# Midlands Car Care - Tangerine Scream Focus ST New Car Protection Detail



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

I was contacted at the back end of last year by Ravi (a Detailing World member) about booking his car in for a New Car Protection Detail when he was due to collect it in March this year. Being a huge Ford fan and being quite fond on the new Focus ST Mk3, I was really looking forward to this one.

Ravi trusted my opinion in terms of getting good protection but making the most of the colour, so we went with Zaino Z2 as a base, and topped it with Swissvax Crystal Rock - a combination that worked wonderfully well on the Liquid Yellow Clio V6 we worked on last year. We also protected the interior, wheels and glass, along with a few other cosmetic tweaks.

A few before shots - the ST was just over 1000 miles and was collected 1st March 13:


DSC06316 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06317 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06324 by RussZS, on Flickr

As always we started with the wheel area, beginning with a high pressure rinse to remove any loose dirt and brake dust ahead of making physical contact with the wheels:


DSC06325 by RussZS, on Flickr

It was evident that even with such low mileage, brake dust pitting was present on these brand new wheels:


DSC06327 by RussZS, on Flickr

The wheels were liberally covered in Auto Smart's Smart Wheels mixed 10:1 with water:


DSC06329 by RussZS, on Flickr

Various brushes were then used to safely remove any build up of dirt and brake dust, including the new angled Wheel Woolies:


DSC06331 by RussZS, on Flickr

Brake calipers given some attention:


DSC06333 by RussZS, on Flickr

The tyres were also degreaed with G101 to allow the tyre dressing we apply to bond correctly and perform as well as it should:


DSC06334 by RussZS, on Flickr

The largest Wheel Woolie was used on the arch area - we use this rather than a stiffer, harsher brush to minimise any marring of the painted area where the arches meet the bodywork:


DSC06335 by RussZS, on Flickr

After rinsing at high pressure, IronX was used to safely dissolve the brake dust pitted into the wheel's clearcoat:


DSC06337 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06339 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next, the car was foamed with Valet Pro's Advanced Neutral Snow Foam:


DSC06340 by RussZS, on Flickr

The foam solution was then used in conjunction with a Valet Pro brush, to clean the more intricate parts which aren't easily accessible with a wash mitt:


DSC06342 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06343 by RussZS, on Flickr

G101 failed to remove this build up of grime, so Tardis was used to safely deal with it:


DSC06345 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06346 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06347 by RussZS, on Flickr

The foam did its job of beginning to break down the road film present on the car - after rinsing it was largely clean:


DSC06348 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next Auto Finesse Lather was used to safely hand was the car with a CarPro Mitt:


DSC06349 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06350 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06351 by RussZS, on Flickr

After rinsing again, IronX was used to safely remove any fallout present on the cars paintwork:


DSC06352 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06355 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then Tardis was used to safely remove tar deposits:


DSC06358 by RussZS, on Flickr

We then completed the decontamination process by using a clay bar to remove anything else present on the paintwork:


DSC06359 by RussZS, on Flickr

Very little was removed, showing just how effective IronX and Tardis are.

After drying, we assessed the paintwork for defects but aside from very, very light marring, there was very little in the way of defects present in the clearcoat. Therefore we opted to machine the ST with a very light combination of Rupes BigFoot coupled with Rupes Diamond Gloss and matching Finishing Pad - a great combination for gloss levels on paintwork. The flake pop was very impressive too:


DSC06393 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06397 by RussZS, on Flickr

The interior was given a light vacuum to get it in shape and we used CarPro's brilliant Fabric and Leather Sealant to protect the ST's mats and full leather interior:


DSC06370 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06372 by RussZS, on Flickr

As it we didn't have time or the temps to allow the mats to dry naturally, we used a heat gun to speed the process up:


DSC06373 by RussZS, on Flickr

We also attended to a couple of cosmetic tweaks including overlaying a gel badge on the Ford badges on the front and back to colour coded Focus badge, and the same on the Ford badges on the wheels - these were installed with a heat gun too:


DSC06377 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC06378 by RussZS, on Flickr

Nanolex Ultra was used on all exterior glass:


DSC06368 by RussZS, on Flickr

DLUX on the wheels with Pinnacle Black Onyx on the tyres:


DSC06369 by RussZS, on Flickr

Spritz was used on interior plastics.


DSC06380 by RussZS, on Flickr

I recently ordered a 'Glass Master Pro' from Elite Car Care (thanks for the great service Alex!):


DSC06410 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06411 by RussZS, on Flickr

It's absolutely brilliant on windscreens!


DSC06412 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06413 by RussZS, on Flickr

We finished the ST with...

Zaino Z2:


DSC06366 by RussZS, on Flickr

Topped with Swissvax's £800 Crystal Rock:


DSC06379 by RussZS, on Flickr

and finally, some finished shots:


DSC06385 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06390 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06406 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06409 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06414 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06418 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06422 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06424 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06437 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06438 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06439 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06442 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC06440 by RussZS, on Flickr

I'd like to thank Ravi once again for choosing us and trusting us with his brand new car. It will be coming back in shortly for rear light tinting using Hexis film and a few other bits - it will look brilliant when its all done. It was a real pleasure Ravi 

Next up, we have this little number..


DSC06445 by RussZS, on Flickr

Thanks for reading, and as always any comments or feedback would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Russ.


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## ravi811 (Jul 19, 2012)

Thank you Russ for doing an amazing detailing job on my car, the results are fantastic, I didn’t think it would look this good but it looks amazing. Got so much attention driving home lol. Its like I’ve just picked up again brand new, but you’ve done a much better job then the dealer did as it didn’t look this good. Thank you for getting out the minor defects the dealer had made. Even though I was only with you a certain amount of time I’ve learnt a lot about detailing. 

Russ you’re a top bloke and now I cant wait to get my rear lights tinted and get my wheels powder coated from you, all my business will be definitely coming back to you. I left the car with Russ with no worries, I don’t like leaving my car with anyone usually as Russ would know. 

Thanks Russ for fitting my DMB badges, top job and they look perfect. I would recommend Russ to anybody, midlands car care is simply fantastic. 

I cant fault Russ on anything to be honest everything was perfect one of the best services ive ever had, I found midlands car care with ease and will definitely be going back there, very soon actually.

Thank you again Russ


Really appreciate it


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

ravi811 said:


> Thank you Russ for doing an amazing detailing job on my car, the results are fantastic, I didn't think it would look this good but it looks amazing. Got so much attention driving home lol. Its like I've just picked up again brand new, but you've done a much better job then the dealer did as it didn't look this good. Thank you for getting out the minor defects the dealer had made. Even though I was only with you a certain amount of time I've learnt a lot about detailing.
> 
> Russ you're a top bloke and now I cant wait to get my rear lights tinted and get my wheels powder coated from you, all my business will be definitely coming back to you. I left the car with Russ with no worries, I don't like leaving my car with anyone usually as Russ would know.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for the very kind words Ravi, I'm truly flattered. I'm glad you were happy - that's a gorgeous car you have there, can't wait to see it completed with the other cosmetic touches you have planned.

Thank you again 

Russ.


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## cmillsjoe (Jun 20, 2012)

love that car , really love the st badge on the alloys


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Russ loving the New ST in that colour some great gear used liking the windscreen tool to save the back , very very nice motor , looks great finish as always


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## leemckenna (Oct 11, 2011)

Nice work russ


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## ford nut (Dec 12, 2011)

As always an amazing finish Russ, Great colour and amazing gloss.....


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Absolutely love this car and colour top work as always.

Personally I wouldn't tint the rear lights, will look much better standard IMO.


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## alexjb (Feb 13, 2011)

Amazing work and results. I 'like' you on FB and you really never stop! A true credit to DW!!


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## oobster (Jul 12, 2006)

Beautiful.


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## -Jamie- (Nov 6, 2012)

Really like these, and TS is a bloody lovely colour!


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## Mumbles (Nov 7, 2011)

Looks gorgeous! Stunning work, love the last few shots under the lights! :thumb:


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## Danny_Leeds (Dec 28, 2011)

Amazing work as always Russ!


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

That is an awesome colour and another cracking right up.

Love how you've got the paint work to look so wet and glossy. Just takes the car from clean and shiny to a whole new level, especially under Tesco's lights.

Great finished product and nice work. Must be nice to know that it will more tha likely stay in a top condition as well.


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## ottostein (Sep 11, 2012)

Amazing results... Such a nice colour. I think ford have cracked it with this one allthough the exhaust looks lost in the massive gap on pic 3

Bet ur well chuffed


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

cmillsjoe said:


> love that car , really love the st badge on the alloys


They looked brilliant - very OEM level of quality



Derekh929 said:


> Russ loving the New ST in that colour some great gear used liking the windscreen tool to save the back , very very nice motor , looks great finish as always


Thanks as always Derek. The windscreen tool was a godsend - defo a good investment



leemckenna said:


> Nice work russ


Thanks Lee 



ford nut said:


> As always an amazing finish Russ, Great colour and amazing gloss.....


Cheers Nigel!  The Rupes Diamond Gloss is brilliant - massive fan of it



Scrim-1- said:


> Absolutely love this car and colour top work as always.
> 
> Personally I wouldn't tint the rear lights, will look much better standard IMO.


Thanks Lee 



alexjb said:


> Amazing work and results. I 'like' you on FB and you really never stop! A true credit to DW!!


Cheers Alex - I do need a holiday but things are just about to get very busy it seems! We have to close for a week or so soon to put the rest of the building work in, which will be frustrating but hopefully very worthwhile.



oobster said:


> Beautiful.


Thank you


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## B&B Autostyle (Apr 4, 2010)

Lovely car! Nice range of products used in this Detail,great results as always.


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Good job mate :thumb:


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## Ryboy_23 (Feb 18, 2013)

Great work there pal


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Amazing job yet again Russ, love the colour! I tried crystal rock for the first time last week and loved it! 
Nice to see the comments from a happy customer too!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## TopSport+ (Jul 22, 2012)

stunning!


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## CJ1985 (Feb 21, 2011)

great work as always and a stunning car too


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## Rabidracoon28 (May 31, 2012)

Awesome job on an awesome car


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Great work, pics & write up Russ :thumb:


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Nice work russ, the new st is a grower.


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## MattJ VXR (Aug 11, 2008)

Looks fantastic as always with your work :thumb:

Hated these new STs at first, but as time has gone by they are really growing on me. This one is very very nice indeed.

Look forward to the TT write up, an Ibis White 'Black Edition' could be my next car so will be good to see how the paint comes up.


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## WhiteRoc_170 (Jan 31, 2013)

Looks stunning. Fantastic reflection aswell


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## andrewst500 (Nov 2, 2008)

Lovely Russ :thumb:


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## Dawesy90 (Jun 25, 2012)

Love your threads mate! Nice colour ford have opted for think I may prefer to there orange on the mk2


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all


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## ravi811 (Jul 19, 2012)

thanks for all the positive comments lads

Few pictures of mine and my dads before the detail














































thanks for looking guys


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## gb270 (Aug 22, 2008)

Great job nice looking car to


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## Coopertim (May 20, 2012)

Been waiting for one of these to crop up, awesome car. Would love to get one for my next car


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## khurum6392 (Oct 11, 2012)

nice work russ


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Stunning finish:thumb:


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## adamleerusse (Mar 16, 2013)

amazing colour.. looks great!


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## Buddrow (Feb 20, 2012)

Nice car and great work.


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## enc (Jan 25, 2006)

not a ford fan but that interior looks amazing :thumb:

nice detailing too


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## Wout_RS (Jun 13, 2012)

Great job Russ, 
incredibly gloss you can achieve on this color!

love your work!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all for taking the time to leave such kind feedback.

Russ.


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## Jaff (Aug 20, 2010)

Hi russ, I've attempted to message you on Facebook regarding my st. Could you pm me to chat about potentially bringing my car to you to be sorted?

Cheers


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## Luis (Sep 10, 2012)

Nice work


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Jaff said:


> Hi russ, I've attempted to message you on Facebook regarding my st. Could you pm me to chat about potentially bringing my car to you to be sorted?
> 
> Cheers


Will do Jaff, I am a little behind on my messages on Facebook over the past day or so - it's gone crazy! I'll get back to you tomorrow morning, sorry for the delay.

Russ.



Luis said:


> Nice work


Thank you


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## Jaff (Aug 20, 2010)

No worries, I look forward to having a chat


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## ravi811 (Jul 19, 2012)

Jaff said:


> No worries, I look forward to having a chat


Can't wait till see yours detailed jaff:thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

It's all booked in


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## Tizzer (Sep 2, 2012)

That's a great write up. Cheers for all the step by step detail.


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## ravi811 (Jul 19, 2012)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> It's all booked in


thats good!


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## MEH4N (Mar 15, 2012)

great work by MCC on a great car. I like those gel overlays.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thank you all. 

Russ.


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