my route for detailing customer cars...need criticism

G

greathuskie

New member
ok heres what i do for most enthusiasts cars (i do some different stuff for people who are more into just getting it clean then wanting alot of shine)



wash with meg gold class

clay

wash again

dry

a coat of 3m imperial hand glaze (soon to switch to meg #7)

top with meg gold class wax



for the average persons car i do:

wash with gold class

clay

wash

dry

meguiars paint cleaner

meguiars #26 (seems to be much more durable then gold class)



ive had some good luck doing it this way, but does anyone have any better ideas?



also, what glazes/sealants work best for dark cars and what work best for light cars?
 
No offense to you but I can't help but shak emy head at the excess washing step detailers use when they clay.



Save yourself some time and clay the car, if it even needs it, right after your final rinse but just before you dry it. Add a drop or two of soap into a spray bottle, add some water, and while the car is still wet from the final rinse clay it, using your soap/water solution as needed for lubrication.



Then just rinse it down again and continue with youru detailing as normal.



I would can the #7 and the IHG because they have fillers in them and I personally would rather remove paint swirls and such than cover or hide them. Plus the #7 and IHG will just wash away after 1 or 2 washes. Try Menzerna, Hi-Temps Light Cut, AIO or give VM or Poorboys Polish a try also.



Its not that fillers are bad or harmful but I feel they give the detailer an easy way out, a false sense of "Hey, the paint looks great!" only to discover that the next wash reveals the ugly truth. Good luck with your detailing endeavors.



That's my 2sense,

Anthony
 
hmm well i was going to give mothers reflections a try and see how that goes....



when i clay the car i dont use the whole lubricant they give you, i soap the panel down then just use that as the lubricant, does the same job with half the effort, then i wash it again to get any clay marks off



but im trying to figure out how to get maximum shine and durability, the ultimate detailers goal :), but im still experimenting with different products right now, next its going to be mothers polish, should i switch to mothers wax too? or any different suggestions for wax?
 
I have not personally used the Mothers Reflections nor do I know much about its make-up but I have heard good things about its shine and ease of use.



For wax I would try either Topf of the Lines "Trade Secret", One Grands "Blitz" or S100, also known as P21S.



Anthony
 
Originally posted by Anthony Orosco



I would can the #7 and the IHG because they have fillers in them and I personally would rather remove paint swirls and such than cover or hide them. Plus the #7 and IHG will just wash away after 1 or 2 washes. Try Menzerna, Hi-Temps Light Cut, AIO or give VM or Poorboys Polish a try also.
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Not entirely true. The only way the glaze is going to wash away is if you don't top it.



I really feel that glazes do more than just fill blemishes. I spend a lot of time doing surface prep and like to think I am very meticulous at it. My paint is swirl free and has very few blemishes. I use #7 but, not to hide anything. I top it with #26 and if I skip #7 I definitely notice the difference. It seems to add just a bit more "pop" than #26 alone.
 
this is the bad thing about this site, so many differing opinions!!!



it makes for one confused me



anyways, if i top it it wil be fine for a long time, considering there is regular washes and occasional QDs?
 
greathuskie said:
this is the bad thing about this site, so many differing opinions!!!



it makes for one confused me



anyways, if i top it it wil be fine for a long time, considering there is regular washes and occasional QDs?
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There are a huge number of products out there and just as many opinions on what is best. Give it time you will figure it out.



One thing that will make life much easier for you is to use the search feature. It is very rare that a new topic come up that hasn't been discussed before. More often than not you will get your answer faster and find far more useful information than can be found in one new thread.



HERE is a link to a thread on #7 if you want to read more about it.
 
#7 and IHG will last longer if topped BUT only as long as the wax.



So if you seek a more durable finish then you will want to use a polymer, like UPP, Blackfire or others but the problem is then the polymer being able to bond well with the finish. It has been my experience that IHG, #7 and 9, even One Grands polish all cause my polymer of choice, UPP, to stick and smear on the finish. It may look like it comes off OK at first but after a few minutes it hazes up and smears. Same with Blackfire.



This is why I suggested Menzerna and their Final Polish and AIO. AIO on its own can give you a very nice finish plus longevity of at least 2 to 3 months all on its own. Top that off with a polymer and then a wax and you have a great finish plus a very durable finish. Yet any finish will be wasted if you wash the car with improper wash products.



Now if you get a great looking finish PRIOR to using #7 then the #7 will enhance that finish and look great BUT the longevity of it will not be all that long and this is why its biggest users are those with garage queens and show cars.



The real question though here seems to be how you can achieve great results for your customers with minimal time. One of the better products I have come across for this is Vanillla Moose or Hi-Temps Poly Spray and I can then top both of these products off with a carnauba wax if so desired. The Polyspray works great in a time crunch because it can be applied to the car while wet plus the glass, chrome, wheels and will not stain trim or build up in the emblems.



Let it sit and dry to a haze while you finish out the interior or you can buff it off as you go along. If none of you guys have tried this product you really owe it to yourselves to try it out. It gives a great shine and lasts from 4 to 6 weeks.



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:




Now if you get a great looking finish PRIOR to using #7 then the #7 will enhance that finish and look great BUT the longevity of it will not be all that long and this is why its biggest users are those with garage queens and show cars.



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Gotta disagree here. #7 and #26 are found in many auto parts stores all over the southeast and probably a wider area than that. That tells you right there that these two products are widely used by the general public at large.



As you stated #7 will last as long as whatever you top it with. I "usually" wax my cars once a month but, I have not had any problems with #26 lasting 6 to 8 weeks.



HERE is another thread on glazes.
 
I have to agree with Anthony-either clay while washing the car, or don't waste time washing again after claying. If any minute clay residue is left on the paint, your polish will remove it.



I'd also suggest stepping up to Meguiars Body Shop Pro line up. Dual Action Cleaner/Polish is an amazing product, Swirl Free is a great intermediate step and Hand Polish is easier to use than #7. Either #26 High Tech Yellow or S100 Paste Wax would be a good way to top off the paint work.



You can substitute a polymer with light abrasives for your glaze, with Klasse AOI or Car Polishes Final Polish, then top with a carnuba.



If you are going to do a 2 step job, I'd recommend using Swirl Free Polish and #26 or S100. Unless you are detailing a car regularly, most paint needs a little more 'oomph' than #7 or Hand Polish can provide, and if you work SFP into the paint and break down the abrasives, it ends up with the consistancy of a very fine polish.
 
Originally posted by Scottwax

If you are going to do a 2 step job, I'd recommend using Swirl Free Polish and #26 or S100. Unless you are detailing a car regularly, most paint needs a little more 'oomph' than #7 or Hand Polish can provide, and if you work SFP into the paint and break down the abrasives, it ends up with the consistancy of a very fine polish.
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Since #7 has no "oomph" I completely agree :) I guess I left that out in my previous posts that I usually do a 3 step process starting with #9 or DACP if necessary before #7 and #26.



By the way Scott how would you compare the durability/longevity of #26 compared to S100? I have tried both on my hood side by side and I still like the look of #26 better so I didn't keep the S100 on long enough to find out for myself.
 
Bob,



Sure lots of the general public uses #7, never denied that. My point, which I guess I did not get across real well, is that show car folks and garage queen owners use products like #7 as they were intended, not to correct paint problems nor to add protection but to "enhance" an already polished, perfect finish.



The general public buys these products because they hide and cover up a great deal that they have no idea how to properly remove. Or they may have no idea that they can even be removed, such as swirls and light scratches.



I am not knocking the use of these products, nor those using them (I in fact have a bottle or 2 of #7) but rather I was trying to give another detailer, whom I assume is doing this as a business, advice on how to achieve a nice looking finish that's durable and yet easy to achieve.



Thank you though for your input, good advice.

Anthony
 
Bob-I get about 3 months of beading out of both waxes. Texas air seems to be wax friendly since we have no acid rain or industrial fallout to speak of in the DFW area.



To me, #26 has a softer and slightly darker shine than the brighter and harder reflections of S100. On flat colors, I can see where #26 would be preferable, but on metallics and lighter colors, I think S100 is incredible
 
Scottwax said:
Bob-I get about 3 months of beading out of both waxes. Texas air seems to be wax friendly since we have no acid rain or industrial fallout to speak of in the DFW area.



To me, #26 has a softer and slightly darker shine than the brighter and harder reflections of S100. On flat colors, I can see where #26 would be preferable, but on metallics and lighter colors, I think S100 is incredible
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I usually wind up waxing about once a month. We live in what I guess you could call the back woods here in SC :) The roads aren't maintained that well so my finish takes a beating.



I have heard that you need to let S100 sit for a day or so and that the look improves over time. I just didn't see it on my paint. The 'Stang is Laser Red which is a metalic 3 stage paint. I thought S100 looked a lot like Zaino does. I have done a lot of comparisons on my hood and I just keep coming back to #26. I may give S100 another try though and leave it on for a week or so. I really did love the ease of application and removal.
 
ill probably go with mothers reflections then #26 on the rest of the cars i do....unless there is heavy swirls or anything, ill use DACP and #26, or ill do all 3 if its my car or if someone wants to pay for it :)



but i just do this as like a weekend side job, some of the performance people and some other referrals of theres



question: where can i find DACP? ill look at pep boys tomorrow, and when my 3m is gone im gonna get the reflections, but for now i have to perfect a few things and learn how to shampoo carpets...ill ask about that another day though
 
you know, the way I am reading this is that you are planning on using the same combination no matter the vehicle or it's condition. I am still just a "small Start-up", but i can already fill the bed of a truck with different products, and i ahve several different forms and such that i go over the car before doing any work to decide what process to use. Every vehicle is different, and every vehicle has different problems! Please for the sake of the cars, try not to limit yourself to just a small handfull of choices. Sure when i first started, that was the approach i took, but as i am growing and learning, i am finding that it is better to have the right products for the job, than trying to figure out how to make something magically happen. Welcome to the professional world, and although i cant offer as much advice as some of the amazing pros (Scott, Brian, Anthony etc...), i can offer what i know, and offer all i have. You are welcome to PM me, e-mail, call (my # is on my website in my profile), and i will help you out as much as i can. Be it detailing, business stuff, forms, proposals, web stuff. Whatever, i am sure that i have created a template for it at some point in time.



Sorry for being so long winded. Good luck with the venture.

Michael
 
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