Still Got the Blues

Patient:
4 month old Mercedes Benz S400

Problem:
Indigo ink stains from jeans (dark blue denim is fashionably cool, but do be careful, as the indigo dye rubs off onto leather pretty easily).

Solution:
Swissvax Leather Care Kit with pH neutral cleaner working its magic, with only some gentle agitating with the supplied brush.

We took these pictures before nourishing the clean leather seats with Swissvax Leather Milk, in order for a clearer before and after comparison.

 

Detail Lab is on Instagram!

We grew up with He-Man, Motorola pagers and Ponderosa buffets, but hey, even thirty-somethings need to get with the program. As they say, the only way to stay young is to  lie about your age  keep learning and trying new things. :)

So show some love and follow us on Instagram for up to the minute coverage on the exciting on-goings at Detail Lab. Thanks!

Leather Care Made Easy

BMW M3 rolled into the Detail Lab with leather seats that had seen better days. We tackled this head-on with our secret weapon, the Swissvax Leather Care Kit.

The leather brush and leather cleaner lifted off the dirt, with dirt removal handled by the white terry cloth. The newly cleaned leather was then nourished with Swissvax Leather Milk, using the white applicator pad included in the kit.

DIY fans, no real secrets to the restoration here. Just a simple, proven kit and some practice, and you'll be bringing new life to tired, worn-out leather seats in no time!

50-50 shot shows the difference some TLC can make. 

Removal of Water Marks from Glass Panels

This post covers one of the most common forms of automotive surface care issues in our region – water marks or stains on windows and windscreens. Take a closer look at your own car for signs of water stains after drying up the glass panels during a car wash. Chances are you will witness these irksome stains appearing!

Sampling of a window pane tainted with accumulated stains

caused by our tropical climate.

We have tried and tested many products and working procedures, finally coming out with a process that works brilliantly for us! We are confident that most of the glass stains found in 90% of our rides can be solved, and the offending glass protected.

This process typically takes about two hours for completion (an entire car's exterior glass panels). It involves cleaning, solvent cleansing, chemical removal of 'permanent water stains', a second light solvent cleansing and finally, the application of a glass sealant protection for a hydrophobic effect during rain. 

Here are some shots taken during a recent job on a 7 year old Honda CRV.

Before

After

Before

After

50-50 shot of a glass panel clearly revealing the difference glass

cleaning makes to tainted and often neglected glass surfaces.

Back to Black

With COE prices on the up, most of our customers have come to realize that frequent changing of rides just isn't going to be possible. Most have decided to keep their rides, instead revamping them with brand new looks. Our project GTR was one such example.

From frozen white, experimenting with the world's best car care products for matte finishes, back to striking solid black paintwork that left onlookers in awe of its menacing deep black gloss. Total turnover time: 21 days.

The paintwork was topped off with a modern water-based nano clear coat (lacquer) that allowed for a deep crystal clear finishing, requiring meticulous work to polish out all the fine swirls and halograms that were evident after compounding.

Swirls and halograms were painstakingly exposed

 and removed with the help of strong lighting.

Swapping on a new carbon fibre hood.

With only two days left prior to CNY, we had an uphill task of transforming the freshly painted GTR into a head turner by eliminating swirls and enhancing its gloss to a whole new level. Our in-house Nano Ceramic Coating Treatment was applied and the show car parked 24hrs before Swissvax Crystal Rock was laid on for protection.

Day 2 with lots of baking time under the sun

Memories of the Arctic Beast

Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming response during the pre-CNY period. We could not have asked for more!

As we progress into the first quarter of 2013, there are so many fond memories of all the mentally and technically challenging rides we have detailed the year before. Here's one of the rare few we definitely have a soft spot for - 2009 GTR R35 meticulously painted in frozen white.

Custom painted in frozen white, this Godzilla promised to be doubly hard to maintain. Our Swissvax Opaque Series Paint Protection System was put to the test, and came out triumphant!

Paint Correction on a 6 Month Old Mk6

Many people feel that brand new rides do not require paintwork attention. Most new car owners wait for their paint to lose its lustre before looking for solutions or polishing services to restore its former glow.

At Detail Lab, we feel preventive measures like the application of Paint Protection Systems early on in a car’s life is a better approach.

Here we have a six month old Mk6 GTI weather-beaten by our hot and wet tropical climate. Within the short span of six months, the candy white paintwork had lost its lustre and smoothness, and accumulated grime.

We knew we had an uphill task ahead to revive the dying paintwork!

After an intensive car wash and claying session.

After Stage 2 paint correction and polishing.

With an additional layer of Dupont PPS laid on.

Limited edition 35^th anniversary seats given 

a new lease of life with Swissvax Alcantara Cleaner