Total BMW Talk ‘Wheel Protection’ With Ultimate Finish

Posted on February 10, 2012 by sarahmc

Wheels can make or break the look of a car and people who love to keep their cars looking great all have the same issue: getting wheels clean and keeping them that way! Winter driving is particularly hard on wheels where salt and grit added to the roads to combat icy conditions combine with the rain throwing muck and grease and grime around – on the ground is a hard place to be!

So Adam Tait, Editor of Total BMW Magazine thought it was the ideal opportunity to test out a variety of wheel sealants on offer to see how they performed. He came round to the Ultimate Detailing Studio for a chat with our resident Master Detailer, Rob Tomlin.

They decided a fair test would be to wash all the wheels on Adam’s BMW using Meguiar’s NXT Car Wash and a Captain Crevice Wheel Mitt, dry them off and divide them into sections for the different sealants. Under test were the Swissvax Autobahn Wheel Wax, Zaino Clear Seal, Poorboys Wheel Sealant, Autoglym Alloy Wheel Seal and Gtechniq C5 Alloy Wheel Armour.



As expected some faired better than others although all of them confirmed the theory that it’s better to have some protection than no protection at all. The full write up and findings on ease of application, shine and beading properties can be found here, however we’ll have to wait a few months to see how they all faired on the longevity test!

You can read Adams article written exclusively for Total BMW here.

 

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A Hands On Guide To Machine Polishing with Total BMW

Posted on February 4, 2012 by jezg

These days machine polishing is not just for the professional detailer – many amateur enthusiasts are using it to improve the appearance of their vehicle without having to pay someone “in the know” to come in and do it for them. Total BMW Editor, Adam Tait decided it was time to de-mystify the world of machine polishing. Adam came back to the Ultimate Detailing Studio to pick the brains of resident Master Detailer, Rob Tomlin, for an insight into the world of machine polishing.

Adam brought along a faded Montreal blue BMW E36 which had been sitting exposed to the elements for a year, unloved and neglected on his driveway. Before getting to work with the new Meguiar’s G220 V2 dual action polisher, Master Detailer Rob Tomlin got the 3M blue tape out and masked up the trim and badges to protect them from the polishing compounds. The paint correction process began with Meguiar’s #105 Ultra Cut Compound on a Soft Buff 2.0 Cutting Pad. With the worst of the paint defects removed Rob moved on to the Soft Buff 2.0 Polishing Pad and the #205 Ultra Finishing Polish to refine his work. Dodo Juice Lime Prime was then applied by hand prior to a final finish layer of Dodo Juice  Hard Candy, a generic hard wax which can be used on all colours.

Throughout the day Rob took the time to explain the various processes to Adam, what he was doing, how he was doing it and why he was doing it that way. Adam turned all of this information into a easy to follow photographic guide for his readers.

You can read Adams full article written exclusively for Total BMW here.

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Total BMW Give The Thumbs Up To Ultimate Snow Foam

Posted on February 3, 2012 by jezg

Non-contact, pre-wash cleaners have seen a rise in popularity as people become increasingly aware of the potential for damaging paintwork, even when hand-washing a car! Total BMW paid a visit to the Ultimate Detailing Studio to get to grips with lances and the principles behind Ultimate Snow Foam.

Ultimate Snow Foam is a high foaming product which dwells on the paintwork, lifting larger particles of dirt and grime away from the surface before being rinsed away. This process means less chance of introducing scratches to paintwork by rubbing these particles along with a wash mitt. Absolutely priceless, particularly for dark coloured cars or cars with soft, easily marked paint.

Ultimate Snow Foam requires a lance with a diffuser in the nozzle. The two options are to use a pressure washer and a lance, or, if you don’t have access to a pressure washer then the Gilmour Foamaster II Gun connects directly to a hosepipe. Adam Tait, Editor of Total BMW Magazine, together with resident Master Detailer, Rob Tomlin, put the Gilmour and the Karcher K Series Professional Foam Lance through their paces.

Read the full Total BMW article here.

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A Guide To Detailing – Total BMW Magazine Teams Up With UF

Posted on January 31, 2012 by sarahmc

Total BMW Magazine recently collaborated with Ultimate Finish on a series of articles surrounding car detailing. Editor, Adam Tait, spent some time in our Ultimate Detailing Studio talking to Master Detailer, Rob Tomlin about how his readers could revive their BMW paintwork and bring back the showroom shine.

Keen to make the article accessible to all the detailing process was conducted entirely by hand – no machine polishers allowed! To aid continuity Adam wanted to stick as much as possible to items featured in the previous article, Detailing To A Budget. They did decide on using the Ultimate Snow Foam Kit though, as it was agreed most readers would have pressure washers at home. So they set to work, Rob using the products and going through the process, Adam taking photos to create for his article.

First the Ultimate Snow Foam. Then to the wheels, cleaned with R222 Special Performance Gel Wheel Cleaner, a pH neutral wash ideal for sensitive alloys along with the Dodo Juice Captain Crevice Wheel Mitt and the Valet PRO Large Sash Brush. The car was then washed using Meguiars NXT Car Wash and a Swissvax Waschpudel. Once cleaned the BMW’s paintwork was dried off and the Valet PRO Yellow Poly Clay bar used to decontaminate the surface from tar deposits, tree sap, etc. Then Meguiars Ultimate Compound was used to remove fine swirls and scratches that had accumulated in the paintwork over the years. Meguiars Deep Crystal Step 2 was then used to prepare the paintwork for the wax layers and they used Dodo Juice’s Hard Candy to finish it all off. Adam was very impressed with the results, and from what we hear readers of Total BMW found the article very useful.

You can read the full article as featured in the Total BMW Magazine using the links below.

Ultimate Finish Detailing Guide, Total BMW – Page 1
Ultimate Finish Detailing Guide, Total BMW – Page 2
Ultimate Finish Detailing Guide, Total BMW – Page 3
Ultimate Finish Detailing Guide, Total BMW – Page 4

The finished article is a very handy, photographic step by step guide to detailing your vehicle at home.

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Satin Matt Paintwork – How Hard Can It Be?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by sarahmc

Satin or matt paintwork has been in vogue for some years amongst the custom car scene. Designed to permanently look dull opting for this paint job provided a perfect excuse not to wash, polish and wax your vehicle. Added to that, using regular car shampoos would stain it, using a polish would ruin it and using a wax…?? Well the whole point is the paintwork isn’t meant to be shiny.

It’s all change now though with the advent of Swissvax Opaque range – bad news for the less detailing minded – this range has been specifically designed with matt paintwork in mind!

To start with there is the Swissvax Car Bath Opaque; a shampoo without any of the oils contained in most car shampoos. Then the Swissvax Pre-Cleaner Opaque, designed to cleanse the paintwork (without imparting a shine to the surface) preparing for the layer of Swissvax Opaque Wax. Opaque Wax boasts all the protective benefits of a 40% by volume carnauba-based wax, but without making your satin paintwork look sloppy glossy. To maintain the paintwork between wax layer applications there is the Swissvax Quick Finish Opaque, a quick detailer minus the gloss enhancing properties!

Swissvax Discovery Kits give customers the option to pick one of three waxes in smaller pots, rather than the regular 200ml. The Opaque kit features all the other Opaque products is an excellent introduction to this range.  Plus the kit contains some extra essentials such as applicator pad and microfibre, as well as a handy storage bag to keep it all together – so you know where to find it the next time you need to get busy!

Tags: Swissvax Car Bath Opaque, Swissvax Pre-Cleaner Opaque, Swissvax Opaque Wax, Swissvax Quick Finish Opaque, Swissvax Discovery Kit

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Ghost, the essence of Rolls-Royce in its simplest, purest form.

Posted on January 13, 2012 by jezg

Named in honour of the Silver Ghost, The Ghost was designed to be a smaller, more realistic option to the Phantom. Unlike the Phantom the Ghost is steel bodied and built on a modified version of the new BMW 7 series platform, and using around 20% of the same BMW parts. However it is built in the Goodwood plant where it shares paint, leather and woodwork workshops with the Phantom. The 6.6L, twin-turbocharged V12 engine gives the Ghost a 0-60mph (0-97km/h) acceleration time of 4.7 seconds which makes it much sportier than the Phantom!

Earlier this week we were delighted to take delivery of one in the Ultimate Detailing Studio. For a “smaller car” it still manages to take up a lot of room and at the bonnet is almost as tall as the shortest person in the office! The paintwork needed some attention, so Master Detailer Rob Tomlin set to work, pre-washing with Ultimate Snow Foam, washing with Swissvax Car Bath and then rinsing with the Aqua Gleam pure water rinse system. That completed, he picked up his trusty rotary the Flex PE14-2-150 and corrected the paintwork using Meguiars #105 Ultra Cut Compound on a yellow Soft Buff 2.0 Polishing Pad, followed up with Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Compound on the black Soft Buff 2.0 Finishing Pad.

Paintwork freshly prepared; it was time for a final layer or two of Swissvax Best of Show applied by hand for a super glossy wet look.

With the outside of the Ghost now resembling hot liquid oil, it was time to turn the attention to the classically lush interior – with it’s abundance of high quality leather. To keep the leather supple and protected Rob used the Swissvax Leather Care Kit, cleaning the leather gently, treating it with the Leather Milk and finishing it with Elephant Hide. The glass was cleaned with Swissvax Crystal glass cleaner and the wheels given a coat of  Swissvax Autobahn Wheel Wax.

View more images of the Rolls Royce Ghost here.

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Audi R8 V8 Spyder Detailed At The Ultimate Detailing Studio™

Posted on January 6, 2012 by sarahmc

Black is a wonderful colour for clean cars, but unfortunately, as anyone who’s ever owned a black car knows; keeping it looking clean is a mission! Being possibly the most unforgiving colour, black shows every speck of dirt as well as every swirl, every hologram and every scratch.

When this R8 came in to the Ultimate Detailing Studio, Master Detailer, Rob Tomlin could see immediately it had been subjected to the £5 special hand car wash and a couple of entries through a brushless car wash system: a myriad of swirls covered the paintwork. Something had to be done – the car was only a few months out of the show room and sporting less than 2k miles! Rob set to work to bring the paintwork back to top notch.

The is based on the Audi Le Mans Quattro concept car. With a 0-62 mph (0–100 km/h) time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of around 185mph, the V8 Spyder features an aluminium space frame with carbon composites and an automatic retractable folding cloth roof. To do this R8 justice the paintwork needed some much needed TLC. He prescribed the Enhancement Detail Plus, a four step process for the paintwork and including treatments for the interior, glass and cloth roof.

Starting out with Ultimate Snow Foam Rob pre-washed the vehicle then followed up with Swissvax Car Bath and a rinse off with the Aqua Gleam De-ionising filter system before setting to work on the paint correction process. When it was looking properly smooth and blemish-free he protected his work with Gtechniq C1 Crystal Lacquer followed by a couple of layers of Swissvax Crystal Rock. The interior was treated with Swissvax Leather Cleaner and Swissvax Leather Milk with Vitamin E. The glass was cleaned and then sealed using Gtechniq G1 ClearVision Smart Glass. The cloth roof received the Swissvax Lotos Soft Top Protectant treatment to clean and protect it from UV and industrial fallout, the metal work shined with Swissvax Metal Polish. And when the owner came to collect he was one very Happy Customer!

View more images of the Audi R8 V8 Spyder here.

Tags: Ultimate Snow Foam, Gtechniq G1, Swissvax Crystal Rock, Ultimate Detailing Studio, Swissvax Car Bath, Swissvax Leather Milk with Vitamin E, Swissvax Lotos

 

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A Slice Of DTM Glamour At The Ultimate Detailing Studio™

Posted on December 28, 2011 by sarahmc

Machine polishing can be a tricky business and all too often customers bring their cars into the Ultimate Detailing Studio and ask us to fix the damage caused by poor machine polishing techniques.

None sorrier than a Mercedes 190 Cosworth delivered to us a couple of weeks ago by a very concerned and disappointed owner. The Cosworth paintwork showed the classic marks of a none-too-clever machine polishing session. Having brought other vehicles from his private collection to us he knew the Cosworth was in safe hands.

A classic piece of racing mastery, the 190 Cosworth was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In the late 1970′s Mercedes had been competing largely in rallying but the 190 Cosworth had been designed with DTM racing in mind. During its heyday the 190 Cosworth won the coveted DTM championship and set no fewer than twelve endurance records.  So this example of German / English racing history deserved a little TLC.

So Master Detailer, Rob Tomlin got to work. After a good deal of inspection (and accompanying tutting sounds!) with a 3M Sun Gun Rob planned a course of action and began to work.

The paintwork exhibited hard circle marks all over the body – classic indication that the previous machine polishing ‘detailer’ had allowed compound to harden on the polishing pad.  To get rid of these Rob used a 3000 grit Trizact pad, followed by 3M Fast Cut Plus on a Sonus SFX-3 pad. 3M Polishing Pad and 3M Extra Fine Compound used together fined out the work before a final finish with Menzerna.

With the paintwork restored to a glossy lustre it was time for a coat of Swissvax Onyx wax, perfect for a car that doesn’t come out to play in the winter! A dab of Swissvax Autobahn Wheel Wax for gleaming alloys and a spritz with Swissvax Crystal Glass Cleaner, made the Cosworth look, as Rob put it; “Brand New!”

 

Tags: , , , Onyx,

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Perfectly Restored Jaguar XK140 Ultimately Finished !

Posted on December 12, 2011 by sarahmc

Occasionally an object of classic perfection crosses your path. When a beautifully restored Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe purred into our Ultimate Detailing Studio recently, everyone put down their machine polishers and gathered round to admire.

The XK140 roared on to the scene in late 1954 featuring a number of modern upgrades from the XK120, including flashing turn signals operated by a switch on the dashboard and wind-up side windows! It also sported an emblem on the boot lid with the words “Winner Le Mans 1951–3″ and boasted an increase in horsepower, bringing it’s rating to 190bhp.

This example has been perfectly restored by JD Classics of Malden; Mediterranean Dark Blue paintwork, dark blue leather interior, classic burr walnut dash and door trim, shining chrome bumpers and wire wheels, with just a little nod given to helping navigate through modern driving conditions: up-rated front brakes! As a result of its recent restoration all that was required was a complete paint cleanse using Swissvax Pre-Wax Cleaner Oil prior to a couple of layers of high grade . Swissvax “Swissvax Best of Show” was the perfect choice to make the paintwork really glow.

View more images of the Jaguar XK140 here.

Tags: Ultimate Detailing Studio, Swissvax, The Ultimate Finish, Swissvax Best of Show, Carnauba Wax

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The Gadget Show Top 50 – Ultimate Snow Foam Lance Kit!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by jezg

All this week on Web TV Presenters Jon Bentley and Pollyanna Woodward have been counting down the Top 50 Gadgets for Christmas!!

We knew that they loved our Ultimate Snow Foam and Ultimate Snow Foam Lance combination, what we didn’t know was just how much they loved it!  Each night we have been eagerly waiting to see where the kit would be placed and today we found out. The Gadget Show has rated our kit the #19 Top Gadget for Christmas 2011!!

is an extra high-foaming, non-contact, pre-wash cleaner ideal for removing larger particles of dirt and grit prior to the usual car washing process. By lifting the grime away from the surface of the vehicle and carrying it off on a cushion of soft foamy bubbles, helps minimising the chances of your vehicle paintwork getting scratched during the main wash process. And even better – it’s wax friendly, so it will not strip off any pre-existing wax layers already applied to the vehicle. is designed to be used in conjunction with the lance connected to a pressure washer, or alternatively it can be used with a Gilmour Foamaster II Gun connected to a hosepipe.

Tags: Ultimate Snow Foam, Ultimate Snow Foam Lance The Gadget Show, The Ultimate Finish

View the Gadget Show Web TV Video featuring their Top Christmas Gadgets of 2011 here

 

 

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