2007 Shelby GT-500(Modified) Detail

[Preachers Sheets]

I have my first detailing job coming up and have a question.



It is a ford minivan, quite new and has alot of swirls but thats the worst of it.



My questions are below:



1.) How many swirls do I remove, do I make the surface picture perfect? Do I leave some swirls, what do you usally do?



2.) I am also detailing the interior, overall, this takes me 12-15 hours, is this normal?



3.) When I am using a yellow pad and it becomes caked with a product (smr) do I NEED to swap it out for a new one. Will the effectivness of the pad fade as it become caked? I always swap them if they get dirty.



If you guys can give me a few pointers that`d be great, thanks.

[imported_Intel486]

Try to remove as many swirls as possible. If you don`t think you can get them all out, then you better tell them before hand. You should also say you are a detailer and not a miracle worker. You can`t get the paint to perfection.



The time it takes you depends what all are you doing on the car. For a complete worker over with clay, polishing, and waxing that seems like a decent amount of time. Can probably figure a way to do it faster.



For the pad you need to get a pad spur. Every few sections you just flip the buffer over, lower the speed, then turn it on and run the spur over the surface. It`ll break off all the stuff that is caked on and then you can continue without switching to a new pad.

[Preachers Sheets]

Thanks Intel, I just thought I had to have around 5-8 yellow pads and stuff. I thought that spur thing ws a joke.



I am going to get a medium cut 3M polish, that should save some time.



One more question for you thought:



Should I wax the car or should I Klasse it?

[Blue_Ridge_Products]

Joed,

Are you using a Rotary or a PC?

If you are using a PC then you need to change the pad when it gets caked with a product. You will not be able to remove all the swirls with a PC unless they are extremely light.



If you are using a rotary then with the right combination of products and pads you should be able to get the surface very close to perfect. And as Intel said you will need a spur if you are using a wool pad or a stiff brush if you are using foam.



12 - 15 hours is really long, 6-8 hrs would be average unless you were shampooing the carpets and seats then maybe 8-10hrs.



Wax or sealent depends on what the customer wants as well as how often you are going to be caring for the vehicle.



Good Luck

[Preachers Sheets]

So I can use this spur thing without wetting the pad and cleaning it in soap? That`d be good.



I have a Porter Cable... I think all of the cars in the past have taken so long because I always use a weak product, I rather be safe than sorry. It`s gotten to the point where I know I am safe and it is just wicked time consuming. Might as well use a better product which is better suited for the job.

[imported_Intel486]

You should get a lot of products that have stronger or weaker abrasivse.



If I have a particular problem area, I`ll come with a more abrasive product and just hit that area. Then I`ll do the rest of the car with a normal polish. The more abrasive products will leave a haze on the paint. You will then need to come back with a polish to shine those areas up.



I don`t know anything about the PC though. I use a rotary buffer. The different abrasive products will hold the same though, buffer or rotary.

[riprath]

wow, 15 hrs? how much do you charge for this? i would agree with the 6-8 hrs. on a mini van and you should be able to the carpets shampooed and everything in that time. i useally get $210 for a complete on a mini van and spend around 6-7 hrs. on it. that includes going ove the paint w/cleaner polish, rims tires cleaned dressed, hand wash, hand wax,(paste meg. gold class) dress exterior trim, shampoo carpets, seats, floor mats, scrub every inch of interior panles, dust and clean vents and console. windows inside and out. dress interior. dont gaurentee anything with the paint for this price. hwat you get is what you get. no complaints either most people are really happy. i can do a lot w/cleaner polish and only take like an hour sometimes less.



as for geting the paint swirl free, it would take you forever and a day to do that with a pc. you need a rotary buffer. you might as well do it by hand not much diff. than pc. not to mention the average customer isnt going to even notice perfect swirl free paint. your just waisting your time. the only way im going to spend that much time on the exterior of a vehicle is if they were paying for it. $35.00 an hour and $50 to wet sand and buff. the $50.00 is flexable and i dont always get that but i sure try to keep it close. i get around $135.-$140. to do liek a 2 step buff and hand wax on a car and thats not always perfectly swirl free. nor do i guarantee that it will be. i dont normally quote an exact price if customer is wanting the paint "perfect" ill give them a min. price and let them know that my hourly rate is $35.00 an hour.

makeing a paint job look like new after somone has not taken car of it for 2-3 years is not easy and they cant do it them selves. so im going to get paid for the knowlege, materials, and time of doing it. not to mention the risk.

feel sorry for any customer comeing in tomorrow to get there car buffed after i just thought about all that.



just my .02 hope this helps you out a little bit, sean

[Preachers Sheets]

This is what I said I would do:



vacum the interior

clean the dash with soap (no dressing)

clean windows

clean and dress tires

clean rims

polish

wax

dress trim all around



I am charging him 75.00



so your saying get a rotary and it`ll work better without that much of a risk?

[riprath]

price still seems low to me but if you dont have a shop/store front youll be ok with that. i would think you could get 110-$120 though. i mean what do you charge just for a wash and wax on a mini van. i get $45.00 and that includes the rims/tires.



i didnt say there werent risks useing the rotary. if you dont know how to use it then until you practice there area lot of risks. i was saying in my opinion that useing the rotary buffer was the correct way of doing it. not to mention the fastest. you need to prctice with a buffer first though i would recomend useing a rotary buffer on a customers car for your first time.



sean

[Preachers Sheets]

This is what I am looking at, hopefully you can give me a few pointers:



Snap On Polisher

Electric Angle Polisher, 7 Amps, 0-2300 RPM, 7-9



It takes:



7-9 inch pads from what I hear. If I have the Snap-On back plate then can I just buy more pads for that plate? The ideal case would be to buy an extra backing plate and just use all 8 inch pads.



Tell me if this is a good or bad idea, am I right with the backing plate and if so, what kinds of pads should I use (like what you recommend). I don`t want to dump all this money without some info and their web page stinks.



P.S. About the price, I didn`t know what I should of charged and he didn`t look like he had all that much money so I didn`t really want to make him pay so much money just for a clean car. I feel everyone should have a chance to get sometime they want for a fair amount of money that they can afford. Sure, if he`s driving a Porsche TT I am gonna jack up the price to 150.00 but not for the everyday father with a few kids and empty pockets. If you ask me, I think 80.00 is ALOT.

[Blue_Ridge_Products]

Joed,

No offence but you have alot of questions for someone about to start detailing other peoples vehicles for money.



If I were in your shoes I would change my expectations for now. Stick to the PC. Polish the van, after claying and washing and put a sealent on also using the PC. You will have reduced the swirls and protected the paint. Add on what you said you would do for the interior and that`s it 6-8 hrs max. You realize your getting $10/hr at 12-15hrs. you are down to $5-6/hr.



I started with the PC for the 1st year and the vehicles will still look much better than when you started but you will remove very little in the way of swirls and scratches. But you will rid the paint of contaminants and protect it from the elements. Do a really excellent job on the interior and your customers will be quite happy.

[Preachers Sheets]

I have alot of questions because I get alot of answers from different people, most of them telling me the opposite of what the other person said. I already know the direction I am headed, I want to know what other people did when they were in my shoes, learn from their mistakes and see what they can offer me for advice. I think it`s stupid to think I know enough, between all these people on the forum there must be something I don`t know. I rather look dumb rather then detail someone’s car and do things the hard way.



I know how much I am charging and like I said before, I feel it is fair. This guy has kids, wife, a car and doesn`t look like he has money to spare. Why am I going to be a jerk and charge him some absurd price when I can do someone a favor and save him some money? I make good money, I see detailing as a way to stay away from trouble on the weekends while making some money on the side and helping people out with their cars.



I asked about the swirls because when I went to my detailer before I started they never removed all of the swirls, I was just wondering if that was a normal practice or if I should of said something to them back then.



I have so many questions about specific products because in a matter less than a year I have spent hundreds of dollars on detailing supplies only to come into this forum and see that most of my questions that I could only answer by spending money on a product and testing it were already answered in post`s. Sorry if I don`t sound like I know what I`m doing but I don`t have a few hundred to lay down on a polisher and realize that if I asked a few questions I could of spent less money and spent that money wisely.



I know how to use the Porter Cable, I spent 16 hours on my Camaro to get it to my expectations when I took it from the dealer lot. I know what it is generally made for and what it can do. I have alot of people asking me to detail their cars because they like the work that I do and I rather step my equipment up a notch rather than run around with a rinky dinky PC trying to fix these cars that look like hell.



I know what I`m doing bud.

[imported_Intel486]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by joed1228 [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>I know what I`m doing bud. [/b]</blockquote>
No offence but I don`t think you should attempt to slam people who are trying to help.

Rotary buffers take a lot of practice before you can use them and get swirl free finishes. I`m assuming you won`t want to use one on your Camaro so you should probably go to a junk yard and find a good panel to buy. Will be a safe area to practice.

[riprath]

chill out man, i dont think anyone was bashing you or saying you dont know what you are doing. all we are doing is trying to help. weknow how fast and how much trouble you can get into with a rotary buffer. its not cheap to get a fender repainted because you burn through the paint.



as far as geting diff. aswers to your questions thats because everyone uses and likes diff. products. what i can do with meg. machine glaze another guy might only use 3m machine glaze. (which i can t do that good of a job with) it just depends on your style and prefrance. you think you have a lot of product that you cant use, i have boxs of stuff that i dont use that i have bought and didnt like but that doesnt mean it bad it just didnt fit my "style".



the same with a buffer. snap on is the only buffer i will use. been useing one for over 10 years and not one complaint. they are light, small, and short. but youll get 10 diff. opinions on what buffer to use too. it s personal prefrance. you need to shop around and hold them in your hands to see what fits. kinda like a pair of shoes. as far as pads go i only use 3m pads. like the perfect it 3 wool cuting pad for heavy stuff. i use the yellow pad for light stuff. i absolutly love the 3m waffle pad (black) for polishing and glazes. the white waffle pad works good too for hevy stuff. but again its all personal prefrance. the only way to know what works and what doesnt i sto try it out.



your on the right track asking questions does help but when it comes down to it you need hands on to find out what works for you. hope this helps, sean

[Blue_Ridge_Products]

Joed,



I assume you are talking to me. I did not intend to insult you, I am merely stating the fact that for know, stay with what you are comfortable with, a rotary may end up costing you alot more than $150-200 how about a $1500 paint job?



The questions you are asking are that of a pure rookie. Not because you don`t know how to detail your Camero, I`m sure it absolutely rocks. However detailing as a part time job is something completely different as you will encounter vehicles of all different ages and conditions with all sorts of different problems. Oxidation, Industrial Fallout, Tree Sap, Orange Peel, Paint Chips, Scratches, Etching and of course Swirls. You have to be able to assess the condition of the vehicle and all of the problems it comes with and then use the correct tools and chemicals to bring the vehicle back to like new condition.



Everybody starts somewhere, most Nascar drivers started on go-carts if they got in a 700hp vehicle at 14yrs old they would have crashed it into the wall. You have to go up the ladder one rung at a time, you maybe a great detailer on your own vehicle but you are a beginner when it comes to professional detailing. Take it slow and in the long run you`ll be a better detailer.