Videos: #modern-car-restoration

A Saab 9-3 restoration over several weeks -- wheels refurbished, leather replaced and recoloured by Alan, headlights restored by Tom, dents removed by the dent man, four-stage polish by James, windscreen chip repaired, new plates and badge. Matrix Blue ceramic coating on paintwork, wheels and headlights. The owner is putting it up for TV work.

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.

A 1985 Mercedes 280 TE estate -- water leak repaired, now in for the bodywork. 125,000 miles of swirl marks, bird etch, and dull chrome. Four-stage machine polish followed by wax. The colour transformation at the end is dramatic.

A Dodge Ram 1500 V8 belonging to an 87-year-old owner. Door sill holding water, door pillar gaskets previously fitted badly. Gary admits own sealant repair backfired -- James re-does it properly. Full graphene coating + headlight polish added.

Jaguar cabriolet full restoration: dirty hood cleaned and recoated with 2-year nano-proof, drain flush, Krytox rubbers, complex studded wheels refurbished and ceramic-coated, and Allan's leather reconditioning transformed the interior from tired to immaculate.

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.

A Maserati brought in to tidy up for sale -- a friend of Paul, one of Gary's long-term customers. Rear bumper damage to Kraftwork, new rear light Gary fitted himself, two nearside wheels refurbished on-site, headlights mismatched (one replaced previously), six-stage on the bad one and three-stage on the good one to match. Four-buff, 18-month coating. The owner wasn't sure he wanted to sell it by the end.

This Fiesta came in leaking from two separate sources. While it was with us, the customer decided to go further -- polish, ceramic coating, wheel treatment. The result looks better than new.

A Toyota C-HR Hybrid being prepped for sale -- double buff, paint corrections, three-month wax. Gary spots bird etch that has gone right through the lacquer on the roof. No ceramic coating meant the paint had no protection. Honest caveat: the bonnet scratch will only see about 60 per cent improvement.

Del always wanted a Jaguar. He doesn't much like the new ones -- so a new Jaguar for him means finding a good used example and making it like new. James clay-barred and double-buffed the paintwork; we cleaned the leather throughout and advised a trimmer for the worn driver's bolster.