Hycote Pro Valet black polish review
Polish hides swirls and scratches in your bodywork, but takes some effort to apply
Price: £8.99 (500ml)
Contact: www.hycote.co.uk
Colour-specific polish can mask unsightly scratches and swirls in your paintwork and restore your car’s showroom shine. Hycote says its new Pro Valet gives the perfect finish in 40 minutes, so we tested it on a dull black wing panel.
We squirted a small blob of the black liquid on to a lint-free cloth, then buffed in a circular motion to apply a light coating. You leave this for one minute until it hazes over, and buff off with another cloth. The process took two minutes, so 40 minutes for a whole car seems about right.
It’s hard work, though, and you have to use a fair bit to get a good result, so it’s not great value. Deeper scratches require a second application, and you have to take care not to get the black formula on your clothes, as it stains. But the polish’s fillers and pigments masked the fine swirl marks and left an impressive shine.
Pro Valet is also available in blue, red and silver, and at £9 for 500ml it’s cheaper than the £13 Poorboy’s World Black Hole. But Hycote doesn’t supply any cloths for application or a pre-polish cleanser. So a kit like Turtle Wax’s £25 Black Box, which includes the extras, looks better value.
Verdict
Rating: ★★★
What is it?
A colour-specific polish for you to hide swirl marks and restore your car's shine.
Problems?
No applicator cloths or cleanser included, only four colours available, hand-buffing is laborious.
Why buy?
Hides swirl marks, leaves a great finish, you don’t have to use a machine to apply.
