1. Metalwork: Once the body is in bare metal and all corrosion repairs are taken care of, the first step is to get the metalwork as close to the right shape as possible before proceeding with any filler work. There are a variety of techniques used, all of which require an understanding of the way metal shrinks and stretches. A common misconception is that hammering dented sheet metal against a dolly will flatten it out... Although it may flatten out a localised high spot, it will also thin the metal, increasing it's surface area and causing a larger problem. Usually what is known as an 'oil can' where the excess metal causes an area that can 'ping' in and out. Such problems can be solved my localised heating and rapid cooling which shrinks the metal and pulls in 'dented' areas.

Areas which are inaccessible from behind but need pulling out are addressed by a process called 'pin-pulling'. small pins are spot welded to the body using a dedicated welder which then slot into jaws on a slide hammer, enabling metal to be pulled out without cutting, drilling or accessing the rear of the panel.

2: Shaping: With the metalwork somewhere near, it's time to get the body straight and flat. The first step is skimming any suspect areas with a bodyfiller. Any areas that could be susceptible to moisture ingress (wheel arches etc) are usually lead-filled to ensure a water-tight base to work from. For initial shaping we use UPOL 'Fantastic' Polyester bodyfiller. For final smoothing we use a self-levelling liquid stopper called 'Dolphin Glaze' also by UPOL.

One of the critical things at this stage is the right sanding tools for the job. Most importantly large sanding blocks with the right amount of 'give'. Most mainstream bodyshops use velcro sanding strips, but just the flex in the velcro fixing is enough to allow the sander to flow with the contours of an imperfection rather than flatten it out. We use a range of blocks imported from the US which are very firm and available up to around a meter in length. We also have very long, flexible yacht builders blocking tools imported from Poland which are ideal for roofs and other large gently curved surfaces.

3: Build Primer: Once we have shaped the body and got it relatively straight and smooth the remaining build is achieved with a good 2K filler-primer. Once this is applied the whole car is given a 'guide coat'. This is either a dry powder or very light spray of contrasting paint from an aerosol, and is an essential part of getting a super-flat finish. Once the primer is hard the car will be block sanded again, using the guide coat to detect low spots. Often two or three coats of primer are needed before a perfectly flat finish can be achieved.

Once the primer is sanded to a fine finish, panel wipe is sprayed on the surface which allows us to study light reflections in the surface which give us a final visual confirmation that the panel is flat and ready for paint.

4: Final Assessment: Once the primer is sanded to a fine finish, panel wipe is sprayed on the surface which allows us to study light reflections in the surface which give us a final visual confirmation that the panel is flat and ready for paint.

All surfaces will also be closely inspected for any pin-holes which will be rectified.

5: Masking and cleaning: First of all, and often overlooked is to have a clean paint booth! Our booth is thoroughly cleaned out before every major paint job, and is given new intake air filters to ensure no dust contamination during paint application. The floor is also watered to keep down any dust that has escaped the cleanup.

The car is masked appropriately and meticulously cleaned with panel wipe. The final clean occurs after the painter has entered the booth before painting, and is done with a 'tack-rag' which has a sticky surface to attract any remaining particles of dust on the car.

6: Paint application. The final application of paint is probably 1/100th of the time to do the complete job, and must be right first time, so is by far the most nerve-wracking stage for the painter!! Most of our jobs consist of several colour 'base-coats' (non-glossy colour coat) swiftly followed by a 'grip' coat of clear lacquer (a very light coat which creates a 'tacky' surface allowing the subsequent coats to be applied heavier with less risk of runs) followed by two or three heavy coats. Forget all this rubbish you hear about umpteen coats of laquer... if the preparation is done correctly two or three good coats is more than enough!!

We use Max Mayer Lacquer as we have found it to flow out very nicely and be the easiest to work with during the post-paint stages (although it is a bit more expensive, it is well worth the cost!).

7. Flatting and Polishing: This process takes a good paint job and transforms it into a show-winning 'glass-like' finish.

Firstly the surface of the lacquer is sanded flat all over with 2000 grit paper with plenty of water. This is done in a clean area to avoid any contamination of the water/paper causing scratches. Once done it looks as if you have ruined the job!! The surface is now a dull, matt finish, but totally flat.

Next the paint is buffed, initially with 3M 'Fast Cut' compound, and then Farecla 'G10', followed by Farecla 'Glaze'. This is done using various power buffers and compounding/polishing mops (small heads on air tool for details, large heads on electric buffer for larger areas). Once complete it's time to stand back and admire the job!!