Hardest part of detailing?

Finding enough time to care for my own car.

In all seriousness, I'm going to say the actual detail work. Polishing metals in difficult areas is a particular pain that I'm not fond of. Not only that, but certain things seems to be manufactured to be difficult to polish, Whipple superchargers for example. Damn those little ribs. :surrender:

Leaning over an engine bay polishing that minor nightmare wasn't fun. Looked fantastic after I finished, but I wouldn't want to make that a regular thing. My back is valuable to me.
 
maximus20895 said:
Like I said, I've never used it.

How do you velcro your own to it?


I know Stoner's sells one called a Reach Tool but I have a hard time spending $15+ for it and I don't really see the advantage either :/

autogeek_2106_28177861
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That's the one I had for a long time. Didn't care much for it, though. It does work really well to get in between a camper shell and the rear window on a pickup. Just screw in an extension pole to the end of it. I gave it to my father-in-law for that purpose.

Colin
 
IMO it is deciding on products. Good god there is a lot out there!! After that it is:

2.) Bumpers
3.) Front / Rear Windows
4.) Engine bay
 
I think the hardest bit is trying to find the right combination of stuff that works for the car. Hobby detailers like me don't use enough product to be able to constantly buy new products. It has taken me a couple of years to find the right combination and I am still tweaking it!!!

While no one has said it yet - I think the hardest part about detailing is when you take the car out, drive somewhere and notice the pollen building up on it!
 
The first thing I did when I woke up is used the windshield wonder. It does actually work really well. It is a hell of a lot better than using a MF towel by hand. :)
 
cnfowler said:
That's the one I had for a long time. Didn't care much for it, though. It does work really well to get in between a camper shell and the rear window on a pickup. Just screw in an extension pole to the end of it. I gave it to my father-in-law for that purpose.

Colin
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This actually works well too. I never had a use for it until I got my SI... My hand just does not fit between the dash and the windshield... Without this, cleaning it would be impossible.
 
Yea, I have an SI too. I think you are on the same forum where Rasky posts some pics and stuff of his work.

The dash is almost impossible to get to without the use of one of these tools.

Like I said, I tried the windshield wonder for the first time today and it was soo much easier!
 
The windows. I always have this weird film I can't get rid of easily, but I know which product I need now. And like was said earlier, us hobbiest don't have the large amount of pads and products to grab, so when you have only have so few pads, you don't want too weak a product and waste the pad, but you don't want to use too harsh of a product either.
 
I'd have to say the wheels are the hardest part for me. I've had both knees replaced and it's tough to get down and stay down to do the wheels.
 
Thanks for all the replies. It's good to get a feel for some of the hard work involved in detailing. As I'm just starting out, I detailed my 07 Accord using no machines with the exception of a vacuum cleaner. As far as the exterior, it was super hard. I am in an apartment complex temporarily with no hose. I used waterless spray for the wash. I then clayed/IPA and compounded the paint and followed up with wax. I decided to do this the hard way so that I could see what products do without a machine. Since I got up close and personal with my car, I now know where all the little random scratches are amongst all the swirl marks. Also, the previous owner of this car probably parked next to a sprinkler as there are water marks on the glass and paint. I used 0000 steel wool with vinegar (50/50) on the glass and got the window stains out pretty easily. I can still see the water marks on the paint. I even learned my mud flaps were held on with one screw instead of three (installer probably took a shortcut). I took care of that by replacing the missing screws. I also learned my muffler tip was not only dirty, but bent on the underside. Someone probably bottomed out on a driveway or something. At least now it's a clean dent. My car looks super even though I know the paint still needs correcting. I'll be investing in a buffer soon to take care of that. Thanks again for the replies.
 
Detailing (using Mike P.'s definition) - that is, getting the wax residue out the crevices, etc. that take a while to show up. It is so obvious on black. It is time consuming even if you apply trim dressing and tape some spots.
 
Webb said:
Anything below waist line.I'm 6'2...
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LOL!!! :laughing: (isn't that a good thing? :nomore:)

I'm 5'4 1/2" - I have no plans of dropping the half inch, or i round up..lol. Im the MAN
So anything above my shoulders is an issue, especially on midsize and full size SUVs.
 
I have to go along with the folks who have the most problems with the windows. The rear window is the real pain because of the grid lines of the window defroster. You can only wipe in a horizontal motion or the raised grid lines prevent you from totally removing any grime on the window.
 
I agree with ALL the previous posts. Especially the bad back comments. I solved my bad back problems with a four post car lift. I just keep raising and lowering the cars to bring the area that I need to reach to mid chest height. And it makes it really easy to polish exhaust systems and clean the bottom of the engine and trans.

But even with all the other difficulties taken care of I really HATE taping the car prior to compounding. But it's a must since my first step (after washing and claying) is a rotary.
 
Between the bucket seats next to the console and next the the seat runners along with the bottom corners of windows, been debating which one of those window cleaning extenders to get anyone have a preferance????
 
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