Built on the boring part
Decontamination, claying, taping, inspection lighting and slow machine work. The shine is just what’s left over when that’s done right.
How we work
A detailing studio, not a car wash. One car at a time, finished when it’s finished.
Most people have been sold a shine. What we’re after is a finish that’s still there in two years.
The difference between detailing that lasts and detailing that doesn’t is almost never the final product applied. It’s whether the surface underneath was properly prepared first.
Bonded contamination left in the paint. Swirls filled instead of removed. Panels not degreased before coating. Each one guarantees the result fails early, no matter how good the bottle claims to be.
So we spend most of our time on the parts nobody photographs.
Our approach
Fewer cars, more time on each. It’s the only way this work holds up.
Twelve years of it
Tariq has been detailing for over twelve years, which matters less as a number than for what it rules out. Long enough to have seen which coatings actually last past the first summer, which paint is too thin to correct safely, and which jobs are better turned down than taken.
One car at a time
Correction and coating can’t be rushed alongside three other vehicles. A car comes into the bay and stays there until it’s done.
Assessment before quoting
Paint thickness, defect depth, colour and how you use the car all change what’s sensible. Some paint is too thin to correct hard, and some cars genuinely don’t need the top package.
Correction, not concealment
Filler-heavy glazes hide swirls for a few washes and then hand them back. We machine polish to level the clear coat and inspect under proper lighting before sealing anything in.
Straight answers
If a cheaper package gets you 90% of the result, we’ll say so. If what you’re asking for won’t work on your paint, we’ll say that too.
The process
Broadly the same shape on every car. What changes is the depth of each stage.
Assessment
We walk the car with you, check paint readings and look at the defects under inspection lighting so there’s agreement on what we’re dealing with before any money is discussed.
Wash & decontamination
Pre-rinse, foam, contact wash with clean media, then chemical decontamination for iron fallout and tar, and a clay stage for anything still bonded to the surface.
Skip this and you grind contamination into the paint the moment a machine touches it.
Preparation & masking
Trim, badges and sensitive edges are taped. Panels are dried thoroughly and the car is set up under lighting that shows every defect instead of flattering the paint.
Machine correction
Test sections first to find the least aggressive combination that works, then the car is worked panel by panel: cutting, refining and inspecting as we go.
Panel wipe & protection
Every panel is wiped down to strip polishing oils, so the coating bonds to bare corrected paint and not to residue. Then coating or sealant is applied and left to cure properly.
Final inspection & handover
Glass, trim, wheels and shuts are finished, then the car is checked once more under lights before you see it.
You get aftercare guidance with it: what to wash it with, what to avoid, and when to come back.
Products & standards
Good product on bad prep still fails. Good product on good prep is what you’re paying for.
We use professional-grade compounds, polishes and coatings, clean media on every car, and separate wash equipment for wheels and paint so grit never crosses over.
On the protection side that means Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra and System X at the top end, Ethos Graphene for cars that live outdoors, Magnum for its Australian graphene range, and Rayno Phantom film on the glass. Several of those are not sold retail at all. They’re released to trained installers only.
- Mitts, towels and pads are never shared between cars.
- Chemistry matched to the surface, not one aggressive product for everything.
- Inspection lighting at multiple angles and colour temperatures, because defects hide beautifully under the wrong light.
- Coatings get time and a clean, dry environment to cure. Rushing that stage is how they fail.
Accreditations
Certified and licensed, and an accredited installer for Gtechniq, System X, Ethos Graphene and Magnum. Manufacturer accreditation matters more than it sounds. These coatings behave very differently applied to specification than applied optimistically, and the longest manufacturer guarantees are only available through an authorised applicator.
Aftercare
A coating is only as good as the washing that follows it.
Automatic car washes with spinning brushes will put swirls straight back into freshly corrected paint. So will a dirty wash mitt and a single bucket.
- Two-bucket method with grit guards, or a proper touchless pre-wash.
- pH-neutral shampoo, nothing aggressive that strips the coating.
- Dry with clean, plush microfibre, not an old towel.
- Deal with bird droppings and fuel spills quickly. Coatings resist etching, they don’t make it impossible.
If you’d rather not risk it, we can handle scheduled maintenance washes so the finish stays as it left.
More in the FAQsWhere to next
Talk to us about your car
Tell us what you’ve got and what’s bothering you about it. We’ll tell you what we’d do. Open 7am–9pm, seven days.