2-Step Polish

The car is five years old and has been through the automatic car wash every other week since it was new. The colour has gone flat. The reflection in the bonnet has soft edges instead of sharp ones. In strong sunlight, swirls cover the entire surface, and in the shade it looks like an entirely different car. You've tried wax. The wax filled the scratches for a week, and then they came back.

Wax fills. Polishing removes. That's the whole difference, and it's why two steps exist.

What we actually do

Our three-step paint correction is built like a staircase, and the 2-step is the first two steps of it.

The preparation is identical to all other polishing we do and takes its time: a hand wash using the two-bucket method, chemical iron removal that lifts brake dust out of the paint, tar remover on the lower panels, a clay bar until the surface is smooth through a plastic bag, and full degreasing. We then measure the paint thickness on edges, wheel arches and panels that may have been repainted. The edges have the thinnest paint, and that's where careless polishing causes damage that cannot be repaired.

We then create a test area: one panel, one combination of pad and polishing compound, checked under LED light. Paint behaves differently from make to make and from colour to colour. We find the mildest combination that actually resolves the scratches, rather than reaching for the strongest one just to be sure.

Step 1 — cutting. An abrasive pad and a cutting compound work over panel after panel, removing the scratches, wash marks and the oxidised top layer. After this step the paint is even, but it isn't beautiful yet: cutting leaves its own, finer pattern.

Step 2 — fine polishing. Soft pad, finer compound, higher speed, lower pressure. This step removes the marks left by cutting and builds the deep, almost wet gloss. Between each panel we wipe down and check the surface from at least three angles under LED light, because holograms only show up from one of them.

Finally we mask off, apply wax protection over the entire paintwork, wash the glass, give the tyres a shine — and walk around the car together with you before we pack up.

Why it pays off

An even paint surface isn't just attractive, it's technically more resistant. Scratches and micro-craters give water, road salt and UV radiation more points of attack, and they're also the reason wax and coatings let go early. Corrected paint holds on to protection considerably longer than scratched paint does.

If the car is being sold, this is the single job that changes the first impression the most per krone. The buyer doesn't read the paint technically. They see that the reflection is sharp, and draw a conclusion about everything else about the car from that.

How often should you have it done?

Once a year, and preferably not more often — every polish takes a little clear coat with it. If you do the 2-step now, it's enough to have a 1-step polish next year if the paint has been hand-washed in the meantime.

How long does it take?

Around 8 hours, so a full working day, for a small car. We need dry weather and preferably a garage or carport with power.

See available times and book a 2-step polish — we bring all the equipment to you.