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From used car to classic (part 2) - the right vehicle care

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Created on November 22, 2020

Text:

Marcel Schoch

Photos:

Marcel Schoch

34

Marcel Schoch

34

Steffen Kahl washes the Jaguar from top to bottom with low water pressure and a high flow rate.

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Steffen Kahl works as a specialist for the reconditioning of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles at Werner Haas Automobile GmbH in Augsburg.

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Large surfaces, such as the hood, are dry in just a few seconds with the squeegee.

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Today the Jaguar XJ-S, with soft top and leather interior, gets care for paint, leather, rubber, textiles and chrome.

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Steffen Kahl mixes the car shampoo according to the manufacturer's instructions. It contains dirt-dissolving surfactants.

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The special car wash sponge has two sides. One for foam and the white one to remove dirt.

Bild von Partner Porsche AMAG Mai Foto-Galerie 2026

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Steffen Kahl lathers the entire bodywork and makes sure that the vehicle does not dry out too quickly.

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For the rims, you need rim cleaner and a brush for corners and edges because of the brake dust.

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Always at the end! The glass cleaner also forms foam and therefore adheres to the glass for a very long time.

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A squeegee with a silicone lip makes it much easier to dry the vehicle. No water stains are left behind.

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The corners and edges of the bodywork are dried with such a microfiber cloth.

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Areas where water and dirt remain for a long time must be dried very carefully.

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Leather care and plastic deep-care lotion are required for a classic car. Cockpit care is not.

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A special compressed air gun is used to blow the dirt out of the cracks in the leather seats.

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Steffen Kahl doesn't forget the air vents either. Here he uses a brush in addition to compressed air.

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A lot of dirt collects between the headrest and backrest. It must be carefully removed.

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After treatment with leather care, the leather is soft again and protected from UV radiation and water.

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A wooden dashboard coated with clear lacquer requires wax and no wood care.

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The sprayed-on wax is very easy to polish on the dashboard with a microfiber cloth.

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To vacuum the floor mats, always remove them from the vehicle.

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A very powerful industrial wet:dry vacuum cleaner should be used to vacuum the carpets.

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With a slim nozzle, dirt can be sucked out of even the tightest places, such as between the seat and the cardan tunnel.

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Don't forget! Once you have the vacuum cleaner in your hand, you should also vacuum the soft top.

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Steffen Kahl uses masking tape to protect the sensitive soft top fabric from polish or wax stains.

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Even the most stubborn dirt can be removed from the paintwork with this type of paint cleaning putty.

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This is the quickest way. With a good polishing machine, a trunk lid can be polished in just a few minutes.

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Only when the polishing paste is dry is it removed from the paintwork with a microfiber cloth.

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Backlighting or special artificial light can be used to quickly check whether the polishing was successful.

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Care products such as this plastic care product must be used sparingly. This quantity is completely sufficient for the bumper.

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The care product is applied in a thin layer. Then leave it to work for a few minutes and wipe it off.

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Although the rubber was also washed during the car wash, the rubber care still removed dirt.

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The chrome polish cream must also be applied sparingly. This amount is sufficient for the sides of the bumper.

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Steffen Kahl also masked the cleaned rubber to protect it from the residue of the chrome polish.

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Finally, Steffen Kahl sprays the soft top with a soft top care product to protect it from the weather.

Große Fläche, wie die Motorhaube, sind in wenigen Sekunden mit dem Abzieher trocken.

Der Jaguar XJ-S, mit Verdeck und Leder-Innenausstattung bekommt heute Pflege für Lack, Leder, Gummi, Textil und Chrom.

Steffen Kahl rührt nach Herstellervorgabe das Autoshampoo an. Es enthält schmutzlösende Tenside.

Der spezielle Autowaschschwamm hat zwei Seiten. Eine für Schaum und die weiße, um Schmutz zu entfernen.

Steffen Kahl schäumt die gesamte Karosserie ein und achtet darauf, dass das Fahrzeug nicht zu schnell abtrocknet.

Für die Felgen braucht es wegen dem Bremsstaub Felgenreiniger und einen Pinsel für Ecken und Kanten.

Summary

Maturing a youngtimer into a classic car is not easy. In the first part, we reported on how to maintain the technology. In the second part, the Jaguar XJ-S's appearance is to be brought back into shape. Steffen Kahl, car mechanic and specialist for reconditioning, shows us his tricks.

This article contains the following chapters

Only manual work
It all depends on the means
Off to the inside
Maintain the paintwork, not the wood
Now the (fabric) shreds are flying
Back to the old shine
Checklist - what needs to be maintained and done regularly?

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Steffen Kahl has more than 30 years of professional experience. He has been working as a specialist for the reconditioning of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles at Werner Haas Automobile GmbH in Augsburg since 1996. There he looks after both new and used vehicles. "But classic cars are particularly close to my heart," says Steffen Kahl, who was commissioned by his colleague and master craftsman Jürgen Bachmann to refurbish and maintain our Jaguar XJ-S, built in 1988 with a V12 engine. "I've known this particular Jaguar for years," says Steffen Kahl, who is currently preparing a hand wash for the beautiful convertible.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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Große Fläche, wie die Motorhaube, sind in wenigen Sekunden mit dem Abzieher trocken.

Der Jaguar XJ-S, mit Verdeck und Leder-Innenausstattung bekommt heute Pflege für Lack, Leder, Gummi, Textil und Chrom.

Steffen Kahl rührt nach Herstellervorgabe das Autoshampoo an. Es enthält schmutzlösende Tenside.

Der spezielle Autowaschschwamm hat zwei Seiten. Eine für Schaum und die weiße, um Schmutz zu entfernen.

Steffen Kahl schäumt die gesamte Karosserie ein und achtet darauf, dass das Fahrzeug nicht zu schnell abtrocknet.

Für die Felgen braucht es wegen dem Bremsstaub Felgenreiniger und einen Pinsel für Ecken und Kanten.

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