High quality production detailing by Mike Phillips

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

OK so I read your write up again Mike, and still I know it must have been rush rush to get it all done in four hours.

Did I read this right?, the Optimum Finish Polish removed 85% of those severe defects?

Good questions, here's me quoting me....

Note I did spend extra time on the hood and it was about 90% scratch and swirl free as this is the major gloss panel on this vehicle as described in the second edition of my how-to book and as recommended in my how-to book you should always pay a little extra attention to the major gloss panels and gloss points because your customer will plus this is the part about over delivering that makes your work look good and even better than the guy down the street.

So ONLY the hood had about 90% correction but I buffed it really hard one time and then buffed it a second time a lot softer. If you have the second edition of my how-to book check out what I say on page 126 about key panels and gloss points.


I just had a co-worker stop in my office and ask me about how to approach detailing an undercover black Charger Patrol Car and I sent him the link to this thread to read when he gets home.

The Police Officer wants him to clean up the car kind of like the owner of this Tahoe wanted me to clean up the Tahoe.

I told this young man that the patrol car will be ran through a car wash on a regular basis so don't promise to remove all the swirls. In fact, I told him to under promise and over deliver.

 

[PrismDetailing]

Fantastic thread ! With a lot of good indications on why a Flex is superior when time is of the essence. Excellent work as well and 4 hours is good going

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Fantastic thread ! With a lot of good indications on why a Flex is superior when time is of the essence. Excellent work as well and 4 hours is good going

Kind of like I mentioned somewhere in this thread that I don't really like doing this kind of work and I certainly don't like rushing. I'm pretty confident though at some time the owenr is going to ask me to polish out his 1956 Bel Air and then this project will have been worth it.

 

[ken tuep]

I do the same thing, some customers want to see if I'm able to fix their DD, then bring me their more precious vehicles.

It has worked out well, usually after doing their baby, people notice and start asking which brings more customers.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online

 

[HUMP DIESEL]

Excellent article that I am going to subscribe to. Mike once again you lay it out perfectly. It has been said before, that we all want to do the show cars where the budget is not a problem for the owner, but in reality, most people are working and just want a clean car that looks good and will get them to the next wash, be it by hand or by machine (Yuck!).
In my time before doing mobile washing (I hesitate to say detailing, because we were more production wash oriented) we would do a wash and wax, and I always used a cleaner wax on my DA and every customer was completely satisfied.

HUMP

 

[rouxster]

...

Machine applied Optimum Polish using a combination of 5" and 6.5" Hybrid White Polishing Pads on speed setting range of 4-5. Also made a quickie pass over the side glass and then polished the glass clear during wipe-off.

...

I see a lot of people using using white pad to apply polishes and waxes. I don't see many people using red pads. Why is that so? I was planning on using a red pad to apply 845. Is that too soft of a pad? What are some examples of polishes that would be used with a red pad?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I see a lot of people using using white pad to apply polishes and waxes.

Be careful as some white pads are "polishing" pads while some white pads, for example the Rupes white pads ore "finishing" pads.

I don't see many people using red pads. Why is that so?

The big picture is to match the pad to the process. If you're applying a "finishing" wax or sealant, the word finishing implies NO CLEANERS or ability to clean or abrade the surface, then you should be using a very soft finishing pad or waxing pad.

If you're applying a cleaner/wax and trying to do some type of correction, or likewise for a medium cut, fine cut or ultra fine cut polish, then be sure to match your pad softness or aggressiveness to the goal you're trying to reach.

I was planning on using a red pad to apply 845. Is that too soft of a pad?

No that would be a perfect pad to use with the Collinite #845 assuming the paint is in perfect or polished to like new condition.

The reason you don't see me using red pads is I already have enough blue pads and soft white pad opened and in the garage that I try not to bring out more and more pads or management thinks I'm trying to start my own business.

What are some examples of polishes that would be used with a red pad?

Any fine cut or ultra fine cut polish...


:dblthumb2:

 

[rouxster]

Thanks Mike for taking the time answer my questions. As usual, very useful information. I am very fortunate to have bought a used 2011 Silver Silverado this past October that already had like new paint. So I'm looking to try and keep it like that. Thanks to your posts and articles and the other forum members help, the paint is still in excellent condition.

I really like the Klasse twins, so I'm going to hand apply KAIO and KSG, then top it with 845 using a red CCS constant pressure pad. That should get me through until next fall.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks Mike for taking the time answer my questions. As usual, very useful information.

No problemo...

I am very fortunate to have bought a used 2011 Silver Silverado this past October that already had like new paint. So I'm looking to try and keep it like that. Thanks to your posts and articles and the other forum members help, the paint is still in excellent condition.

Love feedback like this, it tells us we're reaching our goals.

I really like the Klasse twins, so I'm going to hand apply KAIO and KSG, then top it with 845 using a red CCS constant pressure pad. That should get me through until next fall.

That's a tried and true combination that lots of people love.


:xyxthumbs:

 

[Charger12]

WOW 2013 that's was in bad shape!! My 2012 black Charger has very fine scratches on the hood ,roof & trunk ,I never let the dealer touch the car took as is,so it's all my doing ! Glad I read this as I was leaning towards a AIO !

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

WOW 2013 that's was in bad shape!! My 2012 black Charger has very fine scratches on the hood ,roof & trunk ,I never let the dealer touch the car took as is,so it's all my doing ! Glad I read this as I was leaning towards a AIO !

I think the owner and his wife run it through a brush style car wash. It was toast.


The important point of this article was to show that you can get the job done fast and maintain some level of quality.

 

[thomas.cmj]

Thanks Mike for the great article. It was very informational and helps detailer to understand what matters the most to the generic customer with a daily driver.

 

[heckhole]

Vast majority of the cars I do are in similar shape, if not worse.

I never offer swirl free or scratch free. I've taken photos of similar paint and have before/after photos. They are always excited that I can make the paint shine again and dramatically lessen the amount of defects.

I personally cringe when I have these cars to do. I realize most people they would brag to, don't have a detailers eye and won't see what I can see from 15 feet away...but I still fear having my name out there on a finished product that isn't up to my standard.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks Mike for the great article. It was very informational and helps detailer to understand what matters the most to the generic customer with a daily driver.

You're welcome and I agree... too many people "new" to detailing for dollars go overboard for the wrong customer and the wrong car...

but I still fear having my name out there on a finished product that isn't up to my standard.

As long as both parties go into the deal knowing what the deal really is then there's no problems that I can see....

That's where the VIF comes in hand....

Mike Phillips VIF or Vehicle Inspection Form

 

[Garyhw48]

The Tahoe looks great. I have customers asking for a quick detail that I want to service who frankly can't afford the kind of three or four step work that I like to do. After I use the Nanoskin Auto Scrub pad on my Flex 3401 will Pinnacle XMT 360 give me reasonable results using a white ccs 5.5 inch pad. I am getting an order ready for some other items and just want the very best most sophisticated single stage product that Autogeek.net sells. The 360 looks good, just wanted opinions on the best single stage available. Once over and pull it out of the shop. Thanks, Gary

 

[BobbyG]

Mike, the Tahoe looks gorgeous!

This is a perfect example of what years of experience, skill, and having the right products and equipment can accomplish. rops:

Many here are what I call hobbyist detailers meaning we detail our own cars and trucks and maybe a few others if the urge strikes. Our detailing arsenal primarily consists of 1 or 2 machines, a few pads, and popular products but nevertheless, we're all serious and our goal is a perfect defect free mirror finish.

While 4 hours sounds shocking minimal, it's quite a bit of time and spending it efficiently and almost entirely on the exterior will surprise most of us. If I were to take this Tahoe to task I'd personally be looking at 5 to 6 hours

Organization, plan of attack, the right tools, products and venue play a huge roll in efficiency, time management, and most importantly; the finished product. How many times do you find yourself running around looking for this or trying that? Having your tools and products at your fingertips can reduce the overall times by at least 30%.

Detailing isn't unlike most things in life. If you doing something long enough, if your passionate about your work, you'll be pleasantly surprised how good you'll become. If you look back over the years you've amassed a incredible amount of knowledge and experience, all which culminates in a gorgeous finish and satisfied customer.....as Mike's illustrates above.

Absolutely stunning Mike!! :cheers:

 

[addysdaddy]

One of the best overall articles I've read by you Mike and I've read quite a few. Practical working knowledge that both pro and hobbyist can apply. Thanks for your time and insight.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

The Tahoe looks great.

I have customers asking for a quick detail that I want to service who frankly can't afford the kind of three or four step work that I like to do.

After I use the Nanoskin Auto Scrub pad on my Flex 3401 will Pinnacle XMT 360 give me reasonable results using a white ccs 5.5 inch pad.

The simple answer is "yes".

The more complicated answer is the topic I spoke about in the thread, see the my comments in the first post about using the softest pad you can get away with when using ANY one-step cleaner/wax on black and dark colored basecoat/clearcoats paints.

Do a test first and go from there...

I am getting an order ready for some other items and just want the very best most sophisticated single stage product that Autogeek.net sells. The 360 looks good, just wanted opinions on the best single stage available. Once over and pull it out of the shop. Thanks, Gary

XMT 360 is a light cutting cleaner/wax. It's not Very Light and it's not Medium Cleaning, it's Light Cleaning and that's where you want to be for doing most production detailing.

See my article here,



How to choose a one-step cleaner/wax



:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Mike, the Tahoe looks gorgeous!

Thanks Bobby...

This is a perfect example of what years of experience, skill, and having the right products and equipment can accomplish.

That and getting busy ASAP and not messing around but staying busy one step after the other.

Many here are what I call hobbyist detailers meaning we detail our own cars and trucks and maybe a few others if the urge strikes. Our detailing arsenal primarily consists of 1 or 2 machines, a few pads, and popular products but nevertheless, we're all serious and our goal is a perfect defect free mirror finish.

I agree and one thing I've learned in life is the owner of a car will tend to do better work than anyone else because they care the most... it is their car. While skill and experience are very important passion is also very important.

While 4 hours sounds shocking minimal, it's quite a bit of time and spending it efficiently and almost entirely on the exterior will surprise most of us. If I were to take this Tahoe to task I'd personally be looking at 5 to 6 hours

It was a good work out on top of a day that started in the gym at 5:00am

Organization, plan of attack, the right tools, products and venue play a huge roll in efficiency, time management, and most importantly; the finished product. How many times do you find yourself running around looking for this or trying that? Having your tools and products at your fingertips can reduce the overall times by at least 30%.

100% agree...

In my how-to book there's a section dedicated to the topic of getting organized, in fact, that's the title.... Getting Organized

And it covers really important topics like having a clean place to place your clean microfiber towels so you don't accidentally put scratches back into paint you had just polished. This is vitally important.

Absolutely stunning Mike!! :cheers:

Thanks again Bobby... while Tahoes are my choice for the kind of cars I like to polish out I'm still hoping and waiting that now that I've earned the owners trust on his Tahoe and his 1958 Impala Convertible, that one of these day he'll bring me his all original 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible and of course at my regular hourly rate.


:dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Thanks Mike for the great article. It was very informational and helps detailer to understand what matters the most to the generic customer with a daily driver.

Thank you for the compliment... that was the intent of the article....

One of the best overall articles I've read by you Mike and I've read quite a few. Practical working knowledge that both pro and hobbyist can apply. Thanks for your time and insight.

And thank you sir for the kind words....



:dblthumb2: