Good detailer versus an excellent one

Last year I finally caved, dropped my 2005 F430 off at the detail shop. The guy had been soliciting me (politely) for months, promising that he could remove the minor 'spider-webbing' that no matter how much I tried I couldn't seem to buff out. I let him keep the car for a week and he delivered all he promised and more. Car still looks wet months later. I washed it a few days ago and my rag just glides smoothly across the paint. $1,000 aint chump change (to me) but I feel like I got my money's worth.
btw, he did use Swiss Vax

 

wait til you try out some of the new coatings on the market...22PLE, cquartz finest (find an authorized detailer for this) and you will have unparallelled easy maintenance and stronger, more durable protection. Looks like a carnuba, protects 10 times better than a sealant!

 

Those coatings are great - I'm an authorized installer for both

 

Just used 22 PLE on my black Toyota Tundra. I was totally impressed with the results and the ease of application.

I use carnuba wax on my old classic cars with single stage laquer paint.

 

Ive always found the best detailers started in a paint and body shop. A good detailer will have a thorough understanding of paint and cosmetic flaws, as well as knowledge of how to remedy those. As for one product being better than the other, well that's a matter of opinion. I usually stick with zaino when I do my own vehicles. If I need a quick clean, and I cant wait a week to get zaino in the mail, I'll pick up some mothers stuff and go to town. As for buffing compound/swirl mark remover I stick with 3m products. Nason has a buffing system that works halfway decent too (although I haven't used it since 2005). I avoid the Meguairs nutswingers. I think their products are overpriced, and overhyped. Either way, removing paint should be a last option. I've found a good quality detail should cost around $300 at the most.

 

+1

Great channel, full of educational videos.

 

I had Todd at Esoteric Detail (Esoteric Auto Detail in Columbus, Ohio ? Detailing, Training, and Product Sales.) put 22PLE on my Evo MR, which is my current daily driver. It wasn't cheap, but I have been very impressed with the results. Especially with how easy it is for me to keep it clean after the coating was put on. I know a few other FChat guys that have had 22PLE on their cars for a while and they are getting 18 months plus out of one application.

I can also tell you there is a huge difference between a standard run of the mill detail and what a true craftsman like Todd can do. He has paint corrected/detailed a couple of my cars with outstanding results. I have also seen his work in person on other exotics and it is always amazing. The best way to see the difference before/after is to see him working on a car that is only half finished. Being able to compare the areas he has worked on to the areas he hasn't is simply night and day. Even on brand new cars, the difference is worth every penny.

 

Ultimately you pay for what you get. Price is built into expertise and knowledge. This is true of all professionals and really everything in life. I had Todd (Studio 47) complete a restoration on my Scuderia. It's really more than a "detail". This thread needs more pics:
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I applied 22ple on my 612. I have "some" experience with these types of coatings, as I have applied OptiCoat to a few cars before. Overall, 22ple was much more user-friendly in my opinion, but this is likely because I had more experience with similar coatings when I applied it. The most time consuming part was the prep (removing contaminants with nanoskin autoscrub (clay bar substitute) and polishing out any minor swirls/surface scratches).

BTW, if you want to see how the greatest detailers perform, look up some of the aforementioned Todd's work online (just do a google search for Esoteric Auto Detail) and you will see some amazing detailing pictures/descriptions. Also, go on YouTube and watch the AMMO NYC videos. They're extremely informative, and surprisingly interesting.

Here are some pics of my 612 with 22ple... sorry about the quality, as all are phone pics. Car looks MUCH better in person!
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Here's what I achieved on the Mercedes. That's me in the paint. Haven't had the nerve to do the Ferrari yet.
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Thats incredible, never seen a car that the paint was like glass! Thats awesome!

 

Here's the stuff:

Gloss-it Evolution Polish's & LSP KIT

 

Thanks!

 

22PLE on my 2013 458 Italia.
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