EXPDetailing
New member
To one-step it so quickly maybe he uses a mixture of shampoo, Klasse AIO, and a liquid wax in his pressure washer. ��
So... Does this stuff make sense?
- Thread starter jrock645
- Start date
rlmccarty2000
Active member
You already know the answer, no that doesn't make sense. I agree with everyone, let him work for nothing. I really would lick to see a picture of some of his work. That warm water stuff is loco and sandblasting the clay off, ludicrous. Does he also clean the windshield with spit and his shirtsleeve?lol
jrock645
New member
The crazy thing is he does really well with interior stuff. Thats where he spends all the time. Id be curious to see how long he actually takes to polish.
jrock645
New member
Live actually got a pending detail job from a coworker... 94 Mercedes s420. Black. Paint is absolutely trashed. Did a test spot on the hood this evening to make sure the paint is salvageable. I wanna see it in the sunlight tomorrow. The turnaround I do on that car would be huge advertising.
MiVor
New member
Sometimes 'old school' is good...very good. I grew up in the days of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. It was a simpler time with higher values. We never had to lock our doors. Cars would sit in the driveway with the keys in the ignition...
But sometimes we get set in our ways. We do things the way we always did*. (I remember [chuckles] in my teens my 'old school' boss at the restaurant had me washing windows with vinegar and newspaper). Really 'old school' won't buy something if something already around the house will do. Need soap to wash the car, there's dish soap. Need to clean fabric, there's laundry soap. Need to clean carpet...same as the carpet in the house...sometimes valid, sometimes not.
(* "If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.")
I can honestly say when I came here all those years ago ('06 or so) I didn't know about clay, no rinse, polishing...But you gotta go someplace to learn what you never knew growing up.
I met an 'old school' professional detailer this spring working at one of the local detail shops. He said he's been doing it all his life. (I think this shop is more of a glorified car wash place). George (not his real name) is a nice guy, but not very educated and I doubt he's ever used a computer. I told him I got into detailing with my last ride and I mentioned Optimum No Rinse to him among other things. He said he never heard of it. Well, you don't know what you know till you know it.
It's all a matter of perspective. Aren't we lucky to know what we think we know and come hear to learn what we don't?!!!
But sometimes we get set in our ways. We do things the way we always did*. (I remember [chuckles] in my teens my 'old school' boss at the restaurant had me washing windows with vinegar and newspaper). Really 'old school' won't buy something if something already around the house will do. Need soap to wash the car, there's dish soap. Need to clean fabric, there's laundry soap. Need to clean carpet...same as the carpet in the house...sometimes valid, sometimes not.
(* "If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.")
I can honestly say when I came here all those years ago ('06 or so) I didn't know about clay, no rinse, polishing...But you gotta go someplace to learn what you never knew growing up.
I met an 'old school' professional detailer this spring working at one of the local detail shops. He said he's been doing it all his life. (I think this shop is more of a glorified car wash place). George (not his real name) is a nice guy, but not very educated and I doubt he's ever used a computer. I told him I got into detailing with my last ride and I mentioned Optimum No Rinse to him among other things. He said he never heard of it. Well, you don't know what you know till you know it.
It's all a matter of perspective. Aren't we lucky to know what we think we know and come hear to learn what we don't?!!!
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Good luck with the Mercedes..
They all have beautiful paintwork, but being its black, you are going to have to be really focused and not make work for yourself, ok ?
It it's as you said - trashed - I dont know how you can do an entire Black vehicle quickly...
It all has to be as clear and glossy as possible, panel to panel, if this is what you and the Client agreed upon..
Good luck ! You can do this !
Dan F
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Im old school too, but I learned early in life that to get ahead, you have to move ahead and up, or you will be left behind.. Not that behind is a bad place, because it isnt...
Lucky for me I was raised in all things automotive and developed a great admiration for this and it stuck with me..
There as a many people who take the time to research and test, and try out newer technology as there are who have no inclination to even look up, and thats ok too..
I think the best thing we can ever do is along the way forward, stop and take someone along with us... It's not that hard and here is an opportunity to share all that you have learned with someone who can probably take all of that wisdom and add to it...
I remember that TV show and it was a sad day when Ricky Nelson died, long after the show was gone.. His son also shared his Dad's love of cars, and last I read, he took all that knowledge and moved it forward...
Thanks for the memories !
Dan F
jrock645
New member
Just saw a car he did today. Swirl marks in it. Black car but it looks blue. Buy cheap, get cheap.
Oh and he used turtle wax ice and thinks its gonna last a year... lol
Oh and he used turtle wax ice and thinks its gonna last a year... lol
jrock645
New member
I told him its going to be a solid 12 hour job to have it looking fairly good but certainly not perfect. Thank god i got a rotary- ill need it for this one.
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Swirl marks, what a surprise, if you only take 7 hrs to do a complete detail, well, that's what you get, as you and we all know..
Black car that looks blue in a BMW is called Carbon Black, a beautiful color..
Dan F
Dan F
jrock645
New member
this is an infiniti. It was black before the guy "detailed" it...
ShaneB
New member
"Experience" in any profession IMO doesn't mean anything to me unless you can show me that you know what you're doing. You can do any job for 25 years, don't automatically mean you've been doing it right the whole time. Guys like this are a perfect example, as are many of the guys with experience in my full time job as amechanic.
As for the whole 7 hours to do a car... I've had a few cars where I did inside and out with a quick one step(3 medium speed passes/section w/ HD Speed) in about that amount of time. Most of my clients just want something shiny when I give the car back. Is it the autopian level of detail we see from many people here? Absolutely not, but it's what the customer is happy with and willing to pay for. My rate is based on about $25/hr and I quote jobs accordingly and make sure the owner knows exactly what will be done to their car before I start.
The detailing business can be tough and sometimes annoying. I have had a few clients question my prices based upon what another shop nearby offers for details. All I tell them is you typically get what you pay for. If you're paying for a bumper to bumper detail inside and out with a "3 step paint polishing process" all for $160, odds are you aren't getting very quality work.
My advice as others have said, see if you can steal one of his jobs from a co worker you know, and knock the detail out of the park. Those who see the difference and care enough will come to you. The others who are happy with their $60 vac n buff, let them go. It's business you don't want to get into
As for the whole 7 hours to do a car... I've had a few cars where I did inside and out with a quick one step(3 medium speed passes/section w/ HD Speed) in about that amount of time. Most of my clients just want something shiny when I give the car back. Is it the autopian level of detail we see from many people here? Absolutely not, but it's what the customer is happy with and willing to pay for. My rate is based on about $25/hr and I quote jobs accordingly and make sure the owner knows exactly what will be done to their car before I start.
The detailing business can be tough and sometimes annoying. I have had a few clients question my prices based upon what another shop nearby offers for details. All I tell them is you typically get what you pay for. If you're paying for a bumper to bumper detail inside and out with a "3 step paint polishing process" all for $160, odds are you aren't getting very quality work.
My advice as others have said, see if you can steal one of his jobs from a co worker you know, and knock the detail out of the park. Those who see the difference and care enough will come to you. The others who are happy with their $60 vac n buff, let them go. It's business you don't want to get into
jrock645
New member
Well, the guys car that he did is one of my subordinates... And I'd tried to get the detail for $120. After I looked at the car, I told him I wasn't impressed, explained why and what I've learned here and told him he REALLY needs to let me do it next time.
Anyway, in coaching the guy with work stuff, I've hammered the point that just getting it done and there not being a complaint isn't good enough, because a lack of complaint doesn't actually mean that it's good. He can't quite grasp that point and I question if he ever will.
Im just a hobbyist detailed with some motivations beyond that but I think my work mentality extends well into this craft. It's crazy to me that 3 months ago, I didn't even own a polisher, and now I'm able to do what I can. I'm looking forward to learning and experiencing more.
jrock645
New member
Took a couple pics of the S420 today. Shows my test spot on the trunk lid i did the other night. Spent about 20 minutes with the rotary just to make sure it can be polished back to life.
ShaneB
New member
Wow! That is trashed! Is that a clean surface on the unpolished areas?
Great results with the correction!
Great results with the correction!
jrock645
New member
Thanks! This car will be a big test for me in my very early detailing life.
I did a quick rinseless with UWW on the test panel. Forgot to take a nano with me bug i guess for a quick test spot, thats not the biggest deal. Fortunately, only the trunk lid and roof look like that. Rest of the car is swirled up but at least its not all oxidized like that was.