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

 

Posted in Detailing, Machine Polishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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, Crystal Glass Cleaner

Posted in Detailing, Machine Polishing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Detailing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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

 

 

Posted in Car Care, Company, Detailing, Ultimate Snow Foam | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ferrari 458 Italia Detailed At The Ultimate Detailing Studio™

Posted on December 7, 2011 by sarahmc

The Ferrari 458 is the latest thoroughbred to emerge from the elite Italian stable. Apparently the successor to the F430 this car is built from an entirely new design and uses technology Ferrari has employed through its Formula 1 experiences!

Originally unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 458 was designed by Pininfarina and features a 4.5 litre V8 and deformable wings for better aerodynamics. The 458 currently holds the world record for power per litre in a naturally aspirated car. 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, top speed of 325 km/h, braking distance of 32.5 metres from 100-0km/h – it’s a serious piece of engineering!

So understandably we were pretty excited to have one in the flesh (so to speak) arrive in our Ultimate Detailing Studio! A previous attempt at machine polishing this car had left it with holograms which were marring the beautiful red paintwork. Professional detailer, Rob Tomlin got to work with some 3M Fast Cut Plus, 3M Extra Fine Compound and 3M Ultrafina SE Polish. Having corrected the paintwork he applied 2 layers of Swissvax Scuderia (exclusive designed specifically for Italian paintwork). The glass was finished and sealed with Gtechniq G1 ClearVision Smart Glass. Bilt-Hamber Auto-Balm on the wheels to keep them shiny and protected and a spritz with Swissvax Motor Shine over the engine. Swissvax Metal Polish on the exhaust tips, Swissvax Pneu Glossy on the tyres….. sixteen hours later the 458 was looking absolutely fantastic – even if we do say so ourselves!

View more images of the Ferrari 458 Italia here

Tags: Bilt-Hamber Auto Balm, Gtechniq G1 ClearVision Smart Glass, Swissvax Metal Polish, Swissvax Motor Shine, Swissvax Pneu Glossy, Swissvax Scuderia, Ultimate Detailing Studio

Posted in Detailing, Machine Polishing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas Delivery Dates & Holiday Opening Times 2011

Posted on December 7, 2011 by jezg

2011 has seen a record number of customers returning to us for , Car Detailing Products and accessories. We would like to thank all our customers for their continued support and wish you a very Happy Christmas.

Listed below is a schedule of when you can expect your order to arrive leading up to Christmas and the rest of the festive period.

Order Date Delivery Date (EXPRESS) Delivery Date (STANDARD) Delivery Date (FREE)
Monday, December 19 Tues, Dec 20 Wed, Dec 21 Thurs, Dec 22
Tuesday, December 20 Wed, Dec 21 Thurs, Dec 22 Fri, Dec 23
Wednesday, December 21 Thurs, Dec 22 Fri, Dec 23 Wed, Dec 28
Thursday, December 22 Fri, Dec 23 Wed, Dec 28 Thurs, Dec 29
Friday, December 23 Wed, Dec 28 Thurs, Dec 29 Fri, Dec 30
Saturday, December 24 Thurs, Dec 29 Fri, Dec 30 Wed, Jan 4
Sunday, December 25 Thurs, Dec 29 Fri, Dec 30 Wed, Jan 4
Monday, December 26 Thurs, Dec 29 Fri, Dec 30 Wed, Jan 4
Tuesday, December 27 Thurs, Dec 29 Fri, Dec 30 Wed, Jan 4
Wednesday, December 28 Thurs, Dec 29 Fri, Dec 30 Wed, Jan 4
Thursday, December 29 Fri, Dec 30 Wed, Jan 4 Thurs, Jan 5
Friday, December 30 Tues, Jan 3 Wed, Jan 4 Thurs, Jan 5
Saturday, December 31 Wed, Jan 4 Thurs, Jan 5 Fri, Jan 6
Sunday, January 1 Wed, Jan 4 Thurs, Jan 5 Fri, Jan 6
Monday, January 2 Wed, Jan 4 Thurs, Jan 5 Fri, Jan 6
Tuesday, January 3 Wed, Jan 4 Thurs, Jan 5 Fri, Jan 6

Christmas & New Year opening times:

  • Friday, December 23 – Open as normal 8am – 6pm
  • Saturday, December 24 – Closed
  • Sunday, December 25 – Closed
  • Monday, December 26 – Bank Holiday, Closed
  • Tuesday, December 27 – Bank Holiday, Closed
  • Wednesday, December 28 – Open as normal 8am – 6pm
  • Thursday, December 29 – Open as normal 8am – 6pm
  • Friday, December 30 – Open as normal 8am – 6pm
  • Saturday, December 31 – Closed
  • Sunday, January 1 – Closed
  • Monday, January 2 – Bank Holiday, Closed
  • Tuesday, January 3 – Open as normal 8am – 6pm

Happy Holidays from Team Ultimate Finish !!

Posted in Company | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Machine Polishing Kits For All Levels Of Experience

Posted on November 30, 2011 by sarahmc

Using a machine polisher has been a recognised way of efficiently restoring dull, faded and blemished paintwork but for many years it has been mainly in the domain of professional valeters and detailers. However, in recent years the machine polishing craze has taken off within amateur circles too, with the keen car care enthusiast looking for faster, more efficient ways of making paintwork perfect.

Dual Action Machine Polishers.
Dual Action Machine Polishers are perfect for the uninitiated, as they provide a safe way of polishing paintwork without fear of burning through and leaving unsightly blemishes. The backing plate oscillates on a spindle, dispersing the heat build-up and creating a gentler polishing action.

Dodo Juice Buff Daddy, Kestrel DAS 6 and the Kestrel DAS 6 Power Plus featuring a massive 850w motor! Meguiars G220 v2 featuring ‘cruise control’ technology for more even polishing action and the Flex XC 3401 VRG – the Dual Action (DA) choice of the professional.

Rotary Machine Polishers.
Rotary Machine Polishers provide a direct action, building more heat for correcting those more serious paintwork blemishes.

Kestrel SIM-180, Dodo Juice Spin Doctor and the Dodo Spin Doctor Pro, 3M Rotary Polisher, Flex L3403 Lightweight Rotary Polisher and the Flex PE14-2-150.

But with all the polishers, polishing pads, backing plates and polishing compounds on the market it’s a confusing place for the keen enthusiast looking to get started. Ultimate Finish has produced a comprehensive choice of Machine Polishing Kits, so whether you are a complete novice or an experienced detailer, there is a designed for you!

Decide how many products you require – whether you’re looking for heavier cutting compounds or simply wanting to give the paintwork a boost and apply some protection. Then choose from a Basic Kit, Advanced Machine Polishing Kit or an Ultimate Machine Polishing Kit. Each kit allows you to choose the machine polisher that best suits your experience or needs.

Basic Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Meguiars
Two stage kit with a polishing compound, a finishing polish, two pads and your choice of Dual Action Polisher.
Recommended For: Beginners

Basic Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Poorboys
Two stage kit with a polishing compound, a finishing polish, two pads and your choice of Dual Action Polisher.
Recommended For: Beginners

Advanced Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Dodo Juice
Three stage kit featuring two grades of polishing compounds, Dodo Juice Supernatural Machine Stick , cutting, polishing and finishing pads and your choice of Dual Action or Rotary Polisher.
Recommended For: Beginners and enthusiasts with some experience of Machine Polishing

Advanced Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Meguiars
Three stage kit featuring two grades of polishing compounds and Meguiars #20 Polymer Sealant, cutting, polishing and finishing pads and your choice of Dual Action or Rotary polisher.
Recommended For: Beginners and enthusiasts with some experience of Machine Polishing

Ultimate Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Sonus
Four stage kit for cutting, polishing, finishing and sealing paintwork. Choice of Dual Action or Rotary polisher.
Recommended For: Beginners and enthusiasts looking for a complete kit

Ultimate Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Poorboys
Four stage kit for cutting, polishing, finishing and sealing paintwork. Choice of Dual Action or Rotary polisher.
Recommended For: Beginners and enthusiasts looking for a complete kit

Professional Machine Polishing Kit Featuring 3M
Three stage kit featuring professional grade cutting, polishing and finishing compounds and pads. Choice of Rotary polisher.
Recommended For: Professionals & experienced users only

Professional Machine Polishing Kit Featuring Meguiars
Three stage kit featuring professional grade cutting, polishing and finishing compounds and pads. Choice of Rotary polisher.
Recommended For: Professionals & experienced users only

NEW – Meguiars DA Microfibre Correction Kit
A new kit from Meguiars designed to give the cutting power of a Rotary with the safety of a Dual Action polisher. Polishing compounds have been designed specifically to be used in conjunction with the microfibre discs.
Recommended For: All levels of ability

So whether you’re looking for a polishing kit for yourself, or whether you’re looking for , a machine polishing kit is sure to be a welcome addition to any garage!

Tags: , ,, , 

Posted in Detailing, Machine Polishing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Great Christmas Gifts For Men AND Women at Ultimate Finish!

Posted on November 17, 2011 by sarahmc

Stocking fillers, main presents, gadgets and gizmos – it’s that time of year again when we all frantically start searching for Christmas present ideas. It can be hard to come up with original ideas, particularly when trying to buy for those people who “already have everything”. Some people like “nice to have” presents, some people prefer “practical” presents. Presents for men are always more difficult to decide on if you’re female although men feel the same way about presents for their womenfolk! Whoever you have on your “to buy for” list you can be sure you’ll find the perfect gift at .

To help get you started we’ve put together some ideas and divided them in to price categories.

Christmas Gifts up to £19.99

Christmas Gifts £20 – £49.99

Christmas Gifts £50 – £99.99

Christmas Gifts £100 and above

There are for everyone – car enthusiasts, boat owners, caravan and motor home nomads, HOGs and sports bikers. So whether your mum wants a tyre inflator, your father needs a powerpack, or your brother just has to have a machine polishing kit? Perhaps your husband would love a fully tailored car cover, complete with embroidered logo? In which case order soon to make sure the Elves get busy quickly to deliver in time for Christmas! Or perhaps your favourite ‘person’ is your car – why not book it in for a paintwork pampering session in our Ultimate Detailing Studio – Spa days for cars! What ever you want this Christmas and whoever you want it for, find your perfect Christmas gift at www.theultimatefinish.co.uk

If you look through our site and just can’t decide which Christmas presents to buy– or you’re worried about buying the wrong present then why not buy Gift Certificates instead and let them browse our shop and pick out their own present? UF Gift Certificates are available from £5 up to £500 and can used across our portfolio.

Ultimate Finish offers FREE UK* Delivery on orders over £29.95 as well as other delivery options including pre-noon and Saturday AM services. If you’re not going to be home to take delivery don’t worry – simply add a separate shipping address at checkout and we can deliver to another address. And don’t forget Ultimate Finish has a Customer Loyalty Scheme which means buying presents for others accumulate discounts for you!

So this Christmas make life a little easier on yourself and let The Ultimate Finish take the stress out of Christmas present shopping!

Tags: Christmas Gifts For Men, Christmas present ideas, Christmas gift ideas,

Posted in Company | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dehumidifiers – Protect Your Vehicle From Damaging Damp!

Posted on November 11, 2011 by sarahmc

Anyone who has to store their car, boat or caravan knows moisture in the air causes a lot of problems, particularly over the winter period. Damp gets into everything, causing mildew on convertible tops, mouldy upholstery, rotting sails and degrading rubber seals and tyres. Most storage places are susceptible to damp – barns, garages, storage facilities, boat chandlers, etc, so for many it’s an on-going and unavoidable problem. Whilst car covers, caravan covers and boat tonneaus are very popular as indoor protection from dust, knocks and scrapes, they help alleviate the issues rather than tackling the root cause – the relative humidity.

The ideal solution is a dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture from the ambient environment. Meaco is a British designer and manufacturer of (and air purifiers) and has become a market leader in humidity monitoring and control systems. As well as their own designs they are also the original importer and distributor for Mitsubishi . Their most popular model in 2010 was the DD122FW Mk4 dehumidifier which won numerous awards including being voted “Best on Test” by Practical Boat Owner Magazine. This year the new and improved DD8L looks set to take the market by storm.

Like the , the Meaco DD8L and the brand new DD8L Junior both work on desiccant technology, a far more efficient system than compressor units particularly at lower ambient air temperatures. And because the desiccant models blow out warm air they eliminate the need for any extra heating. Plus because the air is drier it takes less to warm it up – so it’s a definite win-win situation!

The DD8L has some new and very useful features which the DD122FW MK4 didn’t have – primarily the DD8L and the new DD8L Junior, rather than running continuously will cut out when optimum relative humidity level has been reached, waking up every 30 minutes to take a sample of the air and going back to sleep again should the humidity levels still be at acceptable levels. This intelligent system means the running costs (which were minimal anyway) will potentially be about 1/6th of the original models.

The difference between the DD8L and the DD8L Junior? Well, Meaco removed the ioniser and the silver nano antibacterial filter to make the Junior. The ioniser is designed to trap pollen and dust, whilst the silver nano filter kills any bacteria present. Whilst these features are desirable dehumidifiers in the home or on a live-aboard boat they aren’t really necessary for vehicles in storage. By removing these two features Meaco were able to reduce the price, making the Junior a highly cost effective option for people looking to use their dehumidifier whilst their car, boat or caravan is tucked away for the winter months.

Dehumidifiers are also very useful in the home where every day activities such as cooking, washing, heating systems and laundry generate additional moisture. To assist with condensation in the home many of the Meaco dehumidifiers feature a “laundry drying” mode – reducing the moisture in the air allows laundry to dry faster. Keeping the relative humidity at optimum levels in the home also helps to control dust mites and asthma and allergy sufferers benefit enormously from the drier, purer air. Conservatory windows typically attract a lot of condensation and a dehumidifier will combat this issue too. You don’t even have to place it in the conservatory – a dehumidifier strategically positioned at the mid point of the home will draw moisture from all over the house. And with the desiccant models being so quiet and having slim line profiles you’ll hardly even notice it’s there.

Tags: Dehumidifiers, DD122FW Mk4, Meaco DD8l, Meaco Dehumidifier, Desiccant Dehumidifier, Car Covers

Posted in Car Care | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Valet PRO Bilberry Safe Wheel Cleaner Gets Thumbs Up From EVO Magazine

Posted on November 11, 2011 by sarahmc

Those who are avid fans of will know they have a product review section, in which they put various products through their paces.

This month ’s and the Non-Scratch Soft Brush were tried out on a large set of multi-spoke alloy wheels (which we all appreciate, can be a real pain to clean!) Bilberry can be used neat on badly soiled wheels, but for regular maintenance can be diluted up to 1:10 (which makes it highly economical).

The verdict? Bilberry works “brilliantly” and “smells of berries” and the brush was “just hard enough to remove brake dust yet soft enough not to scratch alloy wheels”.

Sounds like just the ticket for hard-working alloy wheels!

ValetPro Bilberry Safe Wheel Cleaner available in 1 Litre or 5 Litres

Tags: Valet Pro, Billberry Safe Wheel Cleaner, Evo Magazine

Posted in Car Care | Tagged , , | Leave a comment