Auto detailing is a way to create brilliant paint and a beautiful interior

Restoring a used car's shine doesn't always require expensive repairs. A hole in the upholstery can be patched up by intricately interlacing carefully selected fibers of the material. Scratches and dents from varnish are removed without puttying and varnishing.

- The concept of car detailing includes a range of repair and maintenance work aimed at restoring the factory look of a used car. The effect depends primarily on the condition of the car, but in most cases, normal traces of use can be removed almost completely, says Bartosz Srodon, owner of the zadbaneauto.pl network of workshops in Rzeszow.

Auto detailing companies in Western Europe were already developing in the 90s. Most of all in the UK, where most of the drugs and cosmetics used for car restoration and care are produced. - England is also the best specialists in this profession. For example, Paul Dalton, who prepares cars for the world-famous Top Gear show, says Bartosz Srodon.

Few Steps

Such workshops have existed in Poland since 2004. They come regularly. How do they differ from classic car washes and paint shops? First of all, an offer. Because although paint polishing can be done at both a painter and a car service, these are completely different services in both places. First of all, because here each case is considered individually.

Body repair in auto detailing begins with a thorough washing of the entire car. And the surfaces visible from the outside, and the nooks and crannies around the doors, the thresholds and the gaps between the hood, tailgate and fenders. - The car must be perfectly clean so that we can assess the condition of its paintwork. That's why we use top-notch cleaning chemicals that tackle all kinds of dirt. For polishing, no traces of insects or resin should remain on the car, explains Bartosz Srodon.

The next step is to check the condition of the paintwork. Experts measure, among other things, its thickness. Thanks to this, they know which products can be used in order not to damage the paintwork. This is important, for example, when the car has already been polished and the coating is thin. During the primary color control, the degree of haze, scratches is also assessed and all color changes and defects are recorded. Then the elements that are not subject to polishing are carefully sealed with adhesive tape. Thanks to this, the plastic elements are protected from damage by the polishing machine. Unfortunately, this is often forgotten in the average paint shop, so that the black stripes, bumpers and gaskets are permanently soiled and worn.

The paint restoration process itself consists of several stages. If we assume that the case is heavily scratched and faded in places, then there are four of them.

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- We start by processing the car body with water-based sandpaper. This is the most invasive but often unavoidable procedure. This is the only way to remove the deepest scratches, explains Bartosz Srodon. The second stage is the re-polishing of the body, this time with a disk of wool and abrasive paste. In this way, rough scratches from the paintwork are removed. Unfortunately, thousands of subsequent micro-scratches appear on the paint during the operation of the polisher on the varnish. The specialist removes them in the third stage, polishing the case with a light abrasive paste. At the last stage, a shiny finishing paste is used. Between each step, the paintwork is cleaned with isopropyl alcohol, which removes the polish from the body. Thanks to this, the state of the body can be assessed on an ongoing basis.

- If the varnish is not very dull, do not use water-based paper. We only use the remaining steps, but they also remove up to 95 percent of matting, scratches and discoloration. After restoration, the lacquer is devoid of holograms that are visible in the sun before polishing, explains B. Srodon. Regardless of the method chosen, after polishing the varnish is degreased and protected. Currently, carnauba-based waxes are most commonly used. But at the request of the customer, the case can be coated with more durable means using silicone. Professional varnish regeneration costs PLN 800–1200. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. - If the number of chips on the car body exceeds 20-30 pieces, spot painting of the damaged element is recommended. When using a special gun, the color is applied only to the damaged area, and not to the entire element. The whole thing is covered only with a colorless varnish. As a result, checking the car body with a paint thickness gauge does not show any major deviations from the standard, and paint traces are invisible, explains Bartosz Srodon.

Skin like new

Auto detailing plants can also bring back the shine to the interior. In local networks: zadbaneauto.pl and CAR SPA this service costs about PLN 540-900 net. The interior cleaning time depends on the degree of contamination and the type of materials. Usually it is 6-14 hours. During the work, specialists clean, wash, nourish and protect all types of leather, textile, wood, vinyl and plastic elements. If necessary, the leather upholstery is updated.

– Leather upholstery can only be renewed if the material has changed color or has worn down to the grain of leather. The cost of such an operation varies between PLN 300-500 net. In cases of severe cracks or abrasions through which the sponge is visible, we recommend replacing the leather with a new one. Then the costs are higher and range from PLN 600 to PLN 1500 net per item, says Marcin Žralek from the Car Arte service in Marky.

– During the repair, we clean the upholstery and, if necessary, repair material defects. Then all this is varnished. After repair, it looks like new, - adds B. Srodon. Individual workshops also repair classic fabric upholstery. Holes in the skin are usually patched with threads matched by color. Such treatments are most often used in old, collectible cars, for which it is not possible to purchase a new upholstery element.

Road to dents

The latest offer of auto retail companies is the removal of dents and the effects of hail from the body. Experts say that without painting they are able to restore the factory look of even a heavily curved body. – Removing these dents involves a series of precise steps, such as pushing the plates out, tamping them in, or pulling them out with glue using simple tools. Is varnish safe? Before proceeding with the removal of dents, we check whether the coating is original and whether there is putty under it. As long as the item is healthy, it will be XNUMX% safe. If not, then we just straighten it to the limits of common sense, - says M. Zhralek.

Prices for dent removal depend on the amount of damage and the degree of complexity. Usually it is about PLN 350-600 per element, which is similar to puttying and varnishing. - But, for example, repairing a parking damage in the form of one large dent will cost less - about 150-250 zł. Repair of the entire car after hail also depends on the size of the body. We will repair a Nissan Micra for about PLN 2400, and for a large Toyota Land Cruiser, the price will rise to about PLN 7000,” says Julian Binkowski from the Warsaw branch of CAR SPA.

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