- Thread starter
- #21
Yep, hope he doesn't go blow that paint job money at the casino or the strip club! Im the MAN
Boom! Test spot got me the job from skeptical customer!
- Thread starter KirkH
- Start date
Yep, hope he doesn't go blow that paint job money at the casino or the strip club! Im the MAN
custmsprty
New member
- Apr 11, 2012
- 7,496
- 0
This is what a guy I know just got for $2,000 grand so you can tell your guy he's well ahead of the game with having you do the job and the best you canrops:
Eldorado2k
Well-known member
- Nov 9, 2015
- 14,546
- 645
Great results. Just curious, did you clay your test spot before polishing, or just straight to the buffer? Paint looks so bad, did wetsanding cross your mind?
daimler
New member
- Apr 11, 2014
- 56
- 0
I have had that same experience when I had to work on a small car. The owner was about to send his car to a paint shop the next day or two. But when she heard of my work, she called up and asked what I could do. Her black car was filled with heavy swirls. She said her nephew tried to buff it out with a rotary polisher using a wool pad and a cheap compound. It ended up leaving a matte finish--no more gloss, not a bit! The owner was a hardcore low baller. She wanted good results but ain't willing to spend. I just told her we'll talk after I finish working on her car. For the mean time, we'll have to stick with my quotation.
After I finished working on it, I called the owner up. When she saw the result, she paid straight up. I didn't hear any single word from her. By her looks, she was wondering how it turned out to look that way with all the scratches it previously had.
View attachment 56696
After I finished working on it, I called the owner up. When she saw the result, she paid straight up. I didn't hear any single word from her. By her looks, she was wondering how it turned out to look that way with all the scratches it previously had.
View attachment 56696
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
Thank for sharing....
Just a comment...
When you deal with cars where the paint is obviously "severely" neglected, ask yourself,
How did it get this way?
The answer is usually one of the below,
1: The "new" owner purchased it used and the previous owner(s) didn't lift a finger to take care of the paint or possibility the entire car.
2: The current owner never lifted a finger to take care of the paint and/or the rest of the car.
Here's my point, if the answer to the question is #2, the paint looks the way it does because the current owner, (possibly the original owner from when the car was new), didn't do anything to take care of the car. So the question I always ask myself is,
What's changed?
What's changed that NOW after I fix the paint the owner will now take care of it? IF the answer to the question is "nothing" then chances are the customer is not going to do anything after you restore the paint to maintain it and it's going to go down hill again. If you don't educate the customer on how to correctly wash and how to NOT wash it, (take it to any kind of mechanical car wash), then it will go down hill and the owner will likely blame you or worse, all detailers because their expectations are unreasonable.
Make sense?
I've been detailing cars for a long time and that means dealing with people for a long time and everything I teach in my 3-day detailing classes is based upon a lifetime of experience, something you can't get with the all the new instructors popping up all over the map.
Anyway, here's an article I wrote about this topic and the picture is from a slide in my class.
Evaluate the customer first!
I'm in no way saying don't take the job by all means take it but just keep the above in mind.
The first question I ask anyone I'm going to detail a car for is,
How are you going to wash the car?
How they answer this question gives me a lot of insight as to where their knowledge level is and thus their expectations.
Just a comment...
When you deal with cars where the paint is obviously "severely" neglected, ask yourself,
How did it get this way?
The answer is usually one of the below,
1: The "new" owner purchased it used and the previous owner(s) didn't lift a finger to take care of the paint or possibility the entire car.
2: The current owner never lifted a finger to take care of the paint and/or the rest of the car.
Here's my point, if the answer to the question is #2, the paint looks the way it does because the current owner, (possibly the original owner from when the car was new), didn't do anything to take care of the car. So the question I always ask myself is,
What's changed?
What's changed that NOW after I fix the paint the owner will now take care of it? IF the answer to the question is "nothing" then chances are the customer is not going to do anything after you restore the paint to maintain it and it's going to go down hill again. If you don't educate the customer on how to correctly wash and how to NOT wash it, (take it to any kind of mechanical car wash), then it will go down hill and the owner will likely blame you or worse, all detailers because their expectations are unreasonable.
Make sense?
I've been detailing cars for a long time and that means dealing with people for a long time and everything I teach in my 3-day detailing classes is based upon a lifetime of experience, something you can't get with the all the new instructors popping up all over the map.
Anyway, here's an article I wrote about this topic and the picture is from a slide in my class.
Evaluate the customer first!
I'm in no way saying don't take the job by all means take it but just keep the above in mind.
The first question I ask anyone I'm going to detail a car for is,
How are you going to wash the car?
How they answer this question gives me a lot of insight as to where their knowledge level is and thus their expectations.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
Test spot in the picture- still some swirls in the test spot,
The before condition lools like a text book definition of
severely neglected paint
The swirl scratches are uniform and cover 100% of the panel. The paint has oxidized. Clearcoats are not known for oxidation, they are known for swirls. Single stage paints are known for oxidation. So when a clearcoat becomes oxidaized, it's a sure sing of long-time neglect.
You could go that route but if it were me I would have explained that the paint is thinner than a post-it note and due to the severe neglect and the fact that this car is a daily driver, not a show car on display, and if I had found out how the owner currently takes care of the car I would probably recommended using a one-step cleaner/wax and living with the results of the one-step which would still make a HUGE difference.
Then I would have over delivered on what I under promised, something else I teach in my classes on Saturday when we go over production detailing, that is detailing daily drivers.
Clearcoats are thin by Mike Phillips
Looking forward to your write-up.
How much are u getting for the two step process then wax that's a lot of work
- Thread starter
- #28
I probably should've mentioned that the guy had just bought this truck.
$350 and I am only 2 stepping the hood and the front of the roof. The rest is getting Wolfgang Uber AIO.
- Thread starter
- #29
Thank for sharing....
Just a comment...
When you deal with cars where the paint is obviously "severely" neglected, ask yourself,
How did it get this way?
I forgot to mention that the guy just bought the truck this way.
- Thread starter
- #30
I did clay the surface. Since he was planning on painting, I did not recommend wet sanding.
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
Sounds like your good to go!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
That's real common. I've bought neglected vehicles before. At one time the paint on this car looked horrible and I certainly didn't buy it new...
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
- Aug 31, 2010
- 17,038
- 1,326
Wow, looks great!
daimler
New member
- Apr 11, 2014
- 56
- 0
Wow! Great job on that!
The answer to my work that I recently posted is that the owner purchased a pre-owned car and tried to make it look better but it turned out worse because they, obviously, had no idea on what to do and what to use. But rest assured that after the work I've done, I made sure that I briefed the customer on how to maintain her cars look.
Thank for sharing....
Just a comment...
When you deal with cars where the paint is obviously "severely" neglected, ask yourself,
How did it get this way?
The answer is usually one of the below,
1: The "new" owner purchased it used and the previous owner(s) didn't lift a finger to take care of the paint or possibility the entire car.
2: The current owner never lifted a finger to take care of the paint and/or the rest of the car.
The answer to my work that I recently posted is that the owner purchased a pre-owned car and tried to make it look better but it turned out worse because they, obviously, had no idea on what to do and what to use. But rest assured that after the work I've done, I made sure that I briefed the customer on how to maintain her cars look.
- Thread starter
- #36
Thanks Mike, I took your advice and this is indeed what I ended up telling him and you're right it still made a huge difference.
- Thread starter
- #37
I’m sorry that I didn’t take more “before” pics. I think you can tell from the earlier posts what the paint was like. It was bad.
I started out with a foaming with Autogeek Quart Foamaster Foam Gun FREE BONUS and then a two bucket wash using Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss 16 oz. at a high concentration to really decontaminate. I used two of the Super Plush Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt, microfiber wash mitt, car wash mitt. For claying, I used a heavy clay from England with Chemical Guys Luber Clay Lubricant 16 oz. . There were a lot of contaminants and I used 2 clay patties.
I only did a two step polish on the hood and the roof area forward of the sunroof, a strip about 6” wide. For the rest of the car, I just used an all in one polish.
For polishing the hood, I used the Cyclo Orbital Polisher Model 5-Pro with ProGuard Backing Plates, Cyclo Pro-5 Polisher, Cyclo buffer with Lake Country 4 Inch Flat Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice!, and the Porter cable 7424xp, 7424xp, Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher, Porter Cable polisher, car polisher, buffer, sander-polisher with Meguiars Soft Buff DBP6 DA Polisher 6 inch Backing Plate for the roof and Flex-Foam HD Rotary Backing Plate, spot buff backing plate, 3" backing plate, circular polisher backing plate for pillars.
First, I used Optimum Polish is a swirl remover, finishing polish & paint cleaner in one for the optimum shine! swirl remover polish, fine grade polish, final with orange pads. 2’x2’ areas with 4-8 slow passes, using the pressure of the weight of the machine. Next I used Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish with white pads. 4-6 passes. Followed by a wipedown of the hood with Chemical Guys Wipeout surface cleaner.
I was really trying to pull out all the stops to make this hood look better so I applied Chemical Guys Glossworkz Glaze with a blue pad. 4-6 passes on speed setting 4, according to the instructions. After that, I applied Chemical Guys JetSeal 109 Super Acrylic Sealant Formula 16 oz. with the Porter cable 7424xp, 7424xp, Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher, Porter Cable polisher, car polisher, buffer, sander-polisher with Lake Country 6.5 Inch CCS Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice! and waited 20 minutes to remove with a top microfiber towel. I let the sealant cure for two hours, then applied Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845, liquid wax, heat-resistant wax, car wax. I let it dry to a haze and removed with my best towel.
On the roof, there was clear coat failure.
It was already gone on the 6" strip in front of the sunroof. I decided to see what I could do. First, I thought I remembered reading Mike Phillips had used some Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze is a final step auto glaze to enhanced the gloss prior to wax application. Get a show car shine with Meguiars #7 Show Car to “moisturize” some single stage paint before polishing. I figured “Why not?” So I applied the Show Car Glaze and let it sit on the paint overnight. Today I used Optimum Polish is a swirl remover, finishing polish & paint cleaner in one for the optimum shine! swirl remover polish, fine grade polish, final with an orange pad. Next I used Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish with a white pad. 4-6 passes. I used the sealant and wax again on the strip.
It didn’t look great but it was better than it was.
For the rest of the vehicle I used a green pad and Wolfgang Uber All In One, cleaner wax, all in one polish wax. 4-6 passes and wipe with my best mf towel.
Other than the front, hood and roof, this truck looks great! LOL!
Paging Dr. Colorchip, Dr. Colorchip to the Emergency Room STAT!
While I was waiting for the hood and roof sealant to cure, I clayed and sealed the windshield, just because I had nothing to do and it cost me maybe, say, a nickel? Griot's Garage Glass Sealant, glass protectant, windshield sealant. I also cleaned one leather passenger seat with Vinyl & Leather Scrub Brush and Chemical Guys Sprayable Leather Cleaner & Conditioner 16 oz. to show him what I can do for the interior. I also treated the airbag cover on the steering wheel with Chemical Guys G6 HyperCoat protectant dressing to demonstrate how I can moisturize and revitalize the dash and trim.
Before the customer came to pickup, I did a quick dust wipe with Chemical Guys P40 Pro-Detailer with Carnauba 16 oz. and I sprayed the tires with Chemical Guys Blue Guard.
And when he picked up the truck, I gave him the choice of car scents and he chose Chemical Guys New Car Scent, air freshener, new car smell, car deodorizer
Final photo:
I’m sure I have forgotten things so I will update this thread if I think of it. Thanks for hanging out with me on this job!
I started out with a foaming with Autogeek Quart Foamaster Foam Gun FREE BONUS and then a two bucket wash using Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Gloss 16 oz. at a high concentration to really decontaminate. I used two of the Super Plush Micro-Chenille Wash Mitt, microfiber wash mitt, car wash mitt. For claying, I used a heavy clay from England with Chemical Guys Luber Clay Lubricant 16 oz. . There were a lot of contaminants and I used 2 clay patties.
I only did a two step polish on the hood and the roof area forward of the sunroof, a strip about 6” wide. For the rest of the car, I just used an all in one polish.
For polishing the hood, I used the Cyclo Orbital Polisher Model 5-Pro with ProGuard Backing Plates, Cyclo Pro-5 Polisher, Cyclo buffer with Lake Country 4 Inch Flat Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice!, and the Porter cable 7424xp, 7424xp, Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher, Porter Cable polisher, car polisher, buffer, sander-polisher with Meguiars Soft Buff DBP6 DA Polisher 6 inch Backing Plate for the roof and Flex-Foam HD Rotary Backing Plate, spot buff backing plate, 3" backing plate, circular polisher backing plate for pillars.
First, I used Optimum Polish is a swirl remover, finishing polish & paint cleaner in one for the optimum shine! swirl remover polish, fine grade polish, final with orange pads. 2’x2’ areas with 4-8 slow passes, using the pressure of the weight of the machine. Next I used Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish with white pads. 4-6 passes. Followed by a wipedown of the hood with Chemical Guys Wipeout surface cleaner.
I was really trying to pull out all the stops to make this hood look better so I applied Chemical Guys Glossworkz Glaze with a blue pad. 4-6 passes on speed setting 4, according to the instructions. After that, I applied Chemical Guys JetSeal 109 Super Acrylic Sealant Formula 16 oz. with the Porter cable 7424xp, 7424xp, Porter Cable 7424XP Dual Action Polisher, Porter Cable polisher, car polisher, buffer, sander-polisher with Lake Country 6.5 Inch CCS Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice! and waited 20 minutes to remove with a top microfiber towel. I let the sealant cure for two hours, then applied Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845, liquid wax, heat-resistant wax, car wax. I let it dry to a haze and removed with my best towel.
On the roof, there was clear coat failure.
It was already gone on the 6" strip in front of the sunroof. I decided to see what I could do. First, I thought I remembered reading Mike Phillips had used some Meguiars #7 Show Car Glaze is a final step auto glaze to enhanced the gloss prior to wax application. Get a show car shine with Meguiars #7 Show Car to “moisturize” some single stage paint before polishing. I figured “Why not?” So I applied the Show Car Glaze and let it sit on the paint overnight. Today I used Optimum Polish is a swirl remover, finishing polish & paint cleaner in one for the optimum shine! swirl remover polish, fine grade polish, final with an orange pad. Next I used Pinnacle Advanced Finishing Polish with a white pad. 4-6 passes. I used the sealant and wax again on the strip.
It didn’t look great but it was better than it was.
For the rest of the vehicle I used a green pad and Wolfgang Uber All In One, cleaner wax, all in one polish wax. 4-6 passes and wipe with my best mf towel.
Other than the front, hood and roof, this truck looks great! LOL!
Paging Dr. Colorchip, Dr. Colorchip to the Emergency Room STAT!
While I was waiting for the hood and roof sealant to cure, I clayed and sealed the windshield, just because I had nothing to do and it cost me maybe, say, a nickel? Griot's Garage Glass Sealant, glass protectant, windshield sealant. I also cleaned one leather passenger seat with Vinyl & Leather Scrub Brush and Chemical Guys Sprayable Leather Cleaner & Conditioner 16 oz. to show him what I can do for the interior. I also treated the airbag cover on the steering wheel with Chemical Guys G6 HyperCoat protectant dressing to demonstrate how I can moisturize and revitalize the dash and trim.
Before the customer came to pickup, I did a quick dust wipe with Chemical Guys P40 Pro-Detailer with Carnauba 16 oz. and I sprayed the tires with Chemical Guys Blue Guard.
And when he picked up the truck, I gave him the choice of car scents and he chose Chemical Guys New Car Scent, air freshener, new car smell, car deodorizer
Final photo:
I’m sure I have forgotten things so I will update this thread if I think of it. Thanks for hanging out with me on this job!
- Thread starter
- #39
Good catch! Thank you!
Wheels were cleaned with BLACKFIRE Total Eclipse Tire & Wheel Cleaner, all wheel cleaner, chrome wheel cleaner, aluminum wheel cleaner, factory wheel cleaner (that I got in a Mystery Box!) and a DeWalt cordless drill with Wheel Woolies Power Woolie 12X and a Soft-Grip 20 inch Wheel & Body Brush . Tires scrubbed with Deluxe Contour Tire Brush
VISITOR
Active member
- May 10, 2007
- 9,859
- 3
kirkh,
you should post this write-up from post #37 into a separate thread (below), i think more people would like to see the awesome work you did!
Forum: Show N' Shine
Post your work and progress!
you should post this write-up from post #37 into a separate thread (below), i think more people would like to see the awesome work you did!
Forum: Show N' Shine
Post your work and progress!