Holograms & scratches put into your car by someone else should be a crime

Joined
Dec 5, 2022
Messages
51,004
Reaction score
7
Holograms & scratches put into your car by someone else should be a crime


For the last 10 years I've described the holograms and scratches inflicted into a person's car by someone that works at a body shop, detail shop or dealership as a Horror Story but actually it's a crime because it's destruction of personal property.

Scratches are missing paint. Period.

Paint is missing because the person doing the work used too aggressive of products, pads and tools to either buff or wash a car and a lot of time also used bad technique.

Putting scratches into a person's car is really a bad thing to do because in order to remove the scratches you have to remove MORE paint.


Now follow me on this...


Factory clearcoat paints are thin. Typically thinner than a 3M Post-it Note.


Clearcoat_Paints_Are_Thin_01.jpg


Clearcoat_Paints_Are_Thin_02.jpg



So when a Dealership, a Bodyshop or a Detailer puts swirls into your car's paint either by how they wash it, wipe it or buff-it out they are NEEDLESSLY removing perfectly good paint because scratches are areas of paint that has been removed.



Now follow me even closer...

In order to remove the scratches you must level the paint until the top surface of the paint is level with the lowest depths of the deepest scratches.

Now you're removing MORE paint to fix a problem someone else caused to your car's already thin paint.

Paint is thin. All the factory UV protection is in the clear layer of paint. The more clear that is removed the less factory UV protection that is left to stabilize and protect the entire matrix of paint, (clear/base/primer).

See page 2 of this article,

Beginning Clearcoat Failure



How much does a quality paint job cost?
Go around to several high-end and custom body shops and get an estimate for a "good" paint job. I'll guess $3000.00 will be on the LOW end.

Go to a few local car shows, find some nice street rods, inspect the paint, when you find a few with really nice paint ask the owners for the name of the shop or person that did the body and paint work. Go to this person and ask them what a "good" paint job would be for your car and you're going to find out that to repaint your brand new car, no matter what it is, Ford Focus or Honda Accord, you're going to be looking at some serious money.

The point?

You and I can't change the industry, that means we can't do anything to make or force all detail shops, body shops and dealerships do good work and by do good work I mean work on car paint in a way that's non-destructive.

The next best thing we can do is to be pro-active with our own cars and to help our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers by educating them when the opportunity presents itself.

For example your neighbor buys a new car. Print-out or send them the link to the article below or even this article you're reading right now.

DON'T WASH CAR !!!!!!!!!!!

Dont_Wash_Car_002.jpg





Or this article,

DISO = The Dealership Installed Swirl Option

Horrendous005.jpg




If you really want to be pro-active, lend them your copy of my how-to book...

The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine


The first chapters bring a complete newbie to car detailing up to speed with enough information about their car's clear coat finish to help them understand the importance of properly taking care of it. Whether they work on it or they pay someone to work on it.


:xyxthumbs:
 
I wrote most of the above last week trying to help a new forum member try to undo the damage caused to his Ram Truck's finish when it was washed at a dealership in this thread,

Advice for metallic black paint - Dealership Installed Swirls


Here's an excerpt from his first post...

Hows it goin? Im a new forum member and looking for some pointers.

Recently my 09 ram was serviced at a local dealership and when i got it back it seriously looked like it was washed with steel wool.

I went round and round with them and the only way to get them to fix it was to sue them...



Last Friday, I had a guy in Houston, Texas call me to ask how to remove holograms out of his 2010 Mustang GT. He purchased the car and then took it to a detailer that supposedly knows what they are doing and now the entire car is filled with holograms from the misuse of a rotary buffer.

Behind the scenes I'm working with him to get the paint fixed by doing it right the second time.


:)
 
Car washes that have those dumb brushes should be a crime. I feel like warning people about it but I feel like it makes me come across as a know it all. Been called that before, so it's hard to say anything.

So far the dealership I take my car to has been awesome with not doing anything they shouldn't. I've been very clear about staying away from the paint. At least they listen.
 
I probably get on average two people a week contacting me because they're going through the ordeal of getting holograms from the misuse of a rotary buffer removed or scratches from a car was removed.

I love helping these guys because I feel their pain.

I also send them links to articles like this one so they can get more info about the problem and the solution.


:)
 
Burn through should be a felony.

Thanks for another article Mike!
 
:iagree:...It's a crime. Often difficult to prosecute, though.


On the other hand:
I consider most Dealerships' "detail-guys" to be rank amateurs.

Most of them don't know how to create scratches and holograms
that are, indeed, truly 3D...As shown below:



stupeur.gif


Bob
 
I was just about to make a thread, "I got hologrammed". I had some PDR work done on my MINI and 1 of the 3 panels that had dents, got the hologram treatment.

When I dropped it off, I asked the guy about buffing after removing the dents and he told me he uses a wool pad and then finishes with foam. I told him the reason I ask, was because I'm a little OCD and his response was, "so am I".
I didn't notice till a week after the work was done. I'm thinking (hoping) that one of his helpers did the work and didn't use a foam pad to finish that one panel. The other panels look good. I figure, since I have the gear (and AGO), I'll correct it myself.

I have WG Finishing Glaze, TSR and Menz FG400. LC 5.5", black, white and orange pads. I figure I'll start with WGFG on a white pad, but I'm wondering if there are any predictions of what product combo will end up fixing it. 2006 MINI R53, astro black.
 
Thanks Justin, for pointing out your thread. Looks like WG finishing Glaze with a white pad should take care of it for me. Great job. Your car looks great.
 
Thanks Justin, for pointing out your thread. Looks like WG finishing Glaze with a white pad should take care of it for me. Great job. Your car looks great.

Sure, no problem and thanks!

Your holograms look like what was on my hood before the most recent "work". M205 and a white pad took those out just fine too.
 
I was just about to make a thread, "I got hologrammed".

I had some PDR work done on my MINI and 1 of the 3 panels that had dents, got the hologram treatment.

When I dropped it off, I asked the guy about buffing after removing the dents and he told me he uses a wool pad and then finishes with foam. I told him the reason I ask, was because I'm a little OCD and his response was, "so am I".

Sorry to hear about the crime against your car's paint. Glad to hear you fixed it though.

Here's your picture, it's in your gallery now so it can be "inserted" instead of "attached".

hologramed_R53.jpg



For the last three years Autogeek has held detailing classes at the Mobil Tech Expo in Orlando. I've been told by the founder and President of MTE that our detailing classes are always the fullest classes. There's definitely a need and a hunger on the part of the PDR industry to learn more about proper techniques when it comes to the detailing side of their business.

We'll be back again this year, both Todd Helme and I will be teaching classes on a variety of topics.



Funny that this thread popped up. I just went through this exact same experience with my own car last week.

Took it to a guy to remove some door dings and he put scratches back into the finish attempting to rotary polish over the fixed dings :mad:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...-330i-zhp-one-step-correction.html#post987308


My guess is the PDR guy induced Holograms is probably pretty common. Probably unintentional too... it all starts with education and getting some dual action polishers into the hands of these guys so they don't just have a SINGLE tool in their tool chest.

Nothing wrong with a rotary buffer, heck I started out in this business using a Makita Rotary Buffer but just like a good mechanic has more than one wrench in his tool box a good detailer and a good PDR guy needs more than just a rotary buffer.


For everyone reading this into the future, here's the holograms inflicted into Justin's BMW by a PDR guy...

Justin_M_Holgrams_01.jpg


Justin_M_Holgrams_02.jpg



Thanks for adding the above guys...


:dblthumb2:
 
Here's some holograms I had to correct on my last detail. This was a 2010 Lexus LS460L from the carmax dealership. Carfax came out clean. Said the car has never been in an accident or repaired.

The rear bumper tells a different story on the last pic.

1397690_10152300096755410_811885440_o.jpg


1397807_10152300097680410_2092419091_o.jpg


740420_10152300100005410_864178856_o.jpg


1405031_10152300100860410_1948726014_o.jpg


860952_10152300102060410_1895880557_o.jpg


1401919_10152300102435410_1710095550_o.jpg
 
Just wondering... anyone aware of any legal action taken?
What was the outcome?
 
I just did this car a couple last week and the dealer did this and I really will never under stand why dealers let this happen.

 
Holograms & scratches put into your car by someone else should be a crime



Scratches are missing paint. Period.

Paint is missing because the person doing the work used too aggressive of products, pads and tools to either buff or wash a car and a lot of time also used bad technique.

Putting scratches into a person's car is really a bad thing to do because in order to remove the scratches you have to remove MORE paint.


Now follow me on this...


Factory clearcoat paints are thin. Typically thinner than a 3M Post-it Note.



So when a Dealership, a Bodyshop or a Detailer puts swirls into your car's paint either by how they wash it, wipe it or buff-it out they are NEEDLESSLY removing perfectly good paint because scratches are areas of paint that has been removed.



Now follow me even closer...

In order to remove the scratches you must level the paint until the top surface of the paint is level with the lowest depths of the deepest scratches.

Now you're removing MORE paint to fix a problem someone else caused to your car's already thin paint.

Paint is thin. All the factory UV protection is in the clear layer of paint. The more clear that is removed the less factory UV protection that is left to stabilize and protect the entire matrix of paint, (clear/base/primer).




The point?

You and I can't change the industry, that means we can't do anything to make or force all detail shops, body shops and dealerships do good work and by do good work I mean work on car paint in a way that's non-destructive.

The next best thing we can do is to be pro-active with our own cars and to help our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers by educating them when the opportunity presents itself.




:xyxthumbs:

Glad that you posted this thread Mike.
One year ago I came across a post of yours from 2010 that shored up my belief that traditional claying is a safer method than modern clay alternatives. Especially on vehicles with average contaminates. Not heavy overspray.
Rightly, or wrongly, it's my belief.

You always say that words have meaning, ask any lawyer...

The reason I slimmed your OP is because of your thread starter. I kept pertinent info pertaining to my question.

So my question is: Do you feel that detailers marring paint for efficiency sake...that is putting scratches in clear coat, are just as felonious as DISO?

What about detailers using the newer "super" compounds that "finish out like a polish"?
Again, products used to increase the bottom line of the detailer w/o regard to the clear coat. Felonious?

Hope this makes sense.

As always, I respect your thoughts and opinions.
 
So my question is: Do you feel that detailers marring paint for efficiency sake...that is putting scratches in clear coat, are just as felonious as DISO?

No. At least as a matter of degree. DISO, that is the Dealer Installed Swirl Option is usually done by a rotary buffer and and this will tend to,

Put in deeper scratches/swirls/holograms.

Remove more paint.


It's never good to put any type of scratches into thin paint but rotary induced swirls are the worst.

What about detailers using the newer "super" compounds that "finish out like a polish"?
Again, products used to increase the bottom line of the detailer w/o regard to the clear coat. Felonious?

Hope this makes sense.

As always, I respect your thoughts and opinions.


Then new breeds of compounds are less aggressive to paint compared to old compound technology.

As long as the person doing the work is matching their services to their customer their is now downside.


A few tips on starting a part-time detailing business
Match your services to your customer


Good questions...


:dblthumb2:
 
Thanks Mike. I agree that rotary DISO is more severe than the scenario that I suggested.

Haven't totally wrapped my head around clay alternatives and the newer products just yet. Pics tell the story for sure.

As far as matching services to the customer, I've got that down pat thanks to AGO's detailing community :dblthumb2:
 
Thanks Mike. I agree that rotary DISO is more severe than the scenario that I suggested.

Haven't totally wrapped my head around clay alternatives and the newer products just yet. Pics tell the story for sure.

If the goal is to get paint that feels rough as smooth as possible then machine decontaminating is the way to go but ONLY if you plan on doing at least one machine paint polishing step afterwards.



As far as matching services to the customer, I've got that down pat thanks to AGO's detailing community :dblthumb2:


Most important part about detailing cars for other people.


:)
 
Car washes that have those dumb brushes should be a crime. I feel like warning people about it but I feel like it makes me come across as a know it all. Been called that before, so it's hard to say anything.

So far the dealership I take my car to has been awesome with not doing anything they shouldn't. I've been very clear about staying away from the paint. At least they listen.

Imagine how I felt when I saw a Mclaren Mp4-12C going through a gas station car wash. All those little slappy brushes of scratch causing doom just pounding away at that awesome coppery paint with such enthusiasm. Made me so so so sad.
 
Back
Top