Hot hatchbacks are certainly a category of car that are showing no signs of fading out anytime soon. High powered engines, short wheel bases, cheap running costs and as easy to park make them a perfect 'does everything' vehicle regardless of who may drive it most frequently. Recently, even hot hatchbacks have been gaining pace, size popularity and power that a new class of vehicle has been created - the super hatch. There are certainly many to choose from; Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mercedes A45 AMG, Audi RS3 and BMW's M140i of which we are very familiar with here at Scene Clean Valeting but to name a few. Another super hatch that has certainly stuck its foot firmly in the door is Ford's Focus RS, which is one of the most talked about hot hatches of recent with the latest MK3. Featuring a four-cylinder 2.3L turbocharged engine producing 345bhp that is transferred to the road through four-wheel drive, and all for just over £30,000 it seems the bargain of the decade. The Focus RS featured here was just over 600 miles used and in very presentable condition. After meeting the owner at a local vehicle event, we discussed the options available to ensure his newest purchase was given the best start to its pampered life; the owner being a keen enthusiast of keeping his vehicles immaculate and regularly attending shows with the cars. A brief discussion with the owner about our services and a few days later, he made an appointment for the car to undergo our New Car Protection with the protection upgraded to Gyeon Quartz Q2DuraBead - a fiver year warranted protection only available from Gyeon Certified Detailers. The Focus was delivered in a great condition. Only light surface dust was present on the paintwork from the journey to our premises, whilst the wheels were lightly soiled with brake dust.
Gyeon Quartz Q2MIron was sprayed liberally onto the alloy wheels following an initial pressure rinse, being left to dwell for an approximate 2-3 minutes before being agitated with an assortment of wheel brushes and woollies. Once the wheel was cleaned front-to-back the arches were sprayed with an All-Purpose Cleaner (APC) and a long-reach brush removed any build up road soiling before both wheel and arch were thoroughly rinsed.
The car was then covered in a layer of Gyeon Q2MFoam to aid in removing surface dust and debris particles from the paintwork safely before a thorough pressure rinse. A two bucket wash method was then adopted to gently work any remaining soiling away from the paintwork using a deep-pile microfiber wash mitt; one bucket was filled with a Q2MBathe solution whilst the other contained clean water to prevent grit particles being re-transferred to the paintowkr between panels.
Wash procedure complete, the next step would be to decontaminate the paintwork through a three-step process; tar removal, metal filings and finally a claybar to remove any remaining foreign particles. A dedicated tar solvent was applied to all painted paneling and left for approximately 30 seconds before a microfiber was used to collect any softened tar deposited. At this point any glue residue from protective plastic wrapping was removed safely using in the process. Rinsing each treated area once tar and glue had been removed, Q2MIron was sprayed liberally onto all exterior surfaces. The Q2MIron is a dedicated fallout remover that once applied to the panel will turn from a clear product to a dark shade of purple when in contact with any ferrous particles microscopically bonded to the paint. This purple colour change indicates a chemical reaction that turns the initially stubborn particles to those that are soluble with a strong flow of water if left to dwell for upto ten minutes. A thorough rinse was then required to ensure as much residue as possible was carried away before a surface preparation towel (a claybar alternative) removed any stubborn areas of fallout and potential overspray. A second layer of Q2MFoam, this time at a weaker dilution, was applied to the car in order to ingress into water traps and crevasses - forcing any left over fallout residue out. One final pressure rinse and the car was moved indoors and dried down with warm filtered air and a drying towel.
Focus now dried and moved onto our scissor lift, we removed the locking wheel key from the storage compartment and carefully loosened all five wheel nuts. The car was then raised on our lift and all four wheels were removed from the car and placed to one side. The car was then inspected for any defects such as wash marring, swirling, holograms and such defects that were lessening the visual impact of the gloss black paint. It was easy to see a great amount of polish residue on the plastic exterior trim and also stuck in rubbers surrounding the windows, a clear sign of slap-dash dealer preparations.
To remove the swirling a single stage machine polishing process was required using Q2MPrimer, an Si02 preparation polish that has the ability to remove light surface defects and simultaneously create a perfect bonding platform for the Q2DurBead application that will follow. Each panel was then degreased of any remaining polishing oils and residues using Q2MPrep; Q2MPrimer can be coated on top of with no prior degreasing if left to cure for a full 24hrs after polishing as all solvents evaporate away.
The Q2DuraBead application is built up of two coatings; the base layer(s) being Q2MOHS and the top coat being Q2Bead. Whilst Q2MOHS is able to be installed as a stand-alone product and readily available to both professional and enthusiasts, no warranty is available with any installation. The warranted protections are only available through Gyeons professional coatings, in this case Q2Bead, and can only be installed by a Gyeon Quartz Certified Detailer - we at Scene Clean Valeting are proud to be part of that certified network. Applying the first layer of Q2MOHS using the supplied applicator suede to spread a reasonable thickness of product over the panel in small workable sections. A brand new microfiber towel was then used to remove the excess followed by a second brand new towel buffing to a smear free finish. This process was continued over the entire vehicle and left for one hour before applying the second coat. Following the two layers of Q2MOHS, the final layer would comprise of Gyeon's certified-only topcoat, Q2Bead. A minimum of four hours is required before the Q2Bead can be applied (following the same application procedure as the first two layers of Q2MOHS).
During which time the wheels were treated with Q2RIM applied via an airbrush, gaining access to all tighter areas of the wheel. Gyeon Quartz Q2MTire was then applied to the Michelin tyres for the perfect long lasting satin finish. The wheels were then placed under infrared lamps for sixty minutes as part of the New Car Protection service.
The gloss brake rotor centers were cleansed free of dirt and surface grease using Q2MPrep, protecting them with Q2RIM at this point also..
All exterior glass was removed of surface contaminants and previously applied repellent treatments (if applied at dealership) using Q2MCleanse. A damp microfiber towel was then used to wipe away the haze and left to dry out naturally, then removing any final residue with a clean microfiber. Q2Repel was then liberally dropped onto a fresh suede applicator and worked into all exterior glass surfaces, frond windscreen and frontal side windows were given two applications before all residue was buffed away. Plastic trim such as the front splitter, rear diffuser and mirror based were protected with Q2Trim, a dedicated plastic quartz coating. Returning our attention to the Q2Bead after the four hour waiting duration, the car was then cured under IR lamps to reduce the twenty-four hour cure requirement to ten minutes per panel/section. Not only does it speed up the process but performance and durability is maximized.
Curing completed, the wheels were re-mounted to the vehicle and securely fixed. The interior then received thorough vacuum to remove debris. The leather upholstery received and application of Q2LeatherCoat whilst the fabric seat centers were protected with Q2FabricCoat. As the seats were both leather and fabric, the Q2FabricCoat was sprayed liberally onto a gloved hand and massaged into the fibers, greatly reducing excess product contacting the leather. Interior glass surfaces were then cleared of smudges using Q2MGlass. The engine compartment of the Focus RS was already in perfectly presentable condition, nothing more than a light buff with Q2MPreserve was required to remove light dusting. The entire vehicle then received a final application of Q2MCure, whilst this step is not required when using the Q2DuraBead system, it helps prevent the coating water spotting after application; whilst the coating may be cured enough to use the vehicle, full hardness is not achieved until after seven-to-fourteen days. Door shut areas were cleared of water spots and dust accumulation using Q2MCure which also adds great protection to these areas in aid of future maintenance and to finalize this new Ford Focus RS New Car Protection..
