Car Detailing Thread

[campilobaxter]

Hey nighthawk what is the cost to have something like that done?

 

[Nighthawk117a]

Hey nighthawk what is the cost to have something like that done?

It depends. Usually in the $1500-$2000 range depending on what you have done, I didn't quite pay that but I also know a guy. For example http://www.padautodetailing.com/ceramic-packages.php#gold I picked one place at random $1695 for gold which is lifetime is a great price. You can do more coats, it will last longer and the price goes up. That total may or may not also factor in paint correction. For washing then you basically just spray wash it and blow dry and it looks just as good. It also has a hardness of 9H so it can help prevent minor rock chips and minor scratches. I can't recommend it enough.

 

[choppstixxx]

It depends. Usually in the $1500-$2000 range depending on what you have done

Most of the cost is due to the fact that the paint has to be fully corrected before application. The product itself is only a few hundred dollars, but the prep can be very time consuming depending on how bad/old the paint is.
I have detailed cars for the past 15+ years and have used a similar product on my wheels, it def. is awesome how durable it is. My only issue is that I still love the art of correcting paint, once a ceramic coating is applied it's a real PITA to remove. That is why I usually suggest a semi-permanent coating that is much less cost wise and if you need to spot correct an area it is much easier to do.

 

[Nighthawk117a]

Most of the cost is due to the fact that the paint has to be fully corrected before application. The product itself is only a few hundred dollars, but the prep can be very time consuming depending on how bad/old the paint is.
I have detailed cars for the past 15+ years and have used a similar product on my wheels, it def. is awesome how durable it is. My only issue is that I still love the art of correcting paint, once a ceramic coating is applied it's a real PITA to remove. That is why I usually suggest a semi-permanent coating that is much less cost wise and if you need to spot correct an area it is much easier to do.

Yeah, my detailer is very meticulous and the paint looked perfect before the coating was applied. Yeah its a pain, I know some people that have tried to remove it and unless you use an abrasive, any chemical just runs right off of it if its applied correctly.

 

[campilobaxter]

Somewhat related to this topic.

I got some nasty curb rash on my rear tire after taking a tight angled turn too tight in my office's parking garage. This is not my picture, but this is the same wheel:

The scratches are right in the center of one of the spokes. Is this something I can buff out myself or should I have a pro do it? The scratches look white, so I wonder if maybe there is a clear coat on it.

 

[choppstixxx]

Somewhat related to this topic.
I got some nasty curb rash on my rear tire after taking a tight angled turn too tight in my office's parking garage. This is not my picture, but this is the same wheel:
The scratches are right in the center of one of the spokes. Is this something I can buff out myself or should I have a pro do it? The scratches look white, so I wonder if maybe there is a clear coat on it.

Wheels are a different animal than body panel paint. Usually curbing a rim will get it down to the actual metal material of it. There isn't a lot you can DIY to fix it besides using a wet high grit sand paper (1000 or 1500) to smooth it out. I do know there are wheel repair shops in most cities that can fix them for relatively cheap. You could also find a used replacement OEM rim that is in decent shape and swap it out.
So in a nutshell unless the marks are simply surface marks, there is not a lot you can do yourself :0(

 

[campilobaxter]

Wheels are a different animal than body panel paint. Usually curbing a rim will get it down to the actual metal material of it. There isn't a lot you can DIY to fix it besides using a wet high grit sand paper (1000 or 1500) to smooth it out. I do know there are wheel repair shops in most cities that can fix them for relatively cheap. You could also find a used replacement OEM rim that is in decent shape and swap it out.
So in a nutshell unless the marks are simply surface marks, there is not a lot you can do yourself :0(

I'll take a pic later and post it. I wouldn't call these deep gouges, but they certainly make me sad. And I kind of like to try DIY stuff, even if the result isn't as good as a pro.

 

[choppstixxx]

I'll take a pic later and post it. I wouldn't call these deep gouges, but they certainly make me sad. And I kind of like to try DIY stuff, even if the result isn't as good as a pro.

For sure, post it up and I can try to help ya further.

 

[campilobaxter]

Here are a few photos. Pretty surface level stuff I think.

 

[Breaking 79]

Easily fixed by someone that specializes in rim repair. I've had worse scratches then that fixed. Problem is finding someone in your area. Good luck

 

[Nighthawk117a]

All clean again. Wish it was spring so the summer wheels could have been on it.

 

[JB]

New car is getting detailed this morning.
ONR wash
Griots All in One
Topped with P21S Concours Carnauba

 

[JB]

First coat done. The paint looks wet and it's not even sunny today.

 

[KEV]

Looks great JB. I really need to get back in to the mode of detailing my vehicles more often (in the summer). I used to thoroughly clean my vehicles every week and wax at least every 3 months. Laziness has taken over and I need to fix that.

 

[Girardcorp]

Nice looking car. Love the 2.0t... Just enough get up and go.

Still waiting to try out the ONR... bit too cold to give it a go, even in a heated garage.

 

[choppstixxx]

Recently picked up my first rotary polisher, a Flex PE8 Kompakt. Love my 3401 VRG for standard buffing but always wanted a smaller unit to get in tighter areas. This will also serve as my main buffer to do headlight restorations and heavier spot correcting.
Got a ridiculous deal on a starter park for just the price of the buffer:

 

[ToohipGottaGo]

Recently picked up my first rotary polisher, a Flex PE8 Kompakt. Love my 3401 VRG for standard buffing but always wanted a smaller unit to get in tighter areas. This will also serve as my main buffer to do headlight restorations and heavier spot correcting.
Got a ridiculous deal on a starter park for just the price of the buffer:

Nice!!! I love my rotary but only for certain things. I use a D/A for most everything else. Looks like it came with some Wolfgang product. Always wanted to try some but I have to use up my stock of Menzerna and Meguiars 1st. Love Autogeek. Mike Philips is a great guy to talk to there. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

 

[jlew]

Spent the day making her purty...now debating whether I have it in me to go to the range lol

 

[kevin81002]

Spent the day making her purty...now debating whether I have it in me to go to the range lol

Man I need to detail my 300 really bad. Too dang busy.

Love that shade of blue!!

 

[ToohipGottaGo]

OK guys, looking to try some new product that I haven't used before. Want to expand my horizons a little with something different. Looking at the following brands:

Wolfgang
Chemical Guy's
Poorboy's World
Pinnacle
Blackfire
Sonus

I've used Meg's, Griot's, Mother's, Zaino, 3M, Menzerna (Jescar), Stoner's, Collinite, and some Klasse AIO. Not interested in P21s, McKee's, Turtle Wax or 303 currently. So if anyone has some insight into the above or some hidden gems I haven't mentioned, I'd like to get some pros and cons on something new. Let's hear it.

 

[JB]

I like all of that. For sealants the Wolfgang and black fire are the easiest to work with.

 

[JRod]

Any Other Car Detailing Fanatics?

Ok guys I need some help here :


The brakes on my new hellcat make a ridiculous amount of dust. Do you guys recommend a wax after cleaning the wheels to help a little ? If I have to clean these things every 500 miles I'm gonna go crazy


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[JB]

Ok guys I need some help here :


The brakes on my new hellcat make a ridiculous amount of dust. Do you guys recommend a wax after cleaning the wheels to help a little ? If I have to clean these things every 500 miles I'm gonna go crazy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Always. Any non-carnauba sealant works great and it makes cleaning off a breeze in the future.

And for cleaning the wheels go with a magic eraser. You will thank me afterwards

 

[jlew]

Always. Any non-carnauba sealant works great and it makes cleaning off a breeze in the future.

And for cleaning the wheels go with a magic eraser. You will thank me afterwards

Magic eraser? Never even thought of that but makes sense. Will be grabbing a couple and giving it a shot.

 

[ToohipGottaGo]

Ok guys I need some help here :

The brakes on my new hellcat make a ridiculous amount of dust. Do you guys recommend a wax after cleaning the wheels to help a little ? If I have to clean these things every 500 miles I'm gonna go crazy

Always. Any non-carnauba sealant works great and it makes cleaning off a breeze in the future.

And for cleaning the wheels go with a magic eraser. You will thank me afterwards

I'll 2nd that. I've used Menzerna's (now Jescar) Polymer Sealant on many rims and it works like a charm. But with a Hellcat doesn't that mean you're driving it like you're supposed too? :banana: