Land Rover Defender detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the Defender

Paint and exterior

Boxy, upright panels, a side-hinged rear door carrying the spare, and lots of black trim and plastic arches. The factory satin film is popular, and roof racks, ladders and other accessories trap dirt where a mitt cannot easily reach.

Interior

Rubber floors on some trims, hard-wearing woven textiles or leather, and an exposed magnesium beam across the dash. The grab handles and dash shelf collect dust, and the 130 adds a third row.

Living in Houston

Defenders get used: beach trips leave sand in the seat rails and salt on the paint, and ranch or lease weekends leave red clay in the wheel arches and along the lower doors.

• Sees dirt roads and lease land: mud is softened and rinsed before any mitt touches the paint, and wheel wells are cleaned out.
• Rubber floors and drain plugs on some trims: easy to rinse, but the seams still need brushing to get the grit out.
• Unpainted textured trim: it fades grey in the sun, so it is cleaned and dressed with a matte UV protectant.
• Often wears PPF or a wrap: film edges get a coating-safe wash, no clay on the film, and the film can be ceramic coated too.
• Large glass roof: Houston water leaves mineral spots on it, so it is cleaned inside and out and suits the glass coating add-on.