Full detail Time length

**325iSBimmer** · 05-28-2005, 08:26 PM

How long does it take on person to detail ur average vehicle in average paint and interior shape.

I find I ussually log in about 5-6 hours. But heres my problem. Its ussually takes like 8-9 hours.

heres why.

I hand wash the vehicle and thuroughly clean the rims and tires and dry the vehicle the best I can. then I move on into the interior hoping that by the time im done inside the outside will be dry in the areas where water likes to hide (mirrors, behind tail lights, seems)

But it seems everytime I go to do the ouside I get water the finds its way out once the PC is vibrating near the panel and then water gets on the pad, smears the polish and just creates a pain in my arse to remove.

How do u pros go about this little issue. cause time is money

**imported_themightytimmah** · 05-28-2005, 09:12 PM

Takes me 8-9 hours fairly often too, and thats with a Cyclo for polishing. I guess a lot of it has to do with my ever so slightly anal nature, I usually end up taking the seats out and a lot of trim apart. Exterior trim too, sometimes. I like to think that I do the best work in the state, and I focus on a very high end market, so I usually turn 200-300 for 8-9 hours. I spent 6 hours today just working on my own car, and I didn`t even touch the interior.

**Ron Harris** · 05-29-2005, 07:05 AM

I figure 2 hours inside and 2 hours outside. For an average detail on an average car. Tine is money and if the customer wants to spend the extra money I will spend the extra time

**Thomas Dekany** · 05-29-2005, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by 325iSBimmer

How long does it take on person to detail ur average vehicle in average paint and interior shape.

I find I ussually log in about 5-6 hours. But heres my problem. Its ussually takes like 8-9 hours.

heres why.

I hand wash the vehicle and thuroughly clean the rims and tires and dry the vehicle the best I can. then I move on into the interior hoping that by the time im done inside the outside will be dry in the areas where water likes to hide (mirrors, behind tail lights, seems)

But it seems everytime I go to do the ouside I get water the finds its way out once the PC is vibrating near the panel and then water gets on the pad, smears the polish and just creates a pain in my arse to remove.

How do u pros go about this little issue. cause time is money

If you have one of those shop wacs with the blower, you can get the excess water out with.

**rollman** · 05-29-2005, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by Dent`s & Details

I figure 2 hours inside and 2 hours outside. For an average detail on an average car. Tine is money and if the customer wants to spend the extra money I will spend the extra time

Thats about the same time I allow for the average detail.:xyxthumbs

**AMDin93103** · 05-29-2005, 12:46 PM

Originally posted by 325iSBimmer

. . . Its ussually takes like 8-9 hours.. .

I hand wash the vehicle and thuroughly clean the rims and tires and dry the vehicle the best I can.

I move on into the interior hoping that by the time im done inside the outside will be dry in the areas where water likes to hide (mirrors, behind tail lights, seems)

But it seems everytime I go to do the ouside I get water the finds its way out once the PC is vibrating near the panel and then water gets on the pad, smears the polish and just creates a pain in my arse to remove.

Don`t underestimate simple tools such as a $3 brush to clean lug nuts, the proper applicators for certain materials, the containers your products are in. Even where you put your products is important during a detail. If you were to save ten minutes using the lug nut brush, applicators that have the appropriate footprint saving you five minutes and were to place your polish bottles in your back pocket instead of bending down for each section you could spare maybe five more minutes. That is 20 minutes, around $15 in time for me.

By washing then doing the interior you are breaking your stride. I go right at the interior while I have the energy. It`s harder (for me) to scrub pedals, vacuum headliners and extract a door panel than polishing almost any part of a vehicle. Also, when you wash then break off to the interior you are not going to remember the defects that you observed while on your first step. Get yourself a small air compressor or a vacuum that has a blowing feature to purge the crevices/seams so you don`t have to wait for them to dry. Some days they won`t.

Be conscious of where you spend your time on each vehicle. When it is done, replay the job in your mind and decide where you lost valuable minutes on unnecessary tasks, lost products etcetera.

HTH

**Scottwax** · 05-29-2005, 08:18 PM

4-6 hours for most cars, 4.5-8 hours for trucks and SUVs depending on size and condition. I have a system down that really helps. I do the vehicles in the same order every time and it speeds it up after a while.

**derek37** · 05-29-2005, 08:31 PM

scott, can you share your system? anything to save time would be good to know.

thanks

**Project "2"** · 05-29-2005, 11:45 PM

12-15 hours..........

polishing takes long time somehow.

Are you guys able to achevie flawless finish for the whole in just 8 hours? I suck big time.........

**Anthony O.** · 05-30-2005, 07:56 AM

Invest in an electric leaf blower. Use this to blow the water out of the nooks and crannies, off tires and wheels and also engine.

Instead of scrubbing wheels buy a pressure washer and a strong wheel cleaner (not one hydroflouric acid based as they can be deadly to you and the car), like Poorboys or Top Of The Lines clear coat safe wheel cleaners. You spray them on, let them dwell a few minutes then rinse them well with your pressure washer.

This can save you up to 30 minutes ( I use an electric power washer with 1650 psi. It is just the right amount of pressure).

The same with wheel wells and tires. Spray the tires down, the wheel wells and let the product work (spray on cool wheels and tires, out of the sun) and then hit them with the pressure washer. If the wheels are hot then do the interior first. Some wheel wells may need a light scrubbing to get them fully clean.

After washing and rinsing blow the car off, remove as much standing water as possible but don`t spend more than 20 minutes on this stage. Then use a towel to dry the rest of the car.

At this point I apply dressing to the tires and wheel wells. Proceed with your paint polishing and waxing. In this area you may be using too many products and using too many steps. Can`t determine this though unless I would watch you do a car.

For the interior start in the back area first but before you do remove all the mats from front and rear. Clean these first as it gives them time to dry completly. Move the front seats up as far as they go, vacuum the back area well then begin cleaning.

Finish the back area, except dressing, and move to the front.

That`s it in a nutshell.

Anthony

**Casebrius** · 05-30-2005, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by Scottwax

4-6 hours for most cars, 4.5-8 hours for trucks and SUVs depending on size and condition. I have a system down that really helps. I do the vehicles in the same order every time and it speeds it up after a while.

Care to share your methodology?

**Porkanbeans** · 05-30-2005, 02:43 PM

Anthony mentioned using too many products and too many steps. What I think you need are products that will take care of multiple tasks. Auto Magic just came out with Dress-It-Right. It`s water based so you can use it on tires, engines, interior plastics and vinyl, and any other surface you`d whip out a dressing for. I haven`t tried it yet, but it`s cheap and looks promising. Products like this can save you a lot of time and money if you substitute your designated tire dressing, interior dressing, trim dressing, and rubber dressing for it. The same goes for cleaners. Find an all purpose cleaner you like and use it for every application you can. Stuff like Optimum Car Wax will save you a bunch of time on wax jobs, and if you look at Anthony`s work with it, you`ll see the results are nothing short of stellar. Most Autopians don`t need products like this, as they mostly do their own cars and the occasional detail for money. For them, the extra time and money they spend on several different specialized products is worth that final result and extra satisfaction. When detailing for money, time is money. You can still achieve great results with any product if you do a quality job. Polishing a car with a one-step product will take as much time as one step in a multi-product polishing sequence. Your physical input will not save you as much time as being smart and efficient with product choice and use.

**opass** · 05-30-2005, 07:03 PM

Originally posted by Anthony Orosco

Invest in an electric leaf blower. Use this to blow the water out of the nooks and crannies, off tires and wheels and also engine.

Instead of scrubbing wheels buy a pressure washer and a strong wheel cleaner (not one hydroflouric acid based as they can be deadly to you and the car), like Poorboys or Top Of The Lines clear coat safe wheel cleaners. You spray them on, let them dwell a few minutes then rinse them well with your pressure washer.

This can save you up to 30 minutes ( I use an electric power washer with 1650 psi. It is just the right amount of pressure).

The same with wheel wells and tires. Spray the tires down, the wheel wells and let the product work (spray on cool wheels and tires, out of the sun) and then hit them with the pressure washer. If the wheels are hot then do the interior first. Some wheel wells may need a light scrubbing to get them fully clean.

After washing and rinsing blow the car off, remove as much standing water as possible but don`t spend more than 20 minutes on this stage. Then use a towel to dry the rest of the car.

At this point I apply dressing to the tires and wheel wells. Proceed with your paint polishing and waxing. In this area you may be using too many products and using too many steps. Can`t determine this though unless I would watch you do a car.

For the interior start in the back area first but before you do remove all the mats from front and rear. Clean these first as it gives them time to dry completly. Move the front seats up as far as they go, vacuum the back area well then begin cleaning.

Finish the back area, except dressing, and move to the front.

That`s it in a nutshell.

Anthony

I am interested of buying pressure washer. Can you recommand one?

**Porkanbeans** · 05-30-2005, 07:19 PM

You can get a Kercher electric pressure washer at Lowe`s or your Costco type store for around $200. It`s fine for detailing uses. If you want a gas powered and better built one, those new Briggs and Stratton pressure washers with the project pro nozzles seem like a good value.

**imported_themightytimmah** · 05-30-2005, 08:24 PM

I bought the cheapie at Home Depot (I forgot the brand already, but it was only 70 bucks). Its worked pretty well for me so far, for cleaning off rims and trim, etc. Its 1300 PSI, a lil low for rims, but not too high for interior trim and stuff (people always seem to bring truly FILTY cars to me, with interior trim that doesn`t want to clean up inside of the car).