Journal

Notes from the workshop

Short, honest guides to looking after your car and getting more from it.

Project story · 5 minCiaz restoration: from worn-out to showroom-readyRead → Project story · 3 minMaybach and Cyberster: two very different cars, one needRead → Protection · 4 minCeramic or graphene: which coating suits your car?Read → Care · 3 minThe first seven days after a coatingRead → Performance · 4 minWhat an OEM+ remap does, in plain wordsRead →

Project story · Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

From worn-out to showroom-ready

A seven-year-old Ciaz came in carrying the marks of several bad repairs. It left the workshop in fresh Nexa Blue with a new interior and a full audio upgrade.

The restored Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in the Gear Heads light tunnel

The job

Car: MARUTI SUZUKI CIAZ
Age: 7 YEARS
Colour: NEXA BLUE
Work: REFINISH · INTERIOR · AUDIO

How it arrived

Seven years old, with paint damaged by more than one poor repair, worn seats and tail lights fogged from the inside. It needed much more than a polish.

Back to bare panels

The dents came out first, then every panel was prepared for paint. A full-body repaint only lasts when the preparation underneath is right, so nothing was rushed.

A proper refinish

The body went back to its factory Nexa Blue, layer by layer and panel by panel. The goal was a true restoration, not a quick respray.

Inside and the details

The interior was restored with new seats. The running boards were repaired and the tail lights replaced. The car finished with a full audio upgrade.

Plan a restoration for your car or watch the build on our Instagram.

Project story · PPF

Two very different cars, one need

A Mercedes-Maybach and an MG Cyberster arrived in the same season. One is a chauffeur-driven flagship, the other a two-seat electric roadster. Both needed serious paint protection.

Mercedes-Maybach in the Gear Heads studio

What each car got

Mercedes-Maybach: PPF INSIDE + OUT
: WINDSHIELD FILM
: INTERIOR COATING
MG Cyberster: FULL-BODY PPF

Why film, not just a coating

A coating adds gloss and makes washing easy, but it cannot stop a stone chip. Paint protection film is a clear, self-healing layer that takes the hits so the factory paint underneath never does.

The Maybach: protected inside and out

Film went on the full exterior and on the interior surfaces that scuff and scratch. The windshield got its own protection film against pitting from highway grit, and the cabin was finished with an interior coating.

The Cyberster: every panel covered

A low, wide roadster takes most of its chips on the nose and the rear haunches. Full-body film protects every panel, so its colour stays as deep as the day it arrived.

We fit PPF from Rodim, XPEL, Garware, CarPro and Refyned. Get a PPF quote for your car.

Protection

Ceramic or graphene?

Both are liquid coatings that bond to your clear coat and form a hard, slick layer. Dirt and water stick to it less, so the car stays cleaner and is easier to wash. The difference is in the details.

Ceramic coating

A silica-based layer that adds strong gloss and resists bird droppings, tree sap and UV fade. A good choice if the car is garaged or covered most of the time.

Graphene coating

A ceramic coating with graphene added. It tends to shed heat better and leave fewer water spots when water dries on the paint. That makes it a good fit for cars parked outside or washed with hard water, which is common in Patna.

What neither one does

A coating does not stop stone chips or deep scratches. If the front of the car takes highway chips, pair the coating with paint protection film (PPF) on the bonnet, bumper and mirrors.

Not sure? Book an inspection and we will look at the paint and how you use the car before recommending one.

Care

The first seven days

A coating keeps hardening for several days after you drive away. How you treat the car in that first week decides how well it performs for years.

Do not wash the car for the first week. If a bird dropping lands, lift it off with plain water and a soft microfibre cloth.
Park under cover where you can, away from trees and rain.
Avoid automatic car washes, especially in the first month. Hand wash with a pH-neutral shampoo, or book our car spa.
Do not apply wax or polish on top. The coating does that job.
Come back for the check-up we book in at handover.

Questions about your coating? Message us any time.

Performance

What an OEM+ remap does

Your engine control unit (ECU) decides how much fuel, boost and ignition timing the engine gets. Manufacturers set those values with wide margins, so one engine can suit every country, fuel quality and driver.

A remap adjusts those values for your car. An OEM+ remap, like the GT Tunerz maps we fit, stays inside the safe limits the manufacturer built in. The result is more pull through the middle of the rev range, with the car still idling, starting and driving like it did from the factory.

Gearbox (TCU) remaps

Automatic and dual-clutch gearboxes have their own control unit. Remapping it can give quicker, firmer shifts and let the gearbox handle the extra torque.

Before you tune

A remap can affect your manufacturer warranty. Ask us about restoring the stock map before a dealer visit.
Tell your insurer about performance changes.
We save your original map before flashing, so it can always be put back.

See the performance page for stages and the dyno sheet.

Have a question about your car?

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