1st Time Detailing Car.....

[Mitchsdiamonddetail]

FIRST OF ALL I`M NEW TO THIS BOARD SO WHATS UP TO EVERYONE ON HERE...ANYWAYS I WAS THINKING OF TAKING MY CAR TO A PROFESSIONAL DETAIL SHOP FOR THE 1ST TIME AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH WOULD I EXPECT TO PAY FOR A FULL DETAIL INSIDE AND OUT? I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW IF ITS POSSIBLE TO REMOVE SCRATCHES FROM THE CAR...I HAD GONE TO A CAR WASH LAST WEEKEND AND ENDED UP USING THE BRUSH AND AS I LOOKED AT THE CAR IN THE SUN ALL I COULD SEE WERE SCRATCHES ALL OVER THE HOOD AND BODY, YOU THINK TAKING IT TO THE DETAILER WOULD HELP? OH I HAVE A 98 BLACK CADILLAC DEVILLE

[ultrajim49]

WELCOME!



Need to shout `cause your caps lock is ON

Turn it off please.



That`s better



Verry welcome



You`re in the right place to learn all about detailing.

May I suggest you read the first 8 chapters of David`s book first,

then

Autopia has a perfectly working search-engine , so, please use it.



If you have further Questions :

ask:xyxthumbs



Christiaan

[Lowejackson]

Welcome to Autopia



You could take your car to a local detailer or you could learn to do it your self. My advice would be to read a lot, download the DavidB`s book (1st 8 chapters are free) and then decide if you want to pay somebody to do the work.



Steven

[imported_BretFraz]

Welcome to Autopia.



Where in Texas are you? We may have some locals who can steer you in the right direction.



Have you asked anyone locally for a referral?



Have a look at Autopia University. There`s a sticky there about pro detailing shops and referrals. You might find someone there.



Also read the threads in the Pro Detailer area.



Autopia is a community focused on the do-it-yourself`er so if you want to tackle the job yourself, all the info here can help you decide what to buy and how to use it.

[Mitchsdiamonddetail]

oops my bad!:nixweiss i didnt know....i stay in midland tx...

[msmcdon]

Hi big bub.... welcome to the forum!



To answer some of your questions: It sounds like the scratches you are talking about are spiderweb swirls, caused by improper washing (those do-itp-yourself brush wands) and/or improper drying/polishing/waxing and generally just breathing incorrectly around your car`s finish.



(That last one is to see if you`re awake.)



Anyway... yes, a professional detailer can take those swirls out. If you go, make sure it`s a reputable shop. I`m sure there are a few out there who will just coat your Caddy in a greasy product that only hides the swirls and doesn`t remove them. They`ll reappear as soon as that product wears away and you`re out some cash.



But YOU can take those out with a little research and a little elbow grease (or an orbital polisher if you have one.) As others have mentioned, do a search for "swirls" and you`ll get a massive amount of threads to read... all from how swirls appear to how to remove them. A good rule of thumb is that if you can feel the scratches with your fingernail, then they are beyond swirls and are too deep for removal this way. They will require much more extensive repair work.



As to the general pricing.... it depends on your area. I know there are a couple professional Texan detailers that hang out here, Scottwax being one of them. I`m not sure how close you are to him, but he may be able to help you either himself or direct you to a quality detailer.



Regardless, hope you stay a while and learn about the wonderful curse that is proper auto care!



:wavey

[Lowejackson]

If you have ever seen Scottwax`s cars, he can do great work. My paintwork looks nothing like the stuff he does.



Steven