# Polished Bliss: Something different...



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

I'd been looking forward to this car arriving for months and on Tuesday afternoon it finally came round:










Can you guess what it is yet?...










For those that may still be wondering what it is, it's a Lotus 340R. There were 340 made in total and they have an elise engine (this one is just under 200bhp) and weigh just over half a tonne - lots of fun! 

Most have see a track day or two but this one is 8 years old and has only done 1300 miles in total! :doublesho

The car was booked in for 3 days as there is alot of little details on one of these so we wanted enough time to get them all done properly 

As it was close to 4pm on Tuesday before it arrived i decided to give the interior a quick tidy up as there was no point starting the wash process untill the next day.

It wasnt too bad - just a bit dusty:



















So out came the hoover and the brush attatchment:










I made sure i got all the dirt out from the nooks and crannies:










After the hoovering i gave all the surfaces an APC wipe down to remove any grubby marks etc:










No doors to open makes some bits on these things a bit tricky to clean - like the footwells and pedals (who said a detailers job was easy?):










This was where i left it as the interior was no doubt going to get a bit dusty over the next few days.

*Wednesday - Day 1*

The weather was a bit unpredictable in the morning so i covered the seats incase the heavens opened while i was washing the car:










No pressure washing on this detail so i gave the car a soak with APC on the lower half and then rinsed off with the hose:



















Wheels next: these were cleaned with Menz 7.5:










Faces cleaned with a MF mitt:










Inner rims done with a wheel back brush:










Tyres and suspension were sprayed with Megs Superdegreaser and agitated with a brush:




























Degreaser was used on a few other bits and bobs too:

*before*:










*after*:










I then washed the car (after working out how to do it in a methodical manner!) with the 2BM and Shampoo Plus:










A quik rinse followed before i then rolled the car inside for claying.

I used Aggressive Clay as there was alot of black overspray on the majority of the panels, i'm not really sure what from but either way it had to come off:




























The wheels were covered too:










The car was then dried off with a waffle weave towel and the leaf blower.

I then removed a few bits to help with polishing:



















Number plate removed:










Wing mirrors too:










The car was sporting more defects than i'd imagined for having so little miles on the clock but i guess it had been sat around gathering dust for a while and had just recently had the body off for a service etc so it was bound to pick up the odd scratch or two...




























It wouldnt be a lotus without some buffer trails, every one i've ever done has been the same:










The paint was fairly healthy on all panels:










Pad choice for this detail was one of our new 4" compounding pads with the Rotary. Menz 3.02 was the polish:










Speeds of 1200-1500rpm's were used and temperature was continually checked due to the composite material of the car:


















































































*before*:










*after*:





































By 8pm i'd managed to get the entire front end corrected so i decided that was a good place to stop for Day 1.

*Thursday - Day 2*:

Polishing resumed on day 2:

Side skirt before:



















after:




























The spoiler was then removed so i could gain access to the rear of the tub:










*Before*:










During:










*After*:










Onto the lower part at the back end:

*before*:










During:










*After*:










The lower piece was one of many sections that needed the handle to be removed from the rotary to gain full acess:










A quick change of pad followed (Meguiars Polishing) before i moved onto the mud guards:



















The N/S rear one had a scuff that needed polishing out:










After:










Before i re-fitting the spoiler i polished the underside:










Now back on the car, i corrected it with another 4" compounding pad:










Not hard to see which side has been polished in this shot:










After:










There was a couple of really deep RDS which wouldnt have even come out with wet sanding so i didnt even bother, they can just be seen in the above pic.

I had finished up at pretty much bang on 8pm for the 2nd night running so i stopped for Day 2.

*Friday - Day 3*:

More polishing for the start of Friday morning, but this time it was the finishing polish. I used Menz 85RD with a 3M Finishing Pad:










A 4" polishing pad was used for the tighter areas:










I always have various pads already centred on backing plates, this makes for a quick and easy change over 










The 85RD left a super sharp finish:



















Once the second polishing stage was done i went over the paint protection film with Blackfire Gloss Enhancing Polish to freshen it up a bit:



















The tailpipes were easy to get to so i used the PC and a 4" Compounding pad with Blackfire Heavy Cut Metal Compound:










This was followed up with a polishing pad and Raceglaze metal polish:



















Werkstat Prime Strong was used with a 4" polishing pad to clean up the silencer:

50/50:










Prime Strong came in handy again, this time for the perspex side panels:

*Before*:










*After*:










The Superdegreaser had slightly stained the metal surfaces during the wash stage so i polished these up by hand with Raceglaze metal polish:

*Before*:










*After*:










*Before*:










*After*:










I then dusted down all surfaces with our wool duster, gave all the paintwork a wipe down with Menz Top Inspection and then applied Vintage, which was the customers choice of LSP:










This was then buffed off with a PB Ultimate Mega Towel.

The wheels were sealed with PB Wheel Sealant:










Tyres were done with Blackfire Long Lasting Tyre Gel:










The inner walls were done too 










I then gave the interior another quick hoover to remove any dust. The mats and plastics were dressed and protected with Werkstat Satin Prot and the windscreen was cleaned with Megs Glass Cleaner Concentrate.





































A wipe down with Last Touch was the final job on the list before taking a few after pics 












































































































































































*Total Work Time - 33 hours*

Thanks for looking and hopefully you enjoyed the write up, it took bloody ages to upload all those pics!  :lol:

Clark


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## jtfab (May 29, 2008)

wow, i would love a job like yours !!


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Awesome work


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

jtfab said:


> wow, i would love a job like yours !!


That's what everyone says, i'll bet alot of them would change their mind if they did it day in day out


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## visor (Sep 8, 2007)

thats a beauty Clark :thumb:

i like the headlights they looks like an alien eyes


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## baseballlover1 (Sep 25, 2007)

looks GREAT! I have never been an actuve member of DW but i have ALWAYS enjoyed seeing your work! 

I have never even seen this car before... but then again... im in the US... i dont get how they say we cant import UK cars however motorcycles are legal... 

AGAIN GREAT JOB!


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## ramu_999 (May 25, 2008)

Clark excellent once again but then again all ur work is jus brilliant and a nice lil motor too, 

i also wish i could have ur job lol

Ramu


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## cdti_sri (Jul 17, 2006)

What a great car and an excellent finish


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## mattm (Jun 1, 2007)

Aweome job Clark! :thumb:

A fiddly but worthwhile detail I'll bet.


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## davidmk4 (Feb 6, 2007)

Awesome work once again! And what a car!!!


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## Petrol-head (May 26, 2008)

WOW I want one!!

I can understand why you were so excited about that arriving.

What an excellent finish on a very complex car :thumb:


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

That looked a tricky little beast!

Great work on it though - you didn't look as though you had one decent sized panel to go at!!


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

cheekeemonkey said:


> That looked a tricky little beast!
> 
> Great work on it though - you didn't look as though you had one decent sized panel to go at!!


That's why i was looking forward to it for ages, i knew it would be a challenge. Don't want to see another one for a while now though


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## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

With everything being so exposed, it must have been difficult deciding where to stop cleaning? Looks great in the afters.:thumb:


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## Mark J (May 10, 2007)

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## N8KOW (Aug 24, 2007)

I strive to be like you clark. In detailing and in the write ups, one of your best to date I think. Keep up the excellent work.


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## S-X-I (Sep 6, 2006)

Great work and attention to detail, you do get to work on some awesome cars!


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## Brisa (Aug 9, 2006)

I thought last weeks Elise I did had nooks and crannys. haha 

Brilliant job as usual but again you still seem to keep stepping it up every time. Pity it will be a bit like the motorbike, I get it all swirl free then with me climbing all over it they are back by the end of the run. Looks like the same will happen to that when someone gives it some 'Duke Boys' while getting in.


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## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Clark said:


> That's what everyone says, i'll bet alot of them would change their mind if they did it day in day out


First off incredible job on this one, it just looks like an intimidating car to work on.

Also on the note of the quote above I have to ask do you really love what you do or at this point is it just a job which you happen to have found a niche for? I mean im sure some special cars make it more exiting for you once in a while but the day to day and working endless hours, does it ever "get to you", and after all the time spent in the end is it worth it to you both in the self fulfilling sense and even financially? I see the amount of dedication and attention to detail which goes into these cars and I can only hope to one day work somewhere near your calibre even if its on a special vehicle every once in a while but to go all out on every one, that is just dedication at its finest I give you a ton of credit and respect.


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## honda-r (Mar 20, 2007)

Awesome car, quality finish


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## pampos (Mar 15, 2008)

Amazing results :thumb::thumb:


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

surperb job there Clark:thumb:


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## WyattEarp (Mar 9, 2008)

Superb detailing.:thumb::thumb:And outstanding attention to detail. :doublesho As always keep up the great work.


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## 911fanatic (Sep 10, 2007)

Your attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. Absolutely brilliant job!


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## 1996a6v6 (Feb 8, 2008)

Wow, top quality work, stunning car too :thumb:


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## Jakedoodles (Jan 16, 2006)

That looks mint clark.


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## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

Excellent work and write-up mate.:thumb:


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## Deanoecosse (Mar 15, 2007)

Great job once again Clark, with your usual superb attention to detail, stripping off panels etc, on something a little bit different from your usual fodder of 911's or RS4's, which must be run of the mill for you now.
Fantastic, raw little sports car the 340R and looks stunning after the Polished Bliss treatment, but personally I'd give the owner a huge kick in the knackers for keeping it locked away and not using it. Cars like that were built to be driven, not shut away in a garage.


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## djcromie (Mar 22, 2007)

amazin, deadly work


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

I really do enjoying reading the PB write ups, such attention to detail and always fantastic results. Good work !


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## swisstony (Apr 27, 2007)

Great work as usual clark....and on such an intricate car, you obviously paid a lot of attention to the small details. What makes me laugh is that is a die hard track day at the end of the day and it looks tooooo shiny for that


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

spitfire said:


> With everything being so exposed, it must have been difficult deciding where to stop cleaning? Looks great in the afters.:thumb:


Thats the reason it was booked in for 3 days as we knew it would need every little detail attended to 



N8KOW said:


> I strive to be like you clark. In detailing and in the write ups, one of your best to date I think. Keep up the excellent work.


Thanks mate, much appreciated :thumb:



dsms said:


> First off incredible job on this one, it just looks like an intimidating car to work on.
> 
> Also on the note of the quote above I have to ask do you really love what you do or at this point is it just a job which you happen to have found a niche for? I mean im sure some special cars make it more exiting for you once in a while but the day to day and working endless hours, does it ever "get to you", and after all the time spent in the end is it worth it to you both in the self fulfilling sense and even financially? I see the amount of dedication and attention to detail which goes into these cars and I can only hope to one day work somewhere near your calibre even if its on a special vehicle every once in a while but to go all out on every one, that is just dedication at its finest I give you a ton of credit and respect.


I enjoy my job 95% of the time. I dont think you could do it for a living and to a consistantly high standard unless you enjoyed it because the days can be really long. I'd say you get at least one or two cars every month where you start thinking "why am i even bothering?" cos you just know they wont get looked after that well even after spending a considerable amount of money on the service. It also helps to have really good people to work with in Rich, Ange (and now Marsha) and to be honest it's not like i'm even at work half the time so i'm pretty lucky in that sense  It is very different to just doing your own car at the weekend though and i sometimes think people dont always realise that when starting up their own detailing business...



Deanoecosse said:


> Great job once again Clark, with your usual superb attention to detail, stripping off panels etc, on something a little bit different from your usual fodder of 911's or RS4's, which must be run of the mill for you now.
> Fantastic, raw little sports car the 340R and looks stunning after the Polished Bliss treatment, but personally I'd give the owner a huge kick in the knackers for keeping it locked away and not using it. Cars like that were built to be driven, not shut away in a garage.


To be fair, the customer has only had the car for a short space of time and wanted it detailed before he started using it - i think it'll see a fair bit of action this summer 

Thanks for all the feedback guys!


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Yet another superb detail Clark 

Great finish and attention to detail as always.


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## [email protected] (May 30, 2006)

it's jobs like that which are making you known as the absolute best in the business!

awesome detail on an intricate car.


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## Tone Loc (Aug 22, 2007)

Superb work and a great right up as usual... love reading Clark's stuff. And what an interesting car to do too, certainly not the run of the mill BMW/Merc etc.

Tony.


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## Offyourmarks (Jan 4, 2006)

wow mate - as i expect from polished bliss; fantastic detail from start to finish leaving nothing untouched. just how it should be.

everyhthing is just staggering mate - the car, the detail and the finish!

thanks for sharing.

ps that is the rover VHPD engine if not mistaken ?!

nice one mate


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## jamiesim (Feb 7, 2008)

love you work - every write up is like a master-class!!! hurry up and open a London shop!


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

I love you write ups mate, another awesome detail! :thumb:

Looks perfect now.


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Awesome. That is pretty special :thumb:


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## mouthyman (May 1, 2006)

excellent job and stunning car :thumb:


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## CupraRcleanR (Sep 2, 2007)

the car results as always are stunning and the attention to detail imense but the quality of your write-up and the photography are every bit as good.

Thanks for taking the timeout to answer peoples questions also.:thumb:


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## kogenx (May 22, 2008)

Excellent Work! Great looking car.too


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2008)

amazing work as usual Clark, and yet again stunning pics & write up.
Paul


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## DE 1981 (Aug 17, 2007)

stunning Clark, looks an amazing difference from when i saw it although its low miles i bet it gets driven hard when its out.

I agree with you about having plenty pads ready to go as chopping and changing is a pain.

Top stuff the owner will be scared to drive it now incase it gets dirty.


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## Mattieuk (Oct 26, 2005)

Love those 340's they look mean as fook


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## Arun (Dec 25, 2007)

Amazing work, i'm stunned.

BUT.....I really do think those 340R's look butt ugly


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## silver bmw z3 (Apr 30, 2007)

Lovely, loving the motion blur shots also - methinks RIch has got the hang of new camera!


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## Bulla2000 (Jun 5, 2007)

Great job and very well done.


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## KKM (Dec 10, 2007)

Very nice work :thumb:, but very ugly car.:doublesho

Looks like loads of fun but on the other hand looks very cheap and 'kit-car' IMHO.

Keep up the great work


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2008)

Did you use different speeds for the GRP panels (and if so what speeds on which pads and products) or just stop to let the Composite panels cool down?

(my kit car has GRP and alloy panels so just wondering)


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

matt1263 said:


> Did you use different speeds for the GRP panels (and if so what speeds on which pads and products) or just stop to let the Composite panels cool down?
> 
> (my kit car has GRP and alloy panels so just wondering)


I generally worked between 1200-1500rpm's. Places like the corners of the front wing were done at around 1,000rpm's as they were especially small surface areas


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2008)

Cheers


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## silver bmw z3 (Apr 30, 2007)

Why do they bring it on a trailer - to keep the mileage down?


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2008)

protection.


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## Auto Detox (Dec 22, 2007)

Awesome work on a cool little car 

Baz


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## Rich @ PB (Oct 26, 2005)

silver bmw z3 said:


> Why do they bring it on a trailer - to keep the mileage down?


It came straight from a tuning company in Fife, hence the transporter. :thumb:


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## zrjace (Jan 31, 2008)

what is that big mat type thing the car is on in the pic where your washing it?

Jace


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## Trune (Jun 19, 2007)

how much does a job like that cost?

impressive tho!

got to laugh at the cheeky peugeot 206 rear foglight slotted in.


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## Mossman (Jan 10, 2008)

Stunning job Clark - better than new IMHO!


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

That looks totally mad and quite difficult to detail I should imagine, done a great job, looking fantastic :thumb:


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## Mike V (Apr 7, 2007)

Nice write up!

Looks like a top job!


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

awesome motor! stunning work as usual


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## Breeze_Blue (Aug 20, 2006)

your not wrong it is defently art, what a stunning finsh :thumb:


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

Awesome!! Seen this car...(Pretty sure it was) in abd the other day, both gave a thumbs up Vee and 340R both equally rare on the ground!


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Unreal work :thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## Fursecul (Sep 12, 2006)

That's some nice machine :argie:

Outstanding work :thumb:


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## RB320~067 (Apr 7, 2008)

top job yet again:thumb:


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

Bryan said you had a cracking wee car in when he swung by, and I see what he means... great detail there, very nice indeed.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Ali said:


> Awesome!! Seen this car...(Pretty sure it was) in abd the other day, both gave a thumbs up Vee and 340R both equally rare on the ground!


Wont have been this one, there is another one going about though


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## jimbo27 (Apr 1, 2008)

That is amazing! Always admire your work Clark! Bow down to you! 

:thumb:


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## vindaloo (Jan 5, 2006)

Fabulous work, shows incredible skill & patience. Luv the photos.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

jimbo27 said:


> That is amazing! Always admire your work Clark! Bow down to you!
> 
> :thumb:


Thanks very much mate


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## Pandy (Jan 19, 2008)

Wow very nice 

Bet that would be better with a VVC instead of a Solid Cam, another 40odd BHP extra!


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

wow - that looks like a complex and fiddly job, but superb result :thumb:

camped next to a guy with one of these at Le Mans just after they came out, so a good chance to inspect it and play a bit in it. Just as well he had a mate with a big car as well, so he could bring more than a bag of crisps down with him :lol: And luckily it didnt rain that year....


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## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

Excellent mate. Wondered when someone would get hold of a 340.


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## Tacklebury (Feb 27, 2008)

Fantastic job mate. I think its fair to say its cleaner than when it left Lotus!

I was lucky enough to have a go in one recently, it was like a go-kart on the road, very nippy with handeling to boot.

We hit well over a tonne in no time!


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## spitfire (Feb 10, 2007)

jamiesim said:


> love you work - every write up is like a master-class!!! hurry up and open a London shop!


Keep your hands off! He's ours


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## Monaco Detailer (Dec 3, 2007)

awsome car! awesome finish matey!!

my bro looks after one of these with less milage than that!! i would be out in the go-kart everyday.... well every DRY day!


Do you still get dry days?????


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## Russ and his BM (Jan 1, 2008)

Amazing work!


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## Pug406CNut (Feb 12, 2008)

Absolutely fabulous work!! No wonder it took three days! You have mine (and obviously many others) admiration and respect.

Thanks for the great write-up too.

Cheers

Mark


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## Strathmore (May 7, 2008)

Fantastic job as well as the write and the photos!! God knows how you manage to find the time to take the amount of photos that you do let alone remember to take them

Roll on the next job cant wait to read the write up


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## TH0001 (Sep 19, 2007)

amazing job, thank you for the inspiration!


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

Not a huge fan of the "car" but your work more than makes up for it.

Fantastic detail!!!!!:thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## Deanvtec (Mar 3, 2008)

That first pic "can you guess what it is"? It looked like Johnny number 5


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## typefern (Apr 7, 2006)

Stunning car and a stunning detail.

John :thumb:


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## Lirin (Jun 9, 2008)

very nice, I've a soft spot for Lotus with the Proton connection....


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

Clark said:


> Wont have been this one, there is another one going about though


ah ok!


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## TeZ (Oct 28, 2007)

Noob.


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

TeZ said:


> Noob.


Ban'd! lol


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## TeZ (Oct 28, 2007)

I'm on it now lol , hack.


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

TeZ said:


> I'm on it now lol , hack.


Still no love!


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## TeZ (Oct 28, 2007)

Damn... , How's the Vee ?


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