Detailed the Mazda 3

Krautfed 03 · 01-21-05, 10:58

Detailed our Mazda 3 yesterday. I had been wanting to do this for a while, but it has been difficult as my wife could care less if a car is clean or not. Her opinion is that it is just a car, no more, no less...just a piece of metal. Anyway, her Mazda was last washed on New Years Eve!! Been through two snow storms and had only the "lifetime" paint sealant from the dealer.

My question is, I went over the car with 3M FI2 MP with the PC and Sonus Green pad, followed with AIO by applying with PC and Sonus Blue pad and removing by hand, and topped with S100, applied by hand, removed by PC with MF bonnet. Is this a good combo for white?? It did make a big difference in gloss, no depth, since it is white. I wanted to throw in a layer of SG under the wax, but sinci I have to fight her to even wash the car, waxing the next day was out of the question!! I did apply a film of SG on the front fascia in lieu of the S100 for a little better durability. Is S100 good for white, or should I have used the Pinnacle Signature?? Which has better durability?

2wheelsx2 · 01-21-05, 11:52

Why would you have to fight her to clean the car? My wife loves driving the car after I clean it. Just explain to her about resale value......

Krautfed 03 · 01-21-05, 01:12

She tells me that she could care less if the car is clean or dirty. Her opinion is that the few dollars lost at trade-in time is not worth the time invested in correctly detailing a car. Trust me, it's a waste of time to try and argue with her.

2wheelsx2 · 01-21-05, 02:17

Just don't tell her. Let her drive your car somewhere, and when she comes back, never let on that you detailed it.

White95Max · 01-21-05, 08:18

Quote:

Originally posted by Krautfed 03
...our Mazda 3... had only the "lifetime" paint sealant from the dealer.

My question is, I went over the car with 3M FI2 MP with the PC and Sonus Green pad, followed with AIO by applying with PC and Sonus Blue pad and removing by hand, and topped with S100, applied by hand, removed by PC with MF bonnet. Is this a good combo for white?? It did make a big difference in gloss, no depth, since it is white. I wanted to throw in a layer of SG under the wax, but sinci I have to fight her to even wash the car, waxing the next day was out of the question!! I did apply a film of SG on the front fascia in lieu of the S100 for a little better durability. Is S100 good for white, or should I have used the Pinnacle Signature?? Which has better durability?

You let the dealer sell you that "lifetime" sealant?

Good combo for white:
My favorite is AIO + UPP + Paste Glaz. I'm sure there are others that look great on white, but this is definitely my favorite so far.

mirrorfinishman · 01-24-05, 05:29

Quote:

Originally posted by 2wheelsx2
Just don't tell her. Let her drive your car somewhere, and when she comes back, never let on that you detailed it.

This reminds me of one of my customers. For years I was detailing this womans car every three month, just like clock work. Since I'm a mobile detailer, all of the work was always done at her house and every appointment was always scheduled during a weekday with a start time of 8AM.

Well, one day I arrived at about 7:45AM and it just so happened that her husband was running a little late that day. Actually, up until then I had really never met her husband. He was always off to work before I got there.

Anywho, guess what? He was surprised to see me. I could tell by his questions that he didn't even know why I was ringing their doorbell at that time of morning. It seems that his wife never told him about me. When I talked with the wife after he left for work, she explained that she had kept me a secret. Yes, she simply never said a word about having me detailing her car. Hey, at that point in time it had already been about two years that I had been taking care of her detailing.

Well, soon after he found out about me, he also began to get his car detailed too.

Imagine, keeping your detailer a secret for your spouse. Hey, I guess you gotta do, what you gotta do.

True story.

Thanks for listening.

REX-RACER · 01-25-05, 02:32

Quote:

Originally posted by 2wheelsx2
Just don't tell her. Let her drive your car somewhere, and when she comes back, never let on that you detailed it.

Dude, if this is here attitude, would you let her drive your car??? Not me!
!

One wait to get around this is if you have a day off when she works, get the other set of keys and go get her car off the lot ( if you can ) and bring it home. That way you'll have all day to do it right for once. I know people who have actually done this . . . stealing their own car

jrocc1212 · 01-25-05, 03:50

Quote:

Originally posted by mirrorfinishman

Imagine, keeping your detailer a secret for your spouse. Hey, I guess you gotta do, what you gotta do.

True story.

Thanks for listening.

So we could add the mobile detailer to the milkman and mailman jokes?
Who's kid is that?

REX-RACER · 01-25-05, 04:52

Krautfed 03 · 01-25-05, 08:49

I don't mind letting her drive my car because she knows how I am with my car and the wrath I can bring upon her if it has any damage!! She was driving it to work one day, and she passed an oncomming concrete truck that threw a rock and chipped the hood. She called me crying about it and it made me think that half the paint was off the hood. When I got home, it was a speck on the hood with an ever so minor dimple. I asked her where the real damage was. She was surprised from my reaction, but a drop of touch-up and $30 for PDR it was gone!! Kinda funny how she reacted when it was my car!!

becks · 01-25-05, 09:38

Quote:

[Kinda funny how she reacted when it was my car!!

Sounds like she's well trained...lol j/k

That reminds me of once when I went to visit my parents and I needed to borrow my mom's car since I needed more then two seats, so I left my keys with her and told her she could just use my car for her errands. When I got back later that day I noticed my car hadn't moved, she was too scared to take my car in case something happened to it so she took my dad's car which is actually worth a lot more...LOL

Krautfed 03 · 01-25-05, 09:44

Becks, I see the Axela in your pic. Is that a pic from the Japanese Mazda site, or are the Mazda 3's called Alela in Canada?

I wish we could get the Japanese spec. accessories here.