zainoshine
Don't forget the pedals!
Found a steamer for about $100. Euro-Pro "Select" Deluxe Pro Steamer How does that one look...there are pictures of the attachments, one with a similar clip design?
Full Detail - Lexus SC300
- Thread starter Anthony O.
- Start date
Anthony O.
New member
pigeonbus said:
It seems like a cool little unit...actually I think its looks are pretty darn cool:up but I don't believe it has the much needed psi that steam cleaning is dependant on.
Also the reviews don't seem to favor the unit in a positive manner. I am sure for general cleaning it will work just fine but may not perform well on the tougher jobs.
Anthony
1 Clean WS6
Detailing Rottweiler
Your attention to detail is an absolute inspiration to us all Anthony.
Simply flat out STUNNING work man!! :bow :2thumbs:
Simply flat out STUNNING work man!! :bow :2thumbs:
Anthony Orosco said:
Well done. Thanks for sharing your secret hot sauce that how to achieve better detailing. Could you provoide the brand and model of your $700 steamer? I am thinking to get one. It will be helpful to narrow down searching in Google.
Does your look like this? http://store.yahoo.com/allergybuyersclub/whitewing-steam-cleaner.html#buy
:xyxthumbs
Anthony O.
New member
bboy850 said:
Hey I am sorry I missed this post.
Before I had my current steamer I used a small yellow one, I think it was called the "Steam Buggy".
It was low powered, only had one setting but it helped out in many ways. In other words it was better to have and use it than use my conventional cleaning routine.
What you may want to think about though is if you buy a sub-standard unit now, for say $120, then that's $120 you could of saved for a bit longer, adding some to it, and then buying a really good one for a bit more money:nixweiss
Anthony
Anthony O.
New member
1 Clean WS6 said:
Mike....dude....friend and fellow wax-man....Thank you very much for your kind words and glad you enjoyed the pictures
Take care,
Anthony
opass said:
I will surely provide the name and brand but I can no longer post up any links as to where I bought my steamer or other items.
First, the one you linked to has a great price IF the power is there. Call them and ask them if it has a low/high operation and what the psi is at high pressure. If it has 65 psi or more then it has plenty of power, also look for a nozzle temperature of at least 200 degrees. The tank temperature will be higher but what you want to know is how hot the steam is at the tip.
Do a Goggle search for an "ML7 Steamer" That would be the machine I have and use.
Anthony
imported_ajbarnes
New member
Excellent work Anthony!!:bow Overall that was an excellent thorough detail, but the interior....:bow You are setting new standards of professionalism in our industry!! The fee you charged was well worth it and then some. I guess I can end my procrastination now and go get a steam cleaner!
BTW...removing the seats:bow
BTW...removing the seats:bow
Anthony O.
New member
joburnet said:
Hello,
You bring up a great topic, especially for professionals, and that is: "Just how much should I charge for a full detail?" Yet this also brings up another questions (perhaps more than one) which is: "Just what is a FULL detail?"
I believe if there can be an industry standard of what makes up a "full" detail then I also believe detailers could get paid fairly. To me a full detail includes:
Engine cleaning and dressing (more should be charged if they wish the engine to be highly detailed)
Wheels cleaned and polished
Wheel wells cleaned
Tires cleaned and dressed (spare tire also if exposed)
Paint polished (If road tar, overspray or sap is present in heavy forms then charge should be extra/also charge extra for more than 2 polishing steps)
Paint is sealed (personal preference to charge extra if a sealant is used)
Clean and Dress trim
Any metal work polished (aluminum wheels and such if in bad shape should include an extra charge)
Convertible tops cleaned and re-sealed
Trunk area cleaned (shampoo if needed)
All rubber seals cleaned
Door jambs cleaned
Carpets shampooed/Scotchguarded
Leather cleaned/treated
Vinyl cleaned and treated if needed
Headliner cleaned
Now the above list will always vary somewhat from detailer to detailer, as some may do engines others may not BUT a full detail should mean a FULL detail and not a "wash and wax, vacuum and interior dressing for $75.00" There is no way someone can spend 5 hours on a car, get $75 for it and perform great work PLUS make a living at it. Nor should the customer pay $75 for hack work that was done in an hour and a half:nono
Of course you can only charge what the market in your area will bear but you need to make not only your money back, meaning what it cost you to perform the service, and not just your supplies but think about the gas it takes to get you there, insurance, etc. and then you need to include your profit. I love detailing because I get a great joy out of it BUT "joy" will not pay my bills (I only wish!).
Doing alot of car washing at $30 is OK if you spend about an hour on each car. Doing washing on cars for $40 to $45 is excellant if spending again about an hour on each vehicle (large and/or really filthy vehicles should have an extra charge) So when I detail I want to make no lower than $50 an hour, a 5 hour detail then should be around $250.00. If doing the same detail for $195.00 then you are making around $38 an hour, which is not bad money but will it make you a profit?
Just my $.02.....thoughts anyone?
Anthony
Anthony O.
New member
Mikeman said:
Thanks Mike,
I used Hi-Temps APC to clean the engine in addition to my steamer. Some rubber pieces needed heavy scrubbing. Cleaning and dressing plus wiping the dressing down took me in total about an hour.
I used "Best Dressed" to dress the engine.
ajbarnes said:Excellent work Anthony!!:bow Overall that was an excellent thorough detail, but the interior....:bow You are setting new standards of professionalism in our industry!! The fee you charged was well worth it and then some. I guess I can end my procrastination now and go get a steam cleaner!
BTW...removing the seats:bow
Well thank you kindly and a :bow right back at ya for some of the great work you have displayed here. Ya you will be amazed at how well a good steamer will help you out in your detailing. There is a learning curve to it so don't get dissappointed if your results aren't that great at first.
Thanks again,
Anthony
imported_sydster
New member
I have the same model car (mine is a 1992) and the door hinges are a known weak point - they carry a huge load so it is important that they retain as much factory grease as possible. Excessive steaming of those hinges may compromise the grease, leading to premature failure.
Both the V8 and inline 6 SC engines are full of sensors that don't like getting wet- proceed with caution when cleaning them. You may be better off with wiping only- the ClubLexus forums are full of horror stories of engines sputtering after getting wet during a detail.
As the photos prove Anthony is a real pro but I mention this for any SC owners about to embark on a similar job.
Both the V8 and inline 6 SC engines are full of sensors that don't like getting wet- proceed with caution when cleaning them. You may be better off with wiping only- the ClubLexus forums are full of horror stories of engines sputtering after getting wet during a detail.
As the photos prove Anthony is a real pro but I mention this for any SC owners about to embark on a similar job.
Anthony O.
New member
Hey Perry,
Thanks for the tips and also for the compliment.
Yes they are big doors with huge hinges so the need grease but it is just the grunge collected over the years that should be cleaned. Some dealers go wacky with the grease though, a bit of overkill most of the time.
Welcome to Autopia
Anthony
Thanks for the tips and also for the compliment.
Yes they are big doors with huge hinges so the need grease but it is just the grunge collected over the years that should be cleaned. Some dealers go wacky with the grease though, a bit of overkill most of the time.
Welcome to Autopia
Anthony
carnal_c30
New member
MongooseGA said:I'm a huge fan of the SC's... not that I'm partial or anything...
Looks awesome. I don't know how someone could have let the car get that bad in the first place.
What year is it? I'm thinking '98 or '99 because of the VVT-i.
the car is a 99 or 2000 because of the steering wheel and perforated seats... its pretty disgusting to see a car like that get in such bad shape... then again I just picked up a '99 Q45 that needs similar TLC haha
that transformation is an inspiration to what I'm going to have to do... I almost didnt even try eheh
Anthony O.
New member
Wow.....talk about a resurrected thread!!
When I saw my notice that someone had replied to this I had to think for a moment....."When did I detail a Lexus recently and post it up?" :rofl
This was one nasty car and sadly the Doctor recently moved to Houston.....man she was a great client
Thanks again to all for the compliments,
Anthony
When I saw my notice that someone had replied to this I had to think for a moment....."When did I detail a Lexus recently and post it up?" :rofl
This was one nasty car and sadly the Doctor recently moved to Houston.....man she was a great client
Thanks again to all for the compliments,
Anthony
carnal_c30
New member
sorry for bringing it back from the dead... maybe its worth it to relive this detail again? (sorry only excuse I have)
Anthony O.
New member
carnal_c30 said:
:grinno: Hey no need to be sorry at all a I enjoyed a trip down memory lane
Take cre,
Anthony