What is the works - The Process

Our fullcare 'Works' detailing takes approximately 18 hours depending upon vehicle.  The purpose is to make your car perfect and for it to last!

Taking pride in the appearance of your car pays off in a variety of ways. It looks at its best, adds to your enjoyment and, when the time comes to say farewell, a well preserved and presented vehicle will almost sell itself. The time taken now to clean, prepare and maintain the bodywork will pay dividends later. The key to this is protection and a ceramic  coating offers the most durable protective coating, leaving that perfect finish locked-in to the vehicle’s paintwork. This is our passion!

Ceramic Coating is a more recent advance in car care. Essentially it is a polymer that is applied by hand to the car’s bodywork where it ‘bonds’ with the paint creating a layer of long-lasting protection. The best products are rich in active ingredients such as SiO2 and even infused with Graphene for greater defense against the elements.

Well, this high-tech product combines the very latest in ceramic protection technology coupled with premium Carnauba wax. This combination offers outstanding paint protection, a deep glossy shine and a surface that simply shrugs off water.

Water beading on car paintwork is a sign that the car is protected and well cared for. A ceramic paintwork coating is thus a worthwhile investment. It protects the car from everything the road can throw at it, far better than with simple waxing or temporary ‘so-called’ solutions can. Best of all, next time it will make maintenance car washes that much easier!

To deliver a fine finish and long-lasting shine that sets a car apart, we have several defined steps.

-A thorough wash

-Paintwork decontamination and preparation --Ceramic Coating

A brisk rinse won’t do. We pay as much attention as possible to washing the car as it will be vital for the subsequent jobs. We start with a rinse paying attention to wheel arches, sills and panel gaps and then by covering the car in a layer of snow foam and allowing it to dwell, dragging as much dirt off the car with it. The purpose of a snow foam is to soften the debris on the car, for easier and safer removal during the contact wash process. We then hand wash using a premium Pure Shampoo with noodle mitts making sure to get into those little nooks and crannies that the quick washers miss. We use the three-bucket method to rinse the wash mitt and keep wheels separate, which are pretreated with brake dust softener. We use detail brushes for panel gaps and door surrounds, having pre-degreased door shut hinges and locks. Finally the car is thoroughly rinsed with clean water.

We then dry the car with purpose-designed microfibre drying towels and two car detailer's drying machines; hand held for nooks and crannies and industrial size for roof and bonnet. The less paintwork contact by hand, the better. We never use squeegees or leathers.

At this stage the car may look clean but there will still be contaminants such as metals, often from other motorists' brakes, sap, bird poo and tar stuck and embedded to the paint that a simple wash will not remove.

We spray the lower portion of the car with Iron Remover and the metal  particles turn purple and dissolve from the paintwork. The more purple there is, the more iron contamination there was. The application needs to dwell and then be rinsed off.

We follow this with tar remover, working one panel at a time, spraying the product, allowing a short dwell time before wiping away the tar spots with a clean microfibre cloth. It is important not to let this product sit too long on the paintwork, hence working one area at a time. When  finished, we give the car another thorough rinse!

A car’s paintwork over time will collect minute particles of grit, metal and brake dust. This is what gives the feel of a rough surface when a hand is gently rubbed over it. It’s time for the clay bar. There are several grades. We use one that is right for the vehicle generally a  fine grade will usually serve but for older cars that have seen more action and less attention a medium grade might  the clay bar is wet and worked by hand to render it soft and disc-like.

Working in small equal sections at a time, we start at the top of the car (where there are less particles, keeping the clay fresher for longer), first spraying lubricant onto both the panel and clay.

Using the flat of  fingers, the clay picks up that embedded grit. When we have completed claying the car, you guessed it, we give the vehicle a final rinse down.

When you feel the surface of the car afterwards, you will notice the benefit. It will also give you peace of mind that we make paintwork pristine clean before moving onto the polish.

Now the paintwork is silky smooth it’s time to polish. Using Autobead top quality polish,  applied with a Dual Action machine polisher. The idea is to bring back that factory freshness to the paint. We use both full size and nano machine polishers to get into those nooks and crannies again!

Polish essentially removes a microscopic amount of clear coat revealing the true colour and gloss beneath that time and weather has dulled. Polishing removes oxidisation and the swirl marks caused by less careful cleaning!

Polishing removes any existing wax or surface coating. There is no need to further polish a car until the next full treatment as described here is due.

We prime the panel with a premium Isopropanol Alcohol.  This product removes all surface residue from previous products, ensuring a strong bond is formed between the coating and surface.

We apply a small amount of product to a small working area at a time, using a block and microfibre suedes.  We ensure no over-application or left-over product, creating high-spots. The Ceramic Coating is allowed to flash and then buffed off. Patience is a virtue. The product will continue to ‘cure’ for some time. It is important to keep the vehicle dry during this stage.

Once the initial curing period is complete, do not wash the car with chemicals for a minimum of 7-days, allowing for the coating to fully cure to the surface.