Scottish Elises

To try and keep the Elise looking as good as possible, we've had the paintwork, wheels, glass and roof of our Elise treated with some of Gtechniq's products

The paint has one coat of C1 and two coats of Exo V2, the wheels one coat of C5, the roof and carpet mats have a good coating of i1 and the glass three coats of G1.

I had this done on my Swift Sport the day I got it, and after 2 years the paint looked absolutely brand new. The water always beads when its clean and the wheels always cleaned with the wipe of a wet sponge

Link to Picasa Album for the rest of the photos





The following day it rained, and got a wee pic on my phone of the water beading

Looking real nice, did you apply it by hand or DA? Pity there isnt more detailing posts on here - mine got done last week

Looks good

I've had mixed results with GTechniq stuff. The C4 trim restorer stuff is fantastic and turned the acres of faded plastic on my Mini nice and black again. Really easy to use too.
Didn't have such great results with the Glass stuff (G4) as I found it really difficult to use and I thought the tyre dressing (T1) was terrible.

The C1 seems to produce some cracking results though if you have more skill at applying it than I do!

I've been using Carpro Cquartz recently and find it fantastic- same long-lasting beading etc but easier to apply (although I'm still fine-tuning my technique!).

I've always been a wax man but I'm definitely a sealant convert now!

What did you use on yours T6KFR?

Never understood why detailing isn't popular on here either. Most folk have cars worth in excess of £20k so I find it odd that caring about keeping them looking nice is portayed as something to be ashamed of- a few years ago it seemed to be inferred that having a car that looked like a total shed made you a proper driver and if it was clean you weren't driving it hard enough or often enough

It's becoming more socially acceptable to admit to enjoy cleaning your Elise now though- even Tut joins in with car bras and pressure washer chat

Absolutely, I like to see the new car looking clean, would not get into detailing with my usage, but will be cleaning underneath more often with the new power washer.

Keith had the car looking better than new, but then did not drive it after that, so after seeing the state of N3 I want to keep this one corrosion free. However no way is it going to get washed every time it arrives home dirty, just on a more regular basis.

tut

T6KFR, it was hand applied. After the paint/wheels are properly clean, the C1 is applied with a cotton wool make up pad, the buffed off with a microfibre towel. C1 isn't the easiest stuff to use, if it is allowed to set solid before the residue is removed it needs to be machine polished off I've still got the interior paint to do seeing so much of it is exposed on the doors and the centre spine, but it's on the to do list Should have said, the car also has the paint protection film in places as Murray's had fitted it as the car was their demonstrator.

The wife's 4 year old Insignia estate got the same treatment, and despite the fact the paint isn't in brilliant condition as it's hardly even had a polish before, it has come up really well. It's so worth the effort for one day to make cleaning it a doddle every time for the next few years.

I didn't have much success with the G1 on the Swift, but this time it has worked a treat on the Elise. Will see if it lasts the 20,000 miles/2 years as claimed.

I haven't used any of the other products in the range. I'm not someone who fusses endlessly keeping the car clean, I just want it protected Need to get the wheels off and ACF-50 what I can of the chassis and the suspension. That stuff worked a treat on my motorbike which I rode in every weather imaginable and it always pressure washed up nice

As for tut and his bra chat, changed times as it was never on the car unless that's where she left it

Thats what some people don't get - giving your car a good clean and protection helps it in the long run and makes it "easier" for those quick washes at the weekend . Its a balance of cleanliness and enjoyment.

As for bras , never really fancied one myself

Yup, a little effort in the beginning saves on all the hassle later It's a shame that mainstream, volume sales dealerships offer such poor protection products . I understand why (buy it for £20, sell it for £300 = £££) but it's really in their interest to offer a decent product and get it applied properly so they can rely on getting some lovely 2-3 year old trade ins when the customer comes back, especially with so many cars sold on PCP. If the paint is an A1 condition, that cars commands a premium over the one that's a bit tatty so it's easier to sell. Makes sense to me