A water leak turned into an opportunity. This Ford Focus came in leaking; it left polished, ceramic coated, and looking better than the day it rolled out of the factory.
This Ford Focus came in with a water leak. We ran our 28-point check -- a structured diagnostic process cross-referenced against our database of known faults by make and model -- and found two issues that are both common on this model: leaking door membranes, and loose vents behind the bumper that were letting water into the cabin. Both fixed, drying machines on, carpets and interior deodorised. The customer then decided to go further and have the full modern car restoration treatment: Kieran polished the paintwork, and it was finished with a ceramic coating to keep it that way.
Turning a negative into a positive
The reason we filmed this particular car is what the customer decided to do next. He was already spending money on the water leak repair; he made a conscious decision to commit to the car and keep it for a few more years rather than trade it in. The financial logic is straightforward. The car had already absorbed the steepest part of its depreciation. The engine had plenty of life left. Once we had sorted its Achilles heel -- the leak -- there was no good reason not to invest in the rest of it.
The coating will keep the paintwork glossier than it was when the car left the factory; arguably shinier than brand new, as Gary puts it on camera. And the car should hold its value considerably better over the next part of its life than it would have done with a damp interior and tired paint.
You could take any car with water ingress, a smell you have grown to ignore, and paint that has lost its depth -- and turn it into the car you fancied when you bought it. That is what happened here.
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