How long does it take you?

[35th Anniversary SS]

Im curious.. how long does it take you to detail a car?

Im finding that I can easily spend 10hrs on one car. Thats doing exterior and interior. Not that I mind.. just wondering if its acceptable. I sometimes feel like I should be going faster, but Im not sure.

Lets say this is the example, Im going to use this car as an example since I will be doing many of them through my old car club:

2002 Chevrolet Camaro.

-Wash the car.
-Towel off.
-Clay entire car.
-Tape off trim.
-#83 x 2 passes via G100.
-#80 x 1 pass via G100.
-NXT x 1 pass via G100.
-Remove NXT with bonnet and G100.
-Shop Vac interior.
-Remove 2 stains with APC+.
-Dress interior.
-Clean glass inside and out.
-Hand Clean wheels.
-Tire dressing.
-Polish exhaust tips.

Soo.. honestly.. how long would that job take you?

[Superior Shine]

Awww about 15 minutes. Maybe 20 if Is a black car-


Please email me your snail mail address for your t-shirt. Large right?

[35th Anniversary SS]

^ You crack me up Joe.

PM coming your way...

[skitelluride531@cubs]

Today, I dd a 1996 Toyota 4Runner.


My process was this:

Wash with Gold Class
Claybar with Aggressive Clay (Final Inspection as lubricant)
Meguiars ColorX Speed 5 PC (#8006 Pad)
Meguiars #21 Speed 3 PC (#9006 Pad)
Polish Exterior Chrome
Dress Molding/Tires with Hyper Dressing


On the interior, I vacuumed it out. Then spot cleaned the carpets and seats.



In total, it took me a little over 5 hours.

I would say it would take me about 9-10 hours to do what you did on the Camaro. When you said you did two passes with #83, do you mean you worked the #83 in once, then wiped off and then did it again?

[rascal]

Doing something like that would take me about 12 hours or a little more. Working in this 100+ heat with high humidity makes it even worse. It took me about eight hours to do my car today.

Wash (2 buckets), wheel wells too
Clayed parts that needed it
Cleaned rubber and plastic areas w/ #39
#80 on some panels w/ G100
#83 on most panels w/ G100
1 coat NXT wax whole car w/ G100
Removed wax w/ MF bonnet w/ G100
Polished exhaust tip

I didn't do the interior or a second coat of NXT on the car, b/c the heat was just unbearable. I was already beat from yesterday after detailing my Dad's 58' Ford. That car is a "tanker barge" compared to my car and it took me a good nine hours to do it. No interior work on this car either, heat was too much.

[Michael Stoops]

Yesterday I did a wash-clay-polish-wax-interior on my next door neighbor's 2006 Chrysler 300 Touring and I completed the task in 7 hours.

Earlier in the week I washed/waxed our 1992 Camaro in just a few ticks over an hour.

Last Thanksgiving I treated my 2004 PT Cruiser Turbo to "the works" and spent about 14 hours on it.


Sort of depends how picky you are, what you're really trying to accomplish, etc.

[MikeGT]

Usually about 10-12hours for just the outside. Inside add another 2-3hours.

[TH0001]

Two passes with DACP/PC and one pass with #80/PC?

10-12 hours probably. I work fast by hand and rotary, but slow by PC.

Hell I would just do DACP/rotary then #80/pc. That would cut several hours atleast off the detail

[jsfofec]

It's funny you asked that. I just finished detailing my car today. It took me a total of 16 hours...here are the details

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15247

[35th Anniversary SS]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Originally posted by skitelluride531@cubs

When you said you did two passes with #83, do you mean you worked the #83 in once, then wiped off and then did it again?

Yes.. thats how I do it. Ill work it in, wipe off, check with the Xenon light...and if I feel neccessary Ill do #83 again right then.

[DetailManiac]

15 hours on this one:

1970 Ford Mustang Fastback Mach1

16 hours on this one:

1965 Ford Mustang Fastback GT

[jsfofec]

Originally posted by DetailManiac
15 hours on this one:

1970 Ford Mustang Fastback Mach1

16 hours on this one:

1965 Ford Mustang Fastback GT

How do you have the strength? When I did mine in 16 hours, I did 2 hours Friday, 10 hours Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday. I was dead when it was over....thankfully I had the day off on Monday to recover.

I guess through experience you build up your stamina. Everytime I got tired, I would take a short break, then continue on. I knew that if I kept going while I was getting real tired, I would start to rush, get sloppy and start making mistakes.

[DetailManiac]

Well you're right, it's pretty hard work and I get the job done in
3 days, and it goes like this:

Day 1: Wash and dry ( Thursday night, so it can dry a couple of days ); ± 2 hours.
Day 2: Masking, claying, polishing ( #83 ), wax ( #21 ) and let it cure; ± 7 hours ( Saturday )
Day 3: Rims and tires, chrome, glass, whipping off #21; ± 6 hours ( Sunday )

The toughest day for me is the second day ( claying and polishing )
and I am pretty beat at night, cause my back starts to ace. And day 3 is more relaxed for me. But the results are very rewarding
every time, and that's what matters the most

[Tom Claessens]

Crazy people out there in Holland

It usually takes me 10-15 hours to do a car. If the paintwork is somewhat ok (one pass of #83) I can do a Volvo V70 in about 6-7 hours working really fast (exterior and interior)

When I have enough time though I really do it slow to spare my back and I spread the work over several days.

Originally posted by DetailManiac
Well you're right, it's pretty hard work and I get the job done in
3 days, and it goes like this:

Day 1: Wash and dry ( Thursday night, so it can dry a couple of days ); ± 2 hours.
Day 2: Masking, claying, polishing ( #83 ), wax ( #21 ) and let it cure; ± 7 hours ( Saturday )
Day 3: Rims and tires, chrome, glass, whipping off #21; ± 6 hours ( Sunday )

The toughest day for me is the second day ( claying and polishing )
and I am pretty beat at night, cause my back starts to ace. And day 3 is more relaxed for me. But the results are very rewarding
every time, and that's what matters the most