Willing to offer advice if needed

[shooter]

Sorry if this is against this forum's rules, but as a Detailer I get asked many questions, and have come to see that many people like to ask questions about how to or what to use. So hopefully without stepping on toes I'd like to offer any help and advice if asked.

To give a little background I have a fully mobile detailing business covering East Anglia and beyond, and its currently the only fully Authorised Chemical Guy's Detailer in the UK. Although the business is less than a year old, I have over 10 years in preparing and showing cars, plus over 10 years in the automotive paint trade.

Please feel free to ask questions here or via PM and I will do my best to help.

Thank you for your time, and again I hope this first post isn't misplaced

Gary

 

[anyweb]

um hi and welcome, what exactly is a detailer ? i've never heard of one

cheers
anyweb

 

[shooter]

Generally a detailer is another name for a valeter, however in my mind a valeter is driven by time, whereas a detailer is driven by quality. For me at least I do a job and only charge for a job, not the time needed, thus if I need to take an extra day to do it properly then so be it, the cost of the job doesn't increase.

Also all the products I use are chosen for a job, but also must not put what they are used on at risk of further damage, so no acid wheel cleaners, no wash sponges only pure sheepskin mitts, no aggressive shampoo's that rip off your wax etc.

Hope this helps to at least give you an idea that there is a world of difference in what makes a professional car detailer/valeter/cleaner (whatever name you wish to use)

 

[FELLOW]

A question for the marksman

What do U drive?

What do you think of MB own products?

Car wash, wax, leather polish, screen wash.....would U use MB products or others?

Rust - do you clean under the car as well?

MB - single wiper and screen smear (previously covered) your ideas?

Screen reflexion from dash on sunny days - ideas?

What would U do to detail your own or family members car - wash,wax,polish, wheel black.....?

What would be a reasonable price to detail a mercedes? How long would it take U? How long would it take us? (i.e. what is the oppertunity cost)

Thanks

 

[shooter]

Hi Fellow, I'll try to answer your questions as well as I can

What do U drive? Sold my SL280 2 years ago, Sister owns an S class, now looking for another ride, probably E class as wife and 3 kids need some space

What do you think of MB own products? Actually they are very good in general, and I would say that the majority of owners won't go far wrong with them

Car wash, wax, leather polish, screen wash.....would U use MB products or others? As I do detailing for a business I don't use MB products, as although they are good, there are some better ones available at the right price, also these are available in bulk sizes

Rust - do you clean under the car as well? Yes and no, I don't do a full underside wash, but using a pressure washer and an angled tip I can cover about 75%, certainly all under arches are well washed to remove dirt trapped in panel edges which can be a cause of rust issues

MB - single wiper and screen smear (previously covered) your ideas? When I do a full machine polish I also machine polish the glass, this along with using a clay bar on glass will in the most remove wiper smearing, I also use a mild cleaner on the blade which removes oils etc

Screen reflexion from dash on sunny days - ideas? Don't use gloss finish dressings, although matt doesn't initially look as good the screen reflection is greatly reduced. If a shiny looking dash is wanted then I would use a satin finish to try and cater for both needs

What would U do to detail your own or family members car - wash,wax,polish, wheel black.....? all cars I do get the same treatment no matter who the owner is and that includes my van, although there are always additions to the basics. Start with clean wheels, then arches and under sills, rinse whole car, then foam wash, rinse, foam and 1 bucket wash or 2 bucket wash using only pure sheepskin wash mitt, rinse, dry using waffle weave microfiber cloths. From here is where things change as will depend on whats needed (clay, machine polish, glaze, seal etc) finally apply coat of good quality Carnauba wax, finally use a quick detail spray with anti static properties to reduce dust settlement. I could add many other processes and steps but this gives you an idea

What would be a reasonable price to detail a Mercedes? How long would it take U? How long would it take us? (i.e. what is the opportunity cost) This is a very emotive point, though a valid one. Pricing a job on a Mercedes is no different to any other car, it maybe a high quality one but it doesn't attract any extra charges other than a slight increase if its one of the larger models, but this is size related not marque. There are also several other factors which need to be accessed before pricing, like what the client wants (basic wash/wax, interior, clay bar, machine polish, shampoo interior, leather clean and feed etc). But to give you a rough guide I expect to spend at least 4-5 hours doing a basic wash and wax plus interior £55-70, going to the other end of the spectrum a full machine polish job, I would normally expect to spend up to 8 hours and sometimes longer and costs from £130. All machine polishing work requires a free assessment prior to start to give a firm quote, this includes a full paint thickness measurement including all paintwork even if not on metal panels. As for how long it would take most people thats a very hard one, if you have all the right equipment then I'd guess a couple of hours more for simple work to a couple of days longer for the more involved work, without the right equipment then I'd say as long as your patience lasts, but its also highly unlikely that the same finish could be achieved, especially when thinking about de-swirling the paintwork

Thanks

 

[mioba]

Hi shooter

ok please offer me some advice if its still available

whats the best product to use for internal platic trim on cars, perhaps something that will clean it and restore it

 

[FELLOW]

Thanks

I enjoy working on my Mercedes and I get to pick up on any small problems that are evolving (the problem with club fanatics) - but after my "emotive" question I think I would use a detailers service once a year.

Have U a web link.

 

[shooter]

Hi shooter

ok please offer me some advice if its still available

whats the best product to use for internal platic trim on cars, perhaps something that will clean it and restore it

The best product I have found for the interior plastic is Chemical Guy's natural look new shine dressing, if applied on a microfiber cloth, and buffed off you'll get a nice satin finish, it will clean and protect all surfaces, long lasting and cheap. Here's a LINK so you can see more about it and also the rest of the Chemical Guy's products.

The next best product in my mind is the Meguiars NTX Interior protectant, available from many local motoring stores, only let down in my mind by the lack of durability the odd smell.

Fellow, I have a website, however due to not being sure if I can advertise it openly on here, can I point you to my profile where you will find a link. I will say that I'm fully mobile and already have clients all over the Country, and a couple in main land Europe .

 

[banger]

Hi Shooter.
I have loads of little scratches all over the bodywork of my 04 silver CLK Cabriolet.
It was stolen+ recovered and spent many months being stored in a breakers yard before I bought it.
The good news is that there are no dents in the bodywork.

None of the scratchs are worthy of respraying an entire panel. Most of them I'm sure could be polished out but one or too are slightly deeper.

Do you think you would be able to get the bodywork pristine again and if so, can you give me an idea on price please (subject to you checking it out of course).

It sounds like a good detailer is just what I've been looking for.

Thanks,
Sean.

 

[shooter]

Hi Sean

Sorry to hear about the car being taken, and glad to hear you got it back, although slightly worse for wear.

Without seeing the car its impossible to say if all the marks are removable, however I would say that at the worst they can be reduced to the point that you would need to look for them, rather than them standing out and hitting you.

A quick question, can you feel them with your finger nail? I ask as when they are deep enough to feel then reduction is normally all you can aim for as removal means taking too much clear coat off.

If you have a picture of some of the damage and can send it to me via a PM along with an idea on where you live I can give you some advice on costs.

Hope this helps, cheers

Gary

 

[zeberdee]

I'd like some advice please. What's the best way to clean water marks / general grime off a fabric seat?

Thanks

 

[shooter]

I'd like some advice please. What's the best way to clean water marks / general grime off a fabric seat?

Thanks

If I was cleaning water marks and general grime, I would use an upholstery shampoo and wet vacuum, however not everyone has this option, so get hold of a trigger spray bottle, mix up a weak solution of fairy liquid (don't use cheap as high salt content), spray a mist on an unseen bit of fabric to test colour fastness, then if all is OK spray a mist over the seat, work in small strips (4" wide across the seat) then using a soft nail brush lightly rub in one direction only (don't scrub as this lifts dirt in one direction and then burys it in the other) then to dry blot the area with a clean cloth.

This is a slow method but taking your time to do it properly is worth the effort and should in most cases remove or reduce the dirt/stains etc. If its really dirty it maybe worth either getting a professional to help or hiring a wet/dry vacuum and using more spray.

You could try some of those foaming spray cleaners that are available, but personally I have found them just as effective as plain water but a lot dearer.

If you want to have a look at my site (via my profile) you can see an example of a bad interior and what I was able to accomplish. Hope this helps.

 

[banger]

Sorry took so long to get back.

I tried taking some pictures but the scratches didn't show up.

Done the fingernail test and there are definately some that don't pass.

Assuming that I'm happy that these will not disappear completely, can you give me a rough idea of cost please.

Cheers,
Sean.

 

[shooter]

Sent you an email, as not enough posts to send it via PM.

would rather discuss costs etc off site as not an advertiser, hope you understand.