# Gleaming Kleen - Silver Arrow



## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks for taking the time to view another thread from Gleaming Kleen

Here we have a 2001 Mercedes Sl500 Limited Edition "Silver Arrow" that was booked in for our top detail:thumb:

Few pics of the car before the wash and decontamination stages

















































































Vehicle was given a foam with AG Powermax 3 and a drop of Snow Foam which was left for a few minutes and pressure rinsed off, I then worked round the car with R222 and a Envy detailing brush to clean all the exterior trim including door jams and other harder to reach area's and sometimes over-looked areas.








































































I then turned my attention to the engine bay



























Sprayed with Megs SD and then agaitaged with a brush and then rinsed off



























Vehicle was then given another foam with AG Powermax 3, rinsed and then washed with Duragloss 912 and a Zymol Sponge









Once the car was washed, it was treated to Tardis to remove some of the tar spots which was then followed by a application of iron Cut, this was then rinsed off and then the vehicle was clayed using Sonus Green and Megs Last Touch as lube before giving a final rinse and then dryed.


















Vehicle was then brought inside and put onto axle stands so I could remove the wheels for refurbing as the insides were severely corroded 


















With the wheels off I then proceeded to clean the arches, calipers,etc with Bilt Hamber Surfex






















































Arches were then sealed with Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 and all plastic dressed with Megs ASD


















Hubs repainted and copper slip applied and calipers sealed with Swissvax Autobahn


















Some exterior trim on the lower part of the car was removed and cleaned

















































































The front grill was removed to allow me to machine polish around it a bit easier, whilst off it was given a clean with Werkstat Strong


















Lights were removed to clean away the build of dirt.


















Exhausts were polished with Auto sol and 0000 wirewool


















Once all this was complete I then went around the car with a DFT combo and Positest 200 and took some paint readings and then gave the paint a IPA wipedown before finding a suitable combo to correct the paint.

I settled on using GTechniq P1 and Festool wool pad at 1200 rpm's to remove the defects. 






































































































































































































After all correction was complete paint was then refined with Megs 205 and a LC Hydro Finishing Pad








































































The refurbed wheels were protected with Nanolex Pro and tyres dressed with Swissvax Pneu before being refitted on to car 


















The Panoramic Roof was removed which revealed some dirt around the seals, this was cleaned with APC and then the seals were feed with Swissvax Seal Feed


















The soft top was then put up to be cleaned and protected, the plastic screen was restored using Swissvax Vinyl set









50/50 - 









Before...









and after



























The compartment which stores the soft top was given a good clean and vacummed before lowering the soft top into postion to refit the hard top









Once all work on the exterior was complete the vehicle was given a good wipedown with IPA and then Nanolex Pro was applied to all paintwork including door shuts. Exterior glass sealed with Nanolex Urban









The interior was started by dusting and vacuuming the loose dust and dirt from all surfaces and crevices. Next, all carpets and mats were scrubbed with a brush and APC and once dry 303 Fabric Guard was applied.

All hard surfaces/plastics were wiped down with Einzett ****pit Premuim and then Swissvax Leather Cleaner was applied to the leather which was then agitated with a soft brush to help remove the ingrained dirt and then wiped clean with a microfiber. Once all the leather was cleaned it was then conditioned with Swissvax Leather Milk, this was applied evenly and left to dry naturally. The trim was cleaned with Swissvax Cleaner Fluid and then topped with a coat of Swissvax Best of Show. The sills were cleaned with Wekstat Prime, interior windows cleaned with 3m glass cleaner and lastly all seals were cleaned with APC and then feed with Swissvax Seal Feed.




























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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
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Engine bay dressed with 303 Aerospace


















Few finished shots - some were taken first thing in the morning before the sun showed up






































































































































































































Thanks for looking:thumb:


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## superdoug (Jan 4, 2010)

Thats an amazing turnaround! I hate the green mould.


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

Lovely Jay, really needed it and looks a whole new car again.


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## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

Stunning car and an equally stunning detail mate.:thumb:


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## adam91 (Mar 17, 2009)

Great turnaround mate!


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

Top Detail, nice turn around..

I love the SW Seal Feed, much better than the Zymol version..


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## paulmc08 (Feb 3, 2009)

Fantastic detail and a very good thread:thumb:


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## SimonBash (Jun 7, 2010)

Impressive work, great save :thumb:


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## CK_pt (Dec 27, 2009)

I absolutly love these old SL's, still trying to find ones that ticks all the boxes...

Amazing work as always, it does trully look like a new car. Shame about the corroded wheels, didn't realize they were so bad.


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## A12DY B (Dec 14, 2008)

Amazing work there mate,


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## EthanCrawford (Jan 7, 2010)

:doublesho

Thats a great turnaround i can't belive the owner let it get in that state.


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## Max (Jan 9, 2007)

What a turnaround! Looks fantastic :thumb:


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## ADW (Aug 8, 2010)

Top job mate proper detail :thumb:


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## Auto Detox (Dec 22, 2007)

Super job on a real nice motor Jay
Baz


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## Perfection Detailing (Nov 3, 2007)

Quality detail Jay, very nice mate :thumb:

Neil


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## Roy (Jan 17, 2007)

Top notch detailing :thumb:


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## patience1128 (Jun 13, 2008)

Perfect result, Jay

From the article I saw you used the Nanolex professional sealant,Would you mind me ask some questions?

The question is, I got the Nanolex Professional sealant this week,when I tested the sealant, I found it evaporated so fast, hard to wipe on the surface, and I can't see it cured, so I can't sure where I have wipe on or not....

Would you mind to give me some advises to overcome the question?

Thank you so much, really hope you can understand what I said, my English is so poor....


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## mlgt (Apr 11, 2008)

Fantastic turnaround Jay!


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

patience1128 said:


> Perfect result, Jay
> 
> From the article I saw you used the Nanolex professional sealant,Would you mind me ask some questions?
> 
> ...


what did you apply it with??


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

superdoug said:


> Thats an amazing turnaround! I hate the green mould.





Beau Technique said:


> Lovely Jay, really needed it and looks a whole new car again.





Gleammachine said:


> Stunning car and an equally stunning detail mate.:thumb:





adam91 said:


> Great turnaround mate!





qstix said:


> Top Detail, nice turn around..
> 
> I love the SW Seal Feed, much better than the Zymol version..





paulmc08 said:


> Fantastic detail and a very good thread:thumb:





SimonBash said:


> Impressive work, great save :thumb:





CK_pt said:


> I absolutly love these old SL's, still trying to find ones that ticks all the boxes...
> 
> Amazing work as always, it does trully look like a new car. Shame about the corroded wheels, didn't realize they were so bad.





A12DY B said:


> Amazing work there mate,





EthanCrawford said:


> :doublesho
> 
> Thats a great turnaround i can't belive the owner let it get in that state.





Max said:


> What a turnaround! Looks fantastic :thumb:





ADW said:


> Top job mate proper detail :thumb:





Auto Detox said:


> Super job on a real nice motor Jay
> Baz





Perfection Detailing said:


> Quality detail Jay, very nice mate :thumb:
> 
> Neil





Roy said:


> Top notch detailing :thumb:





mlgt said:


> Fantastic turnaround Jay!


thanks for taking the time to view the thread and comment guys:thumb:


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

You didn´t detail the merc but you created another one...better than Factory finish.

Super work Jay :thumb:


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## patience1128 (Jun 13, 2008)

Gleamingkleen said:


> what did you apply it with??


I applied it with makeup pad, ,and before I applied the sealant , I polished my friends car (only bonnet) with menzerna 83Q 85rd, after polish, I use car shampoo mixed with dawn to wash the car to ensure any residue are removed.

After drying, I use Nanolex paint premium cleaner to wipedown again, and I start to coat the paint. The quantity of the sealant on the makeup pad are two quick dab from the bottle on the pad.


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## rgDetail (Jul 16, 2009)

Looks amazing, all that moss and grime that had built up around the seals and badges - I bet that was satisfying to see removed :lol:

Nice job on the wheels too, whole car looks brilliant.


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## Frothey (Apr 30, 2007)

Awesome work Jay :thumb:


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Awesome work - looks like its just rolled out of the factory! Well, its better than that!


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## paranoid73 (Aug 5, 2009)

Superb work, what a turn around :thumb:


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

Stunning,looks very well indeed.


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## Gleams (Jul 26, 2010)

awesome work on a great car, looks just like it should..sharp.


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## Beemer 330 (Oct 8, 2010)

Great write up and results.

well impressed.

Can I ask a couple of questions?

- what is best for bringing the leather back to that non shiny look?
- isit bad to let APC dry on the paint? if so how do you keep it going so it can just be rinsed off?
- Is 303 Aerospace for the whole engine bay or just the plastics and do you use this for other exterior plastics like the rub strips?

thanks for you help.


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## J1ODY A (Nov 28, 2008)

christ that's a nice car & good work done on it!


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

Beemer 330 said:


> Great write up and results.
> 
> well impressed.
> 
> ...


thanks,

all depends on how old the leather is - may just be from a build up of dirt, try giving it a good deep clean using something like Gliptone, LTT or Swissvax Leather Cleaner -use a brush to work the product in

not sure I follow you on the APC topic - what do you mean " keep it going so it can just be rinsed off" 

Yes 303 is used just for the plastics/hoses in engine bay and it can be used for exterior trim such as rub strips


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

Racer said:


> You didn´t detail the merc but you created another one...better than Factory finish.
> 
> Super work Jay :thumb:





patience1128 said:


> I applied it with makeup pad, ,and before I applied the sealant , I polished my friends car (only bonnet) with menzerna 83Q 85rd, after polish, I use car shampoo mixed with dawn to wash the car to ensure any residue are removed.
> 
> After drying, I use Nanolex paint premium cleaner to wipedown again, and I start to coat the paint. The quantity of the sealant on the makeup pad are two quick dab from the bottle on the pad.





rgDetail said:


> Looks amazing, all that moss and grime that had built up around the seals and badges - I bet that was satisfying to see removed :lol:
> 
> Nice job on the wheels too, whole car looks brilliant.





Frothey said:


> Awesome work Jay :thumb:





JBirchy said:


> Awesome work - looks like its just rolled out of the factory! Well, its better than that!





paranoid73 said:


> Superb work, what a turn around :thumb:





B&B Autostyle said:


> Stunning,looks very well indeed.





Gleams said:


> awesome work on a great car, looks just like it should..sharp.





Beemer 330 said:


> Great write up and results.
> 
> well impressed.
> 
> ...





J1ODY A said:


> christ that's a nice car & good work done on it!


thanks guys:thumb:


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## Jamie-SRi (Oct 18, 2010)

That is something else! Great turnaround, well done!


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## Ton91 (Jul 14, 2010)

Awesome work!! Very well Detailing:thumb:


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## Jorge (Oct 12, 2009)

Fantastic work, truly amaizing! :thumb:

Best regards,

Jorge


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## Hoppo32 (Nov 18, 2008)

Fantastic turnaround and amazing attention to detail (pun intended).
That is one very nice interior.
Dont know if i missed it in the write-up but how long did you have the car for?


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## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

GReat turnaround - how it should look


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## Nanolex (Jun 8, 2008)

Outstanding job and great attention to all the details! :thumb:


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

What a _great_ job - that was a right mess. Looking at it now, without the numberplates on, I wouldn't believe that it was at least 8 years old. Excellent :thumb:


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## FrazzleTC (Jul 4, 2009)

That's an absolutely amazing transformation! Lovely car too, I do like the silver arrow version.


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## n_d_fox (Apr 18, 2007)

Absolutely stunning... what a pile of s**t that was on first view !

Done the car proud there :thumb:


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## horned yo (Feb 10, 2009)

Thats amazing work


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

Thats an epic turnaround. Great work Rob.:thumb:


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## -J- (Nov 2, 2007)

Stunning car and a Stunning job !


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

stunning work there fella as always


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## Mr_Scisco (Oct 22, 2009)

That is amazing. Excellent work and the refurb on the alloys :doublesho Fantastic


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## Scott Harris (Nov 20, 2007)

Very nice indeed! :thumb:


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

Just brilliant!


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## mundo (Sep 7, 2010)

cracking job mate

mundo


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## cdti_sri (Jul 17, 2006)

That is really great work on a very very nice car.


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## Dwayne (Jul 27, 2010)

Superb:thumb:

Beautiful motor:argie: some great reflection on silver too.


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## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

Jay, if I had a hat I would most certainly take it off and salute you.

AWESOME DETAIL :thumb: Silver Arrow re-birth & (probably) looks better than it ever did at new, stunning

Thanks for posting a sensational peace of work.

respect from all at team face :wave::wave::wave:


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## funfun (Nov 18, 2010)

waaahooouuu what an awesome work and excellent result :thumb:


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

Awesome Job Jay.


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

Jamie-SRi said:


> That is something else! Great turnaround, well done!





Ton91 said:


> Awesome work!! Very well Detailing:thumb:





Jorge said:


> Fantastic work, truly amaizing! :thumb:
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Jorge





Hoppo32 said:


> Fantastic turnaround and amazing attention to detail (pun intended).
> That is one very nice interior.
> Dont know if i missed it in the write-up but how long did you have the car for?





WHIZZER said:


> GReat turnaround - how it should look





Nanolex said:


> Outstanding job and great attention to all the details! :thumb:





johnnyguitar said:


> What a _great_ job - that was a right mess. Looking at it now, without the numberplates on, I wouldn't believe that it was at least 8 years old. Excellent :thumb:





FrazzleTC said:


> That's an absolutely amazing transformation! Lovely car too, I do like the silver arrow version.





n_d_fox said:


> Absolutely stunning... what a pile of s**t that was on first view !
> 
> Done the car proud there :thumb:





horned yo said:


> Thats amazing work





hotwaxxx said:


> Thats an epic turnaround. Great work Rob.:thumb:





-J- said:


> Stunning car and a Stunning job !





-Mat- said:


> stunning work there fella as always





Mr_Scisco said:


> That is amazing. Excellent work and the refurb on the alloys :doublesho Fantastic





Scott Harris said:


> Very nice indeed! :thumb:





Bill58 said:


> Just brilliant!





mundo said:


> cracking job mate
> 
> mundo





cdti_sri said:


> That is really great work on a very very nice car.





Dwayne said:


> Superb:thumb:
> 
> Beautiful motor:argie: some great reflection on silver too.





Mr Face said:


> Jay, if I had a hat I would most certainly take it off and salute you.
> 
> AWESOME DETAIL :thumb: Silver Arrow re-birth & (probably) looks better than it ever did at new, stunning
> 
> ...





funfun said:


> waaahooouuu what an awesome work and excellent result :thumb:





*MAGIC* said:


> Awesome Job Jay.


thanks fella's, comments greatly appreciated as always


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## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

This was an amazing read!!!

THANK YOU!!!!


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## "SkY" (Apr 21, 2009)

looks great:thumb:


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Fantastic!!


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## Marc1 (Apr 8, 2010)

:argie: Great Job :thumb:


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## A17 (Oct 4, 2010)

Amazing work


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

great job sure this wasnt by the coast enough algae to look like seaweed


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## AlexTsinos (Oct 10, 2010)

amazing :doublesho:doublesho:doublesho


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## Guest (Dec 12, 2010)

Fantstic work Jay:thumb:


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

tdekany said:


> This was an amazing read!!!
> 
> THANK YOU!!!!





"SkY" said:


> looks great:thumb:





Dan Clark said:


> Fantastic!!





Marc1 said:


> :argie: Great Job :thumb:





A17 said:


> Amazing work





james_death said:


> great job sure this wasnt by the coast enough algae to look like seaweed





AlexTsinos said:


> amazing :doublesho:doublesho:doublesho





DETAIL said:


> Fantstic work Jay:thumb:


thanks for taking the time to view and comment guys, as always its greatly appreciated:thumb:


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

Brilliant Jay, one of the best write ups for a while on here!


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2010)

OMG:doublesho

I wish I had a Silver Arrow now.:argie: Only a SL320 for me 

That is simply gorgeous and a stunning turnaround. I only wish I had half your talent to do a proper job on mine:buffer:

Hats off to you Jay.


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## Ian D (Mar 16, 2006)

My mates mum has one that she has had from new, and it was beautiful when she got it, now it is pretty much always like the before pictures!
They sound superb, I really liked the light up sills with the silver arrow detail in them.

Lovely car and superb turnaround


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

JPC said:


> Brilliant Jay, one of the best write ups for a while on here!





AnilS said:


> OMG:doublesho
> 
> I wish I had a Silver Arrow now.:argie: Only a SL320 for me
> 
> ...





Ian D said:


> My mates mum has one that she has had from new, and it was beautiful when she got it, now it is pretty much always like the before pictures!
> They sound superb, I really liked the light up sills with the silver arrow detail in them.
> 
> Lovely car and superb turnaround


Thanks once again guys:thumb:


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## Mouseless (Aug 1, 2010)

*i spotted something interesting !!*

Was that a extraction vac u were using on the hood ?? if so can my puzzi be used ? was used with a apc and then re-proofed as per the norm ?
Mark
ps stunning turnaround :thumb:


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Stunning work, stunning car!!


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

What a fantastic job and an absolute credit to you. Top marks!


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

Mouseless said:


> Was that a extraction vac u were using on the hood ?? if so can my puzzi be used ? was used with a apc and then re-proofed as per the norm ?
> Mark
> ps stunning turnaround :thumb:


I didnt photograph all the stages that was done on the soft top but the puzzi wet vac was just used to extract some of the excess water in the fabric after cleaning it to try and reduce the drying time:thumb:

Was cleaned and sealed with Renovo



Eddy said:


> Stunning work, stunning car!!


Thanks Eddy



Serkie said:


> What a fantastic job and an absolute credit to you. Top marks!


Thanks Serkie


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

An amazing renovation and detailing job - how could somebody let such a lovely car get into such a state?


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## farhanali89 (Oct 10, 2010)

Stunning work, It looks brand new again. The build up on all the edges was horrible. You tackled it really well


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## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

Simply superb!


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

DW58 said:


> An amazing renovation and detailing job - how could somebody let such a lovely car get into such a state?





farhanali89 said:


> Stunning work, It looks brand new again. The build up on all the edges was horrible. You tackled it really well





JD said:


> Simply superb!


thanks fella's


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