Rockeey
New member
- Dec 12, 2012
- 105
- 0
Been lingering her for awhile and just figured I would take the leap and register on the forum.
I have been an avid detailer for a long time. One of the cabinets in my garage is always FULL of various detailing products, tools, and supplies. I am pretty much self-taught and started quite a few years back buffing my cars with a wool pad hooked up to a standard drill. (the answer is “yes”….I did burn the paint on a vehicle once.)
I own a 1976 Trans Am (see below) that I had painted about 8 years ago. I color sanded and buffed the entire vehicle with wool and foam pads on a drill. It took more hours than I care to admit but no one believes me when I tell them it is a Maaco paint job that I cut and buffed. I’ve had people tell me that it looks like a $6,000-$8,000 paint job….which, in my opinion, is a true testimony to what can be accomplished on even an inexpensive BC/CC paint job with some decent product and tools. It is virtually swirl free top to bottom….but, again, the amount of time spent getting it like that is almost embarrassing to admit. Almost as embarrassing to admit is that my first purchase from Autogeek included a 2 3/4 inch rotary backing plate with the drill adapter and some 4 inch foam pads. I just couldn’t resist.
After learning the routine on a drill, I jumped to a rotary polisher and started learning how to cut faster with as little swirl as I could. A couple of months ago, I purchased my first DA and couldn’t be happier with the results I am getting. I am a huge fan of Megs UC and UP and the finishing I am getting using the DA after a pass with the rotary is a notch above what I was getting from just the rotary. I’ve done about 5 cars (4 of them were black) since I got the DA and can’t wait to get busy on the next one. In fact, my T/A is in storage for the Winter and I am already itching to get it home so I can run the DA over it and maybe crispen it up a bit. Might even indulge in some Souveran or Fuzion just to treat her to what I hope is a special glow for the 2013 cruise and car show season.
Friends and family have questioned (even joked about) my “strange” obsession with a clean car but, truth is, detailing is sort of therapeutic for me….and I don’t hesitate to admit that to anyone that asks. I substantially enjoy being in the driveway or garage working to bring a vehicle back to a condition that is ‘like new’ or as close as possible to it. I find it challenging but relaxing and very enjoyable at the same time.
I’ve already learned quite a bit just from lingering here over the last 2-3 months. The will power it’s taken to refrain from ordering an entire smorgasbord of product has been difficult but I know it is probably just a matter of time before I cave. I’m particularly anxious to try a rinseless wash because I’ve never done that before.
Anyway….greetings everyone !!
I have been an avid detailer for a long time. One of the cabinets in my garage is always FULL of various detailing products, tools, and supplies. I am pretty much self-taught and started quite a few years back buffing my cars with a wool pad hooked up to a standard drill. (the answer is “yes”….I did burn the paint on a vehicle once.)
I own a 1976 Trans Am (see below) that I had painted about 8 years ago. I color sanded and buffed the entire vehicle with wool and foam pads on a drill. It took more hours than I care to admit but no one believes me when I tell them it is a Maaco paint job that I cut and buffed. I’ve had people tell me that it looks like a $6,000-$8,000 paint job….which, in my opinion, is a true testimony to what can be accomplished on even an inexpensive BC/CC paint job with some decent product and tools. It is virtually swirl free top to bottom….but, again, the amount of time spent getting it like that is almost embarrassing to admit. Almost as embarrassing to admit is that my first purchase from Autogeek included a 2 3/4 inch rotary backing plate with the drill adapter and some 4 inch foam pads. I just couldn’t resist.
After learning the routine on a drill, I jumped to a rotary polisher and started learning how to cut faster with as little swirl as I could. A couple of months ago, I purchased my first DA and couldn’t be happier with the results I am getting. I am a huge fan of Megs UC and UP and the finishing I am getting using the DA after a pass with the rotary is a notch above what I was getting from just the rotary. I’ve done about 5 cars (4 of them were black) since I got the DA and can’t wait to get busy on the next one. In fact, my T/A is in storage for the Winter and I am already itching to get it home so I can run the DA over it and maybe crispen it up a bit. Might even indulge in some Souveran or Fuzion just to treat her to what I hope is a special glow for the 2013 cruise and car show season.
Friends and family have questioned (even joked about) my “strange” obsession with a clean car but, truth is, detailing is sort of therapeutic for me….and I don’t hesitate to admit that to anyone that asks. I substantially enjoy being in the driveway or garage working to bring a vehicle back to a condition that is ‘like new’ or as close as possible to it. I find it challenging but relaxing and very enjoyable at the same time.
I’ve already learned quite a bit just from lingering here over the last 2-3 months. The will power it’s taken to refrain from ordering an entire smorgasbord of product has been difficult but I know it is probably just a matter of time before I cave. I’m particularly anxious to try a rinseless wash because I’ve never done that before.
Anyway….greetings everyone !!
rops:
Apparently, according to him, their hourly charge for detail work on repaired panels had a very thin profit margin just because of the time it involved and what they could recoup from the customer or the insurance company for it. I did not even act interested in his “suggestion” because all I could picture was a line up of cars in my driveway littered with orange peel, fisheye, and dust bumps and the immense amount of time involved to knock that all down and provide a quality swirl free finish.
