There are some GREAT detailers that I know of in the City, Jersey and LI, that are always a pleasure to visit given their quality work. However, curious to know if there are there mobile detailers that are willing to come to the individual? Given my time constraints, I would love to find somebody that is able to bring their detailing materials to my garage and do their thing. If you have had a positive experience with any...or if any are on this board, professional or amateur, please post! I am located in Manhattan proper. Thanks.
Vik, please let me know what you find out (if it's off-line). I might be interested in this too, depending of whether it makes financial sense. Hope you are well. Thanks, J.
I'm pretty sure that Regev (RModena?) on here operates a mobile detailing busioness, but I'm not 100% sure about the mobile part. Regev, you out there? nlh
Vik, ill detail your car if you let me drive it to my house I actually like taking the 2-3 hours out of my day to give my car a proper cleaning. I actually find it relaxing. Make sure you find someone who will use good stuff (I only use griot's garage stuff, but meiguars is just as good). Ill talk to some of the MB deatilers (they actually have to take classes and such, they are amazing). I learned so much from these guys, didnt know there was different soap for different paint colors. Its amazing how hard proper care care is. P.S. Ill talk to the SLR guys, they are great with detailing the high end cars here. Maybe one of them will be willing to come detail your car in the city.
Thanks for checking Hovik. Appreciate the assistance. Hope all is well. Let me know whenever you'd like driver-time in the G. Happy to oblige.
I use meguiars gold class stuff. I like it but I wish my car wash solution was better. It leaves something less than to be desired. Can you elaborate on different soap for different paint colors? Thanks in advance PS: I know I know..I am on autopia.org never knew about the different paint colors.
Its just sad And I hate to burst your bubble but there is no such a thing as different soap to be necessary for different colors, there is no Santa Claus and there is no Tooth Faire either.
I would be interested in this also.. I have a bunch of cars that need some car wash loving. Tired of driving all the way to Detailing Dynamics for a detail.
For cars with a clear coat, no. Older cars require special polishes and soaps (kinda like they have special soaps for darker color clothes). For newer cars, there are def different waxes/polishes for different color cars. Ill work on getting you guys some links. I know that car color should def make a difference in high end detailing. Also look for the video of the guy that uses the wax that costs like 10k per application (needless to say he works on very high end cars, people have even been known to fly cars out to him). Even he claims he uses different products for different colors.
If there is enough interest, I might just employ one of the MB guys and start up a company. They are Meguiars (can never spell it right) certified. What about a delivery service where the car would be picked up (fully insured) and then returned all shiny
if you picking the car up in a trailor sounds good to me. I dont trust anyone else driving my car with all the attention exotics get. Especially without me in it with them.
def doable. I was thinking of getting a trailer for a rally car anyways. Hmm...this might be the start of another business
You'll have to do it like this thread http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52335&highlight=detail (I love digging up the old stuff ) Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well I hope that the view of my shop this morning is enough high end for you. And after over 10 years in the detailing business, I have never found the need to tell a customer that there is a different polish for different colors cars, being clear coated or none, just so I can make my self look better. I guarantee you that the soap that you would use for non clearcoated paint will be perfectly fine to use on clearcoated surfaces. Than you mentioned polishes. Well there is a difference between different manifactures, but the main thing when a car is being polished is how much pressure you apply, how fast your mashine is spinning (if using one),how hard is the polishing pad/cloth, or what grade of abrasion is the chemical you are using. But at the end its how much a person knows about paint finishes, and how much do they really care about small details. That great detailer that uses 10K wax, says that He does what? 15 steps detail or something. Than when we detail a car we do 100 steps, I look at the car 1 step, i rinse it second step, put soap on third step. You get the picture? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ed, I was in no way saying anything about your shop in general. I have just seen and heard from the Meguiars people that you should use different products for different cars. I at first was skeptical but when they showed pictures of cars with hazes and such after using the wrong products it made sense. Its simple pigment chemistry. Color will fade into anything over time. Use a pink soap for long enough and technically a white car should show a hint of pink (probably a very long time, but its possible). When you use the Meguiars tool for picking out the right product it specifically asks you: Please select the statement which most closely resembles your vehicle color: Dark color (black, red, dark green, dark grey, dark blue, etc.) Medium color (gold, beige, medium blue, etc.) Light color (white, silver, light grey, light blue, etc.) I dont think the guys over there were like man, lets mess with everyone and make them fill out one more question. I honestly believe is makes a difference and its not like the products for blue cars cost more than the products for white cars. Why not just buy the right stuff? Even if all it does it make a difference in your mind
I am not ofended in any way. I know that Deatiling Dynamics is not what you had in mind. But it makes me sad to see when people believe in something that is not true in reallity, or when tricks like that are used to gain customers and or business. We had few times representitives of Meguiars stop by the shop showing new products lines. The first thing most of them said was "Our stuff is better than what you are using". Well I have two stories for you: First one: A representetive stops by one day to try and sell me some products, so he is telling me that the compound that He has is so much better in any way than what I was using at the exact moment when he walked in. Hahaha, he didnt know that my local distributor had just droped off a bottle of the same compound the night before and I was just testing it. So I say to him:"Here is the car we split the hood in half with tape I will polish the paint on each side with the two "different" compoounds." I used the exact same speed, exact same pads, exact same pressure, and exact same direction of moving the mashine. at the end I of course couldnt tell a jack difference, but the sales guy goes"You see you NEED to have this new compound here" Than I went and pulled out the botle that I had on the side and showed him what the other product was that he compared too. needless to say I never heard of him or saw him again. Second funny story happened few weeks ago, when another salesman came in I guess new in the area and decided that he will demonstrate on his own car how the product works. Well His Hood was already polished so many times from demonstrating to other people that I wasnt sure how much clear coat was left, but I said Ok lets give it a try. We pulled his car into the shop under the lights and started polishing I am on one side with one of the polishes we make for ourselves, he is on the other with the Meguiars stuff. well I ran few passes over and than just wiped down my side of the hood with alcohol (You see, when you do that, you actually take all the fillers away that a chemical might contian, to see the true finish of the surface). He was done by than too. We pull the car out side, I asked him if he would mind wiping the surface down on his side, and well, the amount swirls marks oon his side was lets just say a "little" too much for him to say anything, before jumping in the car and pulling away.Oh well, I screwed up his day too.
Personally I dont use Meguiars stuff, i prefer griot's garage, but I have seen some of the SLRs and AMG cars that the professional detailers do there and they look amazing. I spend 3-5 hours detailing my car and it doesnt compare to anything these guys do. The classic guys also swear by this stuff. I am not trying to pass myself off as a detailing expert or anything, but I pop into the detailing classes and such every now and then. I was just trying to say that from what I saw and basic chemical knowledge, you should use different products for different colors. Maybe ill add to that RS4 in your garage and bring by my RS4. She needs another Sprint Blue friend to play with. Maybe I can get my G in Sprint Blue!
With some coaching and the correct procedure/products, you can get the same results if not better. Don't cut yourself short! You have the important tool you need - your attitude; what we call the "GAS" attitude. "GAS" stands for Give A Sh*t (excuse the French). Anyone can be taught a certain procedure or given certain products; but you can never instill in someone a sense of caring or pride. For the last 12 years that's the primary quality we look for in employees. As a matter of fact, out of the (4) detailers I've trained, none of them did auto detailing before. But they all GAS!
I am not a professional, but in my experience, technique and attention to detail (sorry) are often more critical to the outcome than the specific product used. For years, I used a high quality carnuba wax product, after polishing with one or another brands of high quality polish, changing applicators and towels frequently- the hard work (by hand, not machine- I don't trust myself with a machine and frankly, the condition of the paint on all of my cars was not bad to start with). I started using PS 21 products a number of years ago, after learning that the Paterak Bros. who detailed my black barchetta for the R & T shoot swore by the stuff. For some reason- don't know why, the overall depth of shine I have gotten from the Pinnacle Souveran was truly exceptional on my rosso Lambo paint. Then, because I am somewhat lazy, and got a sample I thought I'd try, I experimented with the NXT liquid- it is an amazing product, and seems to combine the best virtues of traditional wax with the finish of those synthetic products. It is easy to apply and with care, just as easy to remove. (Again, using clean towels, in this case, microfibre, makes all the difference). It takes me a long time to do a car. I may work on the interior on and off for hours over the course of a weekend, without touching the outside paint. Washing, I try to do quickly, with alot of suds, and get the car wetted down, washed, and rinsed quickly- leaving the PS 21 Body Wash soaking on the wheels while I am doing the body. Then, with everything rinsed (car must be stone cold, I cannot see washing after a drive, even a short drive to a detailer), I get to work. One product I am still in search of is a more robust leather cleaner for my snowcorn (offwhite) in the Lambo. I have long used Lexol, but it just isn't strong enough to lift the grime on the white doorsill on the driver's side. The other thing I have learned as an amateur is also that there is a tendancy to use too much product. Keep it simple, keep it light. With waxes, multiple coats do better than a heavy and uneven single coat. (Oh, and I hate those tire dressings- if the tires really look dried out, maybe they are due to be replaced. That **** is nasty and gets in the wheel wells- I know people say you can use very little, but shiny tires are just not my thing, i guess). Enjoy- cleaning and detailing should be part of the joy of ownership. Image Unavailable, Please Login
When I got my 308, the leather was an issue. There was ink & grime all over the center "Tray". I bought Leatherique & pristine clean. Neither worked at removing the stains. But after letting the leatherique soak for a day, I used regular cigarette lighter fluid on a clean rag & that got the grime & ink out. Then re-coated with leatherique to preserve the leather. I talked to the company & they told me what I did wasn't bad. but they make a "prepping" agent for deep cleaning. I tried it on a remaining ink stain. No dice. So I don't have a good cleaner yet, but I do like leatherique for keeping things reasonably clean & supple. I also use it on my leather boat shoes, hiking boots, etc. good stuff. Tire dressing...I don't like the stuff either. it gets all over the rims Window cleaner ... first with Windex, then with Stoner's & a micro rag. good stuff Flat black for trim & bumpers...Mother's Black. Non gloss. good stuff. Cleaning the rims....Meguiars wheel cleaner....no sharp edges & works great Wax - Meguiars Professional series not the standard stuff. The NXT stuff simply disappears after a week.
