# Polished Bliss: My week in pictures...



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

I hadnt planned on posting either of these details as one was a new car detail and the other one had me really pushed for time, so i just took before and afters for the port folio, but figured i'd be aswell post the pics as some of them came out well.

So this was my week at work, all be it slightly shorter than usual as i had Friday off (using up my holidays!) 

*Monday & Tuesday*

A month old Golf GTi which had travelled up from Glasgow:










*Wash*:

- Pre Rinsed at 60 degrees/High Pressure.
- Wheels/tyres/Calipers cleaned with Menz 7.5.
- Arches - Meguiars Super Degreaser.
- Engine Bay - Meguiars APC.
- Washed with 2BM & Meguiars Shampoo Plus.
- Meguiars Mild Detailing Clay.
- Dried with Waffle Weave & Leaf Blower.

*Polish*:

- Menzerna 106FA @1500rpm's with black 3M Polishing Pad.

*LSP*:

- Blackfire Wet Diamond.
- Blackfire Midnight Sun Wax.
- Last Touch wipe down.

*Misc*:

- Glass - Meguiars Glass Cleaner Concentrate.
- Tyres - Blackfire Long Lasting Tyre Gel.
- Wheels - PB Wheel Sealant.
- Exhaust - NXT Metal Polish.
- Engine Bay - Aerospace 303 Protectant

*Afters*:


























































































































































Total Work Time: 15.5 hours

*Wednesday & Thursday*:

Full paint correction on a 5 Series BMW:










Paint was pretty swirly...




























Ok, paint was REALLY swirly!...























































On the Wednesday, i only managed to get the car washed/clayed etc and put inside as i had to go and collect my car from Kirkaldy where it was getting some work done, so i had to get it all finished on the Thursday - this consisted of a killer *17* hour day and i got finished up around midnight!

*Wash*:

- Same as the golf process, except i used Meguiars Aggressive Clay instead of mild.

*Polish*:

- Menzerna 3.02 @1800/2000rpm's with a Meguiars Cutting Pad.
- Bumpers - 3.02 & slow cut method @900/1000rpm's with Megs Cutting Pad.
- 3M Ultrafina @1500rpm's with 3M Blue Finishing Pad.

*50/50*:










Front door not polished, note how much duller it is compared to rear door which has been polished:










Bootlid before:










After:










*LSP*:

- Blackfire Midnight sun Wax.
- Last Touch wipe down.

*Misc*:

- Glass - Meguiars Glass Cleaner Concentrate.
- Tyres - Blackfire Long Lasting Tyre Gel.
- Wheels - PB Wheel Sealant.
- Exhaust - NXT Metal Polish.
- Engine Bay - Aerospace 303 Protectant

*Afters*:


























































































































































Total Work Time: 22 hours.

Cheers :thumb:

Clark


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## BNR32 (Feb 1, 2008)

Astonishing work!


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## stupidmonkfish (Sep 4, 2006)

Fantastic finnish on both of them, that Gti looks stunning, i really must try some of the blackfire stuff.

Also, what camera do you use??


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## Brisa (Aug 9, 2006)

Brilliant work. Golf looks the business, that BMW was a bit swirly though! As said though brilliant stuff, really look forward to your posts.


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

Great work on both cars.

The flake on the GTI is amazing and the reflections from both cars are stunning.


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## karburn (Feb 1, 2008)

First-rate, as usual. :thumb: I'd also be interested in what brand/type of camera you use. I have a now obsolete NIKON D70S and I'm about to upgrade to a D300. However, some of the point-n-shoot cameras produce some terrific results as evidenced thoughout DW. In certain shots, it looked as though someone took steel wool to that BMW! Great result.


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## Nica (Jul 4, 2007)

As always Clark excelent details that GTi looks great and that BMW had some mean swirls very nice results though.

Thank you for shairng :thumb:


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## Mossman (Jan 10, 2008)

Superb work - the depth of the GTi paint really stands out for me


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Stunning work on both Clark, awesome finishes :thumb:


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## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

The shine from that Blackfire wax is immense. What else would you compare it to shine wise?


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

superb on both chap....that's what I call dedication too!:thumb:


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

nice one mate, golf looks ace in the after, and great correction work and the 5s, that must have been one of those jobs that draaaaaaaaag on a bit, big car in a state with hard paint = bad back


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## ryanuk (Jun 22, 2007)

great work again mate, finish on both cars is top notch!


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## E5XTC (Oct 30, 2007)

Another Top job that we weren’t going to see ...... From the boys at Polished Bliss.


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## neilb62 (Jul 30, 2007)

That 5 looks amazing, now I know what happened to the little lad who cleaned his dads Passat with a Brillo Pad on the TV ad, he bought a 5 series BM! 

Great work there, got me thinking of trying Blackfire...:speechles


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## Maxym (Apr 27, 2007)

Fantastic turnround on the BMW! :thumb:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Cheers guys! 



MK1Campaign said:


> The shine from that Blackfire wax is immense. What else would you compare it to shine wise?


When used over the top of the sealant i would say it looks sharper and more reflective than Vintage, especially on darker cars - however it lacks that wee bit of warmth and glow that Vintage gives off. I've been seriously impressed with the Midnight Sun lately and if it werent for the fact that Vintage is more durable i'd probably be putting it on my car when it gets its spring detail :thumb:



stupidmonkfish said:


> Fantastic finnish on both of them, that Gti looks stunning, i really must try some of the blackfire stuff.
> 
> Also, what camera do you use??


I use a "point and click" Nikon 3100


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

One word 'flawless'

That's what I like to see a man who loves his work


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## Wheelie_Clean (Jun 16, 2007)

So your day off was spent in bed recovering from Thursday then! Doh!!

I know I would be like the walking dead.

Top work:thumb:


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## Finerdetails (Apr 30, 2006)

Clark both cars look absolutely superb! Every time I se the blackfire stuff it does look damn good and I may have to speak to you about having a go with some 

Great job on the 5, I know how hard those cars are, alot bigger than people give them credit for!


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## Warduke (Sep 21, 2007)

Wow that beemer was in a real bad way... looks like my ST!!!..top job clark..thanks for sharing..:thumb:


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## pete330 (Apr 18, 2006)

poop that BMW looks total transformed 
Bet the owner is well chuffed


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## Ashtra (Oct 17, 2007)

both stunning


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## DE 1981 (Aug 17, 2007)

Nice work Clark lovely reflections on both


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## C43AMG (Jun 3, 2006)

Respect.


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Lovely photography touch - shining the lights on the wall, then doing the reflection shot. Looks great.


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## Trist (Jun 23, 2006)

Superb finished, the GTI finish really stands out :thumb:


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## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

Clark said:


> Cheers guys!
> 
> When used over the top of the sealant i would say it looks sharper and more reflective than Vintage, especially on darker cars - however it lacks that wee bit of warmth and glow that Vintage gives off. I've been seriously impressed with the Midnight Sun lately and if it werent for the fact that Vintage is more durable i'd probably be putting it on my car when it gets its spring detail :thumb:
> 
> I use a "point and click" Nikon 3100


Awesome. What sealant would you recommend with it?


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

Both details look beautiful Clark. Stunning work!


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## Ultimate (Feb 18, 2007)

very nice!! love the metallic on the golf in the sun


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

MK1Campaign said:


> Awesome. What sealant would you recommend with it?


It's been specifically designed to work with Blackfire's Wet Diamond sealant :thumb:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Wheelie_Clean said:


> So your day off was spent in bed recovering from Thursday then! Doh!!
> 
> I know I would be like the walking dead.
> 
> Top work:thumb:


Nope, I was up at 7am to get my car MOT'd! Will probs catch up on sleep tomoro if i have time


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Some boy Clark, well done :thumb:


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Fantastic as usual - great result on the BMW especially, man that was a right swirly old mess to start with - I bet the owner couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the finished result :doublesho. :thumb: :thumb:


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

V12MSM said:


> Some boy Clark, well done :thumb:


Aye the golf (raft!) was a bit boring but i got there in the end


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## Spoolin93 (May 27, 2006)

Superb work there. This has to be my favourite picture :








:thumb:


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## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

Superb work, especially the correction on the BMW - the Midnight Sun has left a stunning finish on both :thumb:


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

nice work as usual


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## Fursecul (Sep 12, 2006)

Incredible work there man,looks superb :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

very nice indeed!


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

how bad was the beemer! great dedication there mate. 17 hours! jeez.


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## visor (Sep 8, 2007)

simply awesome Clark :thumb:



> LSP:
> 
> - Blackfire Wet Diamond.
> - Blackfire Midnight Sun Wax.
> - Last Touch wipe down.


btw, forgot to ask. just confirming, did you use 2 waxes on the Golf?


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Awesome work on both cars - amazing deep reflections too!


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## Glider (Jan 10, 2006)

What did you get done at Star this time


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## GTIKris (Jul 19, 2007)

The depth on the GTI is amazing... giving me something to aim for!


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Glider said:


> What did you get done at Star this time


A bit more than planned!

Went down last Sat to get Eibach ARB's and new Miltek centre section fitted, plus i got them to bleed the brakes and put in race fluid. Unfortunately one of the nipples in the n/s front caliper stripped the thread when they removed it. Cut a long story short, the caliper couldnt be saved even after an attempt to re-tap it and fit a new nipple (£30 each just cos its a brembo part!) so i had to get a brand new caliper fitted, and being a Brembo it wasnt cheap - £300!

So i ended up with a bill of just over a grand but the car now stops as well as it goes and handles like its on rails so i'm happy


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## Robins (Feb 5, 2008)

They look awesome! The difference between the befores and afters on the beemer is fantastic!. The work you've had done on yours sounds pretty good as well :thumb:


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## Glider (Jan 10, 2006)

Shame about the Brembo, worth a try on ebay at selling it. How low did you go with Eibachs.
Oh and some of the angles on the new Golf pictures are stunning.


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## ROB WOODHOUSE (Nov 13, 2005)

absolutely stunning as usual with your details


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

wow - both look stunning. I keep admiring the Blackfire stuff in your details but just have no more cars to put anything on :lol:


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## N8KOW (Aug 24, 2007)

You never fail to amaze me :buffer:


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## Ian Zetec - S (Oct 2, 2006)

Awesome Clark. How would you rate the durability of the Midnight Sun?


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## MCZ2047 (Oct 10, 2007)

Fantastic Work on the 5 series, but the GTI has blown me away!!! Out of interest how did you clean, what products did you use on the honeycombe grill and fog light surrounds?


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

visor said:


> simply awesome Clark :thumb:
> 
> btw, forgot to ask. just confirming, did you use 2 waxes on the Golf?


No, Wet Diamond = Sealant, and Midnight Sun = Wax 



Glider said:


> Shame about the Brembo, worth a try on ebay at selling it. How low did you go with Eibachs.
> Oh and some of the angles on the new Golf pictures are stunning.


25mm bars front and back, totally transformed the handling of the car :thumb:



Ian Zetec - S said:


> Awesome Clark. How would you rate the durability of the Midnight Sun?


Pretty good, i put it on my Dads focus and it was beading nicely for a good 2 or 3 months, the beading is very tight when first applied and seems to stay that way for a decent lengh of time  obviously it depends on the milage the car does etc etc...



MCZ2047 said:


> Fantastic Work on the 5 series, but the GTI has blown me away!!! Out of interest how did you clean, what products did you use on the honeycombe grill and fog light surrounds?


Just gave them a quick spray with APC and cleaned them with the mitt, the car was only a month old so it wasnt dirty to begin with


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## Kenny.s (Oct 18, 2006)

Just like to say a big thanks to Rich, Angela and Clark for a fantastic service, they more than lived up to expectations. 
Despite having told the dealer time and time again not to touch the car when it came in they went ahead and washed it, their reason being they cant put a 20k car out the door dirty, my answer being i'd rather it was dirty than scratched, which got a funny look!  
If i hadn't gone in when i did they would probably have gone further and attacked it with a polisher. Fortunately they didnt do too much damage, just a few scratches on the n/s quarter panel and basically what you'd expect from being washed with a grotty old sponge.
The car (GTi) looked absolutely awesome when i collected it, the sun even tried to make an appearance. Unfortunately it's not so shiney looking now, the drive back down the road soon saw to that.
I'm back up to Aberdeen next week to go to work so ill leave it till i get home again before i give it a wash.

Keep up the good work, ill definately be back :thumb: 

Thanks again

Kenny


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## mitch 106 gti (Oct 21, 2007)

Great work! Love that golf makes me want one even more! :thumb:


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## Kenny.s (Oct 18, 2006)

As of about 9pm tonight the bonnet no longer looks like this  








It's pretty cold here tonight and the car had been sat outside the house for a few hours so there was condensation on the bonnet, roof etc, some dirty wee [email protected] decided it would be a good idea to drag their hand across it and make squiggly lines all over the bonnet  there's 4 finger lines from one side to the other, catching the top of both wings too. 
I drove it round the block to get the condensation off (and put it in the garage) and it's definately left some light scratches, bonnet isn't that dirty so they must have had gloves on, dont think bare hands would have left scratch marks without there being any dirt to grind in?

Kenny


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

OMG!

If it's light scratches should be a straight forward job to get them out you'd hope?


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## Thomas-182 (Mar 5, 2006)

Lovely work there Clark, the 5-/50 on the BM is an excellent shot of the your work, the golf looks like it's a 3D render in the afters 

Played.


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## Kenny.s (Oct 18, 2006)

I'm quite sure for the likes of Clark it would be a simple job.
I accept the fact it's going to pick up the odd swirl mark here and there especially with the miles i do and that you cant keep polishing out every little defect that appears but this just looks exactly like someones dragged their hand across it.


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Couldnt believe it when Rich told me mate, but look at it this way - at least they didnt key it or something worse! I'll get it fixed for you no probs at all, thanks for the feedback :thumb:


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## Kenny.s (Oct 18, 2006)

Credit where credit's due Clark, the car looked amazing when i collected it.
When i walked outside the other night and saw the finger lines across the bonnet i was absolutely gutted, but like you say it could have been worse the wee sh!te could have keyed it. 
We've not had any bother round here for years, the street can be quite busy at the weekends but midweek you only get the odd person walking by. I didn't want to have to put the car in the garage everytime i come home but unfortunately it looks like i dont have any option.

Hopefully it's not too deep, i'm no expert but it just looks like surface marring, fingers crossed, time will tell.

Kenny


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## chrisfoster1971 (Feb 16, 2008)

These write ups are a fantastic insight into how you guys achieve such amazing results.


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## ClubmanCJ (Mar 2, 2008)

Just stunning! The BMW looks terrific, as does the GTI. Great work!


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## vpricey (May 8, 2006)

Superb Clark!!:thumb:

Just out of interest how do you do the door handles on both those cars??:speechles


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Spoolin93 said:


> Superb work there. This has to be my favourite picture :
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I was going to pull the same one out as well - both stunning details :thumb:

I also noticed you clever lighting technique for those shots was to point the halogens at the wall/picture to get those superb reflection shots. Good thinking and good results....


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## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

vpricey said:


> Superb Clark!!:thumb:
> 
> Just out of interest how do you do the door handles on both those cars??:speechles


I use the G220 for the handles and usually a german applicator pad for the bits the megs machine wont reach


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