Jaguar S-Type V8 that had been stored under a sheet -- sandpaper-rough, cobwebs inside, opaque headlights. Four-stage polish by James brought all the character lines back. Upgraded to graphene coating. Owner interview a year later: two washes, 5,000 miles, "oh yeah" pleased.
The owner of this Jaguar S-Type had it from nearly new and loves it. He had parked it under a sheet for a while -- understandable, but not ideal for long-term storage; cars stored under sheets tend to sweat and develop blistering paintwork over time. When Gary collected the car to bring it in, it felt like sandpaper to the touch and there was dirt in every gap, cobwebs inside the door, and the headlights were opaque. "Smells a bit Jaggy when you open the door, which is quite nice."
Four-stage machine polish -- starting with a lambswool cutting head on a power DA, through three further stages. James worked through the whole car. By the midpoint it was already looking like a completely different vehicle. The character lines came back as the paint got deeper: Jaguars lose their distinctive shape when the paint dulls, and when the shine comes back, the car looks like a Jaguar again. The headlights were polished up properly -- a previous quick buff had got them through an MOT but not restored them fully. This time done right, ceramic-coated to protect the restored surface.
We did the owner a deal on the coating -- he had been expecting a wax, we upgraded him to graphene. The car was a candidate: good body, good paint underneath, just needing the work. Gary's assessment when the polish was done but before the coating went on: "It is now looking pretty gorgeous."
Afterwards, Gary spoke to the owner. He had been driving it for over a year since we coated it. Total washes in that time: two. Miles put on it since coating: around 5,000. "Are you pleased that you did it?" -- "Oh yeah." A classic it will become.
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