Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

[volveaux]

I originally asked:

Hi,
I am a newbie here, just bought a PC 7424 and pad kit. Hasn't arrived yet, just bought it online.

I'm restoring a 1985 Volvo (silver) 245 wagon that's pretty bad in places. To keep it short, here are my two newbie questions:

1- Why/how can it take 9 - 20+ hours to detail a car? Specifically, after you wash, use a clay kit, tape and complete preparations of the paint, I am trying to figure how much time the machine is actually running?

2- Can someone please give me examples of something taking several hours to do. For example, I can't see a hood of a car taking more than 15 minutes for one product and another 15 for a second product using a machine. That's 30 minutes for the hood, 30 for the roof, 30 for the trunk, 1 hour per side. That's 3.5 hours.

Again, I am a newbie, and I am sure I am wrong, but would love to know why. It seems like any more time with the machine running would wear the paint down to nothing.

Please educate me, and if there were a class near Dallas Texas I would love to be in it.

Thanks!

Jamie

Well, last night I got the last part for my PC 7424 in the mail. So I went to work. But first, while waiting for my supplies over the last few days, I had to do the following:

1- Wash the car
2- Use Paint Cleaner
3- Clay the car
4- Tape and newspaper the car
5- Sand/scuff some rust marks on door edges (1985 Volvo 245)

That's a good many hours right there.

Then, once all this was done and I actually put the machine on the car:

1- Five - seven minutes per section (like 1/2 a door panel) using #83. I learned that it takes at least 5 minutes per section because #83 tells YOU when it's done. You don't tell it. #83 has a 'working life.' It starts off liquidy, then gets hazy, then when it looks like it's all gone and the paint starts to shine - then it's done.

2- It took me almost 2.5 hours to do one side of the car. I used #83 with the 7006 maroon soft-buff pad, followed by Sonus FX-1 and the orange pad. Sonus FX-1 has about a 3 minute life and is high-gloss. I bought it to experiment and I'm pleased so far as a follow up to #83.

3- Even sitting in a chair, your back still feels it after a couple hours.

So - with 1/2 of my car done, and a total estimate of about 8 hours on the exterior when I finish, I can safely say that if you want it done right and done well - "QUALITY TAKES TIME."

Lesson learned.

Jamie

[TrufflePig]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

as long as you had fun doing it that's all that matters.

[Murr1525]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

On the bright side, future ones wont take as long as you get the hang of it, and dont have to do 'repair work'.

[TrufflePig]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

On the bright side, future ones wont take as long as you get the hang of it, and dont have to do 'repair work'.

Murr, so true.

you get to learn how to cut down on time, how to tape better, faster, better technique.

its always a learning experience in the beginning.

[Mort Corey]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

Eight hours might even be wishful thinking if you find that you have to go over things with a pass of #80 after the #83 and then two coats of LSP. It took most of two full days on my car......probably some reflection of inexperience and/or paranoia on my part. If I can get my weekly wash time down under three hours I figure I'll be doing good.

Mort

[Arne]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

This one is for all of you that have done a few cars:
how many hours does it take to do a car when you:
wash
clay
tape of the car
one pass #83
one pass #80
and two layers #21 (using G-100 )

I did my car a few weeks a go and i :
wash
clay
tape of the car
one pass #85 with rotary
one pass #80 with my G-100
and one layer #20 ( used my G-100 )

It spendt nearley 8 hours on that job

[OctaneGuy]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

I spent an average of 12 hours per car. My details range from 8 to 14 hours long, with most being in the 10 to 12 hour range.

For the first 1.5 hours, I'm washing if needed, claying, and taping.

Take a look at this black car I worked on Saturday.

Arrived at 8AM (after a 45minute drive), unloaded and waited for customer to finish a couple of things on his car, and was ready by 9AM. There was no washing involved, just QD. By 11AM I had finished prepping the paint. That's taping it off,and claying.

I do my test spot to dial in my system. Spend about 45 minutes doing this. From 12noon to 5PM I'm polishing out the paint to be flawless. I'm using the rotary, then following with the PC. From 5PM to 6PM I'm waxing the car and whle that's drying I clean up any residue and detail the plastic trim, etc..

But sadly, I realize that this paint is super scratch sensitive. Sad because I didn't realize how scratch sensitive it was until I got wax over the entire car. From 6PM to 8PM, I rebuff the paint with the PC, trying different methods, and settle on M66 being the best solution.

For most cars, there is time for washing up front, and time for vacuuming/dressing/polishing on the rear end of the detail. This car was paint only and that alone took 14 hours.

Richard

This one is for all of you that have done a few cars:
how many hours does it take to do a car when you:
wash
clay
tape of the car
one pass #83
one pass #80
and two layers #21 (using G-100 )

I did my car a few weeks a go and i :
wash
clay
tape of the car
one pass #85 with rotary
one pass #80 with my G-100
and one layer #20 ( used my G-100 )

It spendt nearley 8 hours on that job

[volveaux]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

What will I lose if I don't have #80 and go from #83, to Sonus FX-1 to NXT Wax?

What does the 80 do?

Thanks!
Jamie

[volveaux]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

Oh yeah, I was loving it. I'm not sure what I loved more - the feel of making my car look nicer. Maybe it was the feel of 4,500 rpms in my hands. Maybe it was fatigue and I was hypoxic above the ears.

All in all, I think the trophy goes to me loving the fact I could not figure out what that sweet scent was they added to #83. LOL

Fruit?
Suntan lotion?
A little bit of Jessica Simpson?

Prize goes to the winner who tells me! ;-)

jb

[Ryan L.]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

On the bright side, future ones wont take as long as you get the hang of it, and dont have to do 'repair work'.

Definitely true, it used to take me 3 hours to wash 1 car, vacuum, windows in/out, dress tires and dry...now I can wash all three of my cars at the same time do the same process in 2 1/2

[avwh]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

What will I lose if I don't have #80 and go from #83, to Sonus FX-1 to NXT Wax?

What does the 80 do?

Thanks!
Jamie

#80 is milder (less abrasive. less aggressive) than #83, so you wouldn't normally need to use both, unless you found that #80 didn't take out the swirls/scratches as much as you wanted; then you might have to follow up with #83, as I understand it.

[Ticman]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

#83 and a cutting pads will haze the paint in most cases. If you follow up with #80 and a polishing pad like the Megs 8006 it will remove the hazing and really bring out the shine. I always follow 83 with 80. To me 80 is just about the best all around polish there is.

Oh, it took me about 16 hours to polish and wax my Super Crew. Of course, it's a whole lot a truck to work on.

[JG_Detailing]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

Some people like to take there time when detailing vehicle's. It usually takes me to detail a car about 2 1/2 hrs. And thats just doing....

INTERIOR
1.vacuum interior
2.protecing the vinyl
3.windows

EXTERIOR
1.spraying the car
2.washing
3.scrubbing the tires
4.rinsing the car
5.drying
6.waxing

[HagFan]

Re: Follow up: why so many hours to detail?

Thanks for the details on this. When I see people say the did this, that and that, and it took me 4 hours I have to wonder what's taking me so long.

Now I know it's a matter of experience and also the level and extent of the work involved. Heck! It takes me over 90 minutes to tape off, but I'm not hurrying because I'm not a pro and not working for anyone.

I spent over 12 hours to wash, clay, polish, wax (2x)--including jams and wheels-- #40 on the rubber and vinyl, and then the interior w/ leather and all. I usually do the wash/clay in the evening when the driveway is shaded and the rest the next day, working in the garage until late aftenoon-- shade again.