Originally Posted by VroomVroom
Finally did a full detail on the boss' car. A few folks have asked me offline what "full detail" means, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to do a write-up. Seven years ago our move to San Bruno coincided with me taking fewer and fewer detail jobs. Lots of life reasons there, but Mother Nature certainly had a say. Finding a full day without dramatic shifts in temperature and humidity is really rare. While I've been able to do customer work at shops or in owner garages, my own vehicles tend to go longer and longer between washes, let alone any correction and protection work. My wife's Lexus is a great example. She bought the thing in March, and yesterday was my first opportunity to really chase after it. In that time I have done a couple of quick washes, and took those opportunities to make notes on spots that needed attention, so I was able to plan my attack in case of mid-late afternoon weather changes. (Which happened. Less than an hour after I finished we were fully fogged in. Two miles southeast the sun shined brightly.)
I didn't capture progress pics - something I frequently forget - because I was trying to be as efficient as possible. For those interested, here's the products/process/time summary.
Wash/Decon:
With the car clean I inspected the paint. Plenty of light swirls from the original dealer detail, along with a few scratches and mars. Correction work was done with my trusty old PC 7424XP, using a mixture of 3, 4, and 5" Lake Country foam pads. A test spot on the trunk showed that the clear coat is indeed pretty hard. ~ 15 minutes.
Correction:
Protection:
Break for late lunch and to stare longingly at the beer I promised myself when the job is done. ~ 60 minutes.
At this point it's a bit after 3pm and the fog is coming in.
Finishing Up:
So, including clean-up this was roughly 7.5 hours of work. If this was a customer job I'd have billed no more than 6.5 hours - I've got a case of "holy shit I'm in my 50's" so the pace isn't what it used to be and my bladder creates more frequent breaks than in years past. At the same time, all of the Optimum stuff is so easy to use, and the small details (i.e. compound and polish in spray bottles) make for quicker work. And this prompts the disclaimer & detailer's adage: Great results are 90% process and 10% product. Use the stuff you like that gives you the results you're after.
Ok, after one more pit stop, a romp with the dogs, and a final glance at that beer in the fridge, it was time for a few glamour shots. All my favorite scenic spots were fully fogged in, so it was down to SFO.
Thanks for reading along, and I hope this is helpful for fellow enthusiasts. Happy detailing!
I didn't capture progress pics - something I frequently forget - because I was trying to be as efficient as possible. For those interested, here's the products/process/time summary.
Wash/Decon:
- Optimum ONR wash. Two buckets, red sponge & MF towels, wheel woolie brush; waffle weave MF towel for drying. (< 2 gal. water consumed.) Top down, wheels, tires & wells last. ~ 20 minutes.
- Optimum FerreX and Clay Magic fine grade clay bar w/ ONR as lube. Wipe & dry w/ ONR. ~ 30 minutes.
With the car clean I inspected the paint. Plenty of light swirls from the original dealer detail, along with a few scratches and mars. Correction work was done with my trusty old PC 7424XP, using a mixture of 3, 4, and 5" Lake Country foam pads. A test spot on the trunk showed that the clear coat is indeed pretty hard. ~ 15 minutes.
Correction:
- Optimum Hyper Compound w/ LC Orange on hood, trunk, roof, and a few spots on rear deck lid, fenders, and doors. This took care of the scratches and swirls. ~ 75 minutes.
- Optimum Hyper Polish w/ LC White on all panels and headlight & tail light lenses. ~ 90 minutes.
- Optimum Paint Prep w/ MF towel on entire car. ~ 15 minutes.
Protection:
- Optimum Gloss Coat w/ foam applicator on entire car (paint, wheels, trim, lenses). Top-down, panel-by-panel (and wheel by wheel) w/ Paint Prep wipe followed by application of coating; inspection and follow-up as needed to ensure proper flashing. ~ 50 minutes.
Break for late lunch and to stare longingly at the beer I promised myself when the job is done. ~ 60 minutes.
At this point it's a bit after 3pm and the fog is coming in.
Finishing Up:
- Optimum Opti-Bond tire gel on the sidewalls, immediately followed by a wipe with MF towel for very matte look. ~ 15 minutes.
- Optimum Opti-Seal on entire car with MF towel. Opti-Seal is a life saver for those of us who can't keep a vehicle safe from the environment while the coating fully cures (one week). ~ 15 minutes.
- Quick interior detail with ONR and MF towels. Wipe down of dash, seats, optics, door panels, etc. Glass is done the same way, just with fresh towels. One final wipe with dry towel to ensure against streaks. ~ 15 minutes.
So, including clean-up this was roughly 7.5 hours of work. If this was a customer job I'd have billed no more than 6.5 hours - I've got a case of "holy shit I'm in my 50's" so the pace isn't what it used to be and my bladder creates more frequent breaks than in years past. At the same time, all of the Optimum stuff is so easy to use, and the small details (i.e. compound and polish in spray bottles) make for quicker work. And this prompts the disclaimer & detailer's adage: Great results are 90% process and 10% product. Use the stuff you like that gives you the results you're after.
Ok, after one more pit stop, a romp with the dogs, and a final glance at that beer in the fridge, it was time for a few glamour shots. All my favorite scenic spots were fully fogged in, so it was down to SFO.
Thanks for reading along, and I hope this is helpful for fellow enthusiasts. Happy detailing!
Sent from....where am I?
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