How long does it take you?

P

Preachers Sheets

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How long does it normally take you people to detail an exterior that needs to be compounded then polished? I went from the PC to a Cyclo to save time (takes me forever to make a car look like the before/after pics in the "pro" section) but I still feel it is still taking me too long. I'm getting pretty discouraged with how long it's taking me. I detail outside, if I had a garage I would keep the cars for a day or two and take my time.



I just hate the feeling that I'm rushing. Even if the car looks awesome in the end I feel exhausted and I feel like if I was able to take my time, the car may look better.



I am going to start using my Dewalt rotary, I hope that takes some time off.:wall:wall:wall
 
In my case, since I have a PC between 8 -12 hours. Usually what I do is divide it in 2 days just to make it easier on my back. first day I wash the exterior, clean the interior and start the polishing. Next day I do final polish to refine paint and add the sealant and LSP
 
If Im using a compound, than chances are Im using it with a wool pad. For me, that automatically makes it a 3+ step polish total. I could spend 2- 3 days on something like that, from start to finish, by myself. That includes washing the entire car, clay bar, polishing prep, etc...



One thing Ive learned over the years is to never concern yourself with how long it takes others to polish a car. You should know if you're doing quality work, or rushing through it. Just look at how many hours Rick, Ryan, Todd, and some of the other guys put into these cars. Than compare the quality of their work to people who polish a car in a matter of hours.
 
With 2 persons working on a medium-sized car (eg Honda Accord):



2 step (no rotary): avg 2hrs + another 45mins to remove residues, clean door jambs etc



Multi-step compounding + polish + wax or

Multi-step compounding + synthetic sealant:avg 9hrs.



Sanding, multi-step compounding + polish + wax:avg 3days



Sanding, multi-step compounding + multiple layers of synthetic sealant or coatings. (USD xxxx)

avg 4-5days.
 
Always, always, different, even on my own cars. It's typically just because dirt and swirls never seem to always be in the same places, and I'm always doing things a little different each time. I typically take longer to do my work than others, IMO, and that doesn't bother me because I'm extremely OCD about getting everything perfect. All of my customers use me because of my results, not the amount of time it takes to get to it.
 
D&D Auto Detail said:
.....One thing Ive learned over the years is to never concern yourself with how long it takes others to polish a car. You should know if you're doing quality work, or rushing through it.
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Nicely said, D&D.

It's like building your own house.

It's all in the quality and meticulousness of our work that differentiates us from other budget "polish and wax" places. The owner knows his/her paint is problematic, needs correction, and shd be willing to give the time to do it properly, especially when they're paying a premium for professional services.
 
Danase said:
Just to do a 2 step polish usually take me 4 hours I'd say.
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Same here and that is with the rotary. You definitely have to tape off the car, plus if you use a compound that dusts like Meguiars #105 you have to wash the car after using it. There is no shortcut to swirl/defect free paint.



Just to clarify, the 4 hours is just the polishing (and washing in between) time. That doesn't include washing, waxing, tires, fenderwells, etc.
 
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