Car Detailing and
Paint Correction Specialists
Car Detailing and Paint Correction Specialists
Now operating from a detailing studio based at Autostore in Cambridge, Cambridge Autogleam is a detailing company established in 2006 that is run by a true car enthusiast with a critical eye for detail. Using careful paint correction techniques and tried and tested protective coatings, we produce and maintain a flawless finish.
We also offer audio upgrades, Meta Trak trackers and immobilisers, wheel refurbishing, paintless dent removal, paint protection film application, secure indoor car storage, leather repair and mechanical maintenance, all available on the Autostore site.
YOUTUBE
PORTFOLIO
SERVICES
Please click on our service offerings below to view more detail and do not hesitate to contact us if you are unsure which service option would best suit your requirements.
As a Gtechniq Accredited detailer we can apply and warranty Crystal Serum Light and the flagship paint coating, Crystal Serum Ultra
Please note the prices are dependant on the vehicle condition not being significantly worse than described.
ABOUT US
Cambridge Autogleam was started by Nathan Willits, a true car enthusiast who has always taken pride in detailing his own cars. Nathan's obsession with perfection started in 2000 with his first car, a 1990 Honda CRX, which even following a full respray was still a little way off looking as shiny as Nathan had hoped. The following three days were spent re polishing the entire car by hand, cleaning and dressing all the trims properly and lovingly waxing the paint. Looking back now Nathan can see that it probably wasn't his greatest job and thankfully he has since learnt how to skilfully machine polish the paint, but the seed had been planted and over the next few years Nathan's experience grew as he cleaned and polished his way through friends and families cars.
At the beginning of 2006 Nathan started Cambridge Autogleam as a mobile valeting service, but within a year it had quickly changed into a well respected detailing company offering fellow car enthusiasts who expect that little bit extra, Nathan's personal and professional service.
Despite the flurry of new detailing companies in recent years, whether they be new start ups or valeting companies quickly rebranding themselves as detailing specialists, Cambridge Autogleam has continued to prove themselves as one of the best and most trusted detailing companies in the UK and with very little advertising, has thrived on the excellent word of mouth recommendations of their loyal customer base.
Nathan grew up in Cambridge and after a few years in sales and then working on IT projects for a government department he started Cambridge Autogleam. To turn his hobby into a career, Nathan has spent many hours testing methods and products on sample panels and learning all that is possible to know about paint correction. This dedication can clearly be seen in the quality of finish he achieves with many customers commenting "Wow.. that looks better than when it was new". Nathan is a true petrol head and his passion for his work is evident in his work ethic, often working late into the night and treating each car as he would if it were his own. Away from detailing, he enjoys
go-karting and snowboarding.
In November 2015 Cambridge Autogleam became the Gtechniq Accredited detailing company for the Cambridge region. As well as giving us access to, what is in our opinion, the best sealants on the market today, this also means Gtechniq will warranty our sealant applications for up to 9 years. This accreditation however does not restrict our using other brands. We can still apply any of a number of high end premium products to your car to achieve the best possible finish without compromise.
At the same time, Cambridge Autogleam moved to the Autostore site in Cambridge where we now have a fantastic detailing studio that provides the perfect environment for achieving the perfect finish, a finish that is impossible to achieve on a driveway or in a small, dark garage.
Our preferred method of payment is via Bank Transfer, although we can also accept Credit / Debit cards or Cash. We no longer accept payment by cheque.
Products shown in photos on this website are all owned by Cambridge Autogleam and all photographs are taken by and are the sole property of Cambridge Autogleam.
ABOUT DETAILING
Simply put, detailing is the methodical cleaning, polishing and protecting of every surface on your vehicle
-
Why do I need to have my car detailed?A car is often the second biggest investment you will make, regardless of if you've spent £15,000 or in excess of £150,000. With the resale value of any vehicle based not only on its age or how many dealer stamps are in the log book, but also on the condition and aesthetics of the car, does a drive through car wash, or even a bucket and sponge on a Saturday afternoon do it justice? Without the skill, time, products or even the desire to spend hours washing, polishing and caring for your car yourself, you may be looking for a better service than the high volume, low quality valeting centers that now occupy the UK's old petrol stations can offer.
-
What's the difference between a valet and a detail?Where as a valet will generally focus on a quick wash and perhaps some type of spray wax to clean your car and have it looking 'acceptable' from a distance, detailing goes far beyond simply cleaning your car. A 'clean' car can technically be free of dirt but can still lack that lustrous shine only found in a high quality paint finish. Many quick valets can actually cause more harm than good, often with dirty washing implements being used throughout the day on numerous cars. Poor washing methods with the main aim of speed rather than quality can all too quickly leave your cars paint looking dull and lifeless. Detailing is more of a careful rejuvenation of every surface of the car, and when coupled with Paint Correction is a process that can completely restore a cars paintwork for a fraction of what a respray would cost. From the wash stage, where every care is taken to ensure we do not damage the paintwork in any way by using a tried and tested pre wash and wash method, through the decontamination stage where we start looking at your paint in more detail, carefully removing tar or sap deposits, onto the cleansing or correction stage (depending on your chosen detail), where the paints depth of shine is improved and finally onto the finishing stage where we can use a number of different carefully chosen protective products the ensure the paint, plastics, rubbers and glass look at their best for as long as possible after detailing. Perfection however takes time, anywhere from 10-50 hrs, and this coupled with the higher cost of the high quality products we use means that detailing does cost more than a typical valet. With our fixed pricing system though there are no hidden surprises no matter how long the detail actually takes and with most main dealers now charging in excess of £100 per hour for servicing work, we feel we offer excellent value when you also consider that the resale value of any vehicle is affected by its condition and aesthetics.
-
What is Paint Cleansing and Paint Correction?In the Protection Detail your cars paint will be cleansed. The products we use vary between jobs but essentially the cleansing products contain very minor abrasives that can be worked by hand. These do act to very mildly polish the surface but in this instance we are not looking at correcting the paint, rather we are aiming to get it as clean and as smooth as possible ready for the protective finishing layer. A cleansing product may also fill or mask minor swirls and hazing. This masking effect will last for as long as the protective layer. Usually around 3-6 months depending on the storage conditions and the daily use of the vehicle. In both the Enhancement Detail and the Correction Detail we will use a machine polisher to actually remove a very fine amount of the cars lacquer and polish past the swirls that rob the paint of its depth and gloss. This is a skilled process and takes time to perfect. Working the polish for too short a time will leave buffer trails and hazy paint as well as not actually removing the original paint defects. Working the polish for too long can lead to the paint overheating, getting too thin and in some extreme cases, burning through to the undercoat. Cambridge Autogleam however have proven time and time again on a variety of different paint types and finishes that we do have the skills required to leave a perfect finish. After taking digital paint depth readings to ensure there is a safe amount of paint to work with we will select a polish and pad combination from a large range available to us and working on small areas at a time will start correcting the defects in your paint. For the Enhancement detail this polish and pad combination will be the strongest we can choose while still finishing down to a refined finish with just one polishing phase per section. While this technique will leave some of the deeper swirl marks, it will typically remove around 50-70% and greatly increase the shine of your paint. The Enhancement detail would also be ideal if you have previously had your cars paint fully corrected and over 12-24 months some minor marks have crept back into the paint and you would like these removing. For the more discerning customer, where compromise is not an option, our Correction detail offers around 95-100% paint correction. We will choose a polish and pad combination that is slightly harder and will polish down to some of the deeper marks, all while still checking the paint depths to ensure we are working without endangering the integrity of the paint. After each polishing phase we will examine the paint under various lighting conditions and re polish (when safe to do so) until we are satisfied the finish cannot be improved upon. Once completely corrected we will then swap to a finishing polish and pad and refine the paint even further, giving an unbelievable depth and shine that needs to be seen in the flesh to truly be appreciated. It is not uncommon for customers to exclaim "that looks better than when it was new". This Correction process usually removes around 5 microns from the clear lacquer coat from a total of around 130-150 microns on most modern cars and it is this process that provides the greatest improvements to your paint.
-
How long will freshly corrected paint stay swirl-free?With a careful wash technique there is no limit to how long a car can remain swirl free. There are many cars we look after on a regular basis where the paint is swirl free 3-4 years after the initial Correction Detail. We will happily give you tips on washing methods and products while we are carrying out the detail and we offer our own top up service to help ensure your vehicle will look its very best all year round.
TESTIMONIALS
"...One of the very few car trade businesses that actually do what they say and do it very well..."
Very glad I discovered Nathan at Cambridge Autogleam. Very knowledgeable and articulate about his profession. Kept me updated all the time with progress videos of the work and gave some very good advice for the future care of the paintwork. You don’t often meet people/businesses that actually care about the job they do but Nathan definitely does.
One of the very few car trade businesses that actually do what they say and do it very well.
Highly recommended.
Pete - Audi R8 V10 Plus
"...I truly believe my car looks far better now than it did the moment it rolled off the production line..."
I rarely write reviews, however I felt compelled to tell people about the fantastic work that Nathan did on my new car. Despite my dealer’s best efforts to ruin the paintwork, Nathan did an amazing job on the car. I truly believe my car looks far better now than it did the moment it rolled off the production line. At my age there are very few things that make me feel like a child at Christmas, but that’s how I felt driving away from Cambridge Autogleam in my very shiny new car.
Not only is Nathans work fantastic, but it is also such a pleasure to talk to someone who is clearly passionate about their work and understands the importance of customer service. The service that I and my car received was truly beyond all that I hoped for.
Matt - VW Touareg Black Edition
◄
1 / 1
►
Introducing Cambridge Autosound. Car audio upgrades that are more than the sum of their parts.
We have partnered with manufactures like Audison, Hertz, Audiotec Fischer and Morel to offer anything from carefully installed plug and play upgrades, to bespoke fabrication and multi amplifier integration.
We also install certified Thatcham Cat S5 trackers and immobilisers from Meta Trak.
For details please visit our new website www.cambridgeautosound.com or contact audio@cambridgeautosound.com
CONTACT
We don't publish our address for security reasons but we operate from a purpose built detailing studio based near Harston on the outskirts of Cambridge. We have excellent access to the A10 and M11 and we are within minutes of train stations that link Cambridge with Kings Cross and Liverpool St.
Please get in touch to discuss your requirements, or ask us a question.
☏ 01223 827766
