Areas at a time

[zaink]

i was wondering if i should just wash-clay-polish-wax one area at a time ie: the hood, then the side... or should i wash whole car, then clay all of it and so on...



what do you guys recommend?

[buldog]

Best to do small sections at a time.

[Accumulator]

Concentrating on a limited area can often lead to better results. Doing a "full detail" can be a pretty big job, and unless you can keep the vehicle off the road for a few days you might find it overwhelming. After the first few hours many people find they start to get a little careless. I`ll often do a daily-driver "piecemeal", doing a panel or two after every wash until I have it all done.



Wash the vehicle, and maybe do a little light "spot-claying" as you wash it. Then get it all dried off and consider what/how much you want to continue on with.

[SK2003TypeS]

I usually break up my car into 3 parts (front, middle, rear). I`m really slow, so I`ll spend a day focusing on just the hood, 2 front quarters and bumper. Ideally, I`d take a week off from work to do the full car if I could.

I think it`ll depend on the individual and how far you want to go with it. I still use the recommendation of the 2x2 area and carefully inspect those "blocks" of paint. I still don`t understand how people are able to wash, clay, polish and finish off a car in one day.

The only thing I do all in one shot is a wash...and the quick wash usually ends up taking over an hour.

[imported_memnuts]

I am slow, become fatigued and disinterested after a few hours of real detailed car care. I always divide the vehicle into sections that are integrated. What I mean by that is I may decide to do the hood and top SUV) and trunk (car), above the beltline the next time, below the beltline the next and the front and rear bumper and fascia another time. This is the regimen for both my daily drivers and my garage queen weekend warrior (Z28 Convertible).

The Z28 may take me 2-3 weeks to finally complete but of course it isn`t driven during these partial detailing sessions.

The same focused detailing holds true for my interiors.



I marvel at professionals that can accomplish the whole vehicle in one session, remained "detail" focused and still produce quality work.

[White95Max]

For full details for customers, I don`t have a choice but to wash the whole car, clay the whole car, polish the whole car, and then seal the whole car. I can`t do part of the car one day and some more the next day.

Then of course there`s the interior and engine bay...



For MY car in the springtime/summertime, every week I apply a new coat of wax to 1/3 of the car (hood/front bumper/fenders, doors/roof, or trunk/rear bumper/quarter panels). That means none of the car goes more than 3 weeks without being waxed again.



But when I`m doing a full detail on my car, I do the whole car in each step like I do with customer cars.

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by blkZ28Conv

I am slow, become fatigued and disinterested after a few hours of real detailed car care. I always divide the vehicle into sections that are integrated...



Heh heh, :bow to your honesty. Same here.




The Z28 may take me 2-3 weeks to finally complete but of course it isn`t driven during these partial detailing sessions.

The same focused detailing holds true for my interiors...



Yeah, that`s how it goes with my pampered cars too. Just the only way I can do it to my satisfaction. Heh heh, at least you *can* complete your F-body, seems my Jag is never really "done" :o

[imported_memnuts]

Originally posted by Accumulator

Yeah, that`s how it goes with my pampered cars too. Just the only way I can do it to my satisfaction. Heh heh, at least you *can* complete your F-body, seems my Jag is never really "done" :o



That is why this hobby is so interesting. There is always something to do and perfection is always one Q-tip beyond reach. :xyxthumbs

[SK2003TypeS]

Good point about the fatigue factor. I`ve had to cancel scheduled days to do some detailing because I wasn`t mentally there.

[mdsmithers]

Originally posted by Accumulator

I`ll often do a daily-driver "piecemeal", doing a panel or two after every wash until I have it all done.



me too, I can do one panel and keep an eye on the kids in the front yard. The bad thing is my wife thinks I`m always working on the car. :nixweiss

[TW85 HHI]

Because it is only a hobby for me, I usually take several days or weeks to fully detail a car. It can easily take me 15-20 hours to thoroughly detail a full size truck and 10-12 hours to do my car. I lose interest after several hours of work and start taking shortcuts. To avoid the shortcuts and potential mistakes/damage, I force myself to carry the detail into future days.



However, I don`t do one panel at a time. I will wash the entire car, clay the entire car, and then consider calling it a day. Sometimes I will move onto the polishing steps but because they can be so time consuming, I often just wait.

[wannafbody]

if your using a pc you can do sections easier-with a rotary due to the splatter dots you pretty much have to polish the car at one time and wipe it all off and add a quick cleaner wax like AIO or colorx

[imported_Denzil]

I haven`t done a full detail like you guys have yet but I usually don`t lose interest when I`m in my groove. Listening to music or talking to some friends while you work definitely helps you out. Of course, if I have the option to do it over a span of days, then I`ll openly take that option. :D