2011 Range Rover Sport

J

Jared0934

New member
SO I've recently decided I'd like to pursue a career in the auto detail industry so BY NO MEANS am I a pro or even claim to be talented... But I enjoy this line of work, and I love taking a POS and turning it into a gem that the owner can be proud to own. So I've done a few 1day classes here and their at Smart Detail University (Chemical Guys) and learned a lot of Jay and Greg who work over there... I've been reading up a lot, watching videos online and really just putting 2 and 2 together and finding out how all this works. So here's my first piece of work using professional grade products. This is our personal truck, not a clients, so I had plenty of time to experiment and take my time and put everything I have into this. I gave every piece of this truck my 100% with the knowledge and products in my arsenal currently so I would really appreciate a few people on Autopia.org to comment on what they like/dislike or really just critique me and let me know what you think because I'll take everything I screwed up on and make sure it doesn't happen ago.



If anyone is curious what specific products I used feel free to ask I just don't feel like posting everything I used but to give everyone an idea 70% of the products I'm currently using are from "Chemical Guys". Definitely going to try out some of the Garry Dean product line up next though, the results people are getting with his are pretty outstanding. +1 for private chemists!



The main process was stripper wash, clay, 2 step polish, 2 coat jetseal109, 2 coat blacklight, 2 coat Celeste Dettaglio (CG) paste wax, spray on QD V7 hybrid sealant. Waterless wash/wax on the jams all over, undercarriage APC on the engine bay jams to blend color, new look dress to get the deep black back (everything was gray from the sun), then a VRP UV protection dressing after it had dried. Clean and condition the seats, innercleaner on all the trim inside that isn't leather, vacuum, folex n scrub, then another folex n let it soak, vacuumed that up until dry then used my bissel w/ carpet cleaner, let it dry and used the 3M fabric guard, vacuumed up all the excess then hit the wheels one more time with the waterless eco-wash along with the rotors. **I thought I had some metal polish but apparently ran out or misplaced it so yes I know the exhausts look like crap and need to be cleaned and polished badly.. will do that tomorrow**.



BEFORE



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^ So there was a decent amount of swirling but this truck was RDS city.... Good thing I took interest in this passion because the dealership shows no love to these beautiful machines.



AFTER



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I do apologize for the lack of 50/50 shots and/or *better* before/after pictures.. I zone out when I start detailing and totally forget to snap a few progressive pictures along the way, I'll definitely work on it my next few projects. Like I say guys n' gals this is my first real detail. And honestly I think I suck at taking pictures because I personally think it looks better in person than the pictures I was able to take, but hey that could just be my pride talking :think:



Comments, Concerns, Criticism and Critiquing all very much welcomed! Thanks for taking the time to look.





Edit: Forgot to mention the trunk was in really bad condition, my smaller dog Bella does NOT like riding in the back and constantly pee's and pukes from anxiety most likely (we got her from a petstore at the mall :nono: ) and while I have been using the doggy stain remover and some terry clothes before I never really got too into it because it had seemed to be working.. But when I really stuck my face down there I could smell why the air in the range had felt "thick" and no thin and fresh smelling.. On top of that my other dog is a husky, so there was hair everryyywhheerreee in the back completely embedded into the fibers I probably spent an 1-2 hours on the trunk alone between vacuuming, steaming, and using the bissel w/ carpet clean, Folex + scuzzbrush and swiping my hands all over the place creating static electricity so I could get all the dog hair... This was probably my most hated part of the truck so I'm extremely pleased how it came out.
 
51 views and not a single person has something positive or negative to say... You Autopians are a hard fcking crowd to please! :-P
 
From what I can see it looks good(can't expand photos on my phone). Did you do the

Paint by hand? That's alot of work if so.(kudos) From how you describe the interior before it definitely looks better.
 
Looks great! I would defiantly invest in a Micro-fiber pad system! I like Optimum pads, far more durable than Meg's. I will give you better cut and much faster!
 
For your first detail the Rover looks very nice! One thing that is a great debate is topping off your LSP, most feel that it's a waste of product by adding several LSPs to the finish and you don't gain much if any optical benefits doing so. Another is 7 coats of wax/sealant is bit of an overkill, after the 2nd or maybe 3rd coat your not really adding more protection as the sealant is bonding to sealant and not to the paint, the longevity of the additional protection is greatly compromised and will probably be gone after the first couple washes resulting in wasting product.

Other then that, awesome job, how long did it take ya? Also don't down about all the views with no replies, this is a heavily populated board with lurkers who come here to read up and see what end results are being accomplished......I should know, I was one of them!
 
I had the same thought about stacking layers of product. In hindsight I would'nt do it again I'd just throw 2 coats sealant and a coat of wax.. But I'm hoping to go professional within a few months of practice so I wanted to experiment with my own cars/friends cars first. Yeah 6 total layers overall is pretty insane, but it definitely adds depths, i think it takes away from the wetness effect a little bit but with black cars I personally like depth over gloss. Black cars can become way to reflective and I think it takes away from the natural curves and lines of the car itself and looks like a mirror on wheels :-P



I didn't time myself but I'd guess roughly 40-50 hours. Unfortunately I was extremely busy one week and didn't get to work on it so the tape ended up being on for nearly 3 weeks.. I think I spent at least an hour going over the car top to bottom getting all the goo gone.. Definitely wont make that rookie mistake again.



I'll order some of the microfiber cutting pads today and try them out. What are some of you using for rug cleaning if you don't have a carpet extractor? My home steamer bissel really doesn't cut it for me not for car carpet at least.. the water doesn't get anywhere near hot enough to do anything.



edit: what is LSP? Layer....S...P.... >_<
 
I have to ask...



You can currently afford a new Range Rover and you're thinking about detailing cars for a living? Isn't that a big step back?



You did a very nice job, btw.
 
Well I'm only 23, I'm also going to school 20 hours a week studying the IT field as a backup... But at this point in my life, I'd much rather be detailing cars. It gets you off your *** at the computer, and for me, no computer makes me as happy as seeing a clients face light up when they get their car back- If I do open a shop, I'll be naming it Pride Auto Art-- It's my automotive art, but I want the driver to take pride in his vehicle when he drives away.. That to me is more important than a few extra pennies just for sitting on my butt all day getting my geek on.
 
Jared0934 said:
Well I'm only 23, I'm also going to school 20 hours a week studying the IT field as a backup... But at this point in my life, I'd much rather be detailing cars. It gets you off your *** at the computer, and for me, no computer makes me as happy as seeing a clients face light up when they get their car back- If I do open a shop, I'll be naming it Pride Auto Art-- It's my automotive art, but I want the driver to take pride in his vehicle when he drives away.. That to me is more important than a few extra pennies just for sitting on my butt all day getting my geek on.
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I can respect your decision if it is your passion. I gave up alot to go pro many years ago plus 4 times what I have ever made. The stress and hours of a job I hated was not worth it. While the hours have increased going on my own. I love my job. If it's what you chose best of luck. Treat it like a business and you'll be plenty busy and happy doing good work.
 
Good luck Jaredo!

Some things to know though, it's hard work but well worth it IMO. There will be those who won't be happy with your work, those who are pissed that the sun comes up in the morning and the sky being blue......just be prepared that not everyone is gonna be floored with what you were able to perform on their rides (as well as those low balling and trying to get free repair work done on your dime). Another thing is a lot of people seek out detailers to clean up their car as they don't have the time or the resources....or both to clean it themselves. Chances are unless they're "car folks", the cars finish is gonna get neglected.....but hey, it's job security!

Sorry about being such a Debby Downer, this is a very exciting career path that even I may dive into in the near future. The Rover looks great and it looks as though you definately have an eye for the details!

No that red FR-S in the back.....is that next??? Lol!



Ohh... LSP is Last Step Product/Process. In other words it's the wax!
 
That FR-S Is mine as well :-) I really really made a novice mistake on that... I was in a rush and wanted to get some wax on early before I picked up my sister at the airport, you know, first impressions on the new car... Long story short it was my first time using paste wax annndddd I'm EXTREMELY embarrassed to even say this but I didn't tape up the car and their is wax residue all up in the edges and jams... so no pics of her for now until I fix that nastyness >_<



And I totally understand the down sides of the career, and I am prepared for whatever hits me... Being a prior US Marine I think I've dealt with quite a few stressful situations or situations where a solution needs to happen asap... I'm ready for the challenge. And as for the physical labor, man I do this ish out of my 2 car skinny/long garage in SoCals 100 degree weather lately.. I know all about sweat work **** I have to wrap a terry cloth around my head like a ninja so I dont sweat all over the cars
 
Looks pretty good from what I can see. I agree about the LSPs. Find the one (or two) you like best and use them as often as needed. If you go pro, you will have a hard time convincing most people they need two coats of sealant, followed by a couple different waxes. It makes your life a lot easier to have a go to sealant and a go to wax and use one or the other on details.



With regards to the pictures, when shooting a dark vehicle from an angle, you might need to adjust your exposure settings so the side of the vehicle still looks black and not like chrome. Just takes some time playing around with the settings to get the exposure right. That will give the paint a more consistent appearance from picture to picture. Don't worry about taking dozens of before shots, 4-6 good ones will be enough to show the condition of the paint, same with the afters showing the correction. And thanks for not having 10 pictures of you cleaning the lugs on each wheel with a little brush. ;)
 
no it's not.. already has chips on the damn fender cursed subaru paint..I'm watching a lot of videos on opti coating so I'm going to keep reading up on it and maybe try it on my car in a month or so.
 
Great Improvement man, for the interiors I have used Lightning Fast or greenClean (Works the same as 3D Green APC at about 1/2 CG price), and Folex. Usually any good APC to pretreat and break up grime. Followed by a upholstery shampoo with a good hand scrub or my New fav. tool that handy Drill Brush attachment for Drills or DA to agitate the upholstery. If needed or to pre treat stains I will use that always awesome Folex which is real cheap by the Gal. at Smart and Final.

If you deal with your Pets hair alot I would find one of those Silicone Pet hair brushes, they have them at most Detail supply stores.

For extracting out that soap Nice Clean Water and a good Little Green Bissell works, but its no Replacement for a Proper Extractor. Using both I love the extractor but since I cant afford one at the moment the LGM works great.

I am still learning as well but that's what I have learned to work best for me so far. I have always hand brushed the carpet quickly before Vac' out the interior prior to any upholstery cleaning taking place and that has yielded me great results so far.:up





Oh and as with anything, always spot test vehicles you are unfamiliar with for colorfastness. :doh:
 
lol sounds like you've made that mistake before with the colorfasting haha. Yeah I need to go over it again because the smell is slightly back but its just a hint of it... but that's enough to piss me off so I'm going to soak it with folex and brush it in, dry it out then shampoo it and use the rug agitator attachment on the DA and go at it.



Interiors no matter how you look at them suck either way..
 
For the carpet it looks like you need to use a product with pet odor digesting enzymes. I can't for the life of me remember the product I used but a previous client had 2 un-neutered dogs...and man that stench is unforgettable....try stopping in a pet store--depending on how long it's been set into your trunk--you'll have to let it sit and let the enzymes do it's thing...hope it helps
 
Yeah, sprayed it down with natures miracle and let it sit, still there... Think I'm going to soak it in that now though and let hit seap down then go from there. it's not so much a piss stench as it is past throw up... I might have to remove soem of the plastic trim because I'm worried that if the carpets clean, MAYBE their are chunks stuck under the trimming pieces around the trunk area.
 
nature's miracle for my own dogs has been good for when they JUST peed/threw up up to say a day or so...i really wish i remembered where I even got this stuff--I WANT to say it came from one of those biowaste clean-up distributors (like clean-up hospitals and bodily fluid type stuff) sorry I couldn't be of much more help--if it doesn't damage anything i might even just spray it down and leave it there to work in for a few days--maybe add in some extra sprays every so often
 
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