[zaimer]

How much would I pay for a wax/detail? Nothing, never have and never will. When I do it, it is done how I want it and I have product left for next time. I want my vehicles detailed too often to pay someone to do it. I'm not one of those people who get their vehicle detailed 1-2 a year because they don't take time to do it themselves lol. For a simple "detail" on interior/exterior w/ wax I would expect around $175-225 for a car like the Camaro. A full paint correction, you are talking more..which I have all of the stuff for that too

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by Jaxcam02

I am in the process of full paint correction, front end ppf and ceramic on mine. I've gotten estimates for these jobs in the past at around $1500. I've been doing paint correction for a few years and I have about 10 hours into it right now and have only done the roof, deck lid/spoiler and passenger side. I expect another 10-15 hours in paint correction only. To get it done by someone else is very expensive for a reason.

Just curious... So what else are you having done. I have 3 black vehicles. '09 Harley, '15 Impala, '18 Tahoe. The 2 autos see the soft touch car wash all winter long. (Not hand washing a vehicle in the middle of winter). Every spring they both have paint swirls and what not from the soft touch car wash. Every spring I take them in to get professionally detailed. They come back to me in about 4 hours and the black paint looks like glass. No swirls, looks like it came off the showroom floor. What are you doing that you have 10 hours into it and have another 10-15 hours to go? Honestly just curious.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by zaimer

How much would I pay for a wax/detail? Nothing, never have and never will. When I do it, it is done how I want it and I have product left for next time. I want my vehicles detailed too often to pay someone to do it. I'm not one of those people who get their vehicle detailed 1-2 a year because they don't take time to do it themselves lol. For a simple "detail" on interior/exterior w/ wax I would expect around $175-225 for a car like the Camaro. A full paint correction, you are talking more..which I have all of the stuff for that too

I don't understand this. Are you saying your car should be detailed/waxed more then 1/2 times a year? Why? because you feel it should or because you are using products that are only good for 90ish days...? I get my vehicles professionally detailed 1x a year these days and they sealant they put on is a 12 month sealant. Why should I get it done more then what the product is good for?

Look, I'm as annul as the next person about the condition of my vehicles. Just ask my wife. As mentioned in a previous post. I have 3 black vehicles, the worst to keep looking good. I'll be the first to admit that "after winter" my black vehicles will have swirls because of the soft touch car wash. I get them detailed in the spring. They look like glass all year after that detail until the next spring. There would be zero reason for me to even think about just waxing it "just because".

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Just curious... So what else are you having done. I have 3 black vehicles. '09 Harley, '15 Impala, '18 Tahoe. The 2 autos see the soft touch car wash all winter long. (Not hand washing a vehicle in the middle of winter). Every spring they both have paint swirls and what not from the soft touch car wash. Every spring I take them in to get professionally detailed. They come back to me in about 4 hours and the black paint looks like glass. No swirls, looks like it came off the showroom floor. What are you doing that you have 10 hours into it and have another 10-15 hours to go? Honestly just curious.

Detailing is quite a process if you do most of the steps and do them thorougly.

-wash
-strip paint of waxes, etc. (dish soap works)
-detail spray (or soap) w/ claybar
-I usually wash here
-rubbing compound (different levels of abrasiveness if needed; there could be more than one step here)
-polishing compound
-I usually wash again here to remove residual flakes from previous steps
-glaze
-wax/sealant

This does not include taping of plastics, sharp body lines, trim pieces. Wheel & exhaust cleaning, polishing.

This is probably about half of a full detail. The hours stack up faster than you would think.

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by jamala00

I don't understand this. Are you saying your car should be detailed/waxed more then 1/2 times a year? Why? because you feel it should or because you are using products that are only good for 90ish days...? I get my vehicles professionally detailed 1x a year these days and they sealant they put on is a 12 month sealant. Why should I get it done more then what the product is good for?

A detail consists of more than paint "protection"... Leather care, plastic care (depending on vehicle). IF you are talking just paint protection alone, yes, a decent product should last a fair amount of time. I've never trusted any wax or sealant to last an entire year. I'm also not sure that I buy into this ceramic hype either. I'm not saying that it DOESN'T work - just have to test it for myself to see

The paint always needs some sort of touchup at some point or another. (I don't like swirl marks either). I usually do excess because I like my vehicles spotless. No offense to people that have darker colored vehicles, but the majority of them on the road are neglected so bad that look like absolute crap.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by zaimer

Detailing is quite a process if you do most of the steps and do them thorougly.

-wash
-strip paint of waxes, etc. (dish soap works)
-detail spray (or soap) w/ claybar
-I usually wash here
-rubbing compound (different levels of abrasiveness if needed; there could be more than one step here)
-polishing compound
-I usually wash again here to remove residual flakes from previous steps
-glaze
-wax/sealant

This does not include taping of plastics, sharp body lines, trim pieces. Wheel & exhaust cleaning, polishing.

This is probably about half of a full detail. The hours stack up faster than you would think.

Got it... Ya, yikes... nothing I'd ever feel the need to attempt. All I know is I drop my vehicle off for detail, about 4 hours later I get it back and it looks brand new. That includes all the swirls gone on a black vehicle... all the way down to the wax & 12 month paint sealant product. $195... It works for me. Maybe that is because I take great care in my vehicles in between the time they are being detailed and it isn't a major issue for them to do their thing. Not sure, what they are doing different then what you described.

[zaimer]

Look, I'm as annul as the next person about the condition of my vehicles. Just ask my wife. As mentioned in a previous post. I have 3 black vehicles, the worst to keep looking good. I'll be the first to admit that "after winter" my black vehicles will have swirls because of the soft touch car wash. I get them detailed in the spring. They look like glass all year after that detail until the next spring. There would be zero reason for me to even think about just waxing it "just because".[/QUOTE]

Yes, black is the worst to maintain. It is one of my favorites but it is my most hated as well HAHA. If You can go all year with the black still looking great, then you do know what you're doing; many, many, MANY people do not. That was my point of only detailing 1 or 2 times a year.

[Glen e]

The black car definitely presents major challenges… I used to be heavy into long 2 day details, that can be seen over at the wax for section here, but I suddenly realized that I was the only one that can tell a radical difference between a two day long thing and a simple spray wax. So I started using my wife is an indicator, I would try something and ask her if she could see a difference,And when she said no, I started to realize I was the only one obsessed with it… A simple spray wax is fine for me now, but I definitely understand people that want to do the full Magilla…

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by zaimer

A detail consists of more than paint "protection"... Leather care, plastic care (depending on vehicle). IF you are talking just paint protection alone, yes, a decent product should last a fair amount of time. I've never trusted any wax or sealant to last an entire year. I'm also not sure that I buy into this ceramic hype either. I'm not saying that it DOESN'T work - just have to test it for myself to see

The paint always needs some sort of touchup at some point or another. (I don't like swirl marks either). I usually do excess because I like my vehicles spotless. No offense to people that have darker colored vehicles, but the majority of them on the road are neglected so bad that look like absolute crap.

My Camaro is the first non-black vehicle I've owned since 2001

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by zaimer

Yes, black is the worst to maintain. It is one of my favorites but it is my most hated as well HAHA. If You can go all year with the black still looking great, then you do know what you're doing; many, many, MANY people do not. That was my point of only detailing 1 or 2 times a year.

Ya, many do not. I was just at the dealers getting my Tahoe maintained and the tech specifically asked me if there was something I did to keep my black Tahoe looking like it did. He says..."It looks new". I told him the place I get it detailed at every spring. I'm thinking my Camaro is going to be FAR easier to keep looking nice since it will never see a carwash and is parked all winter.

[gtfoxy]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Ya, many do not. I was just at the dealers getting my Tahoe maintained and the tech specifically asked me if there was something I did to keep my black Tahoe looking like it did. He says..."It looks new". I told him the place I get it detailed at every spring. I'm thinking my Camaro is going to be FAR easier to keep looking nice since it will never see a carwash and is parked all winter.

I was a detailer at a small Chevy dealer in SW WI, then when I moved to the Twin Cities I got roped into doing it again. Ended up landing 4 exclusive Big dealer accounts such as Morries Mazda, New Brighton Ford, McCarthy’s Buick/Olds & one I can’t remember, plus some smaller dealerships & private parties. After a few years of running 15 cars a week I got burned out.

I’ll do it, but I hate it now.

If there was a good place like yours around I’d probably go that route as well.

[Invertalon]

I had a black car for over ten years that had immaculate paint when it got smooshed.

My "once a year" details would take me two days. Including a wash, clay and often a paint correction step on day one. Second day, two applications of wax/sealant and then of course, interior, engine bay, wheels, etc...

But again, that is once a year... I touch up areas as required, but even with a black car, I didn't deal with that too much. Often just the hood (where the sun would hit and swirls would be visible, if there).

Wax/sealant is every few months, though. Maybe three a year? Wash, dry and spray detailer/wax usually. With the upkeep as needed. The only reason it got a big detail in Spring was often due to all the snow/ice/salt damage I had to fix. The more you touch your car, the more risk for swirls/scratches/etc... Even careful washing. You can't be perfect.



This was also on a car with huge door panels and such (Scion xB). Even at the end, the paint looked better than most showroom cars in terms of swirls and such. Paint was in stellar shape aside from rock chips which there isn't much you can do about.

As far as special coatings and having to wax every few weeks? Nah. Overkill. The wax/sealant is basically superficial to help aid in removing contaminants easily and buy more time before damage is done to the clear coat in terms of etching and such. OTC wax/sealant (I like Meguiars products myself) is plenty. Not paying for any special 'ceramic' coating to be applied for hundreds (or thousands) of dollars when I had -zero- issue with 'old school' methods.

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by Glen e

The black car definitely presents major challenges… I used to be heavy into long 2 day details, that can be seen over at the wax for section here, but I suddenly realized that I was the only one that can tell a radical difference between a two day long thing and a simple spray wax. So I started using my wife is an indicator, I would try something and ask her if she could see a difference,And when she said no, I started to realize I was the only one obsessed with it… A simple spray wax is fine for me now, but I definitely understand people that want to do the full Magilla…

Unfortunately, I don't have it so easy...though I wish it was. I am my vehicle's harshest critique.

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by gtfoxy

I was a detailer at a small Chevy dealer in SW WI, then when I moved to the Twin Cities I got roped into doing it again. Ended up landing 4 exclusive Big dealer accounts such as Morries Mazda, New Brighton Ford, McCarthy’s Buick/Olds & one I can’t remember, plus some smaller dealerships & private parties. After a few years of running 15 cars a week I got burned out.

I’ll do it, but I hate it now.

If there was a good place like yours around I’d probably go that route as well.

Very cool. I had always dreamt of being a detailer, but I was afraid I would lose the passion for it (sort of what you explained). I know I would also want to do high end detailing, where the quality is the primary focus versus pushing cars through. Tell me the SW WI dealer wasn't Runde's. I'm originally from SW WI.