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Does anybody have any good detailing tips, or products, to get professional results? I detail high end show cars, as well as daily drivers, and I'm always looking for that next best thing to come along. Right now I'm currently using the Greot's Garage, best of show, and boss system, to leave my customers cars with that wet concourse finish. I also use their black shine tire and trim spray to leave all the plastic, and rubber parts, shining better then new. Believe it or not, but you can actually improve a brand new car inside and out with the proper techniques, and products. 

Edited by Billy Jack

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Brand new cars are usually a wreck and need a bunch of paint correction...

This year I switched to Menzerna and LOVE it.

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Im really happy with Wolfgang products but there a little pricey. I polished with an orange/medium pad with there total swirl remover followed with there finishing glaze with a white/polishing pad. Topped it off with there deep gloss paint sealant and I was happy with the results. This was done with Lake Country Hydro-Tech Pads and a Griots Garage Orbital to be specific.

IMG_20150705_114908462_HDR_zpspfzwuus3.j

 

 

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Ill be detailing my first car at the shop this weekend so ill be keeping an eye on this thread . . What do most places charge for detailing a whole car. Inside and out?

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Between $200-$800 depending on the condition of your paint.  $200 assumes no buffer time or you are using CL to find your source.

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1 hour ago, ///M5 said:

Between $200-$800 depending on the condition of your paint.  $200 assumes no buffer time or you are using CL to find your source.

lol I do them for $50 all day, every day, but I live in a poor place so no way is anybody gonna pay those prices. Now when I lived in detriot, I charged $100 and up and couldn't keep up. But that hundred didn't go as far, as that $50 does now. But that is a special I got that doesn't include buffing. It takes me about 2-4 hours, depending on the vehicle. But I am a retired Rodbuster, so I'm not doing it to earn a living, if I was obviously I would have to charge more. Plus it's all cash so that helps to. Plus I work out of a garage at my home, so I got no over head, except supply's which are a $1 a bottle, except tire wet, I use the greot's and it's $10 a can, and the wax's and polishes. Probably why I keep a waiting list. You just gotta remember this is appalachia, not a big city, so we got one of the lowest cost of living economy's. 

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4 hours ago, frogcase2002 said:

Ill be detailing my first car at the shop this weekend so ill be keeping an eye on this thread . . What do most places charge for detailing a whole car. Inside and out?

I offer a special that starts at $50, but that's not any buffing. I just shampoo all the seats, and carpets, if they need it and I take off any stains on the plastic with magic erasers, then I use Greot's black shine trim spray, to bring the dash, and all plastic and trim, back to a bright shine, then I wash and quick wax the car, and do all the windows, and door jams. I use a lot of super degreaser, and carpet cleaners, I get for a $1 a bottle at a wholesale place. My buddy's give me giant rolls of shop towels so I don't even pay for those, and the only thing that I'm really out is the tire shine, and detailing spray, it's $10.99 a can, but I can do 1-3 cars with one can. Plus I'm retired and working out of my home for cash, so I can afford to do it a lot cheaper then someone who has to earn a living at it. The 2 shops in town by me charge double, and don't do half the job I do. Now there are a few show cars I do that I charge a $100, but that's for everything, cleaning and polishing it 360'. I have also used olive oil on some leather seats. Basically when I get done with a car it's spotless, stain free, with a deap shine that looks like it's wet. Try you some of that Greot's black shine tire and trim shine, it's amazing. You can litterelly spray it on something plastic, or rubber with mud on it, and it will leave it looking wet, and brand new. Only bad thing about it, is it will pick up a lot of lint, and dust over time, but it's well worth it. 

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Stick with the Griots, it is a great system when you follow the steps correctly. The few guys I know that have Concours quality cars all use it and thats how I was introduced to it years ago. 

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5 hours ago, S.DeYoung said:

Stick with the Griots, it is a great system when you follow the steps correctly. The few guys I know that have Concours quality cars all use it and thats how I was introduced to it years ago. 

Ow I'm sticking with the Greot's no doubt, just thought somebody might have some tips or tricks to save money, or get even better results. Like the magic eraser thing, I added that one a while back, and it works really well on the plastic, plus there cheap. I get them for, 2 for a $1 where I get my degreaser, and windex. I honestly don't think I could get a car any cleaner, or shinier, but it never Hurts to ask. I'm honestly putting all the shops around me to shame, they use dollar store tire wet, and turtle wax, and spray the carpets full of water and suck it up, and call it a detail. Had a guy bring me a Jeep like mine, that the local shop had sprayed so much water in it that it blew a fuse, and wouldn't start, and when we took a plug out of the floor, water ran out for 5 minutes. And this is a local business with a shop in our local town. Pretty sorry thing to do to someone's $10k dollar vehicle. I'm really surprised they don't have a steam cleaner, or a extractor. I'm just a small based home business, and I got both. 

Edited by Billy Jack

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Miracle towels can save you from buying Windex, all you have to do is get them damp and wipe the windows down. The good brands leave no streaks like a cleaner will.

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$50 for 4 hours? No wonder you have a waiting list.  If you paid taxes that isn't even minimum wage...

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2 hours ago, ///M5 said:

$50 for 4 hours? No wonder you have a waiting list.  If you paid taxes that isn't even minimum wage...

Well I don't pay any taxes and hardly ever does it take 4 hours. That's just the worst ones. 75% of the cars I do usually take 2-3 hours plus I get a lot of tips to. Did a brand new SUV the other day that a kid threw up in the back seat and it took maybe hour and a half and the lady handed me a $100. But I do have 5 stars on yelp, and my webpage, app, and Facebook page is nothing but 5 star reviews, so apparently people love my work. And I have no control over the reviews, all I can do is block someone, which I never needed to yet. Now if I had to earn a living doing it, or had any over head, it wouldn't be worth it, but it works out great for me. I usually suck up enough change to pay for the cleaners and the rest usually cost me about $8-$10 a car without buffing.  The only ones who ever want buffing, is the car lots, they have a lot of freshly painted cars or old neglected cars that need paint correction. If I lived back in detriot, I couldn't get away with doing business this way, but the law is pretty relaxed in eastern Kentucky. There are a few restaurants in town that pay cash, and I know a bunch of contractors that work for cash. 

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