The #1 Thing Consuming Extra Time For You On a Detail?

[Jaddie]

This is Simple Green Crystal, totally different than the Simple Green APC or Simple Green Industrial Cleaner you may be familiar with.
Crystal is possibly the best de-greaser I have ever used, and is by far the best degreaser in working on hot panel surfaces or in direct sunlight.

I may have to give this is a try sometime.

Zep 505 works very well, too. Have you tried it? It`s available at Home Depot. I believe I`ve paid US$8.xx/gal. for it most of the time.

That is a tarp.
Used to protect the concrete from clean spotting and color staining from chemicals.
Also for environmental runoff protection.

Oh, I see. My driveway happened to have an asphalt driveway, and it does have a few clean stains. I could get rid of those in a jiffy, though with my handy dandy pressure washer and el-cheapo surface cleaning attachment.

Big Black Thing?
Not sure what you mean.
The black and yellow thing is a steamer.
The two black things with towels are waste baskets purchased new.
One for clean towels, one for dirty towels.
The very big black thing is a VW Passat, lol.

Wastebaskets. (Near the rear of the driver`s door.)

Thanks for answering my questions!

[Bunky]

I do not clean wheels as thoroughly as some (do not remove often, etc).

The biggest area for me is trim (plastic, chrome - real and fake, weatherstripping) and crevices (often around trim). They need to be cleaned and protected and plastic trim needs to be taped when doing polishing. When using Solution Finish, even more care is needed. I found if you protect trim before polishing tape does not stick to it so often do this after.

[Lonnie]

A lot of "non-obsessive-compulsive -detailed" oriented vehicle owners wonder why I "waste" time cleaning areas that will NEVER be seen by the average vehicle owner, like trunk spare tire cavities , door hinges, glove and storage boxes, engine compartments, under carriage and wheel arch shields/liners... well you get the picture. Or using cotton swabs (AKA Q-Tips) and soft tooth brushes to go over and remove excess product (or dirt I missed) from interior and exterior panel and trim seams, or vehicle chrome emblems/insignias or lettering on plastic signal lights... yup, it sounds like I AM an obsessive-compulsive detailer. That said, these "details" are what separates the head-snapping, better-than-new-looking, concourse-show-quality vehicle from a so-so nice-and-shiny car that every one has.
So while many feel it is a waste of time to be so OCD`d, EVERYONE likes/loves/admires the results.

A relatable parable/story:
A man attended a concert of a young violin and piano virtuoso who played an exquisite series of musical arrangements that astounded everyone in attendance. The man was so impressed he decided to meet the young musician after the concert to express his appreciation for the music he heard. When he greeted the musical virtuoso the man gave his thanks and said, " I would give my life to be able to play like that". The young musician replied, "I already have."

Dedication to a skill or endeavor may look like a "waist of time" to some, but it is that time that it takes to perfect the craft or skill involved that everyone can see and appreciate, but few are willing to invest in to become the craftsman or virtuoso.

[512detail]

A lot of "non-obsessive-compulsive -detailed" oriented vehicle owners wonder why I "waste" time cleaning areas that will NEVER be seen by the average vehicle owner...

Well said Lonnie. My clients often ask, why do you take off the license plate?

After advising them that I also coat the license plate and area behind it, they usually give me that wtf look, lol

Hell, i nano the logos



Fog lights, whatever

If it can be reached...

Great thread



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[Lonnie]

512detail:
Your post of pictures of the various Mopars/Chryslers that you`ve done speak volumes about your workmanship. It also points out that having the right tool(s) for the job makes doing the job easier, BUT you still have to have the skillset and ability from experience in using them properly.

As an extension of this thread discussion, there is a debate if vehicle detailing is an art form or a technical skill. It`s really a combination of both, but I lean toward the technical skill side more so because you are not "creating" something new, but rather restoring/servicing/cleaning vehicle interior and exterior surfaces that are composed of a wide variety of materials and shapes that require the proper usage of care-care chemicals and tools used to apply and remove them to achieve desired results that are, as we say in detailing, "eye candy" to look at. There is nothing more satisfying than having a vehicle owner say that their vehicle you detailed looks better than when they bought it or looks better than when it came off the showroom as a brand-new vehicle. It just takes time and attention to detail to achieve that. 512detail, you are the epitome of that statement.