So I detail cars...

[TheWarrior]

Beauty!

I need to get my vehicles done too!

 

[Sheep]

Detail time!

My parents were out of town for the week so I jacked their Nissan Leaf and commuted for basically free (when gas is $1.82 a Liter). As a thank you I gave their leaf a good clean inside and out and performed the maintenance it was due for (wipers, cabin air filter, brake service and lubrication).

DSC_1418 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

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SheepStar

 

[Sheep]

I detailed another car!

This is a 2018 or so Hyundai Ionic BEV. I've cleaned it once before when it was brand new, but not it's seen some miles, and with winter fast approaching it's time to put a fresh coat of protection on it, and get the interior cleaned up.

DSC_7245 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

DSC_7249 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

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DSC_7252 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

DSC_7253 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

"engine" bay cleaned with Autoglym Engine and Machine cleaner (spray and rinse, all that was needed).
DSC_7256 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

Car was then sprayed with APC to the lowers and grills, and foamed with Autoglym Polar Blast.
DSC_7258 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

After that,the car was washed using the 3 bucket method, clayed, and rinsed down before being brought into the garage for a towel dry. Before I brought the car inside, I tackled the front floor mats as they had a quite a bit of dirt in them.
DSC_7259 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

APC + Extractor Shampoo + Steam Cleaner + Polisher brushing = Gross.
DSC_7260 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

Turning our attention to the rest of the interior...
DSC_7262 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

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I didn't get a lot of photos during the interior or polishing phase, as this was a 1 day turn around. Needless to say, the interior was cleaned with APC and then the dash and panels protected with Turtle Wax Ice Interior Protectant (great stuff!). The seats were cleaned with APC (Fake leather type material), beforebeing wiped down with Mothers M-tech leather cleaner and conditioner (also good stuff). Glass was cleaned with Stoners Invisible glass, and then the car was treated to a couple sprays of chemical guys Leather Scent.

The exterior was given a quikc 1 step polish with Meguiars Ultimate Polish on Lake Country White CCS pads. After that, it was given a full wipe down with IPA/Panel wipe, and sealed with Sonac Polymer Net Sheild. After a few hours of curing, it was given a Final wipe down with Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. Here are the afters.
DSC_7280 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

DSC_7283 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

Please note I didn't apply tire shine as it's pouring rain and not really necessary this time of year.
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Thanks for looking!

 

[highfigh]

Nice job!

Isn't using a clay bar a bit like chewing gum after eating potato chips?

Just an FYI- I found a scratchless pot and pan cleaner at Ace Hardware and it did a great job of removing the stuff that was stuck to and imbedded in the paint- when it needed rinsing, I just swished it in the bucket of cleaner and it was totally clean. I didn't polish afterward, but the paint is still very smooth, two years later.

This is similar-

Amazon.com: Dish Scrubber Brush With Detachable Handle - Scratch-Free Hard Polyester Sponge Set for Pot, Pan, Plate Scrub - 4 Pack Scourer (Green Blue): Home & Kitchen

Amazon.com: Dish Scrubber Brush With Detachable Handle - Scratch-Free Hard Polyester Sponge Set for Pot, Pan, Plate Scrub - 4 Pack Scourer (Green Blue): Home & Kitchen

www.amazon.com

 

[Sheep]

Nice job!

Isn't using a clay bar a bit like chewing gum after eating potato chips?

Just an FYI- I found a scratchless pot and pan cleaner at Ace Hardware and it did a great job of removing the stuff that was stuck to and imbedded in the paint- when it needed rinsing, I just swished it in the bucket of cleaner and it was totally clean. I didn't polish afterward, but the paint is still very smooth, two years later.

This is similar-

Amazon.com: Dish Scrubber Brush With Detachable Handle - Scratch-Free Hard Polyester Sponge Set for Pot, Pan, Plate Scrub - 4 Pack Scourer (Green Blue): Home & Kitchen

Amazon.com: Dish Scrubber Brush With Detachable Handle - Scratch-Free Hard Polyester Sponge Set for Pot, Pan, Plate Scrub - 4 Pack Scourer (Green Blue): Home & Kitchen

www.amazon.com

Claying is the only way to smooth the paint, with some form of control, besides polishing. Polishing paint smooth is not great for your pads, and if the paint is really bad, you could mar it. I use a clay mitt, so I don't have to worry about dropping it, and just use a strong wash soap concentration in a spray bottle for lubricant. I'm sure that stuff you used works, but without knowing the long term effects, I'll just stick with claying.

 

[Midwesthonky]

I gotta say it's amazing what a skilled car detailer can do. I think I may invest in a detailer for my wife's Christmas gift. She knows about a 2001 Mustang Cobra I got on auction for her. She doesn't know about the 2008 Mustang GT Convertible that is due to arrive in a day or two. I need to make that baby shine for her for when she opens the garage door for the surprise. Can't afford new for her, but a 2008 with 65k miles for $5k isn't too bad.

Any tips on what I ask the detailer to make sure it's gonna come out right?

 

[Sheep]

I gotta say it's amazing what a skilled car detailer can do. I think I may invest in a detailer for my wife's Christmas gift. She knows about a 2001 Mustang Cobra I got on auction for her. She doesn't know about the 2008 Mustang GT Convertible that is due to arrive in a day or two. I need to make that baby shine for her for when she opens the garage door for the surprise. Can't afford new for her, but a 2008 with 65k miles for $5k isn't too bad.

Any tips on what I ask the detailer to make sure it's gonna come out right?

What you ask of them isn't as important as how good they actually are. There is a lot of Turn and Burn detail shops with low prices that really don't have half a clue on the correct way to use the chemicals and products they have. I would search your area first and see how many shops there are, then view their websites and look at their packages. Put the links in the thread and I'll go over them and see which ones look legit (can usually tell by the brands they use, as some are picky about who gets to apply their product). Check customer reviews but keep a grain of salt handy as there is always some clown trying to rip a business apart for nothing the shop was at fault for.

SheepStar

 

[mtrycrafts]

How long is your normal, no rush job? Hate to ask the cost.

 

[Sheep]

How long is your normal, no rush job? Hate to ask the cost.

Depends on a lot of factors really. If the car is extremely large, and extremely filthy, it will be more expensive as it takes more time and products to clean. Likewise, if they want something like a ceramic coating applied, it will again be more expensive because the products are more expensive and they're more time consuming to apply. it's also recommended to polish before coating, as the coating will last a long time, and you don't want to "lock in" the swirls and scratches that could be present. This also ensures any old waxes/sealants/coatings that were previously applied are removed, as new coatings need perfectly bare paint in order to bond properly.

Overall, my prices are pretty low, but they're slowly going to go up, as I'm using better products and getting better results, and my time is getting more valuable as the years go by. One thing that helps keep them down is that I usually keep the car the whole weekend, so I don't have to rush. I'd rather offer better rates and not rush than charge higher prices and kill myself trying to make a deadline. I'm also a 1 man crew so every step, even the menial ones, have to be performed by me.

SheepStar

 

[Alex2507]

with winter fast approaching it's time to put a fresh coat of protection on it

Oh yeah, that's happening again. Our 'new' '08 had a pro detail this summer (the girl won it as a door prize or something) but has a new batch of gunk on everything now. Hopefully the new gunk comes off easy. Thanks for the reminder.

I still have that batch of Poor Boy stuff from years back.
Sometimes I even use it!

 

[Sheep]

Oh yeah, that's happening again. Our 'new' '08 had a pro detail this summer (the girl won it as a door prize or something) but has a new batch of gunk on everything now. Hopefully the new gunk comes off easy. Thanks for the reminder.

I still have that batch of Poor Boy stuff from years back.
Sometimes I even use it!

The latest and greatest stuff in paint protection is the Spray On Ceramic Sealants. Turtle Wax, Mothers and Meguairs have really good ones out. Cheap as chips but offer a solid 6 months of protection in some cases.

SheepStar

 

[mtrycrafts]

Thanks. Been to Vancouver over the years, Had an aunt and uncle up there. Nice city, especially that sunken garden.
Too bad you are so far away.
From pictures I have seen, your final outcome is amazing.

 

[NINaudio]

Oh yeah, that's happening again. Our 'new' '08 had a pro detail this summer (the girl won it as a door prize or something) but has a new batch of gunk on everything now. Hopefully the new gunk comes off easy. Thanks for the reminder.

I still have that batch of Poor Boy stuff from years back.
Sometimes I even use it!

I love Poor Boy's products. Learned how to detail and use their products at one of their summer detail events that they held at their warehouse in NY before they moved to Florida. I learned on one of my previous cars, a black Honda Accord. They said my car was the most improved that day.

They have a polymer sealant now that will last you a solid 6 months. They are coming out with a new coating as well, I'm hoping it's ceramic. I usually detail my own cars as well, but didn't have the time to get to mine this year so had it ceramic coated, with a "3 year" coating. Will see how long it actually lasts.

 

[Sheep]

I love Poor Boy's products. Learned how to detail and use their products at one of their summer detail events that they held at their warehouse in NY before they moved to Florida. I learned on one of my previous cars, a black Honda Accord. They said my car was the most improved that day.

They have a polymer sealant now that will last you a solid 6 months. They are coming out with a new coating as well, I'm hoping it's ceramic. I usually detail my own cars as well, but didn't have the time to get to mine this year so had it ceramic coated, with a "3 year" coating. Will see how long it actually lasts.

Poorboys has decent products, but they're falling behind the times. They're a subsidiary of Chemical Guys, and there is a lot of rebranding going on with that company. I used their EX sealant when I first started out, it was super easy to use and smelled great. Claimed to last 1 year, but in reality it was starting to lose it's surface tension around 3 months. I'm a sucker for super tight beads with high contact angles, so I'm mainly using ceramic products or stuff from the Sonax line. I still have almost all of my waxes since I started out, but I rarely reach for any of them when the new spray on products are faster, easier, and better in all aspects of their performance.

Sonax Polymer Net Shield beading on my hood after one month on the paint.
DSC_4899 by brianjosephson1, on Flickr

 

[Sheep]

Anyone out there still detailing cars these days? I have a huge detail coming up this weekend (Dodge Ram 3500 - long box crew cab. I'll be adding to this thread with a write up once it's done.

SheepStar

 

[NINaudio]

Anyone out there still detailing cars these days? I have a huge detail coming up this weekend (Dodge Ram 3500 - long box crew cab. I'll be adding to this thread with a write up once it's done.

SheepStar

I still do my own and my wife's, but not recently. I have some new products (PB's ceramic coating) that I do want to try out though.

 

[Mikado463]

I do my best to keep my 53 year old Chevy clean ..........

 

[Mr._Clark]

I do my best to keep my 53 year old Chevy clean ..........

View attachment 38124

Ohhh man, that was always one of my favorites! Does it have the original 427?

 

[Speedskater]

Did you ever find a way to clean WeatherTech floor mats?

 

[Sheep]

Any all purpose cleaner will clean a floor mat. Some people want the rich black level back like new, so you need to use a trim restoring product. Problem is, most of them are greasy, and I won't be caught dead greasing up the floor and pedals of a car. There is some products out there that work but I don't have them, and simply tell customers that the matts take a beating, just be thankful it's not your carpet.