Car polish gets smart

For many drivers, polishing a car is an enjoyable task. But if you don’t have the inclination, there is a way to protect your bodywork with minimal effort.
Paint specialist Gtechniq, based in Kings Langley, Herts, says it can treat your vehicle with its Smart Surface system. Then, all you’ll have to do is wash and dry the panels to get that freshly waxed look. We took a 1992 Saab 900 along to find out if it was the real deal.
First, a car is thoroughly washed, clayed and dried, before the trim is masked and the paint thickness measured.
The company’s P1 pSystem polish can be applied by hand, but a machine polisher will remove small blemishes and produce a deeper and more even colour than before. This product is also designed to remove less paint than traditional cutting compounds.DurableWhen Gtechniq is happy with the finish, C1 Crystal Lacquer is applied. This offers three times the durability and twice the scratch resistance of rival paint sealants, and needs to be buffed off immediately with a microfibre cloth for an even finish.
Where most conventional treatments sit on the surface, C1 chemically bonds to paint, plastic and rubber trim, forming a layer of nanoparticles 1,000 times denser than paint – it’s an extension of the top coat.
Any faded plastic trim can be returned to a factory finish with the company’s C4 cSystem restorer prior to the application of C1, while the glass is coated in G1 rain repellent. As with the C1 formula, these coatings have been developed withlongevity in mind, and the glass treatment is said to bead water for about 30,000 miles.
Prices for treating a new car start at £140, while correcting and protecting an older vehicle costs between £450 and £800. The application is claimed to last 12 months.
The results on our Saab were amazing. Three months after the polish was applied, the paint’s deep gloss and strong water beading remain. The entire two-day process was impressive, and the beauty of treatments like this is you spend less time polishing and more time at the wheel.