Lets Talk Exterior Detailing...
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 732
Likes: 0
From: OHIO
Most people don't understand what is actually involved in PROPERLY detailing a car. When I give a quote for a detail and I tell the client $100.00 for a basic detail and if you want paint correction (polishing) that can be $50.00 (if you just want me to do a quick color brighten with a light cut polish and a foam pad, quick single pass) or can be $250.00 if you want a multi-step polish, a lot of them have a reply as if they're in disbelief at that cost...until I actually explain the process. Then using a DA, I only polish about a two square foot area at a time and I make 5-6 passes in alternating directions until the polish is completely broken down. Now imagine how long it would take to completely polish an entire car...thus the cost. AND...this isn't including the time and materials used in washing and claying the entire car as well.
I agree....most people are ignorant to the process of a PROPER detail. People are so accustomed to taking it the the corner detail shop where minorities and minimum wage workers slap on greasy *** dressing and make the car "shiny" with cheap wax that has a ton of fillers...to them that's an acceptable detail. SAD!
People who truly appreciate their cars, who are true gearheads, will take the time to listen to you and understand the correct ways of detailing, and the fact that the equipment, materials, and time spent make it somewhat of an expensive job.
People who truly appreciate their cars, who are true gearheads, will take the time to listen to you and understand the correct ways of detailing, and the fact that the equipment, materials, and time spent make it somewhat of an expensive job.
I agree....most people are ignorant to the process of a PROPER detail. People are so accustomed to taking it the the corner detail shop where minorities and minimum wage workers slap on greasy *** dressing and make the car "shiny" with cheap wax that has a ton of fillers...to them that's an acceptable detail. SAD!
People who truly appreciate their cars, who are true gearheads, will take the time to listen to you and understand the correct ways of detailing, and the fact that the equipment, materials, and time spent make it somewhat of an expensive job.
People who truly appreciate their cars, who are true gearheads, will take the time to listen to you and understand the correct ways of detailing, and the fact that the equipment, materials, and time spent make it somewhat of an expensive job.
haha you summed it up pretty damn good
Some must haves in a detailing arsenal (my opinion)
-Porter cable or Makita orbital and all proper pads
-Megs 105/205...all detailers should have this.
-Optimum PoliSeal (Great all-in-one product) Decent swirl removing ability, removes light oxidation, and seals the paint all in one application. I just picked this up last week and wish I would've discovered it earlier
-Megs APC (hands down, the most versatile priduct out there. You can reach for this for anything from carpets, to wheels/tires, jams, engine bays...and it will tackle anything from mild to harsh since it can be diluted.
-Optimum No Rinse- If you haven't tried it, you're missing out. Maintenance washes could never be easier! Plus it's a clay lube and detailer, super slick.
These are just a FEW of must haves for me, but they are top of the list. I get all of it from www.detailedimage.com it's a great site that always have something on sale. Shipping as always super fast and I've had nothing but good dealings. They also have guides to anything and everything you would ever want to know about detailing (product reviews, how-to, etc)
-Porter cable or Makita orbital and all proper pads
-Megs 105/205...all detailers should have this.
-Optimum PoliSeal (Great all-in-one product) Decent swirl removing ability, removes light oxidation, and seals the paint all in one application. I just picked this up last week and wish I would've discovered it earlier
-Megs APC (hands down, the most versatile priduct out there. You can reach for this for anything from carpets, to wheels/tires, jams, engine bays...and it will tackle anything from mild to harsh since it can be diluted.
-Optimum No Rinse- If you haven't tried it, you're missing out. Maintenance washes could never be easier! Plus it's a clay lube and detailer, super slick.
These are just a FEW of must haves for me, but they are top of the list. I get all of it from www.detailedimage.com it's a great site that always have something on sale. Shipping as always super fast and I've had nothing but good dealings. They also have guides to anything and everything you would ever want to know about detailing (product reviews, how-to, etc)
I will 2nd this! Though I'd recommend sticking to a random orbital for a while before trying a rotary.
Excellent product recommendations, spot on.
Listen to Gofast. IMO, everyone should have their Porter Cable, Megs 105 & 205, Menzerna SIP, and orange, white, and black Lake Country pads. I've been a loyal Zaino customer for the last couple of years.
Coming outside to see perfect water beads on a 6 month old coat is
Congrats on landing a job man.
Coming outside to see perfect water beads on a 6 month old coat is
Congrats on landing a job man.
And congrats on the job too!
Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciate what has been said and I have and will continue to look much of this stuff up and find out more information about it. I have also found some pretty good info on autopia.com. Also, thanks for the congrats.
I have a friend with a BEAUTIFUL 96 red ss and he swears by Zaino. One of the guys that really got me interested in it actually. A few years ago we had massive snow (& ice) storm after massive storm and he hadn't cleaned his car for about 4 months. I went with him to the car wash, he put $1 and used the rinse and was done. I was amazed. It looked like he had spent hours on it. That day my eyes really opened and I knew that was the product I wanted. All this fuzz about having to add the accelerator and it causing hazing and being difficult to remove kind of put me off. However, I have also heard people say it isn't that bad ect. I will probably give it a go on my DD before I try it on the hawk but again, I appreciate all the responses that have been left. There has been a lot of relevant, useful information. It will probably be mid-late June before I am able to bite the bullet and post results but I cannot wait. As school has been winding down my evenings (not spent with the woman) have been consumed by staying up until 4am reading or watching videos on porter cable techniques and supplies. I feel like it's Christmas time and I'm 5.
I have a friend with a BEAUTIFUL 96 red ss and he swears by Zaino. One of the guys that really got me interested in it actually. A few years ago we had massive snow (& ice) storm after massive storm and he hadn't cleaned his car for about 4 months. I went with him to the car wash, he put $1 and used the rinse and was done. I was amazed. It looked like he had spent hours on it. That day my eyes really opened and I knew that was the product I wanted. All this fuzz about having to add the accelerator and it causing hazing and being difficult to remove kind of put me off. However, I have also heard people say it isn't that bad ect. I will probably give it a go on my DD before I try it on the hawk but again, I appreciate all the responses that have been left. There has been a lot of relevant, useful information. It will probably be mid-late June before I am able to bite the bullet and post results but I cannot wait. As school has been winding down my evenings (not spent with the woman) have been consumed by staying up until 4am reading or watching videos on porter cable techniques and supplies. I feel like it's Christmas time and I'm 5.
Most people don't understand what is actually involved in PROPERLY detailing a car. When I give a quote for a detail and I tell the client $100.00 for a basic detail and if you want paint correction (polishing) that can be $50.00 (if you just want me to do a quick color brighten with a light cut polish and a foam pad, quick single pass) or can be $250.00 if you want a multi-step polish, a lot of them have a reply as if they're in disbelief at that cost...until I actually explain the process. Then using a DA, I only polish about a two square foot area at a time and I make 5-6 passes in alternating directions until the polish is completely broken down. Now imagine how long it would take to completely polish an entire car...thus the cost. AND...this isn't including the time and materials used in washing and claying the entire car as well.
Very true. I think you need to up your prices quite a lot though. $150 for a 1 step correction is very low.
*Presses "Like" button*
I agree....most people are ignorant to the process of a PROPER detail. People are so accustomed to taking it the the corner detail shop where minorities and minimum wage workers slap on greasy *** dressing and make the car "shiny" with cheap wax that has a ton of fillers...to them that's an acceptable detail. SAD!
People who truly appreciate their cars, who are true gearheads, will take the time to listen to you and understand the correct ways of detailing, and the fact that the equipment, materials, and time spent make it somewhat of an expensive job.
People who truly appreciate their cars, who are true gearheads, will take the time to listen to you and understand the correct ways of detailing, and the fact that the equipment, materials, and time spent make it somewhat of an expensive job.
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I'm not picky at all about my microfibers....I don't buy the hype on the high end Cobra stuff....I stick with whatever I can find in bulk, you will usually pay $20 forr a decent 24 pack. Quality microfiber has more to deal with the care you give them I think. To me, they are all bascailly the same, like gasoline. Some are branded and marketed differently, but in the end...to me it's the same product. Just take care of them, use ONLY the best in the batch for removing wax, polish, or QD. Use the "ok" ones for door jams, interior cleanup, etc. Use the torn, stained, nastier ones for lower portions of the car, wheels, engine bay, etc. As they deteriorate, the jobs the towels are used for should change as well. Also, never ever ever use a drier sheet with them if you machine dry.
GoFast...makes me feel like I somewhat know what I'm doing since you agree with my statements, I have seen your work and it is nothing short of stellar. I don't post many of my jobs and sorta "lay-low", but I'm getting there I think...
GoFast...makes me feel like I somewhat know what I'm doing since you agree with my statements, I have seen your work and it is nothing short of stellar. I don't post many of my jobs and sorta "lay-low", but I'm getting there I think...
I'm not picky at all about my microfibers....I don't buy the hype on the high end Cobra stuff....I stick with whatever I can find in bulk, you will usually pay $20 forr a decent 24 pack. Quality microfiber has more to deal with the care you give them I think. To me, they are all bascailly the same, like gasoline. Some are branded and marketed differently, but in the end...to me it's the same product. Just take care of them, use ONLY the best in the batch for removing wax, polish, or QD. Use the "ok" ones for door jams, interior cleanup, etc. Use the torn, stained, nastier ones for lower portions of the car, wheels, engine bay, etc. As they deteriorate, the jobs the towels are used for should change as well. Also, never ever ever use a drier sheet with them if you machine dry.
GoFast...makes me feel like I somewhat know what I'm doing since you agree with my statements, I have seen your work and it is nothing short of stellar. I don't post many of my jobs and sorta "lay-low", but I'm getting there I think...
GoFast...makes me feel like I somewhat know what I'm doing since you agree with my statements, I have seen your work and it is nothing short of stellar. I don't post many of my jobs and sorta "lay-low", but I'm getting there I think...
Yeah exactly what I do with them. I was just curious about some different brands out there. **** I went and bought some from Sams. They seem to be pretty good.
I disagree. On my black car when I polish I noticed that the cheap microfibers found everywhere, still leave marks and can scratch esp when using a lot of pressure to remove residue. I havnt had any problems with my higher end towels. I use the cheaper towels for polishing metal and cleaning interiors.
I disagree. On my black car when I polish I noticed that the cheap microfibers found everywhere, still leave marks and can scratch esp when using a lot of pressure to remove residue. I havnt had any problems with my higher end towels. I use the cheaper towels for polishing metal and cleaning interiors.
Another thing, the microfibers shouldn't be used dry. I usually give them a quick sprits of QD or spray the panel being wiped.
The new MF compounds from Meguiars require little to no pressure when wiping and after the pads are primed, require very little product as it stays wet resulting in longer buffing cycles. Although, there is a greater learning curve to these products and pads more so than the traditional foam pads.
I hope this helps.
12 Second Club
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,215
Likes: 1
From: Old Bridge, NJ/Corpus Christi, TX
Zaino 100% will never use anything elso till the day I die. Some people recently have been having trouble taking certain products off. Sal DID NOT change the formula at all. Most of this is caused by a combination of over applying the product, and not applying it in an ideal climate.
Take my dad's Corvette as an example of how good the stuff is. Sal and his brother built this car in Brooklyn, NY back in 1977. The car was sprayed by Zaino in 1980 in a HOK Kandy Apple Brandywine Acrylic Laquer. After 31 years, Zaino has preserved the paint and makes it shine like glass. The car still wins best paint awards as recent as last year.
For anyone using it for the first time, i would recommend washing the car with dawn, claying it (if it needs it), Z-AIO, Z5 Pro, Z2 Pro, Z6 or 8 in that order.
As far as microfibers go, I again go to Zaino for their microfiber. A good was to test to see if the microfiber is ceap or not is: take the back of a new cd and rub the microfiber on it. If it scratches the disc, it will scratch the paint.
Overall, everyone has their own opinions on what works and what doesnt. For me and my family, Zaino has done the job better than anyone else since day 1.
Take my dad's Corvette as an example of how good the stuff is. Sal and his brother built this car in Brooklyn, NY back in 1977. The car was sprayed by Zaino in 1980 in a HOK Kandy Apple Brandywine Acrylic Laquer. After 31 years, Zaino has preserved the paint and makes it shine like glass. The car still wins best paint awards as recent as last year.
For anyone using it for the first time, i would recommend washing the car with dawn, claying it (if it needs it), Z-AIO, Z5 Pro, Z2 Pro, Z6 or 8 in that order.
As far as microfibers go, I again go to Zaino for their microfiber. A good was to test to see if the microfiber is ceap or not is: take the back of a new cd and rub the microfiber on it. If it scratches the disc, it will scratch the paint.
Overall, everyone has their own opinions on what works and what doesnt. For me and my family, Zaino has done the job better than anyone else since day 1.
SO...when the paint needs correction, what brand do you go to? Zaino doesn't exactly fall into the swirl removal categories!
And, as stated before, you should never have to use a lot of pressure with microfiber...if you do, you are doing it wrong!
And, as stated before, you should never have to use a lot of pressure with microfiber...if you do, you are doing it wrong!
For those that think all microfibers are the same, i encourage you to read these links:
http://www.autogeek.net/leabmi.html
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...er-towels.html
http://www.autogeek.net/leabmi.html
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...er-towels.html
what do you guys apply after you finish polishing? I was thinking of trying the m105/m205 combo and then finishing that off with some NXT 2.0?
also, approximately how many cars can you do with an 8oz bottle of m105 or m205. Thanks
also, approximately how many cars can you do with an 8oz bottle of m105 or m205. Thanks
Last edited by MTBSully; Apr 11, 2011 at 11:43 AM.
As far as how long it lasts, well that just depends on how much you use. Finish your car and see how much you have left.