# Polished Bliss®: Swedish beauty receives a pre-sale makeover (GYEON)



## Rich @ PB

Although it seems like a distant memory now (no doubt helped by the fine weather we've been enjoying lately), last winter was particularly brutal and persisted right through to May in our part of the world. This, combined with the fact that I was unable to wash our cars at home for most of its duration (thanks to a collapsing driveway wall), resulted in my C30 looking like this when the time came for its winter/summer wheel swap and spring detail…










Plenty of fresh stone chips apparent…










…including some monsters like this one…










…and don't ask about this; sore subject!










The rest of the car wasn't too bad; just the usual grime and contamination that winter always brings…
































































Next, another sore point. By the time I'd started the detail my driveway wall was being fixed (and a brand new driveway laid), which meant parking on the road for a few weeks. Overnight on day 1 (the first day my car has ever been parked on the street overnight) this appeared; a nice crease in the quarter panel…










So, nothing too bad if you exclude the necessary trip to the bodyshop to replace the sideskirt and having to get Martin from Dent Devils in - I'll return to these points later. Before I get stuck into the guts of the detail, I should point out that this detail was done in dribs and drabs over the best part of a month. Like most people, I have to fit in any personal detailing I do around a busy week at work and life at home, so a few hours a here and there is how things get done nowadays. More importantly, now you know why my outfit is going to change regularly throughout this write up!

Onto the first stage then, the winter/summer wheel swap, which is always accompanied by a thorough clean of the arches. Taking each corner in turn, I started out with Auto Finesse Citrus Power via a MESTO 1.5 L CLEANER Pressure Sprayer (EPDM) to soften the accumulated dirt and grime…










After a five minute soak this was blasted off at 60°C, taking most of the winter muck with it.










I then removed the winter wheel and soaked the arch liner and suspension components with Autosmart Tardis.










After a two minute soak this was wiped off with old microfibre towels, taking a generous spattering of tar spots with it.










I then re-soaked everything (including the hub and brake components) with Citrus Power, this time agitating it thoroughly with a Raceglaze Supersize Detailing Brush…










…before rinsing off again at 60°C…










…and then immediately drying everything off with our Metro Vac Air Force Blaster.










I do things in the above order as it minimises the time the disc stays wet, and thus prevents it getting too rusty before the summer wheel goes on. However, before fitting the summer wheel I always dress the arch liners and this year I opted to use GYEON Q2 TRIM. This SiO2-based coating must be applied to spotlessly clean surfaces, so a thorough wipe down with GYEON Q2M Prep was performed…










Instead of using a suede applicator I picked cotton make up pads for this task, simply because I knew they'd be ruined after doing each liner - solvent carriers in nano and ceramic coatings always seems to pull out more dirt and grime, even after thorough cleaning sessions with other chemicals.










I applied the GYEON Q2 TRIM quite thickly so as to ensure a good final coating formed; there's no point scrimping when you only have time to apply a single coat to areas that are going to take a lot of abuse (although in retrospect the road conditions so far this summer have been quite kind).










As you can see, GYEON Q2 TRIM immediately transforms the look of tired plastics, and also evens out in appearance as it dries (in the same way that 303 Aerospace Protectant does).










All that remained to do was then offer up and fit the summer wheel…










…which was protected in advance with two coats of GYEON Q2 RIM, applied in my lounge whilst I watched the first F1 race of the season!










Finally, I dressed the tyre with GYEON Q2M TIRE (another SiO2-based coating)…










…and voila, that was stage one done and dusted.










I always like to get this stage out of the way before tackling the rest of the car, as wheel swapping and arch cleaning is dirty work. It's far easier to cover up freshly detailed wheels when decontaminating bodywork (large bin bags do the trick) than it is to attempt to do things the other way round.

A week or so later I managed to find a few hours to get the next stage in the process done; a proper exterior wash, including all of the shuts and the engine bay. Starting with the latter, I kicked things off by soaking everything in the engine compartment with Citrus Power…










After a minute or two I agitated this thoroughly with a Raceglaze Supersize Detailing Brush…










…before rinsing off at 60°C (with the pressure turned right down)…










…and then immediately drying everything off with our Metro Vac Air Force Blaster.

With the engine bay done I closed the bonnet and turned my attention to the exterior. Wanting to get rid of as much dirt and grime as possible before hand washing, I blanketed the car with a double strength hit of Auto Finesse Avalanche…










…no wonder we sell so much of this stuff; its performance is second to none.










After a thorough high pressure rinse at 60°C I then tackled all of the shuts using Citrus Power and various Raceglaze brushes…





































After rinsing these areas and rewetting the whole car, it was time for the hand wash, using the two bucket method, a Microfiber Madness Incredimitt and GYEON Q2M BATHE, which is a simply brilliant shampoo. It's not often that pure shampoos (i.e. those free of gloss enhancing oils and unwanted wax or polymer content) feel nice to use, but this one does, and it generates very long lasting suds too…










Below the rear number plate I discovered a weird orange residue, and after finding that neither the shampoo nor Citrus Power would touch it, I broke out a little bit of Tardis to get it shifted…










After a final rinse with our pressure washer I then rinsed everything again with 0 ppm water from our Aqua Gleam filter before parking the car up inside our unit and leaving it to dry naturally.

A few days later I stayed late after work and spent the evening working my way through our standard decontamination procedure (and shooting footage for a couple of new product demonstration videos in the process). First up, a few images showing the types of contamination present, the most obvious being a generous spattering of tar spots…










…also present in droves were rusted iron filings, mainly on the lower halves and rear end of the car.



















I also noticed (by running my fingertips over wetted areas) that the roof and bonnet felt as rough as sandpaper, even though few contaminants were visible. Our Celestron microscope told a different story…










…here's an image captured at 54x magnification, showing a particle of iron-rich industrial fallout corroding in situ…










Breaking these issues down into stages, I started out by removing the tar spots using Autosmart Tardis. Here it is being sprayed on…










…and this is what it looks like when it's doing its thing; it certainly tells you that it's working!










After a minute or two I wiped each treated panel down to remove any stubborn nibs of tar…










…and then rinsed at high pressure to fully remove the residue.










I then turned my attention to the iron-rich contaminants covering the car (both the visible ones and the microscopic ones) and followed a very similar removal procedure, this time using Auto Finesse Iron Out. Here it is being applied…










…and this is what it looks like when it's doing its thing; it also clearly tells you that it's working!










After a minute or two I wiped each treated panel down to remove any stubborn particles…










…and then rinsed at high pressure again to fully remove the residue. At this point I checked the panels again with my fingertips. While they were significantly smoother, I was still able to detect a slight roughness, particularly on the horizontal panels. This didn't surprise me, as we suffer from both fine overspray and copper fallout issues on our industrial estate (from a large fabrication business). Thus, I then knew a third physically-based approach was going to be needed to complete the decontamination process, but with the light fading I decided to call it a day. I quickly rinsed the car with 0 ppm water and parked it inside for the night. The following morning I rocked up to work at an ungodly hour and set to it with a SPEEDY Surface Prep DX Pad (as opposed to a clay bar). After trying a few different options I've discovered that a bed of snow foam serves as an excellent lubricant for these discs, and really helps to minimise marring…










I should point out at this stage that these discs remove bonded contaminants by dislodging them using a special type of polymerised rubber (as opposed to cutting them away with abrasive particles, as in the case of clay bars - if one more person tells me that clay bars 'pull' contaminants off I'm going to lose the plot), which looks and feels kind of funky…










Of course, the discs can be awkward to use in tight spots due to their size, but in these cases a quick switch to the foldable towel version of the same product makes life easy again.










What can I conclude about SPEEDY Surface Prep Discs and Towels? Well, they certainly work much more quickly than clay bars, which is a good thing, but on the flipside they do tend to inflict more marring. However, this isn't an issue when you plan on machine polishing anyway, so I'll certainly be using them in such cases from now on. And for professional use, they are invaluable - nobody wants to waste even a minute of time at the decontamination stage when tens of hours of correction work lie ahead. Before I move on to cover the polishing stage for this detail, there was one more thing I did while the car was still wet and the Tardis was handy; more debadging! I should have done this three years ago when the car was new, but it's never too late to do the right thing and remove anything that serves no purpose and simply collects dirt and grime…




























You can see in the last image that the glass beneath the badges was stained ever so slightly. However, a quick hand polish with Menzerna 203S later on soon sorted this issue out fully (best to mention this now otherwise I'll forget later on). Right then, onto the polishing stage, and my favourite new toy - the RUPES LHR 15ES BigFoot Random Orbital Polisher…


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## Rich @ PB

I'm quite sure that this topic has been done to death on here and other forums now, but for what it's worth, my take on this impressive machine is as follows: (i) had it been available seven years ago I'd never have bothered to teach myself to use a rotary (ii) if, for whatever reason, you don't get on well with rotary polishers (or use them often enough to keep your hand in, i.e. me!) then it's the one to go for (the FLEX XC3401 VRG, despite being an equally excellent machine, feels too much like a rotary for my liking, and is thus better suited to detailers with plenty of rotary experience). I base these findings on the fact that Clark (with thousands of hours of Makita use under his belt) prefers the FLEX, while I (washed up former detailer with significantly less rotary experience) prefer the RUPES. However, we both agree that the RUPES is extremely capable, and for this reason most people will never need to use anything else to achieve great results, even on hard paint types. Anyway, that's enough of that, back to the detail on my car, which has paint of intermediate hardness, and which was in need of a light machine polish to remove a year's worth of wash marring. Guessing correctly in advance (based on previous experience), the perfect combination for tackling this turned out to be RUPES Keramik Gloss and RUPES Fine Polishing Pads…










I must say that I find the 150 mm RUPES pads (the only ones you can use on the LHR 15ES) pretty much perfect size-wise; not too big and thus cumbersome, but not too small and thus wasteful of time. All RUPES can do now to improve their offering is to hurry up and get the electric version of the LHR 75 launched (which will accept their 100 mm spot pads).










Here's a short sequence of shots taken as I corrected the near-side wing.




























The marring I was dealing with wasn't at all bad, which probably reflects the fact that I've cut a lot of contact out of my wash routine over the years, mainly at the drying stage - I can't remember the last time I towel dried the car. Instead, I prefer to either blow dry it with our Air Force Blaster, or leave it to dry naturally after a thorough 0 ppm rinse.

*BEFORE*










*AFTER*










Interestingly, the only panels that proved to be harder to correct were those I treated with 22PLE VX1 Pro last year (my car frequently wears different LSPs on different panels - the joys of testing properly), which indicates that it added a significant amount of hardness to the finish. After three hits on the bonnet with the Keramik / fine pad combo I gave up and switched to RUPES Zehpir Gloss and RUPES Medium Polishing Pads…



















This more aggressive pairing did the trick in a single attempt, and I then switched back to the Keramik / fine pad to refine the finish. Just a reminder to the less experienced reading this; always remember to spur your pad with a suitable brush after doing each section of the car - if you allow spent polish residue to build up on the pad then things will quickly go pear-shaped, in terms of diminished cutting power and micromarring (or worse) appearing in the finish.










On the subject of technique, we're still finding that a lot of our customers aren't working very cleanly when machine polishing, and are thus struggling to achieve perfect results. In many cases it seems to be the failure to deal with (a) polishing dust and (b) unspent polish residue properly that is causing problems. Here's a short sequence of shots that shows the various steps I take to work 'cleanly' on each section of the car when machine polishing…










After I've finished machining each section the first thing I do is gently tickle away any polishing dust with a PB Lambswool Duster…










Then, I take a microfibre towel reserved specifically for this task, and carefully remove unspent polish residue from any panel gaps…










Then, and only then, do I take my 'best' buffing towel and carefully wipe away the main bulk of the oily polish residue, whilst simultaneously checking my work with our 3M Sun Gun. By following the above steps, this towel shouldn't ever pick up any dust or unspent polish and thus shouldn't ever inflict any fresh marring into the freshly polished finish.










The same method used for the bodywork was employed to correct the light clusters too.

*BEFORE*










*AFTER*










Before moving on to the protection stage of the detail, a few other issues were attended to first. Remember the crease in the quarter panel? Well, I called in the legend that is Martin at Dent Devils, and he duly worked his magic. With no access to the inside of the panel, he had to resort to pulling it out using a glue tab. Here's a shot of the equipment all set up…










…and here's Martin pulling hard on the glue tab, and thus pulling the crease out…










After performing pull repairs you're often left with high spots where you've literally pulled the panel out too far, so the final step is to gently hammer these high spots back down until the repair is perfectly flat and even. It always freaks me out when I see Martin doing this (more so when it's my own car!), but the end result is always spot on…










Next, I turned my attention to the eleventy million stone chips peppering the front bumper and the leading edge of the off-side sideskirt (there was no point working on the near-side sideskirt as it was shortly due to be replaced at the bodyshop). I've been meaning to test various stone chip repair systems for a while now, and on this occasion I placed an order with CHIPEX for one of their kits. I'd read mixed reviews about this system, but figured that most of the poor results reported were likely down to user error rather than a poor quality product. And this proved to be the case. After cleaning the chipped areas with IPA I then used the supplied microbrushes to fill every single visible chip. A lot of them only needed to be touched in once, but a handful required up to half a dozen thick layers of paint to be built up over the course of an hour or so (each coat seemed to dry fully within about 7-8 minutes). Here's a picture of one of the worst chips on the front bumper being filled…










Once dry, you then have to gently flat back any excess paint in the filled chips using a blending solution and what appears to be a jay cloth. I used a small cut down piece of rubber block to aid this process, and I must say it worked very well - patience was required, but with care I found that it was possible to do the flatting back without marring the surrounding finish at all.










Here's the final result; not completely seamless, but pretty damn good and a good colour match too. Overall, I was delighted with the results I achieved - it really felt like I was resetting the clock on these panels.










The final act was to bake the repairs at 60°C for 10 minutes using our IR Heatlight. And in the half a dozen washes and 1000 miles I've driven since (in all weathers) not one of them has popped out yet. Would I use the CHIPEX system if I didn't have access to an IR lamp? Yes, for sure, but I suspect that some of the repairs might not prove to be as durable. Just something to bear in mind.










Shortly after the above the car went down to our local bodyshop for a new sideskirt to be fitted. The guys there were fully briefed in advance and followed my instructions to the letter (do not wash, do not touch the bodywork elsewhere on the car, etc). £600 lighter and all signs of winter brutality were finally gone. The guys at the bodyshop made a good job of the colour matching and painting, and after a quick polish to refine their handiwork it was time to move on.

Onto the juicy bit then; the protection stage. The products of choice for this were all from the GYEON range of quartz coatings. We've had these on test since the start of the year, but there's nothing like living with products on your own car for a while to get to know them properly. Secretly, I had hoped to save their flagship coating, the PHPS-based Q2 MOHS, for use on my C30, but unfortunately for me Angela's new Fiat 500 turned up well before I started this detail, so hers got the Q2 MOHS and I had to settle for the siloxane-based Q2 PRIME instead…










On reflection, this wasn't a bad thing, as her car tends to receive less routine care than mine, so it makes sense for her to have the more durable coating with the stronger self-cleaning properties. However, as it turned out I needn't have worried, as Q2 PRIME is far easier to use and delivers a knockout finish too. As is always the case with quartz coatings, all surfaces must be spotlessly clean and completely free of oils and grease prior to application. IPA does a reasonable job of achieving this, but GYEON Q2M PREP goes a step further by combining IPA with potent degreasers and anti-static additives, which not only clean the receiving surfaces more intensively but also ensure that fresh dust doesn't interfere with the application process.










I can't tell you how much I love this product; it just feels like it's doing a proper job, and it smells divine. One tip if you decide to try it; it can feel ever so slightly grabby if you simply mist it on and buff it off with a folded towel (to the extent that the towel tries to unfold itself a little bit), so I prefer to mist it on, then work it in with a microfibre applicator pad (which cannot unfold on you) and finally buff off any unflashed residue with a plush towel…



















After being thoroughly cleansed with the Q2M PREP, all of the bodywork was then treated to two coats of Q2 PRIME, each applied a few hours apart and baked at 60°C for 10 minutes using our IR Heatlight. The beauty with Q2 PRIME is its ease of use; you just coat the supplied suede applicator with it using the supplied pipette, wipe it over the panel once in a checkerboard pattern and then buff it off immediately afterwards. It doesn't flash off too quickly or smear when it's buffed off, so to all intents and purposes it's as easy as using a traditional sealant. Here's a couple of application sequences showing these steps…

*BONNET*




























*WING*




























And here's the IR Heatlight doing its thing again; this was a pretty expensive purchase, but essential in light of the increasing demand we are seeing for quartz coatings (and the fact that we are offering the GYEON-backed two year warranty on all applications of the Q2 MOHS+ system)…



















Moving on to the trims; these were cleaned with Q2M PREP and then coated once with Q2 TRIM. I cut down an applicator pad to make the process easier around the windows…










…and used a full sized one to do the light clusters (front and rear).










The glass was up next, and this was treated with Q2 VIEW, which comprises two products: (i) Q2 CLEANSE, which is a combined chemical polish and binding agent, and (ii) Q2 REPEL, which is a SiO2-based surface coating. These products went on and buffed off in a very similar way to their equivalents in the Nanolex line up, and I had all of the exterior glass done in no time at all. Here's a quick run through the application sequence…





































Just a few finishing touches to go now. Firstly, the exhaust tips were in a bit of a state, and needed a fair bit of elbow grease and assorted metal polishes/ pads to bring them back up to standard…



















They were also given two coats of Q2 RIM a few weeks later, and this has made a big difference to how easy it is to keep them clean - a simple wipe with a microfibre wash mitt during routine washes now does the trick perfectly.










Secondly, the bodywork was treated with a coat of GYEON Q2M CURE the day after the Q2 PRIME was applied, and it's been reapplied every 2-3 weeks ever since (after routine washes). Q2M CURE is a hydrophobic spray sealant that banishes the usual problems associated with trying to maintain a quartz coating, i.e. shampoo compatibility and water spotting. It does this by laying down a slick layer of SiO2-fortified polymers, which seals off the underlying coating against waterborne minerals. It happily goes on to wet or dry surfaces, and can be used in mist on > buff off mode or wipe on > buff off mode - I prefer the latter. It's a top product, and I love it!



















To complete the detail, I gave the interior a thorough going over with Auto Finesse Total, Auto Finesse Hide Cleaner and Raceglaze Leather Balm (although to be fair my interior never needs more than half an hour spent on it) and gave the tyres a final coat of Q2 TIRE…










Time to show off the end result of what ended up being 40 odd hours of work. I got lucky with the sunset on the night I took the following images; after taking the engine bay and interior shots on my driveway I headed off to the local secondary school to seek out a better backdrop for the main exterior shots. As I arrived I caught the last fifteen minutes of the golden hour when the sun was still sitting just above the horizon, giving the bodywork a warm, rich glow, and then as it dipped below the horizon the light turned bluer again and restored the usual icy look of the paint. Magic!



































































































































































Thanks for taking the time to look through the above - hopefully it shows where we're at right now with new products and techniques, in what is a rapidly evolving marketplace. On another note, I hummed and hayed all the way through the above detail, trying to decide whether to hold on to her for another three years or move on to pastures new. After changing my mind half a dozen times I've finally settled the matter by putting a deposit down on a brand new Fiesta ST. Roll on October!


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## JBirchy

Very thorough work Rich and a nice insight to the Gyeon coatings! Will you be sad to see her go?!


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## Alex L

Very nice Rich, looks like a lot of hard work lol

The more I read and see about coatings, I just can't see myself going back to waxes or sealants. The finish is better, they last longer and offer more protection. Although you do have the issue of the curing, which for anyone without the use of a garage is going to limit what they can choose.


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## deni2

Great work and also very nice write up :thumb:.


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## johanr77

Thorough write up Rich, you may well have talked me into the speedy pads.


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## julie26

Great write up and Great work


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## tonyy

Great work:thumb:


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## V3nom

Awesome work mate! Looks like a new car!


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## sprocketser

Thanx for posting mate , very instructional as well . Keep them coming !


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## id_doug

Great post and fantastic detail as ever. Some really interesting stuff on the Gyeon coatings and products too.


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## paranoid73

As always, great work & write up Rich :thumb: 

You've inspired me to spend some time on the Civic :detailer: & possibly spend some money


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## DS_Tomek

Awesome job, great results !

Looking forward for updates, including water behaviour


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## WhiteRoc_170

Awesome job. A great write up and a good read during my lunch break!


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## AGRE

Lovely indepth write up & review :buffer: Thanks for sharing...

Looks awesome in the afters :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare

Stunningly attentive work and detail Rich.

Enjoy your new ST - they're great fun to drive. Which colour are you going for?


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## steveturbocal

Stunning work & an awesome looking car


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## G4V JW

Pukka that :thumb:


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## sm81

Gyeon Products seems almost identical that Carpro has. What do you think guys? What's the difference?


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## GolfFanBoy

Great write-up Rich :thumb: Always think you can learn a lot from seeing how you treat your own cars and the techniques you find best. 

On the Chipex kit - I bought one last year and with regards to the finish I would agree it's good at making chips all but disappear. I know some prefer to fill chips in layers with OEM paint and then sand it back but I've not been brave enough to try that yet. For 'road rash' on front bumpers and wing mirrors the Chipex system is a big time saver.


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## Wingnuts

Awesome car I love these and what a fantastic job


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## Blueberry

Looks great and a really enjoyable read.
Gyeon products look very interesting. Look forward to reading more about them 👍


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## slammed172

stunning work !


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## Bradders

Simply sublime.... A true master at work


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## Rich @ PB

JBirchy said:


> Very thorough work Rich and a nice insight to the Gyeon coatings! Will you be sad to see her go?!


Sure will; best car I've owned to date by miles. She's quick, surefooted, a rare sight on the roads and very comfortable inside. However, on the days when I feel like a proper back road blast, she's just not quite lithe enough; neither lift-off or trail braking brings the rear into play (unlike the ST!) and she just doesn't feel like she's ever dancing on her toes. No doubt I'll miss the refinement once I've got the ST, but you can't have everything. 



Alex L said:


> Very nice Rich, looks like a lot of hard work lol
> 
> The more I read and see about coatings, I just can't see myself going back to waxes or sealants. The finish is better, they last longer and offer more protection. Although you do have the issue of the curing, which for anyone without the use of a garage is going to limit what they can choose.


I feel exactly the same way; these days I detail mainly to protect our cars and make them a lot easier to maintain. For me, long gone are the days of using products for fun and pleasure - I'm just too damn busy at weekends! That said I do have the luxury of working in our studio when I need to. I'm acutely aware that things will be harder for most folk, but products like Q2 PRIME should make things easier at least - for a quartz coating it's as user friendly as it gets. 



johanr77 said:


> Thorough write up Rich, you may well have talked me into the speedy pads.


Decontamination is one area where rapid change is still occurring. Before you dip your hand in your wallet you should also consider that GYEON Q2M CLAY is designed to be used with GYEON Q2M IRON, and thus tackles two stages in one (chemical iron removal and physical removal of everything else at the same time). As a time saver it's an immense proposition, thus taking the fight right back to SPEEDY et al. Food for thought. 



MidlandsCarCare said:


> Stunningly attentive work and detail Rich. Enjoy your new ST - they're great fun to drive. Which colour are you going for?


Frozen White; if they did a mid-tone metallic grey I'd have gone for that in a heartbeat, but alas they don't, so white it had to be (the blue was tempting but just a bit too inky looking for my liking). 



sm81 said:


> Gyeon Products seems almost identical that Carpro has. What do you think guys? What's the difference?


I'm not familiar with the current CarPro offering, so I can't offer an objective answer. However, I guess it's a bit like asking what's the difference between Auto Finesse waxes and Dodo Juice waxes, i.e. we're talking about products that share the same basic technology platform and thus depend on relatively small differences in their chemical makeup to set themselves apart. In light of this, factors in addition to product performance come into play, including brand appeal, pricing, ethics, etc. I won't comment on CarPro as it's not my place to do so, but with regard to GYEON you only have to look at how they present themselves and their products to realise how serious they are about their offering. Add in the fact that the range was developed and tested over a realistic period (two years) and the fact that the products work extremely well, and to me the appeal is obvious and very compelling. I simply had to have them in our store for these reasons!


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## Soul Hudson

Well worth the wait.

Really enjoyed reading your write up very well written.

Great job and some nice photos. As much as I am impressed with all these new coatings I don't think I will be changing from my waxes. So much easier to apply and look after plus I can strip off the current coating and try another wax when ever I fancy with out having to machine polish the previous coat to remove it fully.


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## Olly-Robinson

That's unbelievably tidy for a 51 plate


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## Imran

Great write up Rich, very informative. Will have to try some of these new products.

Now does the glass sealant compare to nanolex urban ?


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## Bartl

Great work, nice write up


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## Elliot_C

Now that's why I never get bored of these write ups!!!!!


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## Angela @ PB

Olly-Robinson said:


> That's unbelievably tidy for a 51 plate


 It's a 60 plate. The WX51 number plate has been Rich's since he bought his first brand new car and he has kept it since. It will be going on his new ST


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## Rizzo

Fantastic work, absolutely stunning car aswell


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## StamGreek

what can I say...lovely work as always


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## Gyeon Robert

Great job Rich :thumb:


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## baseballlover1

Great work Rich and VERY well done write up!


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## Rich @ PB

Soul Hudson said:


> Well worth the wait.
> 
> Really enjoyed reading your write up very well written.
> 
> Great job and some nice photos. As much as I am impressed with all these new coatings I don't think I will be changing from my waxes. So much easier to apply and look after plus I can strip off the current coating and try another wax when ever I fancy with out having to machine polish the previous coat to remove it fully.


You've hit the nail on the head; choosing to go down the coatings route is a big deal, and probably only really right for people who detail to protect their cars and make them as easy to look after as possible. If you're in the other camp, i.e. you detail for enjoyment and like trying out lots of products then they're probably not for you. I can testify from experience that trying to get these coatings off is time consuming and not much fun!



Imran said:


> Great write up Rich, very informative. Will have to try some of these new products.
> 
> Now does the glass sealant compare to nanolex urban ?


The chemistry of Urban is tweaked towards ensuring good low speed runoff, but unfortunately this limits its durability. Q2 VIEW is the opposite, as it has a life expectancy of more than 12 months, but requires more airflow for the runoff effect to kick in. If you live in town and most of your driving is below 30 mph then Urban makes most sense, but if you regularly drive at greater speeds then I'd personally choose Q2 VIEW (or the Nanolex equivalent).


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## Ns1980

Hi Rich,

I really enjoyed reading this - thank you for taking the time to write it all up! The step by step detailing process spread over several weeks is one I know well, though my attention to detail is nothing like yours!!

I particularly liked the section about paint chip touch up - I have a nasty one on the front of my bonnet edge which I need to address! 

Regards
Nick


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## Mark M

Looks great Rich, nice to see it getting some attention


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## ChrisJD

A very thorough wrote-up and good read.

Look forward to seeing what you do with the Fiesta.

Chris.


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## SuperColin

Stunning job :thumb:


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## Morph78

Why did you use AF Iron Out instead of the Gyeon Iron?


Is Iron Out better in your opinion?


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## MEH4N

very nice, the new fiesta st is a great car


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## Rich @ PB

ChrisJD said:


> A very thorough wrote-up and good read.
> 
> Look forward to seeing what you do with the Fiesta.
> 
> Chris.


I think a video might be needed. 



Morph78 said:


> Why did you use AF Iron Out instead of the Gyeon Iron?
> 
> Is Iron Out better in your opinion?


Simply because I used up all of the Q2M IRON we were initially sent when I did Angela's brand new Fiat 500... otherwise I would have used Q2M IRON just to show what it can do. It's impressive, but so too is Iron Out, so not much to choose between them to be honest.


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## Jord

I love PB's write ups, well written and good detail.

Wish you did more of them.

Thank you.


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## Morph78

Rich @ PB said:


> Simply because I used up all of the Q2M IRON we were initially sent when I did Angela's brand new Fiat 500... otherwise I would have used Q2M IRON just to show what it can do. It's impressive, but so too is Iron Out, so not much to choose between them to be honest.


Ordered some on the 3 for 2

Thanks for the reply.


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## 20vKarlos

Great thread


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## Elliot_C

Rich, for you, what stood out the most in your eyes from there range that you have used.


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## dutch

a great and exelent job here . 

this is the road i would like to go too. 

thanks for sharing your efforts 

danny


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## Ryboy_23

Great work and lovely write up thanks


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## minnnt

Amazing. Took me nearly a hour to read it. 

Excellent photography work as well.


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## slineclean

Jord said:


> I love PB's write ups, well written and good detail.
> 
> Wish you did more of them.
> 
> Thank you.


Yes I agree and can understand thought its them being able to have time.

Be good if we could give a vote once a month to request what product we wanted a demo for


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## Rabidracoon28

Fantastic work mate, very, very impressive


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## wylie coyote

Elliot_C said:


> Rich, for you, what stood out the most in your eyes from there range that you have used.


Great work Rich. Any feedback as per Elliot's post above? Interested in trying the range but not sure what to choose.....

Cheers:thumb:


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## gb270

Great work there stunning


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## Elliot_C

Shed any light?


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## Elliot_C

A good natter with rich today about a few questions and about gyeon. Basically there no best one as there all top notch! Very user friendly and as rich was dicussing on the phone, it's only left on the panel for around 30secs or 2mins (think that might be right)


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## Rich @ PB

Elliot_C said:


> Rich, for you, what stood out the most in your eyes from there range that you have used.





wylie coyote said:


> Great work Rich. Any feedback as per Elliot's post above? Interested in trying the range but not sure what to choose.....
> 
> Cheers:thumb:


Sorry for the tardy reply chaps; been rather busy at PB this week to say the least! As I said to Elliot on the phone earlier today, it's quite hard to pick a stand out product as all of them are solid performers. However, if I have to pick one then Q2 PRIME gets my vote. For a ceramic coating it's ridiculously easy to use (as easy as any other liquid sealant) and delivers a very sharp, wet looking finish. In comparison MOHS is harder to work with, making it a professionally-orientated product, whereas PRIME is enthusiast-focused.


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## Buck

Nice write up Rich and interesting introduction to the Gyeon range. 

Your photography remains top notch too but you need a few more arty ones to put in your keepsake album :thumb:


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## Scrim-1-

Fantastic work Rich.


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## Pedro92

totaly crazy !!!!:doublesho:thumb:


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## Rich @ PB

Buck said:


> Nice write up Rich and interesting introduction to the Gyeon range.
> 
> Your photography remains top notch too but you need a few more arty ones to put in your keepsake album :thumb:


I did initially think about making some night time studio shots, but sadly never got round to it in the end. Might have to make a special effort for the ST!


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## Rebel007

As a relative newcomer to the world of detailing I have to say this thread is fantastic!

In a very short thread so much information is conveyed to the reader it makes everything more understandable, even the fact that it took you, a professional in the region of 40 hours to complete is useful to know, for those of us just starting out who don't feel we are getting very far after 8 - 10 hours and start to get disheartened finding out a professional takes 4 - 5 times this long starts to make us (me) feel a heck of a lot better.

I think I am luckier than most, having met and got to know Adam Kempe of Supernova detailing I am learning far more than anyone who has only just got involved with car detailing has a right to expect. 

It's very easy to try and throw whatever spare money we have at a car but the truth is we need to understand what we are doing or it is a waste of time, and threads like this help us understand.

Personally I also have an added complication in that I am disabled just seeing and reading this thread starts to make what I am doing more accessible, the fact you did it in small chunks due to the pressure of work/family etc can be instanty swapped out to the physical limitations disabilities put on those of us with these issues if you can do it over a period of a month or so due to your problems, then it isnt a problem for me to do the same because I can't manage to do too much in any one stint.

I guess what I am trying to do is make you realise how important threads like this are to many of us, in particular to people who have "life" problems and possibly if my post encourages you to post threads like this as often as you can manage it (I do realise every thread like this you post takes even more of your limited free time up) then it has had the effect I am hoping for.

Last but not least I just want to thank you for posting this thread, hopefully my own post might give you an indication as to how valuable threads like this are to more people than you might have realised.


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## Rich @ PB

Rebel007 said:


> As a relative newcomer to the world of detailing I have to say this thread is fantastic!
> 
> In a very short thread so much information is conveyed to the reader it makes everything more understandable, even the fact that it took you, a professional in the region of 40 hours to complete is useful to know, for those of us just starting out who don't feel we are getting very far after 8 - 10 hours and start to get disheartened finding out a professional takes 4 - 5 times this long starts to make us (me) feel a heck of a lot better.
> 
> I think I am luckier than most, having met and got to know Adam Kempe of Supernova detailing I am learning far more than anyone who has only just got involved with car detailing has a right to expect.
> 
> It's very easy to try and throw whatever spare money we have at a car but the truth is we need to understand what we are doing or it is a waste of time, and threads like this help us understand.
> 
> Personally I also have an added complication in that I am disabled just seeing and reading this thread starts to make what I am doing more accessible, the fact you did it in small chunks due to the pressure of work/family etc can be instanty swapped out to the physical limitations disabilities put on those of us with these issues if you can do it over a period of a month or so due to your problems, then it isnt a problem for me to do the same because I can't manage to do too much in any one stint.
> 
> I guess what I am trying to do is make you realise how important threads like this are to many of us, in particular to people who have "life" problems and possibly if my post encourages you to post threads like this as often as you can manage it (I do realise every thread like this you post takes even more of your limited free time up) then it has had the effect I am hoping for.
> 
> Last but not least I just want to thank you for posting this thread, hopefully my own post might give you an indication as to how valuable threads like this are to more people than you might have realised.


Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts in such detail. I know that threads like this are very useful, but boy do they take time to put together - I spent nearly 3 full days on this one (taking into account the image and text requirements)! However, we will endeavor to post more of them in the future.


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## Rich @ PB

Well, that's her sold, for the full asking price too - it always pays to look after your cars well! I'm going to miss her, particularly given that the ST is unlikely to arrive for another 6 weeks or so. Ho hum.


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## Steve Saunders

Rich, thanks for sharing such an amazing detail. Great advert for PB.

Good luck with the new ST.


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## wylie coyote

Hi Rich,

Is that ordinary tarpaulin you used under the car or anything special? If it's a special, can you tell me where I can get some? Need to protect my drive during the upcoming winter prep!

Cheers:thumb:


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## Rich @ PB

wylie coyote said:


> Hi Rich,
> 
> Is that ordinary tarpaulin you used under the car or anything special? If it's a special, can you tell me where I can get some? Need to protect my drive during the upcoming winter prep!
> 
> Cheers:thumb:


It's actually an inflatable wash bund that catches our waste wash water ready for transfer to a storage tank for recycling. You can find out more on the link below, but be warned, you're looking at upwards of a grand for one...

http://www.morclean.com/mobile-floor.html


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## wylie coyote

Rich @ PB said:


> It's actually an inflatable wash bund that catches our waste wash water ready for transfer to a storage tank for recycling. You can find out more on the link below, but be warned, you're looking at upwards of a grand for one...
> 
> http://www.morclean.com/mobile-floor.html


Cheers - wrecked driveway it is!!:doublesho


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## DW58

Making a DIY Coffer Dam around your car to retain contaminated water wouldn't exactly be rocket science, it's the getting rid of the water which would be the problem. I assume Rich/Clark at PB pump the liquids out of the wash bund. I remember seeing it in operation on their open day, but not how they emptied it.


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## id_doug

There is a company near me that makes bouncy castles. I should tap them up to see if they could make them. Look a similar type of thing without the turrets and the bouncy bit! :lol:


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## DW58

Oh go on, keep the turrets, just thing how good the write-up pix would look :lol:


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## id_doug

Would you like traditional castle with turrets or fairy castle with turrets! :lol:


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## DW58

I'd say you should offer both options ... ... ... defo offer the fairy castle turrets for certain makes of cars


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## wylie coyote

:lol::lol::lol:

Sounds like a good way to recoup some of the cost - hire out the bouncy castle at kids parties when not using it to detail!:thumb:


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## ocdetailer

One of my favourite ever write ups, love all the tips for less experienced detailers. Brilliant work on a lively car too.


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