The Ultimate Guide To Polishing Pads
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Porsche 944 - The BIG Detail
At Auto Finesse, there's nothing we enjoy more than detailing a fresh, gleaming new car—who wouldn’t want the chance to work on a modified RS4, Audi R8, or AMG Mercedes? But let’s be honest, that’s not really where our roots are. Sure, it’s nice to work with pristine paint on high-end cars from time to time, but that’s not our style. What truly excites us is transforming the most down-to-earth street cars with the power of pure detailing. And even more than that, we love a real challenge. This was about to be one of our biggest yet…
A few weeks back, as the global Covid-19 lockdown began to ease, the Academy felt a bit too quiet for our liking. Recognizing the impact the crisis had, especially on the car scene, we decided to offer one lucky Auto Finesse fan the chance to bring their car into our detailing bay for a full three days. Even better, they’d receive the full attention of the Academy Team along with some top detailers from our Accredited Detailer Network. Open to any make or model, regardless of condition, the competition attracted over 4,000 entries. Our first task was to narrow these down to a top 10, focusing on the cars that would present the biggest challenge for our team and product range. Then, we handed it over to the public. After hosting a vote on our social media, we prepared the bay for the winner: Alex Paul's weathered Porsche 944.
To be honest, we were thrilled that you all chose the 944. We’ve got a soft spot for retro classics, and the so-called "poor man’s Porsche" is every bit the rugged, '80s icon. With a growing fanbase, it's easy to see why these cars are gaining cool points by the day. Among Stuttgart’s lineup, the 944 is as down-to-earth as it gets. While many 911s of the same era have likely been pampered and carefully preserved—rolling out only on sunny days—this 944 had been through the wringer. It had been driven hard, then left idle on a farm for what could easily be mistaken for a couple of decades. Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to dive in.
As the car rolled off the trailer, it was clear that a quick, easy finish wasn’t in the cards. Sure, we’d seen photos, but nothing quite prepares you for the up-close reality of a car like this. Grime, oil, cobwebs, industrial fallout—you name it, this car had it all. Could detailing alone really tackle a project this challenging? We were about to find out.
Monday morning arrived, and our ADN professionals were just as eager to dive into the project as we were. They’d traveled from all over the UK to be here. Liam from Urban Valets, Alan from Kleentec Detailing, Josh from The Features Club, and Danny from DG Automotive were all ready to jump in—after all, ADN challenges are as much about community as they are about the work. It’s a great opportunity to catch up, share insights, trade tips and tricks... and, of course, enjoy plenty of pizza.
It was clear from the start that this job required no-nonsense action, so after a quick assessment, we jumped right into a safe wash for the Porsche. Sure, “safe” washing might sound a bit ambitious given the car’s condition, but that’s how we do things—start as you mean to go on. Naturally, this detail would go above and beyond the usual, but with a full team on board, everything moved at a good pace.
First up was tackling the grime-encrusted engine bay. Using a mix of Eradicate Engine Degreaser and Verso All-Purpose Cleaner, we carefully brushed in the products and gave everything a thorough rinse. The engine bay highlighted the car’s wear and tear with rusted clips and fraying cables, serving as a reminder that a deep clean can sometimes reveal parts needing extra care. We’d be circling back to this area later… along with the heavily corroded wheels.
As for the wheels, during the pre-wash stage, the car was jacked up, and the wheels were removed to allow full access to the chassis and under-arches. This let us spray these areas with Eradicate and Dynamite Traffic Film Remover, then agitate and rinse away over 30 years of built-up grease and grime.
The wheels and tires underwent a full decontamination process with Iron Out Contaminant Remover, Imperial Wheel Cleaner, Revolution Wheel Soap, and Verso. This got them looking clean and fresh, though they were later sent off by courier for a complete refurbishment. While we're not in the wheel refinishing business, we knew a set of pristine rims would make a fantastic finishing touch, perfectly complementing our overall vision for the paintwork.
Next up was the main event: the bodywork. Years of neglect had left it in rough shape, so we brought out the full arsenal. A combination of Verso, Dynamite, and Citrus Power Bug and Grime Remover helped break through the heavy layers of grime, with our team brushing out every dirt trap and crevice. This was followed by generous applications of Avalanche Snow Foam, and a thorough two-bucket (or, more accurately, six-bucket) wash using Lather Car Shampoo.
Decontamination was absolutely crucial in this case, so the entire body was treated to a generous application of Iron Out to chemically dissolve any remaining metal contaminants, followed by a thorough rinse. For the toughest residues, ObliTARate Tar and Glue Remover was sprayed on the areas that needed extra care, effortlessly lifting off the stickiest contaminants. After a quick wash to neutralise the ObliTARate, we moved on to claying every inch of the car using our Clay Bar and Glide Clay Lube. This step is essential for creating a surface that’s fully prepared for paint correction, and it’s a perfect example of why professional detailers swear by clay. Even we were surprised by how many impurities were removed with minimal pressure.
After rinsing and drying, it was finally time to bring the car into the bay. For most of the team, this is where the real excitement begins. Masking up is a crucial step, but when it comes to paint correction, we all know it’s more of an art than a science. Every detailer has their own technique and "feel" for the job, so we always encourage our ADN professionals to approach each task in their own way, with the key focus always being the end result.
We chose two of our products, One-Step All-in-One Compound and Revitalise No:1 Restoring Compound, to run tests on different panels. When cutting paint, you’ll often find that each panel behaves slightly differently, especially on older cars where the history is unclear. That’s why it’s essential to check and assess each panel individually. Using a gauge to measure the paint thickness in various areas is also a must for heavy restoration work—you need to ensure there’s enough paint left to actually cut!
What sets our team apart is that, after hours of different people working on various panels with different machines and speeds, they maintained constant communication and collaboration. As a result, they were able to achieve a consistent, uniform level of cut across the entire 944.
Day 1 saw a significant amount of work completed, but, as with any project of this scale, there were a few surprises along the way. For instance, the bonnet had been replaced at some point in the 944’s history, but unfortunately, it was painted in metallic black, while the rest of the car had a solid black finish. This was an obvious mismatch, and as we’ve learned, you never really know the full history of a car. Clearly, this was something we’d need to address as part of the plan.
You might think that after all the heavy cutting on Day 1, the hardest part of the restoration was done, but there was still plenty of work ahead. Day 2 was dedicated to refinement. The team dove right back in, working through the final two stages of our Revitalise System and applying Tripple All-In-One Polish to various panels. Refining is an art, and once again, our team didn’t disappoint. Their expertise resulted in a finish that we’d argue surpassed the car’s original look when it first left the factory. This level of refinement didn’t stop at the paintwork— the window glass received the same attention. After being machined, it was hand-polished with Vision to remove years of scratches, restoring the clarity and shine.
On Day 2, we tackled the interior, starting by removing the seats and centre console to gain the best access for a thorough cleaning. The carpets were vacuumed, and a generous application of Total Interior Cleaner was used to tackle the grime. After scrubbing and sanitising with Wipe Out Interior Disinfectant, the finishing touch was applied with Spritz Interior Detailer for that perfect, fresh look. Meanwhile, the other removable parts, including the rear lights and trim, were taken to another bay for cleaning and polishing. The seats received special attention, treated to a deep clean with Hide Leather Cleaner followed by Hide Leather Conditioner, while the rest of the interior surfaces were cleaned with a mix of Verso, Tripple, and Total, restoring the cabin to its former glory.
In addition to working on the exhaust and engine bay with Mercury Metal Polish (and using plenty of wire wool along with a generous application of Dressle All Purpose Trim Dressing), there were a few additional tasks that required some drying time overnight. These included painting the brake calipers and certain engine components. Before we knew it, Day 2 was wrapped up, and we were already two-thirds of the way through the project.
The final day was all about the refit and reveal, but this is where the true expertise of Team AF and our ADN detailers really shone. The finishing touches are often the most crucial for elevating the overall result—perhaps that’s why they call it detailing, right? It's those small tricks, like hand polishing the tricky spots inside the doors with Tripple or cleaning around the headlight trims with Verso and a detailing brush, that make all the difference and take the detail to the next level.
The major tasks of the day were more mechanical in nature. This included refitting the interior and wet sanding any imperfections to prep the bonnet for a satin black wrap. After careful consideration, we decided that wrapping would create a striking contrast against the gloss paint, helping to emphasise the transformation even further. Our decision proved to be spot-on, as the satin black bonnet now seamlessly complements other exterior elements we restored and repainted, such as the sidelight surrounds and wiper arms.
One key element was still missing, so we went ahead and picked up the newly refurbished wheels. Once they were bolted on, we were pleased to see that, just like the bonnet, they truly enhanced the overall exterior, highlighting all the hard work that had gone into the transformation.
With not much time left, we gave the entire car a couple of coats of our flagship show car wax, Illusion, and tackled all the essential finishing touches. The windows were cleaned with Crystal Glass Cleaner, the tyres received a coat of Satin Tyre Creme, and every trim and rubber piece was treated with Verso, Revive, or Dressle for that extra polish. We even managed to apply our Caramics Glass Protection Kit to the exterior glass for added shine and protection.
We always knew we could do something special with this German classic, but even we were amazed by how stunning the transformation turned out. The owner was absolutely speechless – and who wouldn’t be after seeing their car completely transformed in just three days? While Alex was clearly thrilled with the result, we were arguably even more excited. This project proves that in-depth detailing can not only make a dramatic difference in a car’s appearance but can also breathe new life into a project that once seemed impossible.
