Todays Detail: Couple Questions

[91LSMAN]

Good Work. :cool

[Clean Dean]

I think @ $175 plus $30 for the engine is a respectible number (give or take $20 in each direction). Thats about the average rate a shop in our area would charge, plus you are more convenient for the customer.

jason rawls

I practice and believe that every car should be clayed prior to polishing. Claying leaves the exterior so clean and ready for compounding and polishing. I feel that the extra time I spend claying reduces the amount of time I need to buff out the exterior. I could not detail a car without claying.

[TheSopranos16]

Thanks to everyone so far for the responses. I also felt that I had charged too little, but I am just starting out and it was a first time customer so I didn`t want him to feel I was overpriced. He knows a lot of people so he can help me network a lot through word of mouth. But if I could do it over again, I would have charged more or done less, because it took me a lot of time for only 140.

[ohsoclean]

i too am in new jersey in bergen county area . i woulda charged 160 for the in and out no engine and no clay . people will pay it and they have no prob comin up wit that kind of money if they are driving a lexus . i dunno everyones diffrent i guess it would deped on the condition of the cars in and out too though no ? anyways good job it looks good .

[6cyl's_of_fury]

Originally posted by awd330
I`ve tried SSR1 vs VM, but not one on top of the other. I think the appearance of SSR1 is very similar to VM. SSR1 has the advantage for removing paint imperfections, while VM has the advantage in being able to hide imperfections. VM is probably just a shade wetter. Keep us posted about your findings.

I disagree. VM, when applied with a PC and polishing pads DOES remove imperfections, not just hide them. A quick once over with IPA/Water afterwards showed this on my weekend detail.

[awd330]

Originally posted by 6cyl`s_of_fury
I disagree. VM, when applied with a PC and polishing pads DOES remove imperfections, not just hide them. A quick once over with IPA/Water afterwards showed this on my weekend detail.

Actually, I never said that VM was not capable of removing imperfections. I only meant that, in a head to head comparison with SSR1, SSR1 is better at that task.

[TruckTechniques]

Great advice in this thread :cool

How do you guys do the paint on these vehicles without claying the vehicle first? To me that would give less than desireable results...

Personally, I`m with Clean Dean and would clay every vehicle I touched the paint on.

[DetailPrincess]

Great detai TheSopranos!! The interior looks especially good

[ScreeminGTP]

I agree with Dean as well. When detailing the car I have to at least do the hood, roof, and the trunk area. Without that I feel like I am just sweeping the dirt under the rug.