1-step polish?

[Xcessiv]

Hi.

Let`s say you have ~8 hours to fully detail a car (interior, engine, exterior). The car is a black Mustang GT 2008 so the clear hardness is medium. The polisher is a Flex 3401 DA.

I don`t think I can do the usual SIP/Nano in less than 8 hours, because the outside/inside/engine/clay/sealant/wax processes will require around half of these 8 hours, leaving 4 hours to polish. What would you suggest to get the best finish on this black not too soft paint?

- Menzerna SIP on white pad?
- KB method on white pad?
- Menzerna 106FA on white pad: not enough cut and will not correct anything?
- KB method on orange pad: way too much cut, potentially leaves a cloudy finish?
- Menzerna SIP on orange pad: already tried it on other cars, cannot be done as a 1-step?

Thank you for your help.

[Troy@Protekt]

Man it`s hard for me to understand how 4 hours is rushing it to polish the paint considering I do most of my details complete in under 4 hours.

The good news is you have a FLEX. I would think 1.5 hours using an orange pad and your SIP (nothing stronger?). 1.5 hours using 106FA and a white pad leaving you an hour to wax/seal and do final wipe down.

If I was doing it I would get my hands on some M105 and be done with it in 2 hours tops using a white polish pad speed set at 5.

No need for KBM in my opinion.

[RANDAL]

YOU can do everything but polish in 4 hours?!? But not polish in the 4 remaining hours. It normally takes me 6-8 hours just to do the comeplete exterior, but usually 1 1/2 hours just to wash. Same for clay. 2 hours paint correction or more. 2nd polish or AIO under an hour. Dressing/cleaning wheels and tires another hour. Waxing and hand removal of wax about an hour. My wife does the interior. I normally dont wax as the AIO I use is PBs Polish with Sealant, getting 2 steps at a time.

[Xcessiv]

Here`s my personal experience with each step:
- Washing. Over 75% of the cars are very dirty. I`m under the impression that customers want the best bang for their money. I usually wash the car twice and spend a lot of time around the wheels to ensure that there`s nothing remaining. ~1 hour
Example of a dirty customer car: http://xcessiv.net/Alain/Init04.jpg
- Engine degreasing. Properly covering the electrical parts, protecting the chromed parts. ~0.5 hour
- Interior cleaning. The cars are usually summer beaters, so no salt or dirty interior. ~0.75 hour
- Clay. ~0.5 hour
- IPA wipedown. ~0.5 hour
- Klasse SG. Is a pain to apply. ~1 to ~1.5 hour
- P21S Concours. Very easy to apply. ~0.5 hour

Total, excluding polish: ~5 hours

Is it way too slow?

[JaredPointer]

Combine the clay and wash step for some time savings (i.e. clay as you wash). Drop the two washes to one wash, just be thorough to begin with. And why are you doing an IPA wipedown after clay? I don`t understand that step. I`d also probably skip topping a sealant that needs time to cure - I think you`re going against mfgr recommendations there. You may also want to look into an easier to use sealant.

IMHO, looks like you`re spending way too much time for what you`ve got listed, especially if you`re doing it and trying to make money at it.

For what you have listed, excluding polishing steps, I could do with something like PB`s Polish with Sealant in about 2-3 hours and remove minor cobwebbing to boot (using the Flex or a PC).

[Xcessiv]

I meant IPA wipedown after the polishes. I`ll try to clay as I wash, but I really like to top the sealant because the P21S leave a crazy gloss.

[JaredPointer]

Got ya. I do an IPA wipedown sometimes as well.

The only thing with topping immediately is that you may be negating what you did with the sealant. From what I have gathered via reading about sealants is that the molecules need time to cure to bond to the paint. When you immediately apply a wax over it, you just smear it around and, in effect, "polish" the sealant off by applying the wax over it. If that is truly the case, you`re wasting 1 - 1.5 hours with the KSG.

If slickness is your concern, I`d suggest an easier to use sealant the KSG that is slicker. Four Star UPP comes to mind, as does Z2Pro.

[Xcessiv]

I leave the sealant cure overnight, in order to reduce this negative effect... But you`re right, I could skip the wax.

[JaredPointer]

Well, that`s a little different. I was under the assumption from your post that you did it all right then and there. My mistake. Topping after the 12-24 hour curing period should be okay.

[Mr. Clean]

Combine the clay and wash step for some time savings (i.e. clay as you wash). Drop the two washes to one wash, just be thorough to begin with. ...
.

Yup!

The car is wet already you can get good tactile feedback with your wet soapy hand.

Troy, I`ll tell you...you are moving it unless all you are working on are sub-compacts. And I don`t do engine bays.

Even for my personal vehicles, which (I try) get cleaned regularly (cobbler`s kid`s shoes and all ) it will take me 40-60 minutes for the tires/wheels/wells. That is cleaning/polishing/dressing. A vehicle that is not in regularly can easily push the 60 minute threshold.

Glass is another clock buster.

The majority of the vehicles I see are mid-sized sedans owned by mature (30+) aged empty nesters, so I don`t have to clean up after many kids, but dogs are another deal. Pet hair removal can run up the clock on the interior. Thankfully most have leather interiors so instead of carpet and upholstery it`s just the carpet. And I really push matting for everyone. Some have even replaced their factory carpeted mats with the heavy duty rubber matting.

[blk45]

For what you want to achieve:

105 on LC white or white Kompressor or 203 on green German foam. The 105 option will be "quicker".

[blk45]

Man it`s hard for me to understand how 4 hours is rushing it to polish the paint considering I do most of my details complete in under 4 hours.

Geez Troy. You would run circles around me!

[Troy@Protekt]

Geez Troy. You would run circles around me!

I do it everyday and I`m set up to be efficient so I should be able to run circles around you.

Another thing is in most cases I don`t tape everything off which is a big time saver. Keep in mind I am not doing the absolute best polishing that can be done on most of the cars I do. They still get a better detail job from me than any other mobile guy in my area no matter what they charge or how long they take.

I`m sure if I took my time and took breaks I could stretch it out quite a bit but I tend to work straight through only stopping when an appointment needs to be made on the phone.

[Mr. Clean]

I do it everyday and I`m set up to be efficient so I should be able to run circles around you.

Another thing is in most cases I don`t tape everything off which is a big time saver. Keep in mind I am not doing the absolute best polishing that can be done on most of the cars I do. They still get a better detail job from me than any other mobile guy in my area no matter what they charge or how long they take.

I`m sure if I took my time and took breaks I could stretch it out quite a bit but I tend to work straight through only stopping when an appointment needs to be made on the phone.

I`m tellin` ya your efficient. I primarily have work brought to me, so I`ve got my cart + tools and products right there on hand. I also rarely tape, and when I do, I don`t tape off the entire vehicle life I`ve seen before. I just pay attention to edges and seams. Works pretty good for me. And even still you`ve got me beat at the clock. I do stop to take mini breaks and stretch, but I normally don`t stop to answer the phone.

[Troy@Protekt]

Here`s my personal experience with each step:
- Washing. Over 75% of the cars are very dirty. I`m under the impression that customers want the best bang for their money. I usually wash the car twice and spend a lot of time around the wheels to ensure that there`s nothing remaining. ~1 hour
Example of a dirty customer car: http://xcessiv.net/Alain/Init04.jpg
- Engine degreasing. Properly covering the electrical parts, protecting the chromed parts. ~0.5 hour
- Interior cleaning. The cars are usually summer beaters, so no salt or dirty interior. ~0.75 hour
- Clay. ~0.5 hour
- IPA wipedown. ~0.5 hour
- Klasse SG. Is a pain to apply. ~1 to ~1.5 hour
- P21S Concours. Very easy to apply. ~0.5 hour

Total, excluding polish: ~5 hours

Is it way too slow?

I work fast I will admit so yes some of this seems slow to me.

My wash part of my detail takes no more than 45 minutes on the average car and that`s usually including the claying too (I clay before I dry as long as I`m not in direct sunlight).

Average interiors usually take me about an hour.

Polishing varies but usually about an hour to an hour and a half.

I don`t always do IPA wipe downs, and if I do, it is just on the test spot to see how much cut I`m getting and to check how it is finishing. Once I see what it takes to get the results I`m looking for then I just go at it.

I don`t include the engine in a majority of my details but when I do it usually only adds about 20-30 minutes unless it requires metal polishing or extensive cleaning.

Applying the LSP is a breeze. I usually only apply one coat of paint protection. Topping a sealant with a wax is not in my normal routine. Then the only thing left to slow me down is the windows and I can even knock those out pretty fast these days.

This is an average detail for me and involves little to no metal polishing which can be time consuming. It does include a thorough cleaning and sealing of the wheels though.

There are lots of little things like treating the trim and removing old built up wax in the cracks that are thrown into the above proceedures of course. All in all my average details are quite a bit above average especially given the time I spend on them.

For the record I do and have done plenty of 8 hour details giving my absolute best when that is what is expected. I have to admit those are a bit tiring and are hard on this body. Using a polisher for too long can ruin my day.