Avg time range for polishing?

[TSC17]

For me, if the car needs more than one step I will almost never agree to just do one polishing step. When I am done with a car I want the paint to look as perfect as possible, which means if it needs heavy compounding, light compounding, and polishing then that`s what it gets.

I`m right there with you...well said

[Scottwax]

First of all what machines are you using in a one step?



For a one step I would use a PC not a rotary and to wash, clay, 1 step polishing, and full interior would take me about 4-5 hours max.



I don`t do one step polishing with the rotary so I don`t know. If I have to pull out the rotary then I am doing a full correction and that will really vary, but most take at least 8-10 hours for me to get it where I want it.



Josh

I agree completely. Too hard to get really good correction and finish hologram free with one stepping a car with a rotary.



Those only paying for 1 polishing step aren`t typically all that interested in the paint being perfect. They just want more shine and some protection. Like I mentioned in the other thread, a restaurant isn`t bringing out a steak to someone paying for a hamburger because they know the steak will be a better meal. Same with detailing. If someone isn`t paying for a multi-step correction process, I`m not going to go ahead and do it anyway out of the goodness of my heart.



Nothing wrong with trying to upsell a higher level detail but if the customer insists on a 1 step process, that is what I give them. I will do my best to make sure the car look as absolutely good as it can for what they are paying.

[Scottwax]

I think the biggest relevant difference here is in claying... I simply cannot understand how someone can clay a Toyota Camry in an hour or less... I just recorded myself claying the trunk on my mother`s 2003 Corolla and it took roughly 4-5 minutes to do half the trunk, which is usually one of the least contaminated panels!

-

I clay as I wash with ONR, maybe adds 20 minutes to the time to wash. You must live in an area with heavy industrial fallout or something. Here in the Dallas area, unless someone was parked under pine trees, drove through fresh tar or got paint overspray on their car, claying goes very fast because the contamination is pretty minimal. Usually the worst area is the trunk lid and top of the rear bumper.



You should find as you revisit your customer`s cars in a few months that they take less work each successive detail.

[Envious Eric]

I agree completely. Too hard to get really good correction and finish hologram free with one stepping a car with a rotary.



Those only paying for 1 polishing step aren`t typically all that interested in the paint being perfect. They just want more shine and some protection. Like I mentioned in the other thread, a restaurant isn`t bringing out a steak to someone paying for a hamburger because they know the steak will be a better meal. Same with detailing. If someone isn`t paying for a multi-step correction process, I`m not going to go ahead and do it anyway out of the goodness of my heart.



Nothing wrong with trying to upsell a higher level detail but if the customer insists on a 1 step process, that is what I give them. I will do my best to make sure the car look as absolutely good as it can for what they are paying.

^^^^ agreed! :xyxthumbs



I would love to give every car 10hrs+ but if there is no dough, then no go!

[TSC17]

I`m not sure that anybody is saying they`re going to do the extra steps for free here, but I agree with your point.

[imported_DetailDan]

Unless your quick glazing over a finish, I can`t see how anyone can properly do a 1-step polish(with any level of correction) in less than 6-8 hours *from start to finish*. For me to properly wash>clay>tape>test panel>polish>wash>solvent wipe down>LSP an entire vehicle, it`s an all day (10-12 hrs) process MINIMUM. If someone can do all this (properly) in 1/2 the time, I need to retire while I`m still young OR lower my standards of quality.

I agree 100%! If someone isnt looking to pay for a properly detailed car, then they can go to the other guy. There are plenty of hacks out there. Then they can come back to me when their paint is all screwed up.

[imported_Picus]

I still think we`re all talking about different things. One stepping a car that needs more than one step will lead to one of two results; either the car will still have marring or it will have holograms. I am pretty sure we all get that. One stepping a car that only needs one step can lead to a swirl and hologram free finish.

[Envious Eric]

i think I was just thrown off by the numbers...and then I got kinda carried away in the technicalities of it all...



the way I was looking at it was on an hourly basis....



i have my pricing structure setup at $60/hr



according to some others on here, a one step taking 6+ hours should yield about $360-$400 dollars...there is no way people are going to pay that for only 50% clearer paint. cant go from M105 to lsp, maybe 83, but the marring should be cleaned up, which leads to a 2step detail



I can see using ultrafina, or 80, or OP, as a one step, then waxing (as some figure a one step to be) but if you have to really work it in and spend 5 minutes per section, you had better be billing by the hour because at a set rate, I find that you might be way under your hourly rate.



outside only, IMO, with a one step + clay should take about 2-3 hours or so...not counting interior quick cleanups.

[imported_d00t]

Wow.. $60/hr? I wish I can charge that! That means for my M3 detail I should be charging $900.. Goodness!



I guess it all depends on location and how you market. More power to you!

[David Fermani]

according to some others on here, a one step taking 6+ hours should yield about $360-$400 dollars...there is no way people are going to pay that for only 50% clearer paint. cant go from M105 to lsp, maybe 83, but the marring should be cleaned up, which leads to a 2step detail



I can see using ultrafina, or 80, or OP, as a one step, then waxing (as some figure a one step to be) but if you have to really work it in and spend 5 minutes per section, you had better be billing by the hour because at a set rate, I find that you might be way under your hourly rate.



outside only, IMO, with a one step + clay should take about 2-3 hours or so...not counting interior quick cleanups.

Alot of my business is 1 step polishes (protection service) on brand new vehicles where paint is mostly defect free. I don`t believe in LSPing a vehicle without enhancing the gloss 1st. You can guarantee that if one of my clients brings me a near "perfect" vehicle and I spend an entire day going through every inch of it, the appearance is greatly improved. Just because there isn`t any "defects" per se, I still polish the paint for 5-8 hours alone. Just imagine how much extra time is spent when there`s correction involved....

[Envious Eric]

^^^ I hear ya...every 3 months I can tell a difference on cars that I just poliseal (my own and a few clients), I can only imagine if they wanted something like 80/FPII then waxing

[EcoAutoCT]

After reading this thread I think I`ve only gathered one piece of information, that everyone`s definition of one step is different and their methodology varies accordingly.



One step is just that, 1 singular step. Two steps being polish then wax/sealant, 2 separate steps.



I do a few 1 steps each month catering to the customers who already have their `details` done by local shops, but prefer a service provider that is mobile. My price has to compete with the others advertised and floats from $140-$180 depending on condition and size of vehicle. While technically this package does not include the separate swirls/glaze/dirty wax that they`ve grown accustomed to, it does provide a shiny, uniform and protected paint surface with a clean interior. And it may not be fully corrected, but it`s better than when I started and there`s no shame in that.



800 Wash, wheels, wells

830-845 Clay front end, mirrors

845-900 Remove large contaminants and spot Meguiars 85 a few scratches

900-945 Optimum Poli-Seal w/ 3M Black Foam

945-11 Interior, windows, jambs

Done in 2.5-3 hours



These customers aren`t expecting miracles, and I explain that this process won`t remove medium/heavy scratches, won`t lift difficult carpet stains, and won`t provide next to new results. Still they are always impressed when they come and check it out afterward. It doesn`t matter 3 hours or 9 hours, give the customer your expectations for each package and tell them what they will see for results- not the other way around.

[MichaelM]

What polishes/pads do you use for the 1-step in that one hour?

I typically use a finishing polish like Menzerna 106, FPII, or Meguiars #80 with a white LC pad on a BO6040.

I guess what I`m trying to get at is that there`s no way it can be done in the same time with a DA as with a rotary

Not to put anyone`s work down, but I think, in reality, if you were to compare a full video of a 4 and 8 hour 1-step detail you`d see a lot of difference and more done in the 8 hours...

I don`t know about those two quotes. There are many different tricks and differences in each detailers system that can end up saving a ton of time while maintaining quality in the finished product. I don`t know how many cars you have done total but the more you do the more you learn. For reference 2500 details and 2800 hand washes have passed through my shop in the last three and a half years. Also I have detailed on and off for some 10 yrs. previous for three different shop owners who each had their own ways of doing things. W/O putting two cars next to each other to inspect in person this is all just healthy debate about what "quality" really is.



I know you aren`t singleing me out, i`m just stating my experience to compare as i`m sure there is much variation from one user to the next on this site and much we can all learn from each other because of the fact that there is no set standards in this profession. You can see some pics of my work if you like on the website listed in my profile.

[imported_Ivan Rajic]

I typically use a finishing polish like Menzerna 106, FPII, or Meguiars #80 with a white LC pad on a BO6040.



I don`t know about those two quotes. There are many different tricks and differences in each detailers system that can end up saving a ton of time while maintaining quality in the finished product. I don`t know how many cars you have done total but the more you do the more you learn. For reference 2500 details and 2800 hand washes have passed through my shop in the last three and a half years. Also I have detailed on and off for some 10 yrs. previous for three different shop owners who each had their own ways of doing things. W/O putting two cars next to each other to inspect in person this is all just healthy debate about what "quality" really is.



I know you aren`t singleing me out, i`m just stating my experience to compare as i`m sure there is much variation from one user to the next on this site and much we can all learn from each other because of the fact that there is no set standards in this profession. You can see some pics of my work if you like on the website listed in my profile.

I understand what you`re saying... I`m always ready to learn some time saving tips, but my main reason for posting here is that I honestly cannot see how a certain polish can be worked for such a short time... I know if I personally work with #80 and/or 106ff (working time is similar) for only a minute or two, there`s no way I`ll work them in properly and get the best results out of them... however, I do know that even if I just do 1 pass left and 1 pass right at about 1200rpm the surface will get better than what it was before... basically what I`m trying to say is unless the machine you`re using shortens the working time of these polishes, which I don`t see how it would when it takes longer with a rotary, I don`t think you`re getting the results you could be getting, thus the difference in "quality"... then again if you`re doing a 1-step in 4 hours and getting 70% correction while I`m doing it in 8 hours and getting 80% correction, quality is debatable solely based on the time/money... kinda like you get what you paid for...



I know for sure, from watching videos, Todd and Dave from the UK take almost 2x as long as I do to break down polishes so I feel as if I`m not even up to the quality of work where I could/should be with the particular pad/polish combos... for example I think I`ve seen Todd work with LC white and 106ff for 5-6 minutes on a small section, meaning there`s no way he can possibly finish a 1-step in those 4-5 hours, simply because you can`t speed up the working time of a polish.



Oh and no, I wasn`t singling you out, simply trying to understand how you guys that can do a 1-step in 4-5 hours work and what exactly you do compared to myself.

[bwalker25]

I dont see why you can`t do a 1 step in 4 - 5 hours. I by no means go for or get perfection or near it with a 1 step my customers understand that and are fine with it. To my customers quality is a better looking car, they dont care to know about swirls or what needs to be done to get them out, they are not your car enthusiast. If I tell them about the swirls then they think I am talking over their head and they ignore me and go somewhere else, they just dont want to be educated (the majority). They just want a shiny car and want it to feel smooth. Shiny to a customer is not the same thing as shiny to us. I try to upsell to the customer and if they refuse I give them exactly what they pay for. I am not going to serve the customer up with a 2 step for the price of a wash and wax. A detail that many of us would consider crappy or "C" quality work is in reality "A" quality work to most of car owners. We are a VERY small minority that know or care about swirls, claying, oxidation, industrial fall out, etc. The vast majority of people in my area dont care to know what swirls/etc are. I will spot polish problem areas most of the time just to be nice depending on the customer.



However, If a customer mentions 1 stepping their car to get swirls out, I ask them what else they expect out of this detail and inform them that I am not Jesus or a miracle worker so lets go take a look. On initial inspection I always tell the customer if you can feel it with your finger nail its to deep to get out. Most of the time I can upsell a customer that requests a 1 step to a 2 or 3 step detail, because these people are semi-educated about paint and car care and actually want there car to look the very best possible. People that dont care about paint or car care are far less likely to want perfection, however I try to make it look as good as I can for what they pay. I`m not saying that the vast majority of people dont care about paint or the way there car looks, they just have a different perception of what good looks like. I cater to a different clientel base than a lot of people on here do. I cater to lower middle class and people that just want wash/wax quikie types done. My prices are lower than most other shops and I stay busy constantly with a steady stream of cars. More cars = more money for me



Just because it would look better to do a 1 or 2 step on a car doesn`t mean I am going to just do it for the same price as a wash/wax. I keep what the customer wants and expects in my mind and I go a little beyond that and they are thrilled.



I just noticed its taken me like 30 minutes to write this! FWIW I know my 1 step can look better, but my customers dont/can`t leave there car`s all day. Given the time constraints that all/most of my customers have I can`t take all day and have to go fast and sacrafice some quality, they are still thrilled though....