Having been in the detailing industry for several years Scott has seen many detailing businesses start up and fail each year. Scott and he’s team take pride in each and every job, he explains why it is always important to choose a trusted and experienced detailer:

Unfortunately a lot of “detailers” see it as easy money and have no prior experience let alone a background in the automotive industry, they usually get a website online and work out of the boot of their car or garage and do not have the appropriate insurances and business registrations in place to operate.

Unfortunately this leads to them having no overheads and being able to undercut Professional Detailers that have the skill and knowledge to safely work on your car and produce a stunning finish. Without the experience and knowledge damage can be easily inflicted on the paint work while machine polishing, such as buffer trails or even worse, burning through the paint. Unfortunately we have seen some disastrous work performed by unskilled operators that are so called professional detailers. Therefore it is always best to choose a detailer that has a reputation and can show clear photos of the quality of their work.

Why Choose Superior Shine?

At Superior Shine our most important assets are our customers and our reputation, therefore with our unparalleled long standing reputation for quality and service excellence, we only use the best products and techniques on the market while working on your car.

Superior Shine are trusted by several car manufacturers for years running to showcase their cars at International Motor Shows, and also trusted by some of the most Exotic Supercar owners in Australia, including the $2.2 million dollar Lamborghini Sesto-Elemento. This alone is a testament to the trust put in to Superior Shine. To enable us to work on some of these amazing cars we always ensure we have a high level insurance policy in place.

Since our humble beginnings we have always made sure we are using the latest technology and products on the market to adapt with changing paint systems, we only use premium detailing products that are high quality and proven to yield outstanding results. Not only this, our equipment and service vehicles are upgraded on a regular basis to ensure we can provide a clean and efficient service and maintain a professional image.

We like to educate our customers so they understand the work involved in all of our services, for example some people come to us wanting a “Cut n Polish” thinking its as simple as just running a machine polisher over the car to gloss the paint work up, unfortunately most detailers that offer this service usually leave the paint work in worse condition then when they started by inducing swirl marks or buffer trails from incorrect polishing products or techniques, a proper Paint Correction can take anywhere from 4 hours to 2 days to achieve imperfection free results, its once the customer see’s the finished product that they understand the true difference in a quality detailer.

We take the time to understand our clients needs and budget, and explain the process involved – not all vehicles are the same, or in the same condition. It is always important to know what the client expects so we can ensure we exceed their expectations.

Whether you are buying a new car from a dealership or researching the best car protection product for your new or used car, you will have been told or read that the product will protect your paint from what seems like the impossible and is the best on the market, some of which are charging ridiculous prices in excess of $1500+, such as car dealerships to simply apply the product and provide you with a “Lifetime Warranty”.

Here at Superior Shine we see cars on a daily basis that have been prepared by dealerships and 90% of the time the quality of work is below standard with swirl marks, buffer trails and other paint imperfections remaining, even after they have applied their magic $1500+ paint protection!

We have tested many of these products first hand, such as other Coatings, Titanium Dioxide, PTFE, Acrylic, Glassplexin and Polymer Sealants, nearly all of which do not protect you paint from what they claim and they will not withstand continuous washing and will wear away over time as they do not form a permanent bond to the paint work and generally have a durability of 12-24 months, regardless of if they come with a “Lifetime Warranty”.

Why is Ceramic Pro different?

At Superior Shine our reputation relies on us providing an honest service and products that are of the highest standard in quality to uphold our strong reputation which is why we use and trust Ceramic Pro to protect some of the most expensive and exotic Supercars not only in Australia, but the World.

Ceramic Pro is permanent and does exactly what it says at protecting your paint work from damaging contaminants, backed up by a network of approved applicators that have a vested interest in using the best protection on the market, Ceramic Pro.

Ceramic Pro are a range of Nano-Ceramic car protection coatings formulated for all automotive surfaces. Ceramic Pro Paint Protection is a clear coating that chemically forms a permanent bond to the factory paint work unlike other car paint protection products that do not form a permanent bond or harden to create a chemical resistant barrier between your paint work and damaging contaminants.

Ceramic Pro have a range of protection coatings for Paint, Glass, Alloy, Fabric and Leather surfaces.

Over 22 hours was spent meticulously Detailing and performing a multi-stage Paint Correction on this stunning exotic supercar before it was coated with Ceramic Pro Paint Protection. The solid black paint work on this Performante was extremely soft, whilst the paint work is completely flat which gives off a mirror image on the solid black it can be easily ruined though with marring and scratches which were easily induced due to the soft paint.

Now that it is protected with Ceramic Pro it now features a hard protective coating that is rated at “Above 9H” hardness which will help reduce marring and light scratching, and protect it from damaging contaminants whilst adding even further gloss to the paint work.

Over 40,000 spectators attended the event which was hosted by the Top Gear UK TV Presenters, the event had action at every corner of the Sydney Motorsport Park with the F1 Redbull Car, Stunt Driving, Drifting, Driving Events, Car Club Displays, Air Show and the Motoring Village with a large selection of trade stands to view the latest and greatest automotive products on the market.

One of the brands on display was Ceramic Pro, demonstrating the most advanced automotive protective coatings on the market. The Lamborghini Performante caught everyone’s attention with it easily being the most stunning Exotic Supercar at the event.

Ceramic Pro a high gloss glass like coating that forms a permanent bond with the factory paint work like an additional layer of clear coat, it is a unique nano-ceramic formula that creates a barrier to protect your factory paint work from damaging contamination, it features a non-stick and super hydrophobic surface so water will bead up and simply roll straight off the car, keeping your car cleaner for longer and easier to wash as dirt will not stick and your wash mitt will effortlessly glide across the surface.

The high gloss glass like coating is extremely durable and forms a permanent bond to the factory paint work unlike waxes or synthetic paint sealants that wash off over time, the harder layer also protects the paint work from wash induced swirl marks and light scratches.

The Lamborghini Sesto-Elemento is a V10 with 570HP, weighing in at only 999kg with its full carbon fiber construction, with even the chassis, body, drive shaft and suspension components made of carbon fiber.

The Lamborghini Sesto-Elemento was flown in and was only at the 2012 Sydney International Motor Show for a few days before it departed to continue its around the world tour. Superior Shine was trusted to prepare the Sesto-Elemento before the event to ensure it was in immaculate condition to represent the Lamborghini brand.

Superior Shine Director Scott Fern is trusted by some of the most exotic car owners Australia Wide and maintains the $6 million dollar écurie25 Supercar Collection.

Are you buying a new car and unsure about Paint Protection?

When buying a new car you will most likely be pressured by the dealership to sign up to their aftermarket paint protection, unfortunately many car paint protection products on the market claim to protect your paint from the almost impossible and make false claims. This alone has given paint protection a bad name as a lot of people believe paint protection is a waste of time or do not believe in it as they have been pressured into buying a product that simply did not stand up to what it claimed after they outlayed in some cases, thousands of dollars.

Types of Products
Not all products are the same and you should research the product rather then believing the sales persons claims such as it being “self cleaning” or that it “last a lifetime”, some of these protections include Titanium Dioxide, PTFE, Acrylic, Glassglexin and Polymer Sealants and are substandard and are nothing more then great marketing and sales tactics.

Unfortunately most of these products are basically sealants (creamy liquid), they are not fully chemical resistant and do not bond permanently to your paint work, meaning they will wear way and need to be maintained with specific products to maintain the warranty which makes you question if it can really protect your paint work from acidic bird poo and contamination if it has to be maintained with certain products and will wash off with anything harsher then a gentle car wash.

A lot of paint protection companies will also display before and after photos of a car showing a dull finish and a high gloss finish after the product has been applied, this isn’t a true representation of the product as the main purpose of paint protection is to “protect” the paint work, whilst the product will add some gloss and slickness to the paint work 95% of the difference is from the polishing they have done prior, not from that particular paint protection product alone.

So what type of paint protection product should i go for?

Newer technology Nano-Ceramic Coatings such as Ceramic Pro act as an additional layer of clear coat and form a permanent bond to the factory paint work and can only be removed by abrasion, this means they are very durable, fully chemical resistant and will protect your paint work from damaging contamination such as bird poo, bug splatter, tar and tree sap, these Nano-Ceramic Coatings are also a harder layer of clear coat which will help prevent swirls marks and light scratching.

How much should i be paying?

It is not unusual for dealerships to charge in excess of $2500 for a protection package, and then discount it below $1500 once you bargain with them which goes to show how much of a mark up there is. Even at $1500 this is grossly inflated when the only labour involved is the application which only takes a couple of hours, and their quality of work preparing the paint work before applying the protection is usually questionable. Unfortunately most dealerships know they have you as you can simply put this on your finance and not have to have the money up front which means they can get away with charging such high cost for a substandard product.

Whilst there is no certain amount you should pay for paint protection it is best to seek the advice of a professional car detailer and research the product, it is in the best interest of a professional car detailer to use and recommend a product that they know will stand up to its claims and they have put their reputation behind, they will also have the skill to prepare the paint work properly prior to the application of the protection ensuring a better finish. The cost will depend on the type of vehicle, if any prep work is required and the type of protection your after, generally the cost for true permanent paint protection from a professional car detailer will be much less then most dealerships.

Introduction

Regularly washing your car is the first step to maintaining your car and a crucial part in keeping it in great condition over the long term to stop the build up of contamination.

Most imperfections like swirl marks, scratches, water spots are caused by incorrect washing and drying techniques, it is important to use quality products and use the correct technique to minimise this type of damage.

Wheel Washing

It is best to always start with the wheels, if you wash the paint first then you run the risk of the water drying on the car while you are washing the wheels which may cause water spotting.

1. Spray wheel with wheel cleaner / degreaser to break down any tough dirt and grime.

2. If you have an open spoke wheel it is best to use a quality wheel brush to clean inside the wheel.

3. Clean spokes and face of wheel with a soft sponge.

4. Rinse Wheel.

Washing

Always ensure you are working in the shade and not in direct sunlight. It is always best to start with the cleanest panels first and the dirtiest last, which usually means washing top to bottom. There is no need to “scrub” the paint work as the dirt and grime is only sitting on the surface, a light pass with a microfibre wash mitt or sponge is all that’s needed, the less wiping you do on the paint work the better.

1. The best method to avoid swirl marks is to Pre-Soak the paint with foam letting it dwell to encapsulate the dirt lifting it from the surface and then pressure washing off, this will remove majority of the dirt and grime on the paint so there are less chances of getting swirl marks.

2. A two bucket method should also be used, this involves having one bucket full of soapy water and another with clean rinse water.

3. Firstly load the wash mitt or sponge up with soapy water washing one panel at a time, after each panel rinse the wash mitt or sponge in the clean water to remove any dirt and grime before repeating the process for each panel.

4. Rinse

Drying

A Microfibre Waffle Weave Drying Towel is best for drying the car, they are highly absorbent and scratch free. Lightly wipe each panel to absorb the panel, and even safer method is to lay the drying towel over the panel and pat it to absorb the water rather then dragging the towel over the panel.

Tyre Shine

Tyre Shine can really add the final touch to your perfectly clean car, and also maintain the condition of the rubber. The type of product use comes down to personal preference – Gloss or Matte. Most high gloss tyre shines will be silicon based whilst the matte finish tyre shines are water based. It is important to not apply too much product as this will cause slinging of the product down the side of the car, it is also best to remove any built up tyre shine from the grooves of the tyre.

End Result

Tips

1. Do not wash the car in direct sunlight – If possible, work in the shade. A hot surface causes the water to evaporate too quickly, which will cause water spotting. It is best to park on a slight incline, this allows rinse water to run off moldings, trim and recessed areas better.
2. Wash the wheels first – If you wash the car body first, the water will dry and spot on the paint and windows before you can finish washing the wheels. Do not use the same wash water on your car’s paint as you used on your wheels.
3. Use a car wash shampoo only – Do not use any detergants such as dish washing liquid as these will strip any wax and also dry out the rubber door seals. Car wash shampoos are gentle on the car and designed to lubricate while washing to prevent scratches and contain conditioners to keep a gloss to the paintwork.
4. Use a quality wash tool – Lambswool Wash Mitt, Microfibre Wash Mitt or Foam Wash Mitt are the safest. These tools have a large number of fine filaments or crevises that draw dirt and grime away from the surface being cleaned into their internal structure. Sponges and washcloths can trap dirt, grit and grime on the surface, which will scratch your car’s paint.
5. Wash from the top down – This ensures your not working all the heavy grime at the bottom of the car to the top causing it to scratch the paint.
6. Harsh car washes – Stay away from harsh car washes such as do it yourself car wash bays or automatic car washes, the bristles on the brushes will leave minor scratches all over your paint.

This Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder was in desperate need of a good Detail and Paint Correction, followed by Paint Protection to protect the paint work from contamination and light scuffs / scratches.

It was meticulously detailed and the paint work was machine polished with a Stage Two Paint Correction to remove the moderate swirl marks and scratches by Superior Shine and a QLD Applicator of Ceramic Pro – Auto Glamour.

Once the car was detailed and the paint work was correct it was then protected with the Ceramic Pro Permanent Paint Protection Coating by Nano Shine to ensure the paint work is protected from harmful contamination and has a super hydrophobic effect so water simply rolls off keeping the car cleaner for longer.

The paint work was in fairly decent condition with only minor swirl marks, firstly various paint thickness readings were taken so we could get an average of the overall thickness of the paint work, once the paint thickness readings were taken from various points on each panel we clay barred the surface to remove any embedded contamination.

A Stage One Paint Correction was then done to remove the light swirl marks and marring from the paint work and to enhance the gloss. Once this stage was complete Ceramic Pro Paint Protection was applied to all painted surfaces of the vehicle protecting it from contamination and light scratches.

A Stage Two Machine Polished was performed to completely remove the swirl marks and water etching over a total of 11 Hours, the process for this was Exterior Wash, Clay Bar treatment to remove any contamination, Machine Polish with a Orange Hydro Polishing Pad on a Rotary Polisher with Optimum Polish II, then finished with a White Kompressor Polishing Pad on Flex Random Orbital Polisher with Optimum Finish, for paint protection DP Max Wax was used to seal the paint work and really make the metallic stand out.