Hi from Tennessee!

[EngineerNate]

Hi Guys!

Long time lurker finally joining up! I recently made the jump to doing some part time paid detailing and decided that was a good reason to start participating more actively on the forums here instead of just lurking.


These are the first two cars I`ve done as a "detailer" and not just a hobbyist. By that I mean, I was paid to do the work. I`m still very much a novice and learning as I go. These cars belong to friends that trusted my hobbyist experience and didn`t have the cash or desire to hire a more established detailer. I`m trying to get both my skills up and get some good pictures in the hopes that I can turn this into a little part-time job while I finish grad school.


Enjoy the pics, and I welcome any feedback!


E36 M3:

Before: https://imgur.com/a/0R4HU

After: https://imgur.com/a/ymX3s

This was my first car. I used a bunch of products I had on hand for this. Primarily Meg`s Ultimate Interior Detailer and the Lexol twins on the inside. After washing/claying, the outside got a 2-step with Ultimate Compound/Polish with LC flat and CCS orange and white pads respetively. I used an inexpensive clothing steamer on the seats. LSP was Meg`s Ultimate Paste Wax.

I added up my time and this car took 32 hours to finish.


2006 330i

I took what I learned from the M3 and applied it to this car. I ended up being able to work a bit faster, but not as fast as I`d like! Still around 3 days total for interior/exterior washing + the paint correction. This got a one step with Griots BOSS orange pads and Ultimate compound due to budget constraints. I spot corrected various defects with UC and the white BOSS pad as well. This was also my first experience with bulk products, and what an improvement! I used N-914, the McKee`s 37 Hi-Intensity APC+, and Meg`s D156 extensively for this detail and having them in bulk saved me a bundle.

Claying and decontaminating the car went quick aside from the rear RHS quarter and rear door. The overspray shown in the photos was incredibly stubborn. I settled on a process of softening the overspray with lacquer remover followed by claying, then repeating that process until the spots released from the paint. After completing this, I kept a small bit of clay and the N-914 with me during the entire polishing process as I kept finding tiny bits that I`d missed. I`d estimate I removed 100 or so individual spots, one at a time. Next time I`m faced with something like this I`d like to try one of the nanoskin products to speed things up as recommended by users on this forum.

Before: https://imgur.com/a/qwKVx

After: https://imgur.com/a/7o7UN

The regimen I used on the 330i is as follows:

Exterior
Products (In order of application):
-Meg`s Dub Color Change Wheel Cleaner
-Megs Gold Class Wash
-Chenille mitts/various brushes/3 bucket method
-Sonax Fallout Remover
-McKee`s 37 Clay with N-914 at 1:128 as lubricant
-Aerospace 303 on black trim/rubber (Applied first to make removal of any sling easier)
-Griot`s BOSS White Pad + Meg`s Ultimate Compound
-Griot`s BOSS Orange Pad + Meg`s Ultimate Compound
-McKee`s 37 N-914 @ 1:8 to prep for sealants
-Megs Spray Headlight Sealant/UV Protectant (Tail lights only, waiting on owner to see if he want`s to proceed further with the headlights)
-Meg`s Ultimate Fast Finish
-Stoner`s Invisible Glass
-Meg`s D156 as LSP and wheel wax
-Mothers FX Tire Shine
-Aerospace 303 again.

In general, I`d follow the UC with UP or M205 but that was out of the budget with this customer so I found a compromise that finished out to an acceptable level while maintaining decent correcting power. I REALLY like the Griot`s BOSS pads. Can`t wait to use them on my personal vehicles in the coming weeks.

Interior:
Products used:
-Folex Carpet Stain Lifter
-McKee`s 37 Hi-Intensity APC+ 10:1
-Megs Ultimate Quick Interior Detailer
-Lexol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
-Steam!
-Aerospace 303 Protectant
-Plenty of microfibers
-Solo Horton Brushes


Thanks for looking!

[GearHead_1]

Welcome to the forum.

[nickclark08]

Welcome to the forum, and from one engineer to another, great work! What type of Engineering? Civil myself.

[EngineerNate]

Welcome to the forum, and from one engineer to another, great work! What type of Engineering? Civil myself.

I`ve primarily worked in aerospace, doing composites R&D and prototyping. I`m currently working on a masters in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on structural analysis. I felt like I had some gaps in my knowledge so I went back to school to fill them in.

[Angus]

[Ronkh]

hi

[Civicclutch]

Welcome


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[nickclark08]

Similar story here - went back for the masters after 5 years in the industry. Sounds like a similar catalyst; realizing what you don`t know / need to know better sends you right back into school. Glad to have you aboard and good luck with your studies!

I`ve primarily worked in aerospace, doing composites R&D and prototyping. I`m currently working on a masters in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on structural analysis. I felt like I had some gaps in my knowledge so I went back to school to fill them in.

[EngineerNate]

Similar story here - went back for the masters after 5 years in the industry. Sounds like a similar catalyst; realizing what you don`t know / need to know better sends you right back into school. Glad to have you aboard and good luck with your studies!

Well, it was that and needing to move across the country to get hitched and not finding a job I wanted.

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