Nice, I think this is a lot more reasonable price vs other detailers I've seen. I mean even if you only got 6-9 months out of it and it's been applied correctly you'd still be doing better vs a detailer coming to wax your car regularly. Obviously if it does last the whole 2 years that's even better, but I've just seen all kinds of factors on length.
Thank you, brother, for your time. You went well beyond my expectations and then some. I bought this car used and believe the previous owner had it machine polished/"corrected". I don't know that for certain, but know that he did have it detailed right before I got it. Unfortunately I took it to the dealership for a transmission flush earlier this week and they washed it without my okay (it was a PITA job to change the transmission filter and they wanted less than anyone else). Now I'm seeing some swirl marks. Maybe whatever wax that was on there was washed off, maybe they created them, I don't know. It's barely noticeable in bright sun, but being black it's made me nervous about using the wrong products or techniques... so here I am. I typically don't wash my cars but three or four times a year. They're often very dirty. But I spend about two days washing and waxing every time I do wash them. Every single time. Or most of the time at least. And I get compliments often (when they're clean) and typically get more when I sell them because of this. Unfortunately my garage isn't even big enough to work in. So maybe the ceramic coatings might not be for me. On the other hand, I at least have a carport I can work under... If I go with a ceramic coating now's probably the time. (I'll evaluate the swirl marks tomorrow in good light). I've read a few reviews and it seems like this one has some good reviews. I still don't know **** about it, but you've given me some confidence in giving it a go. I'll read up on it and let you know what I decide. I'll be DIYing whichever route I take. If you don't mind, I'll probably have more questions for you later.
Sounds great! And really happy to help in anyway I can, so definitely don't hesitate to ask by @/reply/pm etc. so it alerts me. And that sucks on the swirl marks after the work was done, maybe it can be buffed out/cleaned up etc before coating. Also, since you're good with detailing I'd say try the ceramic. I think the carport will be fine, just want to time it right with weather. How soon do you think you might buy this one and try it?
Thanks man! I got sidetracked with my wife tonight and haven't had a chance to research too much more. I did read though that I'll need a special cleaner with the one I linked to (maybe you mentioned that) and that's like another hundred or so. I'm not excited about spending all that money, but when I factor in the labor I would otherwise spend waxing it's not so bad. Plus, the less I rub it the less risk I have of adding swirl marks. I'm not so sure the swirl marks I noticed are going to be a deal breaker. They didn't look that bad. Maybe I should buff them out though. Or maybe I can just apply the ceramic now, live with whatever marks are there, and try and buff them out next time (I haven't used a buffer in close to 20 years and am a little afraid of really messing up the paint). I'm not in a big hurry to do it, or even 100% sure at this point that I want to, but I suspect I'll probably try it in the next 10-15 days. Just in time for pollen season--which hopefully won't ruin my plans.
Sounds good, I was just thinking since it's not asap, I will also try to check w/ some friends who do more detail/body work to see if they have any preferences. I can also share some links I think that are helpful, I should have some time later this weekend or by Monday. If any questions before then let me know. Haha, yeah, pollen would be bad time for sure.
If you want to check with some friends that would be great. Thank you! You're too kind! The pollen is either going to mess up the application or turn it green for a while. Not fun either way.
He mentioned that he could come out and redo it if it gives out well before the 2 year mark. Just an all around good guy to deal with He specifically mentioned the 18 month mark though as a time a touch up may be needed These were his single vehicle prices. I’m sure there is some wiggle room. 1. $350 light polish with 1+ yr graphene Oxide spray coating 2. $500 2yr coating via Pinnacle black label diamond paint coating 3.$700 4yr with warranty Ceramic coating via Pinnacle black label diamond paint coating PRO Rims coated 4. $900 5-7 yrs with warranty Graphene Oxide coating via Adams Graphene Oxide coating Rims coated 5. $1000 Undrdog ceramic PRO 8yrs with warranty All coatings come with wash, Clay bar and iron decon , deep polishing of the paint to remove and or hide swirls to bring out a high gloss prior to the coating of choice.
Damn man, this guy is solid on the prices. And that's awesome on the guarantees and him being honest on the 18 month mark. Really great to see this vs some other guys I've come across that will make stuff up or charge some crazy prices. And he's giving this to you all mobile, that's really impressive.
I want to get a buffer/polisher and do some detailing work. I've never done it before, I just pay people, but now I have a teenager to do it. Any recommendations on equipment and other tips?
I polished and buffed cars in the past without any experience and they turned out okay. At least in spots, lol. Today's paint and clearcoats are very thin and easy to burn through, however, so at least watch some YouTube. Wish I could give you better advice, but that's how I learned. I did get a Griot's Garage polisher (believe it's the G9) and a small Zota brand polisher off Amazon for tight spots, FWIW.
Do any of you use a scent or air freshener for your interior? I've used the little tree things in the past and some "new car" scents, cherry scents, etc. They were all pretty gross and synthetic smelling. Something tells me this is a bad idea, but I'm wondering if a little cologne might do the trick. Thoughts?
My wife gives me these little scent things that go over the ac vent. She tells me my ride smells like ‘dudes’ but I don’t smell anything. /shrug
Both. But by hand won't get you far unless you're dealing with some light swirls or scuff marks. Back in the day I was doing everything wrong, using a far too aggressive pad, etc., but the older cars I was into used much thicker and more durable enamel paints, which could be brought back to life pretty easy. For the last few decades manufacturers have been using two-stage paints, which are generally (as I understand it) a thin "basecoat" or color coat (over top of a primer), and one or more thin layers of clear. The new paints don't oxidize and fade like the old paints and generally look pretty good over the life of the car--if you maintain them properly--but they're much softer and prone to scratching. And... they're also much easier to burn through with your buffer and **** up. Some new cars have such thin finishes that people are fearful of even lightly "correcting" their brand spanking new cars, which is why wraps and, to some degree, coatings are becoming a thing. Something else to think about is: most people see a light defect, or scratch or swirl, and think buffing just magically removes it. No, what buffing does is it shaves away a thin layer of the surrounding clear so that the defect is less visible. So you can't just buff your car every week. (You can wax it to your heart's content though.) TLDR: I know it sounds about as fun as watching someone cut grass, but there are some good videos out there from people that actually know their stuff. And they're not that bad. (Even on washing cars, believe it or not.) Here are a couple... I watched this one myself a few months back... I haven't watched this one, but this guy has pretty useful info... This guy is very knowledgeable and has a great channel... I'm tagging @CCity Zero because he knows a lot about cars (and can probably correct me on some things) and he may have even been the one that told me about some of the videos.
