So many options.....question for volume professionals

T

thedetailer

New member
I find that that there are just too many options for detailing and correcting. polish/pad combinations, compounds, pads, backing plates...



I realize that every car is going to react differently....which is why the options exist.



BUT: What do you use the most?



I have Megs MF DA system that works well. Have some 105/205. Some LC Orange pads as well as white. For the most part, this works. I did order some Optimum hyper polish/compound II/Optimum MF cutting and polishing pads to give me a few other options.



I just do not see the need to have 10 different compounds/polishes.



Let's face it....the customers that we have as volume shops are not necessarily looking for that perfect finish, but I want them to look at the car and say....WOW....I am coming back!



Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated!
 
I don't do volume dealership work, but I find M105 and M205 work well on the majority of vehicles. There are some cases, mainly on aftermarket paint that require a different combination and having multiple pad and polish combinations really does help.



I just ordered some microfiber pads, but really like Lake Country and Uber Pads. I'm really excited to try out D300 and D301 next week.



Jeff
 
For volume work I'd recommend Meg's 151. It's a little heavier cut than 205, has some decent protection and costs half as much. I use it for most of my dealer stuff unless they want heavy filling, and use it for alot of my retail one-steps. Very good, cost effective product. I mostly use it with an orange LC pad.
 
There really is no need to stock that many products for this kind of detailing. I truly think DA correction is your friend. In fact, I'd highly recommend trying out a DynaBrade attachment as well. I know it has dramatically helped Barry reduce his cycle times. I'd concentrate on improving workflow to reduce your actual touch time spent with the vehicle and make sure to properly prep each one. Avoid dressing interiors and depending on how well the finish looks even forget about using wax/sealants too. Less time = Less Product = More Profit.
 
ExplicitDetails said:
For volume work I'd recommend Meg's 151. It's a little heavier cut than 205, has some decent protection and costs half as much. I use it for most of my dealer stuff unless they want heavy filling, and use it for alot of my retail one-steps. Very good, cost effective product. I mostly use it with an orange LC pad.
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Thanks, What product do you use for heavy filling? I had a dealer car the other day that had some serious swirls and scratches, I wanted to make it look perfect but the dealer just wanted it to look good without spending much time and money....
 
David Fermani said:
There really is no need to stock that many products for this kind of detailing. I truly think DA correction is your friend. In fact, I'd highly recommend trying out a DynaBrade attachment as well. I know it has dramatically helped Barry reduce his cycle times. I'd concentrate on improving workflow to reduce your actual touch time spent with the vehicle and make sure to properly prep each one. Avoid dressing interiors and depending on how well the finish looks even forget about using wax/sealants too. Less time = Less Product = More Profit.
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David,

Thank you for the wisdom and advice! I will look into the Dynabrade.
 
We were using DA's for dealers but they were too time consuming. Currently we use Flex 3401's, orange flat pads with a polish from Ardex that is relatively cheap. This works well for 90% of the dealer cars we get. Takes one man a little over an hour to polish a sedan. After polishing we dress and wipe off with a spray wax. Lots of depth, decent correction and a look that'll hold up for them.
 
One product you may want to try out is Optimum GPS. A true one step product. Does have a little bit of cut, amps up the gloss, and protects. Its between Optimum GPS and Uno for my one step corrections. Uno still wins out when there is significant swirling I want to reduce, but for new car purchases who just want a one step with some protection, Optimum GPS is a very nice product.
 
MichaelM said:
We were using DA's for dealers but they were too time consuming. Currently we use Flex 3401's, orange flat pads with a polish from Ardex that is relatively cheap. This works well for 90% of the dealer cars we get. Takes one man a little over an hour to polish a sedan. After polishing we dress and wipe off with a spray wax. Lots of depth, decent correction and a look that'll hold up for them.
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This. We use a product from Car Brite called "Power Pak" that has pretty decent cutting ability and won't swirl up the paint with the Flex. Cuts out 90% of the imperfections, leaves a nice finish and a spray wax with optimum or a quick coat of sealant for the dark cars after and they look great and isn't just a cover up.
 
MichaelM said:
We were using DA's for dealers but they were too time consuming. Currently we use Flex 3401's, orange flat pads with a polish from Ardex that is relatively cheap. This works well for 90% of the dealer cars we get. Takes one man a little over an hour to polish a sedan. After polishing we dress and wipe off with a spray wax. Lots of depth, decent correction and a look that'll hold up for them.
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An hour for a 1 step on a sedan?! Wow..it takes me approximately usually around 4-5 hours for a sedan for a one step. Depends on the car, color, etc. Even when I use my rotary only for the one step I'm still taking about 4 hours. If it's a black car I'll use my DA for the 1 step and it's longer.



That's amazing if you are actually getting a full 1 step done in an around an hour.
 
thedetailer said:
Thanks, What product do you use for heavy filling? I had a dealer car the other day that had some serious swirls and scratches, I wanted to make it look perfect but the dealer just wanted it to look good without spending much time and money....
Click to expand...



Right now I'm using a couple products from prowax.com for filling, the Swirl Eliminator and Polish, and the Golden Mist spray wax. Both fill well, especially topping the swirl eliminator with the spray wax. When I run out of that I'm going to get some Auto Magic BC-2 which I hear fills really well.
 
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