View Full Version : How long does it generally take you?
imported_sal329
05-23-2008, 06:13 PM
To fully detail the outside of your car? Wash, clay, polish, glaze, wax, wheels, tires, glas, etc....?
For those that do this as a Mobile detail job how long on avg does it take you to do somethin like this for a customer?
Brief description on your process
On my 99 Accord I washed, cleaned wheels and tires, clayed, used scratch X (no PC at the time), cleaned windows, dressed tires topped with Meg NXT 2.0, total was 5 hours
My 94 Lincoln Mark VIII I did last weekend I washed, cleaned wheels, tires, wheel wells, clayed, polished the hood and fenders, broke PC, dressed tires, cleaned windows, applied NXT 2.0 total time 4.5 hours.
I couldn`t imagine trying to polish the entire car in one day lol. Curious to see where I stand or if Im doin something wrong.
SuperBee364
05-23-2008, 07:06 PM
8-10 hours usually.
haper
05-23-2008, 07:11 PM
washing, clay and tape: 90 mins
SIP: 5 hrs
106FF: 3 hrs
JetSeal: 30 mins per coat
imported_sal329
05-23-2008, 07:22 PM
I thought I was workin REAL slow lol.
Still though how do people that do this as a mobile detailer work on someones car for 5+ hours?
I can do it in about 5 hours. Just take practice which make perfection.
Edit: That is for the whole car inside and out. 2 hours or less just for the exterior by rotary. I use mostly ValuGard, Megs, 3M and Souveran.
imported_Chris223
05-23-2008, 10:34 PM
How do you spend FIVE hours using SIP? I mean really, FIVE hours? What are you doing... a bus?
drew.haynes
05-24-2008, 01:10 AM
Just this week I was polishing my grandmother`s metallic burgundy Grand Am. Hard as hell clear, should be done with a rotary really. I spent probably 5-6 hours just doing the entire car with a Meg`s Burgandy pad and OHC (Porter Cable, no rotary). I could see cutting that time down if I had a rotary. I still only had maybe 80% swirl removal after all that.
haper
05-24-2008, 07:11 AM
How do you spend FIVE hours using SIP? I mean really, FIVE hours? What are you doing... a bus?
it was a bmw 3 series and i did the hood and trunk twice. a lot of time is spent inspecting the results and going back over small parts that i wasn`t happy with.
abbeysdad
05-24-2008, 07:44 AM
Too long!
Really depends on the condition and sometimes I think you can spend as much time cleaing the inside as cleaning, polishing, `waxing` the outside.
jswift2000
05-24-2008, 09:59 AM
It usually takes me b/t 1 - 1.5 hours just to wash the car, depending on the size and dirt level. This includes windows, tire and wheel well dressing. My wife thinks i`m nuts.
imported_JoshVette
05-24-2008, 10:14 AM
Typically on a simple process like wash, clay, seal and interior on an average car about 3 hours. If you add in swirl removal, figure at least 7-8 and 10-14 hours for perfect paint. For show car detailing 25-30 hours.
imported_themightytimmah
05-24-2008, 10:54 AM
3 hours W/C/S
5 hours one-step
7-10 hours full swirl removal
imported_sal329
05-24-2008, 12:33 PM
Thanks everyone for the info
Envious Eric
05-24-2008, 04:50 PM
how it is taking you so long...
one step outside only:
ONR
wells
tires
glass
trim
poliseal
total time - 2 hours max on a car, add 1.5 hours for the interior
two step - one compound, one polish, one wax - about 4 hours (note: this is not full swirl removal as it can take 3-4 steps to remove all swirls on most of the cars I see)
perfection - a long *** time
and another thing...if its taking you 5 hours working with just SIP, step up to a more aggressive compound, M105, then work away the haze and compound induced marring with a lighter polish and you should be sitting around 3 hours...I dont understand why some people will work a compound 4 times over to remove defects with the same compound...lots of wasted time there...
abbeysdad
05-24-2008, 06:00 PM
It`s not the time so much as the end result!