How Many Cars Have You Detailed?

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mk9750

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I read almost every post from almost every thread on this forum. There are so many of you that have great answers and great advice. One of the things I notice is that quite a few of you know intricate details about MANY different products.

I'm a bit more than a year into doing this part time. I've done 20, maybe 25 cars. My arsenal is limited. A couple of McGuire's polishes, two McKee's 37 polishes, and an Optimum polish. And I can say with full authority, I'm miles away from being expert in any of the products I've used. And the little bit I do know, I really have to refer back to notes I take for each car. "How does D300 work on Acura paint?" I've worked this combination, but I assure you I'd need to check the notes I made before I could give you an answer to that. And that's just polish!

Please don't get me wrong. I don't doubt your knowledge. But I'm curious - How many cars does one have to polish before they know the details of as many products as some of you do? I'm guessing at my age (60), and the number of cars I expect to work on in the balance of my life, I'm never going to obtain the knowledge that a lot of you have, and can share at the drop of a hat. I become more and more impressed with this group the more I read.
 
My advice would be pick one line up of products and master them across the spectrum of vehicles. And most importantly always do a test spot(s) on whatever the vehicle is and go from there. For example, HD lineup, then master each product and pad combo. I start with a product and pad for a test spot. If I don't get the results I want I change pads first and then another test and reassess until I get the desired results.

Take a peak at this link and the process I went through:

https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...master-sealant.html?highlight=porsche+cayenne
 
In follow up to my above post. This was one step paint correction and LSP. Six hours total time start to finish including washing, drying etc and it was hammered.

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mk9750 said:
I read almost every post from almost every thread on this forum. There are so many of you that have great answers and great advice. One of the things I notice is that quite a few of you know intricate details about MANY different products.

I'm a bit more than a year into doing this part time. I've done 20, maybe 25 cars. My arsenal is limited. A couple of McGuire's polishes, two McKee's 37 polishes, and an Optimum polish. And I can say with full authority, I'm miles away from being expert in any of the products I've used. And the little bit I do know, I really have to refer back to notes I take for each car. "How does D300 work on Acura paint?" I've worked this combination, but I assure you I'd need to check the notes I made before I could give you an answer to that. And that's just polish!

Please don't get me wrong. I don't doubt your knowledge. But I'm curious - How many cars does one have to polish before they know the details of as many products as some of you do? I'm guessing at my age (60), and the number of cars I expect to work on in the balance of my life, I'm never going to obtain the knowledge that a lot of you have, and can share at the drop of a hat. I become more and more impressed with this group the more I read.
Click to expand...

What worked on one 2014 Toyota Camry may not work on another. Different paint, different factory will make a huge difference. Not all paint are created equal.

Your best bet is to do what custmsprty suggested and do a test spot.
 
mk9750 said:
I'm miles away from being expert in any of the products I've used. And the little bit I do know, I really have to refer back to notes I take for each car. "How does D300 work on Acura paint?" I've worked this combination, but I assure you I'd need to check the notes I made before I could give you an answer to that. And that's just polish!
Click to expand...

On another forum that predates this one, we used to have a saying (which has fallen out of favor) "process is > product". As custmsprty alluded to, I think you need to pull back your focus a bit..it's not so much about D300 or Acura paint, it's how the paint reacts, to some degree what the color is, and understanding your tools (machine, chemical, pad), and thinking about your technique (arm speed, pressure, tool choice).

So sure, some makes you can make generalizations about the paint hardness, some colors you can make generalizations about as far as how difficult it will be to achieve acceptable results. The other problem with this product on that make...is you will run into cars that have had repairs done at different times, and you may have some factory panels, and other panels that have been painted at different times by different shops, and they may all react differently.

Anyway, I don't think you need a lifetime to master this stuff...and maybe the reason you don't feel as "expert" as some is because you've spent more time doing than reading...which in the end is probably worth more. Keep going and before you know it you'll be an expert.
 
I suspect I wasn't doing as well making my point as I thought.

All your comments are correct, and it is generally the process I am using.

My point is that many of you know so much more than I do, and can discuss it off the top of your head. And not just about a single product, or even about a product line, but about numerous product lines. My line up of products is very limited (as you are suggesting it should be), but I just don't have the ability to discuss the nuances of even the few products I do use, unless I happen to have used Product "A" on paint "B", and even then, I would need to check my notes.

So my question really is, how many cars does one need to polish before he or she can discuss the pros and cons of many different polishes on many different kinds of paint, like so many of you can?

Sorry if my style of writing didn't help me make my point well.
 
mk9750 said:
I suspect I wasn't doing as well making my point as I thought.

All your comments are correct, and it is generally the process I am using.

My point is that many of you know so much more than I do, and can discuss it off the top of your head. And not just about a single product, or even about a product line, but about numerous product lines. My line up of products is very limited (as you are suggesting it should be), but I just don't have the ability to discuss the nuances of even the few products I do use, unless I happen to have used Product "A" on paint "B", and even then, I would need to check my notes.

So my question really is, how many cars does one need to polish before he or she can discuss the pros and cons of many different polishes on many different kinds of paint, like so many of you can?

Sorry if my style of writing didn't help me make my point well.
Click to expand...

It's not about quantity and how many cars, or details, it's about processes. One line of products and a few pad combos = mastering the process. Understanding how the product and pad combos work and how to attack the problem through test spots equals success.
 
custmsprty said:
It's not about quantity and how many cars, or details, it's about processes. One line of products and a few pad combos = mastering the process. Understanding how the product and pad combos work and how to attack the problem through test spots equals success.
Click to expand...

So true.

It's too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of either seeing/reading about so many products and/or show and shines.

Much easier to buy good product (One line of product like Mark already stated) and work smartly with the least aggressive method at first, then step up if not to your satisfaction.

I have stated this before, but I will say it again: This forum is incredible at teaching and helping, but also maddening for some newer members with all of the products/opinions.

You can only read so much before you have to just dive in and form your own opinion. (Which will add to the next new guy's madness). :laughing:
 
I politely disagree with the stick with one company philosophy. Now that is more specifically targeted towards compounds and polishes. I suggest having a few brands in your arsenal. There are so many paint systems out there and I have not yet found one company that can tackle them all to my liking. Yes some products have a learning curve but some products also work better than others on certain paint systems.

Experience and time invested certainly help.

I have buffed our many vehicles thru the years. Looking back...some may not make me so proud right now but the buffing liquid technology has really improved thru the years.
 
I'm just here to read comments lol.
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It’s not really a question of how many vehicles. I’m sure most on here don’t keep count of how many they have detailed. It really comes down to how many years. If you keep reading everything you can find about the subject and apply it to what you do. You pick it up in no time. Everyone on here started at the same point they just build their knowledge and skills over time. Just keep it up and stick to what you are doing.
 
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