Educate me...

M

Maximal

New member
I worked in a detail shop at a dealership for 3 years to work my way through college. Started out knowing only how to wash cars and left with the ability to do pretty much anything.



Now looking around this site it's a whole new ball game. Before I'd just grab and use whatever the suppliers had and of course it was less than high end stuff. I have a personal car I like keeping spotless and am looking to move up from the current meguiars stuff I use plus I'm thinking about taking on some side jobs (would only work on higher end cars...not sure if I want to get back into cleaning trashed DD's).



Anyways...is there a crash course on here to teach me about each product or am I stuck searching for them individually (which I've been doing)? I've already been sold on the ONR and will be purchasing that soon. I'm also leaning towards Zymol Rogue since it's the only high end I've seen specifically for red cars (which I have).



Terry
 
Coupe said:
Careful with the dealer detailing talk, most of us despise them with a passion :lol
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Understandable. I was asked to do plenty of half-assed **** and hated to do it when I had to. I usually did my own thing though and actually took my time and made the cars actually look good instead of just "covered up". :lol:



Terry
 
Alot of us get cars that dealerships and detailing shops have detailed and we end up having to fix everything they did. Most often we see rotary holograms/buffer trails the most and some are so severe it takes alot of doing to fix them.



As far as your questions your best off just reading the foums every spare minute you have.



Also read through this site:

Paintcare & Detailing - Enthusiasts guide to detailing
 
I'd first recommend to forget what you know about detailing, learn from the ground up with help from sites like this. I wouldn't advice you to only work on high end cars as you don't have the experience to do so.
 
I know the process of detailing (like I said...did it for a while), I'm just looking for a guide to the best products to use...mainly the high end stuff.



Terry
 
Maximal said:
I know the process of detailing (like I said...did it for a while), I'm just looking for a guide to the best products to use...mainly the high end stuff.



Terry
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90% process and 10% product...



Yes I did borrow that from the link above, but hey, it's true.
 
Maximal said:
I know the process of detailing (like I said...did it for a while), I'm just looking for a guide to the best products to use...mainly the high end stuff.



Terry
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I guess thats what i/we are getting at. Most dealership detailers dont even know what a claybar is, which is as basic as it gets.



It would help to know what you already know.



Lets say you get a vehicle that is a dd, what would be your process for reconditioning paint?
 
Maximal said:
I know the process of detailing (like I said...did it for a while), I'm just looking for a guide to the best products to use...mainly the high end stuff.



Terry
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I think what some are trying to say is you must unlearn what you have learned. (to quote Master Yoda ;))



When you said that you found this site and discovered it's a "whole new ball game" it kind of tells me that maybe safer methods/techniques, better products have been introduced since the last time you were involved with detailing.



I'm not saying necessarily that is the case with you, just thinking out loud.



When I first started to seriously approach detailing, I found out that there was a "detailer" a few doors down from me. At first, I was happy to know that there was someone close that I could ask questions and have him give me hands on experience.



Ugh, what a nightmare. To make it short, everything and I mean EVERYTHING that he did went against what you can find here. I'm not talking about his choice of products, but his methods were just wrong and he hid everything with glaze.



I tried to show him what I've been learning from sites like this one and others, but he was too set in his ways to hear anything I had to say. One time he gave me a detailing manual that he used to learn to detail. I think the copyright date was from the early seventies. :nervous:



Eventually, we just stopped talking. Not because of our different views on detailing, but his attitude in general just sucked. Too headstrong. I was so happy when I moved.



All the best!
 
Dailyshine said:
I think what some are trying to say is you must unlearn what you have learned. (to quote Master Yoda ;))



When you said that you found this site and discovered it's a "whole new ball game" it kind of tells me that maybe safer methods/techniques, better products have been introduced since the last time you were involved with detailing.



I'm not saying necessarily that is the case with you, just thinking out loud.



When I first started to seriously approach detailing, I found out that there was a "detailer" a few doors down from me. At first, I was happy to know that there was someone close that I could ask questions and have him give me hands on experience.



Ugh, what a nightmare. To make it short, everything and I mean EVERYTHING that he did went against what you can find here. I'm not talking about his choice of products, but his methods were just wrong and he hid everything with glaze.



I tried to show him what I've been learning from sites like this one and others, but he was too set in his ways to hear anything I had to say. One time he gave me a detailing manual that he used to learn to detail. I think the copyright date was from the early seventies. :nervous:



Eventually, we just stopped talking. Not because of our different views on detailing, but his attitude in general just sucked. Too headstrong. I was so happy when I moved.



All the best!
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You hit the nail right on the head
 
The only major thing on here that's new to me is using a compound/polish with a PC. We did everything with an orbital then waxed with a PC. I can do a lot with a rotary if given the time. I did my DD (Dodge Durango) with a rotary a few months ago and haven't waxed it since and there are no swirls/haze from the rotary which you see a lot with the "unskilled" detailers.



I know all the basics as far as materials go. I know what clay is, QD, compound, polish, wax sealers, an the other chemicals. By whole new ball game I meant the quality of materials. Seeing what you guys can do with a lot less work then it would take me is awesome and is what I'm leaning towards.



Hope that helps you guys get a feeling of where I'm at.
 
Maximal, please don't be offended by what I'm about to say but your post reads "Educate me". Please understand, it is not our responsibility to educate anyone but ourselves. If you want to learn then you've come to the right place but you might want to tone down the demanding words. If I misinterpreted your statement then I'm sorry but it kinda reminds me of a child banging on a table and screaming "Feed Me". Here at Autopia, we'll give you the fork...feed yourself.
 
ptaylor_9849 said:
Maximal, please don't be offended by what I'm about to say but your post reads "Educate me". Please understand, it is not our responsibility to educate anyone but ourselves. If you want to learn then you've come to the right place but you might want to tone down the demanding words. If I misinterpreted your statement then I'm sorry but it kinda reminds me of a child banging on a table and screaming "Feed Me". Here at Autopia, we'll give you the fork...feed yourself.
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:werd:







+10 characters
 
Haha, I didn't mean that at all. Sorry if it came off that way. I've been reading around for the last few weeks and picking up on stuff but there is so many different products it's hard to figure out what is best for what.



As I said in my first point I just wanted to be pointed to a thread (if it exists) of an overall of products instead of reading threads one by one. I don't need or want anyone to take my hand and walk me through it.
 
Basically an overall product guide...for everything. It would be nice if it exists but I'm starting to think it doesn't.
 
The problem is there is no one product that fits every scenario. In fact, two identical cars can behave quite differently. You might use a wool pad on one Mercedes today and find that it is too aggressive on a different Mercedes the next day. Alot of this is experience coupled with some trial and error. Heck, even humidity can change the rules for a day. There really is no magic recipe. But with a little experience, the good folks here will help guide you along.
 
Agreed with ptaylor_9849, your best bet is to stick around and keep reading for a few months. You will start to see what works when. If you have specific questions feel free to ask. Sorry but there's just no way to say what will work best for you.
 
So there's no list of all the polishes...all the waxes (or at least the best). I guess that's something what I was looking for.
 
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