Scottwax
08-01-2008, 10:14 PM
Every June, a law firm in Dallas has me out to detail several cars. One year it was 21 but the past two years they`ve had 8 of them done, said from now on they are only doing them for the people who actually appreciate it. Anyway, their parking lot is blacktop and from 10:30 AM to around 4:00 PM, I am pretty much in the full sun when working there. Good times. On top of all that, the first week of June was insanely windy in the Dallas area, pretty much the first week I was there, the wind was blowing 25-35 mph with gusts above 40. Ugh.
The law firm pays for a basic detail, which is a full interior cleaning and protection and one polishing step and wax. Nothing fancy, no major correction unless the employee wants to make up the difference. Usually can do two vehicles in around 8 hours with this type of detail. I`m obviously not achieving concourse level work, but the cars look noticably better even with one polishing step and the customers are happy enough with my work that this was the 7th year in a row they`ve had me out.
Oh yeah, the "June" part is right. I am that behind in posting stuff. Busy summer plus I`ve gotten into road biking pretty hardcore lately. Rode 462 miles in July. Looking to clear 500 this month. :)
For all the interior work, the leather/vinyl was cleaned with Woolite/water at a 10:1 dillution, the carpets cleaned with BioKleen Traffic Lane Cleaner. Vinyl dressed with Optimum Protectant Plus and leather with Leather Master`s Leather Vital. The cars were all washed with ONR, fenderwells and tires dressed with NASCAR Ultra Shine Tire Finish (I think I finally bought out Big Lots on the stuff!). The paint was polished as follows:
LS460: Optimum Poli-Seal with a blue Soft Edge polishing pad @ 1000 rpm. OPS is a really nice light polish and will finish down hologram free, but it really isn`t suited for full sun conditions with mid 90 temperatures.
Accord and Altima: Clearkote`s Pink Moose (hadn`t yet added the "plus" when I did this set of details) with a blue Propel finishing pad @ 1200, finishing at 1000 rpms. Hologram free but it flashes off pretty quick with the rotary. However, the Nissan has pretty hard paint and the Accord has single stage paint (note to self, never, ever buy a white Accord) so I needed the extra oomph of the rotary. Looking back, Ultrafina probably would have been a better choice.
The rest: Pink Moose via PC using a yellow Meguiars polishing pad. They were all in really good shape and needed minimal polishing.
All vehicles were sealed with Clearkote`s Carnauba Moose. Works amazingly well in the full sun on the hottest of days.
I don`t have pictures of one of the vehicles, the person driving it was the son of the owner of the law firm and he needed to leave 10 minutes before I finished it. Posted it when I did it last year. BTW, that was the car I found the rotting Stoffer`s meat loaf dinner in the trunk. Been there long enough to make the entire car smell like death and for the coloring on the package to fade.
2001 Lexus RX300
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_front1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_frontend1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_rear1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_flake.jpg
2003 Nissan Altima
Before-thought I`d focused better than that...
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_before.jpg
Pink Moose via rotary:
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_after.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_front1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_frontend1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_rear1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_side1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_interior.jpg
The law firm pays for a basic detail, which is a full interior cleaning and protection and one polishing step and wax. Nothing fancy, no major correction unless the employee wants to make up the difference. Usually can do two vehicles in around 8 hours with this type of detail. I`m obviously not achieving concourse level work, but the cars look noticably better even with one polishing step and the customers are happy enough with my work that this was the 7th year in a row they`ve had me out.
Oh yeah, the "June" part is right. I am that behind in posting stuff. Busy summer plus I`ve gotten into road biking pretty hardcore lately. Rode 462 miles in July. Looking to clear 500 this month. :)
For all the interior work, the leather/vinyl was cleaned with Woolite/water at a 10:1 dillution, the carpets cleaned with BioKleen Traffic Lane Cleaner. Vinyl dressed with Optimum Protectant Plus and leather with Leather Master`s Leather Vital. The cars were all washed with ONR, fenderwells and tires dressed with NASCAR Ultra Shine Tire Finish (I think I finally bought out Big Lots on the stuff!). The paint was polished as follows:
LS460: Optimum Poli-Seal with a blue Soft Edge polishing pad @ 1000 rpm. OPS is a really nice light polish and will finish down hologram free, but it really isn`t suited for full sun conditions with mid 90 temperatures.
Accord and Altima: Clearkote`s Pink Moose (hadn`t yet added the "plus" when I did this set of details) with a blue Propel finishing pad @ 1200, finishing at 1000 rpms. Hologram free but it flashes off pretty quick with the rotary. However, the Nissan has pretty hard paint and the Accord has single stage paint (note to self, never, ever buy a white Accord) so I needed the extra oomph of the rotary. Looking back, Ultrafina probably would have been a better choice.
The rest: Pink Moose via PC using a yellow Meguiars polishing pad. They were all in really good shape and needed minimal polishing.
All vehicles were sealed with Clearkote`s Carnauba Moose. Works amazingly well in the full sun on the hottest of days.
I don`t have pictures of one of the vehicles, the person driving it was the son of the owner of the law firm and he needed to leave 10 minutes before I finished it. Posted it when I did it last year. BTW, that was the car I found the rotting Stoffer`s meat loaf dinner in the trunk. Been there long enough to make the entire car smell like death and for the coloring on the package to fade.
2001 Lexus RX300
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_front1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_frontend1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_rear1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492000_Lexus_RX300_flake.jpg
2003 Nissan Altima
Before-thought I`d focused better than that...
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_before.jpg
Pink Moose via rotary:
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_after.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_front1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_frontend1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_rear1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_side1.jpg
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/data/500/28492003_Nissan_Altima_interior.jpg