-surface imperfections are filled and smoothed, producing a highly reflective, super hydrophilic (contact angle < 20°) surface with self cleaning properties (the near total lack of water beading results in more dirt and hard water deposits being sheeted away rather than deposited in situ). This effect greatly reduces the need for regular maintenance, and makes washing easier and less time consuming when required.

However, the benefits imparted by Aquartz Paint & Glass Protection do not end with an easy to care for mirror-like finish. More importantly, the invisible hybrid quartz coating provides class leading protection against the strong organic acids found in bird droppings and bug remains, the corrosive effects of road salt and the harmful UV rays emitted by the sun for between six to twelve months at a time, even on daily drivers (the coating is extremely resistant to strong detergents and pressure washing equipment, and once fully cured can only really be removed by aggressive machine polishing). Furthermore, it also increases the hardness of treated surfaces by up to 50%, effectively adding an anti-scratch effect to finishes that offers far greater resistance to surface marring caused by washing and the effects of every day wear and tear.

Fortunately for us, Aquartz have not just focused on paint and glass protection, and the rest of their new products for 2010 are equally amazing in terms of both the results they offer and the scientific principles that underpin them. For example, Aquartz Clean Air is a revolutionary new air purification nano-coating that destroys airborne organic pollutants as they land on treated surfaces; it uses titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalyst to degrade and transform potentially harmful organic compounds into harmless gasses (e.g. CO2) and water vapour (H20). In addition to this, Aquartz are also offering an awesome acid neutralised salt-based fallout remover (Aquartz Iron Cut) and a fantastic spray sealant designed for use on wet or dry surfaces (Aquartz Reload). Hold on to your seats everyone; the application of nanotechnology is set to make the future of car care very interesting indeed.

A very warm welcome from all of us to John Sorrie, who recently joined the PB team in a sales and marketing role. John is currently being intensively trained in all aspects of car care and detailing, and as part of this process we thought it would be nice for him to share his thoughts and contribute some diary entries to the blog. Without further ado we’ll hand over to John…

“As the newest addition to the Polished Bliss team, it’s fair to say I’m on the bottom edge of a rather steep learning curve and one which seems to have a particularly high summit. Over the coming weeks, as I ascend this mountain, I’ll update the blog with my progress, thoughts and discoveries. I should point out at this stage that I’m not a detailer, more an ‘enthusiastic amateur’, so I’m fully aware that I have a lot to learn. The first stage of my training has focused on the wash process; pre-wash rinsing, pre-wash foaming, hand washing, post-wash rinsing, wheel cleaning and drying.

Rich and I agreed that pre-wash rinsing is often not done properly. The basic principle of the pre-wash rinse is to remove the maximum amount of dirt and grime possible before starting the wash process proper. Like all parts of detailing, the wash process should be systematic, working top-down and ‘chasing’ as much dirt, and therefore dirty water, off the car as possible – it’s not just about wetting the paint and Rich and I both felt that anything less than ten minutes of rinsing, assuming the use of a power washer, was insufficient. You only have to look at the image at the top of this post to see why thorough pre-wash rinsing is so important! Pre-wash foaming, whilst it has its critics or ‘non-believers’, is a useful process and one which can remove yet more dirt before contact is made with the paint.

Hand washing itself is a minefield. The best place to start is probably with the tools – what you use to wash a car with. If you’re reading this you’re probably already aware that using a sponge isn’t a good idea but I’ll try and briefly explore why. A sponge, due to its nature, can’t lift much, if any, dirt actually away from a painted surface so the dirt is therefore trapped between the paint and the sponge, where it causes marring and swirling. A lambswool wash mitt, with its flexible, long pile can lift dirt away and trap it within its fibres, preventing the dirt from being moved around over the paint. Imagine putting some sand on the back of your hand and rubbing it with a wet sponge – it’d be abrasive and would chafe your skin. Now imagine trying it with a wet lambswool mitt – the dirt would be lifted away from your skin and the experience would be more pleasant.

Many companies have tried to develop sponge- or foam-based items for washing but none of them have the surface texture to lift dirt away from the surface effectively. Critics of the lambswool mitt claim the dirt lifted into the pile stays there and is moved across the paint at a later point but if the mitt is rinsed carefully, the dirt is removed from the pile. Being ultra-gentle when washing is also crucial – scrubbing at the paint, regardless of the type of mitt, will cause marring. Always remember that just a very light touch should be used!

The two bucket method is well explained in the ‘seek advice’ section of the site but the one aspect I was most guilty of overlooking was changing the rinse water regularly. If this water is dirty, the dirt will be dragged onto the mitt and therefore the paint. Changing it at least once, but often up to three or four times, during the wash process is definitely worthwhile. Rich and I looked at grit guards and how they claim to work but we both believe careful rinsing in clean water is a far safer option. Grit guards are situated in the bottom of the rinse bucket, where all the dirt should be held, so forcing a mitt into the depths of the bucket will encourage grit to be dragged onto the mitt, not off of it. The guards also encourage the user to assume that grit will be removed whereas careful rinsing and visual checking of the mitt are much safer options.

During a practical training session I tried out all the shampoos in the store, cleaning each panel of my own car with a different shampoo – the differences between them were marked. Each shampoo offers distinct characteristics and a large aspect of selection comes down to personal preference or using a product which matches other products used on the car, e.g. Blackfire’s Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner is best suited to a car treated with Blackfire All Finish Paint Protection I also tested all of the wheel cleaners in the store, which fall into distinct categories depending on their intended usage. Some are clearly far stronger than others and suitable only for occasional use whilst the more mild cleaners are safe for regular usage. Some are also suitable for specific types of wheel and some for more delicate finishes. Like with the shampoos, there is no ‘best’ product, rather different products suited to different tasks.

Drying a car fills me with fear – the idea of dragging a towel across a non-lubricated surface seems to me to be the perfect way to mar the paint. Rich explained how patting a car dry minimises the risk of damage but that many people prefer to wipe the paint, and he also showed me which microfibre drying towels work best for each method. The machine I was most interested in was the Black Baron dryer and I tried this out on the grilles and shuts of my car. By using a flow of very high speed warm air, the machine forces water out and reduces the need to touch the paint. It is (a) very loud but (b) extremely impressive. I’m tempted to spend my own money on one, which is a pretty resounding statement!

My next batch of training will concentrate on decontaminating paint and then we’ll work through all the other aspects of detailing and I’ll blog on each one – I look forward to your comments!”

Detailing to our standards is extremely challenging. If you think you are fussy think again. Plenty of people claim to be fussy, but you will only truly begin to know what fussy means if you secure the position with us. If you think you are physically fit and your body can take a lot of hard work think again. For the first six months with us you are going to ache and be sore like never before. In addition, you are going to need boundless enthusiasm and a hugely positive mental attitude to get through your training period with us, as you will receive daily feedback on how best to improve your skills. To be able to thrive and develop a broad set of detailing skills you will need to have bundles of energy and a burning desire to learn. You will need to work as many hours as it takes to get every car finished to the right standard (40 hours per week is the target, but sometimes you will need to work many more). The main duties of the role will be as follows:

• Detailing prestige and performance cars to the highest possible standard, in line with the service options currently offered to Polished Bliss detailing customers

• Maintaining your workspace to the highest possible standard, i.e. sweeping and mopping the floor after every detail, cleaning your tools and equipment, tidying up at the end of every day, etc

• Dealing with detailing customers, mainly in person when vehicles are dropped off and collected, but also occasionally on the phone to make or rearrange bookings

In addition to the above, the new team member will also be expected to help out in the retail warehouse from time to time and to attend car shows and other promotional events as and when required. Although no previous experience of detailing in a professional capacity is required (as full training will be given), it will obviously be of benefit if applicants have a keen amateur interest in proper car care. The position is full time (40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 0900 – 1730), although additional evening and weekend work will sometimes be required. The starting salary will be £16k per annum, rising over time on the basis of annual performance reviews. Our annual leave allowance is currently 30 days per annum, although any periods of leave must be booked well in advance due to the continual waiting list for our detailing services.

To apply for the role, please download and complete the application form linked below (MS Word and Adobe PDF options available) and then either e-mail it or post it back to us along with an up to date copy of your CV. All applications must be received by the close of business on Friday 2nd July.

Application Form (MS Word version) Application Form (Adobe PDF version)

Last month we were visited by Tim Wallace from Ambient Life Photography, who spent two days with us shooting two Porsche 911 Turbo’s belonging to two of our customers. This was the highlight of our year so far, and an event we had been looking forward to for a long time. In order to make the shoot as interesting as possible, we tried to incorporate several themes into the imagery. For starters, we chose two iconic models; the air-cooled 993 Turbo, in this case fitted with the extremely rare X50 factory upgrade, and the current water-cooled 997 Turbo. Secondly, we opted to contrast light against dark by choosing a Basalt Black 997 as the second car (the Arctic Silver 993 was the primary car chosen before the details of the shoot were finalised). Thirdly, we decided to shoot on location as well as in our studio, in order to capture some interesting textures and landscapes in the shots. Finally, we chose to shoot out on the open road too, in order to try something new – as far as we know nobody else in the UK has shown off detailing results in such a dynamic way before.

Meeting and working with Tim was a fantastic experience; he’s a terrifically down to earth guy who just so happens to be gifted with an amazing eye for detail and lighting control. Without going into too much detail, Tim shot for us in a rather unique way, choosing high speed flash in the studio (rather than more traditional continuous lighting methods) and 100% natural light outdoors (he didn’t even use any reflectors for the outdoor work!). Furthermore, what amazed us even more was that every single shot was taken handheld as opposed to from a tripod – this even includes the shots taken at 50 mph out of the back of my C2! This goes against the grain of how we tend to shoot the cars we detail ourselves, and just goes to show how much we still have to learn about basic photographic techniques! Anyway, best we let the images do the talking; to say that we are absolutely delighted with the final results of the shoot would be an understatement, and we are already looking forward to working with Tim again soon.

Images taken during this photo shoot have already been featured in an article in The Press & Journal, which is Scotland’s best selling daily broadsheet newspaper. To view a pdf version of the article please see this link – ‘Simply Stunning’ by Colene McKessick, The Press & Journal, 26/05/10

• Dealing with customer enquiries by phone, e-mail and in person, answering general questions, resolving issues and giving technical detailing advice

• Dealing with orders placed online, by phone and in person, processing payments, booking courier/pallet collections, maintaining computerised order processing systems

• Assisting with stock control, placing orders with suppliers and unpacking deliveries

In addition to the above, the new team member will also be expected to help out in the detailing studio and to attend car shows and other promotional events as and when required. Although no previous experience of detailing or proper car care is required (full training will be given), it would obviously be of benefit to the role. The position is for a full time role (40 hours per week, Monday to Friday), although additional weekend work will occasionally be required, and the salary will be negotiable dependent upon on the successful candidate’s skills and experience.

To apply for the role, please download and complete the application form linked below (MS Word and Adobe PDF options available) and then either e-mail it or post it back to us along with an up to date copy of your CV. All applications must be received by the close of business on Friday 28th May.

Application Form (MS Word version) Application Form (Adobe PDF version)

As part of our plans for expansion in 2010, many changes have been made to both our existing unit and the two additional industrial units we have also taken on. Whilst we are not quite ready for a proper show and tell yet, we thought it might be nice to show you the changes that have recently been made to our existing unit. Many of you will have been familiar with the old layout of a single well equipped detailing bay and a small partitioned off stockroom, and this format certainly served its purpose well for the last three years. However, in order to double our stockholding and make room for another detailing bay and more overnight storage, we recently moved the stockroom into one of the new units and then set about taking down the partition to make the detailing space fully open plan again. We didn’t record the demolition process as it was very dusty and thus not camera friendly, so this post picks up afterwards and shows how we have transformed the feel of the new open plan space by fitting an ecotile floor.

We chose ecotile on this occasion because we were somewhat disappointed by the performance of the previous dynotile flooring system we purchased back in 2007, which was showing signs of significant wear and surface damage by the start of this year (although in fairness it should be pointed out that dynotile is not specifically designed with busy commercial settings in mind). Manufactured in the UK by The Versatile Flooring Company, ecotile is a harder wearing, heavier duty garage flooring system comprising solid core plastic interlocking floor tiles that are ideal for use in industrial and commercial settings. The ecotile range consists of a standard 7 mm thick tile (chosen in this instance, in a raised disc pattern format), a 6 mm hidden joint tile and an extra heavy duty 10 mm tile for industrial flooring applications. All of the tiles in the range are chemically resistant, have superb anti-slip properties, can withstand and recover from significant point loading (vehicle jacks and axle stands) and are easy to maintain using commercial floor scrubber-dryers.

The slideshow above shows the fitting process from start to finish; as you can see, the unit looked pretty spartan and uninviting once the painted concrete floor and old fashioned kitchen block were revealed! To lay the floor, we started out by fitting the bevelled ramp sections at the foot of the roller door. Once these were in place the first row of tiles were attached and then gently tapped into place using a rubber mallet. One of our alarm sensors for the roller door was then fitted to the finished tiled surface, and subsequent rows were progressively added following the tiling sequence recommended by the manufacturer. Progress was rapid at this stage, and within four hours a large part of the overall floor area was fully tiled. The next stage in the process was to finish off the edges by cutting down full sized tiles to fit. This was accomplished by taking careful measurements (that allowed for an expansion gap to be maintained) and trimming full sized tiles down using a jigsaw.

Towards the end of the fitting process this edge trimming task became more difficult as two door openings had to be accommodated. To ensure accuracy, we used masking tape to create templates which were then lifted and stuck onto full sized tiles; careful use of the jigsaw then enabled these very complex shapes to be accurately cut out, giving a very professional looking finish. The final result once the last piece was slotted in was very pleasing, but there was still important work to do to seal the new surface properly (which makes it easier to maintain and more durable in the long run). To prepare the floor, a brand new Karcher floor scrubber-dryer was used to wash the tiles and leave a perfectly clean, dry finish. To finish off, three coats of a thermacrylic floor varnish were then applied over the course of several hours using a microfibre mop, and the floor was then left to dry fully overnight.

To say we are delighted by the final result is an understatement; the finished floor looks great and really sets off the whole unit nicely, giving an upmarket feel that will look great in future images and videos. While we were laying the floor we also upgraded the kitchen block, fitting new cabinet fronts and a worktop bench to house a washing machine and tumble dryer (being able to wash and dry our towels and pads on site will be a major bonus in the future). Unfortunately a detailing unit requires storage space for equipment and materials, and for now we have had to continue to use our old open fronted storage shelves, which are highly functional but not very pretty looking. In future, we will be considering built in storage options to hide our gear out of site once funds allow. Our thanks to The Versatile Flooring Company for their expert help and assistance. Anyone considering a floor for a detailing studio or garage area should definitely check out the ecotile system; it’s very impressive!

Another month, another Ne Plus Ultra detail. Bookings for our flagship detailing service have been growing steadily since its launch back in 2008, and this year we are very pleased to have completed two 150+ hour details already. This time round it was the turn of a four year old solid black Bentley Arnage to receive the Ne Plus Ultra treatment, and it soon proved to be our most testing challenge yet, requiring over 104 hours of paint correction work alone. As per usual, the entire process was photographed and recorded in HD, and at some point in the next couple of months when the spring rush is over we will produce another HD video feature for the blog. However, in the meantime we thought this would be a good opportunity to briefly show off another side of the Ne Plus Ultra service; studio photography.

We should make clear at this point that we are not professional photographers, and do not have any formal training in this area. However, we are keen amateurs and have invested heavily in good quality studio equipment, with a view to offering our customers the option of allowing us more time with their vehicle in order to capture a set of more carefully crafted images. We do not currently charge anything for this service when it is requested as part of a Ne Plus Ultra detail; all we ask is that we are granted full permission to use the captured images for promotional purposes. We are always delighted when customers request this optional extra, as it adds to the sense that the Ne Plus Ultra service is as much a transient form of art as it is a detailing service, and better enables us to capture a moment of perfection in time.

In this particular case, all of the images shown above were taken using a Nikon D300 fitted with a Nikkor AF-S 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX lens. All of the capturing was done at night in two different locations (our current studio and our new warehouse), and lighting was provided by a number of Interfit INT116 Super Cool-Lite 5 Heads on various stands. Manual metering (both spot and centre weighted) was used throughout, and most of the images were deliberately underexposed by up to two stops in order to throw the backgrounds into darkness as much as possible. Post processing work was conducted in Photoshop, and involved minor levels and curves adjustments to compensate for underexposure, a dash of unsharp mask and, where applicable, the addition of the vignetting and desaturation of strong colours.

Adding professional photography services to our repertoire is something that we are currently looking at for the future in conjunction with Tim Wallace at Ambient Life Photography. Being able to take things much further and capture world class images for our customers is something that we are very keen to offer, and we are excited to say that Tim’s first visit to our studio is now only a couple of months away. Keep your eyes peeled in May for the results!

As part of our plans for expansion in 2010, we are proud to announce that Migliore luxury car care products are now available in the store. We first made contact with Migliore last October, and shortly afterwards received a full set of test products to evaluate in our studio. Clark duly set to work, and was instantly amazed by how different these products are to most of the other lines currently out there. What exactly do we mean by different? Well, Migliore aims to help to protect the environment by creating eco-friendly products. The majority of Migliore products are made using 100% Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) ingredients, including natural waxes, fruit extracts and organic solvents, and this translates into the products having highly distinctive textures and scents. Indeed, they have a truly organic feel to them that stimulates the senses and makes them a joy to use. In addition, all Migliore products are individually hand poured and inspected for quality before leaving the factory. As the founder and CEO Donald Havourd explains, “Migliore Luxury Car Care is a company based on quality, not quantity. We have no intention of becoming a large, mass distributed, watered down, car care brand. We prefer having a tight knit circle of distributors who have vast knowledge and experience of detailing to concours standards. This allows us to interact with our distributors and customers on a one on one level. Migliore will remain a small company, and will continue to provide its customers with the best quality and service available in the industry.”

After several months of testing, Clark gave the thumbs up to the entire line. In his opinion, “Migliore is a bolt out of the blue. I’d never heard of them before October last year, but our tests with the products have revealed a line that is really good fun to use, and that delivers excellent results across the board. The waxes in particular are very different to most other waxes I have used, in terms of texture and the fact that they are designed to be removed whilst still wet. Whilst this takes a little getting used to (less is more in terms of application), you soon get used to it and the results are immense; even on my poorly prepared daily driver I’ve seen two months plus of solid beading from the entry level waxes in the range, and more from Primo and Competizione. Factor in solid performances from the accessory products and the fact that the products are all eco-friendly, and you have a range which is not only new, but also very interesting and appealing. I can see Colin and I using Migliore products in many future details in the studio, and I had no qualms about using Competizione as the last step product in the 155 hour Ne Plus Ultra detail we recently performed on a solid black Bentley Arnage; it’s an impressive wax that delivers a world class finish, so why not?” Why not indeed! So, if you fancy trying some new products this year, take a look in the Migliore section of the store for some fresh ideas; our personal favourites are the Frutta Blend wax and the Endurance Spray quick detailer.

The detail commenced in the usual way with a comprehensive 4 hour wash process, albeit this time performed in near freezing conditions and steady rainfall – keeping the cameras dry was challenging to say the least! With the exterior, arches, engine bay and panel shuts all properly washed the car was then rolled inside to be clayed in order to remove any remaining bonded surface contaminants. Once clayed and fully dried off, the remaining 2 hours of day one were then spent removing badges, grills and number plates in preparation for machine polishing and photographing the various paint defects that were evident all over the car. The next 80 working hours (over 5 days!) were spent machine polishing the bodywork to remove these defects; as we mentioned above, originally we had hoped that a two stage polishing process was going to suffice, but it soon became clear that three stages were going to be required. In the first stage, aggressive wool cutting pads and polishing compounds were used to remove an average of 4-5 microns of paint and correct all but the deepest defects (some of the worst scratches were too deep to be fully removed given the thickness of paint on the car). In stage two, light cutting foam pads and polishing compounds were used to nip out the defects left by the action of the wool pads in stage one; this resulted in a further 1-2 microns of paint removal over much of the car. In stage three, soft foam pads and ultra-fine finishing polishes were used to refine the finish and maximise sharpness and gloss.

Whilst Clark was busy machine polishing, our new detailer Colin spent 16 hours over two full working days removing all four wheels and thoroughly detailing the arches, brake callipers and inner rims. What looked like ten years worth of grime and tar was fully removed, and all of the surfaces were then treated with appropriate protectants to ensure that they remain looking great well into the future. Tasks like this can be long and tedious, so credit to Colin for showing tenacity and patience throughout the process (although with Clark as his mentor he has no choice!). With the correction work all done and the wheels and arches looking spot on, all that remained was for all of the minor details to be attended too. In summary this involved: dusting down and vacuuming to remove all of the polishing dust; the addition of bespoke premium carnauba wax protection to the bodywork; vacuuming and dressing of the interior; polishing and cleaning of the glass inside and out; dressing of the engine bay; polishing and sealing of the exhaust tips; dressing of the exterior trims; dressing of the tyres; and a final wipe down with a top quality quick detailer to remove oily smears resulting from the curing of the wax layer. After 112 hours of work you would think we were done, but we then spent a further 4 hours photographing and filming the end result, and another four working days producing the video. As the old saying goes, ‘if you are going to do something, you might as well do it right’.