Car Detailing Thread

choppstixxx

AK Look-a-like
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I have been detailing cars for over 10+ years. I started off like most novices do washing and waxing my car. Then stepped it up when I purchased my first random orbital buffer a Porter Cable 7424, the "gateway" buffer. That really got me into detailing cars as a fun weekend side job. I used that for awhile, but it left a lot to be desired with work time and power. A little over a year ago I finally purchased a Flex XC 3401 VRG and wondered why I didn't do it sooner. It is leaps and bounds a better buffer than my old PC and makes detailing more enjoyable as I get older. I use a mix of detailing product brands that include, but are not limited to:

Menzerna
Chemical Guys
Poor Boys World
einszett
Optimum
Meguiars
Sonax
Gtechniq

I just recently won a 22ple prize pack from my local detailing supplier valued at around $300. It includes a bunch of their high end semi permanent coatings for paint, wheels, glass etc. I am going to use it on my '03 Honda S2000 this spring, cannot wait!

Here's a pic of my Stook (current toy):
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My '04 Saturn Ion QC - My first car, bought brand new. Owned for 9 years, finally sold it a few years ago.
017FDcEl.jpg


My '03 Suzuki GSXR-600 - My first bike, sold it when I moved out.
xVSagCnl.jpg


So that being said, any other detailing fanatics on here as well?
 
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When I was younger/single I detailed my truck weekly. It was black and dirt showed up more than anything. I didn't go crazy like you just described, but I would spend a few hours on it making sure it was clean. I would take a toothbrush to the wheels and that was insane thinking back at it.

Now that I'm married it's the old car wash unless I'm bored lol.
 
Use to be a major detail fanatic but I just don't have the time. Since buying my new truck in 2009, I joined the Waterway Clean Car Club which gets it to about 90% of where I would have normally got it. It's not perfect, but I no longer have to spend a half a day detailing.
 
motoo (mitch) is one, he owns his own detailing business!
 
Me without a doubt. Zaino and menzerma for me.
 
Me without a doubt. Zaino and menzerma for me.
Wish I knew Josh, I coulda talked your ear off about detailing cars at the Bridgestone event!
 
In a previous life, when I was into car audio competitions, I'd even wax/polish the door jams and engine compartment. Then came the kids...

Great looking S2000 btw, love that series.
 
Great looking S2000 btw, love that series.

Thanks man, I love the '03 AP1 (best year IMO). That was the last year of the 9K redline and I just love the body aesthetics vs. the AP2's.
 
I used to detail my Cobra constantly and it was exhausting, but I loved that car.

Since then I keep my cars clean, but nothing special.
 
Wish I knew Josh, I coulda talked your ear off about detailing cars at the Bridgestone event!
Next time brother. I polish, glaze and seal all the time.
 
Try Farecla Black Top on dark colored cars and gold Top on light colored cars, beautiful polish.
 
Also if anyone has questions about what detailing products to use for what, I am more than happy to help.
 
motoo (mitch) is one, he owns his own detailing business!

Indeed sir, thanks. A big reason why golf has really become a second thought recently...only seven rounds played in 2014. I've just putting any money I earn back into my business and stock piled a bunch to get me through winter. Here is some of my work...

https://modetailing.imgur.com/


This being my favorite job...

https://imgur.com/a/6fsgc
 
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This being my favorite job...

https://imgur.com/a/6fsgc

Great work Motoo, I love seeing a car like that transform inside/out. I am so used to my cars being very well taken care of/clean, it's refreshing to do a detail like that.
Interiors are not really my forte when it comes to very dirty ones tho. I usually stick to the exterior and now en days I hand pick what kind of car's I work on. Mostly well maintained vehicles that just have light/med. swirls, with very minimal correction needed. The worst I ever have to do was a Dodge Cummins pickup that ran on veggie oil, what a mess.
 
Great work Motoo, I love seeing a car like that transform inside/out. I am so used to my cars being very well taken care of/clean, it's refreshing to do a detail like that.
Interiors are not really my forte when it comes to very dirty ones tho. I usually stick to the exterior and now en days I hand pick what kind of car's I work on. Mostly well maintained vehicles that just have light/med. swirls, with very minimal correction needed. The worst I ever have to do was a Dodge Cummins pickup that ran on veggie oil, what a mess.

Thanks. You are brave for owning black cars, I will never own another black car again and I change cars quite frequently. Most of the stuff I do now is more of the daily driver cars, I cannot be as picky right now trying to break into the market. People that commute a lot are the tough ones because the insides are always so gross. I was going to take a clear film class last month but I just have a lot of expenses still so it had to go on the back burner. I really enjoy working with CarPro products and my go to coating is Cquartz. I am hoping I lined up a Viper for the spring for some work. I have four jobs in limbo right now and I would really like to get my coatings up to 2 a month. I have a specific vision in mind with what I want to do.
 
Sounds like a great vision with your business. I detail maybe 2-3 cars a month during the summer, at this point in my life it's more a hobby than a main business.
I actually despise Black cars to be honest, I only bought another one since it was going to be a summer only car. My daily is a Red Metallic Ford Fusion and allows me to not really care about keeping it perfect.
 
Any Other Car Detailing Fanatics?

I used to be into it quite heavily when I had a black car. I bought it with quite badly swirled paintwork. It was immensely satisfying getting it back to showroom standard.













A combination of Menzerna polishes to remove the swirls, Chemical Guys EZ Creme glaze for the wet look and topped with Victoria Concours wax. Spritzed with Dodo Red Mist in between details to keep it looking sweet.
A combination of white car and 12 week old in the house mean my detailing is severely restricted now. I use Duagloss products now which are great on white. 501 to polish and a mixture of 601 and 105 to seal.
 
I used to be into it quite heavily when I had a black car. I bought it t with quite badly swirled paintwork. It was immensely satisfying getting it back to showroom standard.













A combination of Menzerna polishes to remove the swirls, Chemical Guys EZ Creme glaze for the wet look and topped with Victoria Concours wax.
A combination of white car and 12 week old in the house mean my detailing is severely restricted now. I use Duagloss products now which are great on white. 501 to polish and a mixture of 601 and 105 to seal.

Love their EZ Creme glaze. Fantastic product.
 
Love their EZ Creme glaze. Fantastic product.

Anyone with a black car, or even dark car should have it in their armoury without a doubt!
 
I haven't touched my porter cable and menzerna products in 2 years. I just haven't had time. That and my maintenance routine has kept my car relatively swirl free. My routine has been wash once a week(maybe two weeks), two buckets with grid guards, high quality microfibers, air dry with blower and a quick spray with zaino z8 to finish it off. Even the dealer knows not to wash my car when I bring it in. Oh and garage kept helps too lol.

 
I wouldn't call myself a fanatic, but yes I have spent the money on all of the tools & toys needed to properly maintain a vehicle. My biggest problem is living in Canada when the weather is good enough to detail the golf courses are open, and I don't need to tell you which wins out :)

That being said, I just picked up a brand new F150 a few weeks back and plan on rekindling my love for keeping it clean.
 
A new car always brings me back too.
 
I plan to get back into this big time this year. Got a boat to maintain along with a new to us tow vehicle and my 1987 Mazda RX-7 is in the shop over the winter getting all the little door dings taken out and a brand new paint job. Need to start getting my supplies together.
 
I plan to get back into this big time this year. Got a boat to maintain along with a new to us tow vehicle and my 1987 Mazda RX-7 is in the shop over the winter getting all the little door dings taken out and a brand new paint job. Need to start getting my supplies together.

I got a list covered for you brother. You are going to love the Porter Cable. While I switched to Rotary for a while, the PC is a machine that is near effortless.
 
I got a list covered for you brother. You are going to love the Porter Cable. While I switched to Rotary for a while, the PC is a machine that is near effortless.

Expecting it to make the job easier and a lot more fun for sure.
 
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