Full Paint Correction Detail: This is a special detailed service for the perfectionist that really care about their vehicle, who also requires the paintwork to be restored to a perfect finish. The vehicle can be given a full detail (inside & out) but will take 2 days or more or we can just do the outside - minimum of day. We spend a lot of time detailing paintwork, removing paint defects often seen in direct sunlight ruining the appearance of the bodywork. Don't sell your car give it a new lease of life!
Paint defects: There are many paint defects your vehicle can suffer from these include:
Buffer trails/Holograms - These can be seen below. Cause? Previous Valeter or body shop had machine polished the paint using a compound and not refined the finish or used a dirty pad. Or even used a fast speed on the machine polisher causing too much heat.
Swirls - Spider web affect on the paint more noticeable in direct sunlight. Cause? Not washing the car correctly using a dirty sponge or taking it through the automatic car wash.
Scratches - Cause? Not washing the vehicle correctly, driving to close to the hedge, vandalism etc.
Oxidation - Faded and dull paint. Cause? UV rays from the sun can damage paint over a period of time. The most common is solid red (non metallic) where it can turn pink or in extreme cases white!
Swirls under halogen lights which also show in direct sunlight
After correction there are no swirls to give the paint a crisp finish
Example
Please Click Hereto see a Porsche 911 fully detailed. It took 2 days!
Paint Correction Detail:
Washing: First we pressure rinse the whole vehicle top to bottom to loosen any dirt and grit. Then we start on the wheels, these are thoroughly cleaned all over including the inner rim if access allows. Once this is done a multi purpose cleaner is applied to the door shuts wheels arches and engine bay. This is agitated with a soft brush before being rinsed clean. Now on to the bodywork, this is washed using the 2 bucket method using a sheepskin mitt. One bucket contains shampoo, the other clean water. After applying shampoo to a panel the mitt is dipped into the plain water bucket before going into the shampoo bucket to catch any grit. On completion of this process and after rinsing the car is towel dried using a microfiber towel.
The 2 bucket method
Interior (optional +1 day): The interior is thoroughly vacuumed and washed down including the head lining. Then we shampoo the seats and carpets with a wet vac extraction machine to lift away dirt and grime. The boot is also cleaned and spare wheel is removed if it's fitted internally to clean the wheel-well. A dressing is applied to the plastic trim to compliment the finish and then we vacuum the carpets and seats a second time. If you have leather this will be cleaned and treated with specialist cleaners and conditioners. Worn leather can be treated at extra cost.
The Exterior: We start the paintwork by claying it, if you have not heard of this it is literally soft clay which is gently rubbed over the paintwork to remove contaminants such as over spray, tar and tree sap etc. This makes the paint as smooth as glass and feel as good as it looks. Next we tape up the plastic trim and mouldings to stop any polish marking them by using 3M low tack blue tape. Before we use the machine polisher we measure the thickness of the paint with a Paint Thickness Gauge (PTG). This shows us any areas on the bodywork that's had previous paint work (resprayed panels) or indeed machine polishing. Because this option requires so much machine polishing is it vital to check before hand. Most paint has an average thickness of 120-150 microns, compounding usually only removes about 3-4 microns at the most.
Checking the paint thickness before polishing
Now we use our machine polisher with a compound polishing pad and cutting polishes to remove all scratches, swirling and holograms caused by a poor washing technique or automatic car washes. Please note not all scratches may be removed, it depends on how deep the scratches are. Normally if you can feel a scratch with your finger nail it may be too deep. Some scratches may be reduced a lot more by wet sanding them back using very fine cutting paper (wet & dry). Although this may sound drastic it's not if done correctly and checked with a PTG. We check all our progress wiping the panels down with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) to remove the oils in the polishes to give a genuine finish that otherwise would be hidden.
Thomas Machine Polishing a Range Rover Sport
After we have removed all the defects we go over the paint again with a finishing polish on a polishing pad by machine. This gives the paint a final correction and removes any light holograms left by the cutting polish. A pre-wax cleaner is now applied to make the paint ready for the waxing stage. The vehicle is then finished off with Race Glaze #55 (55% carnauba) signature series body wax to protect and seal the shine. This will bring the paint back to a new wet look and leave a superb finish, and rain water will bead on your paint for months.
Now we remove the 3M masking tape and apply a plastic trim wax which dries to a satin factory finish. We also dress the wheel arches with a gloss. The tyres are dressed next and wheels are protected with a wax. If you have chrome tail pipes these will also be hand polished. Finally the windows are cleaned and polished and treated to a water repellent sealant to complete the detail.
Price: £250.00 - £750.00 +VAT as a guide but we would need to inspect the vehicle first, please bear in mind it is a long process! All work is guaranteed to meet your requirements or your money back!
Time taken: 1 - 3 days
Ultimate TML Detail: For client's who require their car to be perfect no matter how long it takes or what the price will be. Includes, car raised wheels removed and cleaned, wheel arches deep cleaned, floor pan power washed, brake hubs and calipers painted etc. Ideal for show cars.
