Lexus LX..

joe.p

joe.p

New member
I'm gonna detail a Lexus LX next week.I have only detailed cars ,van and a subaru suv and this thing is huge, for me anyways.The Paint is in great shape and she wants the interior detailed too.I gave her price of $170.00.

1) What would you guys have charged?
2)Any tips to make this thing go smoothly,one good thing is the owner will be gone so i'll have the car and plenty of time to work on it..(2 days)This is what it looks like..

http://www.lexus.com/models/lx/index.html
 
That seems like a fair price if it is in the shape you say.
Those things are HUGE.

Good luck and don't forget the pics

"J"
 
With the paint being in good shape do you thing i should just polish and seal.help me out here..Do you think i should clay it. I think i gave her a fair price and she should get every dime but i dont want to do work that may not be needed. This is what the detailer by the house would have charged but this only includes a polish and wax W/interior..

I Have:

PWC
SSRs 1 through 2.5
Klasse Twins
UPP
Souveran
Megs #16
DP Max Wax
Nattys blue
Natys
 
Joe- I still like to clay every vehicle I work on for the first time. After using it enough I can't stand having contaniments in the paint. Even if the paint looks good, it wouldn't hurt to clay. I think UPP looks good on Silver as does Nattys but I think you also have OCW and top it with that and the silver will pop (if its the same color in the picture...)
 
Clay for sure. It will be the basis of the whole detail. Start our with a strong base and the rest of the detail will turn out well.

IF the paint surface does not have any swirls there would be no reason to bring out the SSR's.You could KAIO to clean the paint with or without the SSR"S. But I would suspect that there are some swirls so you might want to bring them out. Only you can judge the paint surface.

I would use the UPP or SG on the vehicle. Do the exterior first with what ever products that are needed. Then follow up with another coat of UPP the next day when you are doing the interior.

The price sounds fair. Have fun! I know that you will do a good job
 
I have to agree with you guys on the clay. I wouldn't feel comfortable if i didn't do it. I seen a couple cars i did before winter and the paint looks beautiful 5 months later. I thought both of the owners had their cars waxed since then but they hadn't. I did a red VW in Oct of 05 and praised the lady for maintaing the car after her last detail,You know what she told me,the only wash she gets is when it rains. I used The entire WG package on here car and it held up incredibaly well for chicago winters. I credit the prep work for the most part on top of a quality product.

The lady that owns the Lexus LS sells real estate with my wife and their are many highend cars out of their office so i plan on doing a nice job with hopes on getting many more jobs from them.
 
Joe good luck on that best,I am in the middle of doing my sisters toyota highlander and that is big enough and may I add black and very very nasty shape. I clayed and ploshied it with intensive and final finish which took me all day. Let us know it goes ,I'm sure the paint is in good shape which will help. OH I might add mine is for free... LOL need to quit doing these freebies!
 
budman3 said:
Joe- I still like to clay every vehicle I work on for the first time. After using it enough I can't stand having contaniments in the paint. Even if the paint looks good, it wouldn't hurt to clay. I think UPP looks good on Silver as does Nattys but I think you also have OCW and top it with that and the silver will pop (if its the same color in the picture...)
Click to expand...
Here's the Lexus GX 470 it is silver,Since the car wil be gone in the AM i was gonna polish w/PWC or PP topped with EX/carnauba and the finish up woth OCW,I wont have enough enough time to use a sealant and with the owners schedule i wont be able o get it back. Can you guys advice on which way i should go. Thanks
 
Your correct. I posted before getting a closer look.

I took pics of the entire process and then the car was dropped off in the morning before i could get any day light pictures :wall :wall :wall .

My Process:
Wash with Meguiars NXT
Leather Cleaned w/ Megs APC Spot Cleaned with Megs
Leather cleaner then conditioned with Megs Leather conditioner
Vaccum Carpets and Matts Then cleaned w/Megs APC and Revaccum
Dressed int/W PBs NL & Ext trim
Cleaned Tail lights,head lights w/KAIO followed up w/Plexus on
all plastic int/ext
Tires cleaned w/Megs APC
Wheels cleaned w/Megs APC and clayed w/PBS clay
No Rub Polish on inner wheel wells
Tires dressed w/Megs Tire Gel
Sealed the wheels with UPPS
Clayed w/PBs clay
PWC w/PC @ speeds of 3 1/2 To 4 using a LC 7.5 polishing pad
LSP Nattys X 2
polished Glass and then followed up w/IG and a polishing towel

Ext Wash
 
heffergm said:
Yikes. Makeshift scaffolding = scary :boot
Click to expand...
So
when you can't get to the top of a vehicle do you just not do it.No way i could have excepted the job and not clay/polish the top.
 
Nice job Joe! The Poorboys product/reflection shot looks crisp!

SUV roof tops are no fun!. The make shift scaffolding gave me a laugh because I have the same dilemma with my wife's SUV. I've seen ladders that fold out in a scaffolding set up at Home Depot.
 
It looks like an involved process, Joe. Did the owner know that you were going to do such a detailed detail? The first picture must be of the wash. Correct...?

Lots of interior on one of those. Did you Have enough NL? LOL! Seriously I am inpressed with the items listed. Liked the KAIO and Plexus on the plastic. Something that I personally have never used. I am sure that it made a difference. One of those things that I wonder if the owner will notice but it is the attention to the details that make a difference. Cudos to you for doing it.

PwC is a good product. Topping it with Natty's sure made the reflection clear. My bifocals can see the small print easier in the reflection than off the bottle.

The ladders and platform are most likely a necessary evil. Did you tie off with harness getting up that high? J/K!!

IF you had as much fun, as the vehicle looks good, then you had a good day!!
 
mgm2003 said:
Nice

SUV roof tops are no fun!. The make shift scaffolding gave me a laugh because I have the same dilemma with my wife's SUV. I've seen ladders that fold out in a scaffolding set up at Home Depot.
Click to expand...
I had to use the scafolding as i had nothingelse to reach the top. Sure couldn't afford to get a ladder just for this detail. I did a van that was easier to get too. I like the pwc it lect a nice crisp shine and cleaned up some spotting as well.

Hi cwcad,your right about the interior it seem like a mile of it.Their were scuff marks on the door panels and she spilled coffee on her tan carpet but it cleaned up well also ink on the leather..I swear the interior was like cleaning the inside of a cockpit and yes i had plenty of NL :) .did she know i was gonna clean the way i did i doubt it but she is a realtor and comes from an office with highend cars and this is what im shooten for.

For what i charged i think an exterior polish/wax with a regular cleaning should have been enough.do you think i went overboard? How much in detail do you guys do when taking on a detail and,would you have clayed/polished the top.I sent a friend last year to get his van polished and the shop didn't even polish the top.
 
I am sure that there are detailers that do less than what is expected. I do not believe that is the way to go. The roof needs as much attention as the rest of the vehicle. There are exceptions to every rule, I guess. I personally would not want to know that I was paid to do something that I did not do. You did the right thing doing the roof. If it seems unnecessary now it will pay dividends later because in your mind the job was done right.
 
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