This car was done for someone who works with my dad. He wanted the car cleaned inside and out, as well as waxed. I drove out to get this car and brought it back to my house, he's trusting, letting a 17-year old drive his car! (I drove like a grandma the whole way though). Lots of dings, dents, scratches, and bad touch-ups all over the car. Products and process: Exterior: Wheels and tires cleaned with P21s wheel cleaner, normally I use Megs WB but these wheels were so badly damaged there's no way I'd use WB on them :yikes: Wheel wells cleaned with Megs APC 4:1 Front of car cleaned with Megs APC 4:1, there were a lot of bugs! The car was really dirty, and I was going to be waxing it, so I foamed it and washed it with Dawn. For wax, I was going to use some Zymol Cleaner wax I picked up on clearance at Target, but almost immediately decided against it. The wax dried out on the paint in an instant, becoming almost impossible to wipe off. Instead decided on P21s Concours. Though it doesn't really mask swirls or scratches I really like how much depth and reflection it adds to the paint. (And was later criticized by my dad, claiming it was "too nice" to use on someone else's car. Whatever ) I didn't clay it...reasons here. Tires dressed with 303 Aerospace Protectant. Here I'm thinking about going back to Megs tire shine. Yes, it's more greasy and doesn't last as long but it makes the tires shiny, which customers seem to prefer more than the flat look that I like. Interior: For once a cleanish interior! I normally do minivans and the like so this was a welcome relief. Vacuumed out. Wiped down with Megs APC. Seats cleaned and conditioned with Turtle Wax Platinum Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. Not a bad product, this is actually the first time I've conditioned seats (normally I just clean them). Glass cleaned with Stoner Invisible Glass. Rubber floormats scrubbed with APC. And now for some pictures... Here's right when I got the car to my house, very dirty: Lots of scratches: Lotsa stuff, there was a bunch of dirt and stuff underneath it: Found this in the trunk...maybe that's why the leather was still in decent shape? But what's with the furniture polish? And now for some after shots... The wheels were in bad shape: Bit more organized: Why you use a rinse bucket... Those spots you see are not dirt, but chips in the paint. Dent: I know the quality of my work isn't up there with some of y'alls, but I'm learning and this site has been a tremendous help to me :thumb: Any suggestions/criticisms of my process are welcome as I'm always looking for ways to improve my work! Things I learned from this detail: Charge more for picking up and returning the car when it's not in the neighborhood, I spent nearly 2 hours driving back and forth when it was all said and done. Thanks for reading, Clark
looks good man, you gotta do the best with what you've got. Don't worry about being as good as anyone else. We all started some where and everyone's got something to add to the pot
Good job, man. One thing about detailing, you'll learn something new all the time, your technique will come together with your routine. :afro:
If the customer was happy, that is all that matters! Its not your car so don't be so hard on yourself. It is good practice to clean and treat it like it is your own but at the end of the day the customer is going to have to live with it. You made it look great!
I think this is very nice work mate. You did an excellent job in cleaning the interior, and I agree with you on not claying it. I never clay without afterwards doing at least a one-stepper. And P21S is a great choice. I have two pots and I think it's a lovely wax.
