Well I’ve been meaning to have my GF’s car professionally detailed for some time now. She bought a 2nd hand black mx5, with very low mileage about a year ago. Now as I am sure you are all well aware, a black car is only clean whilst it’s being washed, otherwise the minute you finish the wash it’s instantly dirty again!
To complicate matters , the previous owner did not take sufficient care to ensure correct washing practices, and as a result there were numerous swirl marks that I was unable to eliminate, despite all my own attempts. I used all the good stuff such as McGuires ScratchX and the rest of the waxes & washes. Whist it created a beautiful shine & finish, I think it actually made the swirl makes even more apparent.
I did not feel sufficiently comfortable to attempt rubbing compounds and the buffing myself – not my car remember – and if I messed it up I would be in the dogbox for a long long time.
So I was on the look out for someone who could professionally restore the paintwork to showroom condition.
A short while ago I came across this thread about car detailing:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/259311-Detailing-anyone-done-it?highlight=detailing
This mentioned a chap by the name of Wayne Melle.
I decided to get hold of him to see what it is he does. Based on my requirements, he recommended a paint detail correction, which should restore the vehicles paintwork close to showroom condition.
The entire process would entail the following:
· Full wash to safely and effectively remove all loose dirt and traces of previous surface treatments.
· Wheels, brake callipers and arches are cleaned and washed down. Wheels are coated with a specially formulated Wheel Wax to protect, enhance and shine.
· Claying of the paintwork and glass to remove all bonded contaminants, leaving the surfaces smooth and clean.
· Paint Correction, this process will remove swirls, etching and other imperfections accumulated from poor washing techniques, general wear and tear, thereby improving the paintworks brightness, reflectivity and gloss levels.
· All plastic and rubber trim is treated with a UV protectant that leaves a non-oily, dry to the touch and anti-static factory OEM sheen.
· Tires are scrubbed and given a semi-gloss coating of long lasting tire gel.
· Exhaust tips are scrubbed and polished.
· Finally the paintwork receives a protective layer of carnauba wax to provide protection from the elements and lock in that beautiful shine
I was told this would take 8-12 hours!
We arranged for a Saturday in 2 weeks time, as the weather report predicted rain for the next weekend.
Well of course the weekend it got done it rained anyway, but fortunately this didn’t make a material difference as most of the work got done inside the garage.
We had arranged for Wayne to start at my place at 8am sharp, and I was not disappointed. As a matter of course I checked the condition of HIS vehicle, as a gauge of how much pride he takes in his vehicles. I was pleased to note that it was a shiny looking little ford fiesta, with water having a hard time sticking to it’s smoothly polished panels.
Wayne got to work immediately, and only paused briefly at lunch time for a quick boerie roll, before getting back stuck in till just before 6pm. No breaks, pauses, etc – just very hard work.
A few pics of the end result:
A brilliant mirror finish! And no more visible swirl marks either.
Another:
The perfectionist at work: I thought he was never going to stop as he constantly found areas that required more of his attention to detail.
My GF was very happy with the completed effect, and I’m happy to report that the horrible swirl marks are not visible anymore, unless you specifically know they are there and go looking for them. But for all intents & purposes they are almost invisible.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Wayne for anyone wanting to have their vehicle detailed. The cost is very favourable cheap ( shhh, don’t let Wayne know) compared to some places, and I for one would not work so hard for so little.
Here's his contact details - for the benefit of others:
Wayne Melle
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +27823851915
To complicate matters , the previous owner did not take sufficient care to ensure correct washing practices, and as a result there were numerous swirl marks that I was unable to eliminate, despite all my own attempts. I used all the good stuff such as McGuires ScratchX and the rest of the waxes & washes. Whist it created a beautiful shine & finish, I think it actually made the swirl makes even more apparent.
I did not feel sufficiently comfortable to attempt rubbing compounds and the buffing myself – not my car remember – and if I messed it up I would be in the dogbox for a long long time.
So I was on the look out for someone who could professionally restore the paintwork to showroom condition.
A short while ago I came across this thread about car detailing:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/259311-Detailing-anyone-done-it?highlight=detailing
This mentioned a chap by the name of Wayne Melle.
I decided to get hold of him to see what it is he does. Based on my requirements, he recommended a paint detail correction, which should restore the vehicles paintwork close to showroom condition.
The entire process would entail the following:
· Full wash to safely and effectively remove all loose dirt and traces of previous surface treatments.
· Wheels, brake callipers and arches are cleaned and washed down. Wheels are coated with a specially formulated Wheel Wax to protect, enhance and shine.
· Claying of the paintwork and glass to remove all bonded contaminants, leaving the surfaces smooth and clean.
· Paint Correction, this process will remove swirls, etching and other imperfections accumulated from poor washing techniques, general wear and tear, thereby improving the paintworks brightness, reflectivity and gloss levels.
· All plastic and rubber trim is treated with a UV protectant that leaves a non-oily, dry to the touch and anti-static factory OEM sheen.
· Tires are scrubbed and given a semi-gloss coating of long lasting tire gel.
· Exhaust tips are scrubbed and polished.
· Finally the paintwork receives a protective layer of carnauba wax to provide protection from the elements and lock in that beautiful shine
I was told this would take 8-12 hours!
We arranged for a Saturday in 2 weeks time, as the weather report predicted rain for the next weekend.
Well of course the weekend it got done it rained anyway, but fortunately this didn’t make a material difference as most of the work got done inside the garage.
We had arranged for Wayne to start at my place at 8am sharp, and I was not disappointed. As a matter of course I checked the condition of HIS vehicle, as a gauge of how much pride he takes in his vehicles. I was pleased to note that it was a shiny looking little ford fiesta, with water having a hard time sticking to it’s smoothly polished panels.
Wayne got to work immediately, and only paused briefly at lunch time for a quick boerie roll, before getting back stuck in till just before 6pm. No breaks, pauses, etc – just very hard work.
A few pics of the end result:
A brilliant mirror finish! And no more visible swirl marks either.
Another:
The perfectionist at work: I thought he was never going to stop as he constantly found areas that required more of his attention to detail.
My GF was very happy with the completed effect, and I’m happy to report that the horrible swirl marks are not visible anymore, unless you specifically know they are there and go looking for them. But for all intents & purposes they are almost invisible.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Wayne for anyone wanting to have their vehicle detailed. The cost is very favourable cheap ( shhh, don’t let Wayne know) compared to some places, and I for one would not work so hard for so little.
Here's his contact details - for the benefit of others:
Wayne Melle
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +27823851915
Last edited:
