Motivation to detail

[DrJones]

It's time to start thinking about the season... no not the race season... the detailing season. As many of you know, I do a lot of it, and absolutly love it. I also love helping people get their cars looking nicer than they thought possible. So here are some pics from my details (various kinds of cars, everything from an old beater not worth more than 2 grand, to a high end Lexus SUV with thousands of dollars in upgrades). This just goes to show that it is possible. If you want some help I'd be more than happy to provide it.

We'll start with the beater. Here are some befores and afters of my Brother's Fiance's car that she let me test some stuff on.

http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/bef1.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/aft1.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/bef2.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/aft2.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/bef3.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/aft3.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/bef4.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/aft4.jpg

Here are some shots of an abused work truck that lives on a ranch and gets exposed to some very nasty water, causing a wierd haze and bad water spots. Still though, no job is too tough. I don't think people expect an older red truck with tons of miles to look this good.

http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/truckbef.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/truckaft.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/trucksplit.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/truck.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/truck2.jpg

Swirls are a common problem that many people face. Even Me.
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/minebef.jpg

Doesn't mean it has to be a permament problem
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/mineaft.jpg

Ugly tires make the car look ugly. But there are things you can do for them too
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/t1a.jpg
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/t1b.jpg

Here is a nice looking black WRX. A car with this many mods deserves to look it's best:
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/afterdetail2.jpg

High end rides need their lovin' too. Even white cars can shine. Plus you really need to take care of your 22s
http://www.paulslinuxbox.com/~paul/detailing/lex.jpg

Of course, it doesn't matter how little or how much color your car has
http://www.mines.edu/students/p/pfchrist/jason/jason6.jpg
http://www.mines.edu/students/p/pfchrist/jason/jason11.jpg
http://www.mines.edu/students/p/pfchrist/jason/jason7.jpg
http://www.mines.edu/students/p/pfchrist/jason/jason12.jpg

With how much time and money most people on this board spend on their cars, they should be looking their best. It's fairly easy to do and not all that expensive. It just takes the right products with the right knowledge.

[HONDA GHANDI]

You still owe me one. When do you have about five days to do my truck?

[DrJones]

You still owe me one. When do you have about five days to do my truck?

I do, and since it's been a while I think I owe you the truck + one more. I'm going to place a big order in the comming weeks and restock on some suplies I need. Maybe I can bring a helper or two and I can do them when you do my clutch/rotors.

[HONDA GHANDI]

Sounds good to me.

[djet820]

OO OO Tobi, let me be the one more rofl.

[stu]

Nice pics Doc.

[john]

I'd love to have the A4 shining like that. It's in pretty rough shape...

[Kwando]

Paul knows his stuff!!! For all those that have never seen his work, should watch him in action. ;wor;

Speaking of work, Paul i still need you to do my g/f car. Her car is weathered pretty bad. How much for basic wash, claybar, and wax?

The S might need a little claybar action also.

[Bedlam]

Cool pics..I'd love to see what you could do with the del Sol...the paint is pretty fuXored overall tho' lots of nasty scratches. Of course..if I keep it ugly as hell and scratched up..maybe nobody will want to steal it! :)

-Bedlam

[Steve_C]

hey doc, how much we looking at for a 97 4runner?

[powder311]

What would you recomend for an engine bay? The motor is out and i can't really move the car to a pressure washer... theres caked oil on the downpipe (engine went boom) and just normal dirt and oil buildup you get with a daily driver everywhere else. Should i take out the battery? i really want this engine bay to look how it did when it was on the showroom so i can put my nice clean engine and tranny in it... Any ideas or input would be great.. thanks!

[ryanman]

What would you recomend for an engine bay? The motor is out and i can't really move the car to a pressure washer... theres caked oil on the downpipe (engine went boom) and just normal dirt and oil buildup you get with a daily driver everywhere else. Should i take out the battery? i really want this engine bay to look how it did when it was on the showroom so i can put my nice clean engine and tranny in it... Any ideas or input would be great.. thanks!

Didn't we already answer this in 2 other threads? SIMPLE GREEN

[powder311]

Didn't we already answer this in 2 other threads? SIMPLE GREEN
I have no problem w/more info....

[DrJones]

What would you recomend for an engine bay? The motor is out and i can't really move the car to a pressure washer... theres caked oil on the downpipe (engine went boom) and just normal dirt and oil buildup you get with a daily driver everywhere else. Should i take out the battery? i really want this engine bay to look how it did when it was on the showroom so i can put my nice clean engine and tranny in it... Any ideas or input would be great.. thanks!

Ask Simon about the engine bay thing (Kwando) he is more of an expert at it than I am. I haven't done too much with engines or interiors. I know how to do them, but I usually spend so much time on the exterior that I don't get a lot of time to practice on the other parts.

[powder311]

Ask Simon about the engine bay thing (Kwando) he is more of an expert at it than I am. I haven't done too much with engines or interiors. I know how to do them, but I usually spend so much time on the exterior that I don't get a lot of time to practice on the other parts.
cool.

[DrJones]

Paul knows his stuff!!! For all those that have never seen his work, should watch him in action. ;wor;

Speaking of work, Paul i still need you to do my g/f car. Her car is weathered pretty bad. How much for basic wash, claybar, and wax?

The S might need a little claybar action also.

I could probably do a wash + clay + polish + wax for $30 or so. It would take maybe two hours, and of course I'd do anything else I have products for (ie tire, trim, glass). That would just be a kind of light job. Wouldn't go into a lot of the buffing.

hey doc, how much we looking at for a 97 4runner?

Depends on how bad it is and what kind of results you want out of it. The least I would do is like a wash, clay, polish, wax combo. Most cars around that period have some oxidation or bad swirls, which requires a buffer and more time. Then if you really wanted to protect it I could just layer coats of stuff on top to really protect it for a long time. I usually just charge mostly for the products I use (so I can keep funding my addiction). Most jobs would probably run between $30 and $80.

Detailing just for profit isn't really my main goal. Infact I don't really enjoy doing it to much (though I will for the practice and expierence). I really do enjoy taking a car and restoring it for an owner that will appreciate it more. I also love showing people how to take their car, and learn the skills they need to have it always look like it was just detailed.

I am also pretty anal about my detail jobs. Just ask yrretvr4 or anyone else who has seen me work. I don't operate like a shop, where you come in, get the same job that everyone else does, and pay for that job. I just charge a little for the products that I use, then come up with a solution that fits the car. Some need to be clayed, some don't. Some need a light polish, some need a buffer with one or more abrasives. I keep going at it untill I am happy with how it looks, which is usually much nicer than you would expect.

IE an example would be when yrretvr4 brought his car down. I knew it was older, black and needed some work, but I really didn't know how much. It had some rather deep and numerous swirls. I washed and clayed it, then started with a mild polish on the swirls. Went around the whole car, and got it into the light. I think he thought it looked a lot better, but I could still see the swirls. So we brought it back in and I spent some time trying different product combinations to see if the swirls would come out. Eventually we found a solution and applied it to the rest of the car. The results were pretty amazing. His before/after pictures really show the difference. It took longer than the normal job (I think we spent 5-6 hours on it), but in the end I was satisfied. I don't think I charged him any more than I originally quoted. I could see that he really liked his car, and would get that little extra bit out of having it look like a near new 3kgt rather than an older plain one. Now he can show it off in his signature for all to admire. That is the kind of job I like to do. Not just for money, but something that the owner will appreciate.

I also almost always have the person there while I detail the car, so they can see exactly what I do and get all their questions answered (to the best of my abilility, if I don't know the answer I will ask someone who would). Making a car look good after it hasn't really been treated right can be a little bit difficult, but caring for it in the right way so it always looks that good isn't all that tough. That's what you will learn when you get your car detailed.

I hope this answers some questions (probably more info than you wanted :) )

[ricewizard]

hey dr. when you get done w/tobi's iv'e got one for you f-350 4door , short box, lifted,and it needs some love in and out. how much?

[Dustin]

hey dr. when you get done w/tobi's iv'e got one for you f-350 4door , short box, lifted,and it needs some love in and out. how much?


Ricewizard- What about the shitbox? no love for it?

Dr Jones- I have a brand new Aspen White STI, what products do you recommend for white? It could probably be buffed as it has minor swirl marks from the dealer. I clayed it already, but I'm sure you could do better. I quick polished it with #7 then followed with #26, but it doesn't have the depth I would like.

[ricewizard]

^dr. jones would kill himself trying to dress up the shitter.^

[Kwando]

I could probably do a wash + clay + polish + wax for $30 or so. It would take maybe two hours, and of course I'd do anything else I have products for (ie tire, trim, glass). That would just be a kind of light job. Wouldn't go into a lot of the buffing.


Paul PM me with your # so we can work out a time and date.

[Kwando]

Ask Simon about the engine bay thing (Kwando) he is more of an expert at it than I am. I haven't done too much with engines or interiors. I know how to do them, but I usually spend so much time on the exterior that I don't get a lot of time to practice on the other parts.

What I have found out that works really good for cleaning engine bays:

You need two products. 1. GUNK foamy engine brite degreaser. (other degreasers work but it doesn't break up the grease and grim as well as the GUNK stuff). 2. Foamy armor all tire shine (aerosol kind). The key here is the foamy GUNK and Armor All. The liquid stuff won't work.

Perform this on a cool engine. People cover up the dist and other electrical components, but when I do it on my car i leave everything exposed. Spray the entire can of GUNK engine brite. Use the entire can and spray it everywhere (corners, cracks, underside, etc). Wait 10-15 minutes for it to break loose the dirt and grime.

Spray the engine bay with med pressure to wash a loose everything. I regular garden hose with a spray nozzle should work just fine.

Immediately spray the engine bay with the Foamy Armor All (with the engine wet). One can of this stuff can go through 4 engine bays. The more foam the shinier you engine will be. I thin layer should be adequate enough.

Close your hood, start your car and let it idle for 15-20 minutes. The heat of the engine will absorb the armor all and give you that lustrous shine.

[Steve_C]

thanks doc. the 4runner is green and it belongs to my mom. her birthday is coming up soon and i want her car to look better then it currently looks. there's some sore of gunk on there, and i tried removing it with the claybar, but i can't seem to get the luster back to the paint. i'll have to contact you so you can see what i'm talking about.

[CSMsi311]

if only my car wasn't covered in hail damage it'd get you to shine her up again. Like I told you earlier, I got someone interested in getting her car to shine.

[BluByU]

I know a certain cadillac that needs a LOT of loving since one of my slack ass employees butchered it all to hell. PM me your # again Paul, he really needs his car done right.

[djet820]

Umm Dr. Jones, if you saw my car, you'd probably cry...

anyway to smooth out paint?

[yrretvr4]

Before--
See sig for after

[ryanman]

What I have found out that works really good for cleaning engine bays:

You need two products. 1. GUNK foamy engine brite degreaser. (other degreasers work but it doesn't break up the grease and grim as well as the GUNK stuff). 2. Foamy armor all tire shine (aerosol kind). The key here is the foamy GUNK and Armor All. The liquid stuff won't work.

Perform this on a cool engine. People cover up the dist and other electrical components, but when I do it on my car i leave everything exposed. Spray the entire can of GUNK engine brite. Use the entire can and spray it everywhere (corners, cracks, underside, etc). Wait 10-15 minutes for it to break loose the dirt and grime.

Spray the engine bay with med pressure to wash a loose everything. I regular garden hose with a spray nozzle should work just fine.

Immediately spray the engine bay with the Foamy Armor All (with the engine wet). One can of this stuff can go through 4 engine bays. The more foam the shinier you engine will be. I thin layer should be adequate enough.

Close your hood, start your car and let it idle for 15-20 minutes. The heat of the engine will absorb the armor all and give you that lustrous shine.

Have you EVER tried simple green? It does 100 times better then that gunk crap and you don't have to use near as much.

[DrJones]

Most degreesers will work just fine (they cut grease, that's their job). The common mistake isn't choosing the right one, it's using it as your only product. There are lots of products made to protect and shine the parts under the hood (like rubber hoses). There is a really good article written by one of the experts that can be found here (http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=25).

Personally I like Einman Fabrik's high intensity cleaner. It's a great product because it's not just for engines, you can use it on tires, trim and other parts of the car (i've never seen anything clean a tire like this stuff will).

[Kwando]

Have you EVER tried simple green? It does 100 times better then that gunk crap and you don't have to use near as much.

I've never tried it myself on my engine, but i know that stuff cleans other stuff very good.

BUT... Check this out... Be careful when using it...

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/media/ashore/issues/winter00/fromourreaders.htm

http://safety.army.mil/pages/lessonslearned/simplegreens.html

[2000SiVTEC]

On my diesel truck there is about an 9 inch key mark someone put on it one night when I was at dinner. I have had the truck detailed and the truck is in good shape, but it did not look nearly as good as some of the stuff I have seen you do. So what I am wondering is do you think you can make the scratch dissappear? the guys at the place that detailed it claimed since it is a metallic paint they really couldn't get it moving enough to cover it. I would definitly be willing to take it from the springs to you for a good wax job especially since this truck spends a lot of time on construction sites. What would you charge to do it? it is only from the cab forward as it is a flatbed truck.

i am also going to want you to do my jetta.

[TedR719]

I would be interested in getting my car shined up. It' black and has little scratches all over the body if you look close. How much to get it done?

[DrJones]

I would be interested in getting my car shined up. It' black and has little scratches all over the body if you look close. How much to get it done?

Usually those are the kind of cars that come out really nice if the scratches aren't too deep. It would probably be around $75 if you wanted the full job.

When the weather starts getting a little better (if that's even possible right now, it's been great this week) I'll post up info on everything as well as start getting some appointments. I think if we do a big HAI detail day, we can get a lot of these cars done. It's just a matter of getting people to show up and finding a time/place.

[Ashton]

DrJones when can you make my purple car purple again? no really it has some DEEP ass swirls and i want them gone.... even when your cars purple you gotta roll in style.... can you work me in?

after seein terrys car, i think we both might go in for it again... since his car has been sitting for like 4 months.

call my cell 303-819-2698. leave a message.

thanks!

[yrretvr4]

yup, I need some work. Maybe you could cut us a 2 for 1 deal :D

[95civic_h22a]

will that degreaser and armor all ruin or streak chrome?

[Mario]

I'd be down to get the white lude detailed, wheels, engine, etc. Lemme know what day you have planned.