Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

[JD09civic]

Hey if you've worked at a dealership before i was wondering how they prep the cars. They just always seem to have an awesome wet look to them and i have been wondering how or what products they use to get that wet look. My civic looked awesome the day i received it (no D.I.S.O. actually) but it rained 2 days later an i just haven't had that same look ever since. T.I.A.

[CieraSL]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

Yeah, I have. Still am, actually. No emphasis on quality. To wash cars we use one bucket (with a grit guard in it) and brushes. They get dried with not too clean Absorbers. I laugh and wince at the same time I write this. I tell you it's awful. And it's a Honda dealership nonetheless, so we're dealing with some pretty soft paint here. We actually use some pretty good chemicals (Auto Magic), I think it's just pretty much the washing method that bugs me. I tried to convert my co-workers to the 2 bucket method, I think that lasted maybe a day. And trying to keep towels and stuff clean doesn't happen. I actually don't think it would be so hard to correct poor methods if you didn't have salesmen who want you to pull out the plastic, vacuum the interior, throw the mats down, dust the dash, pull the window stickers out, clean the inside windows, clean the wheels and tires, wash the car, dry the car, dress the tires, wipe the wheels off, clean the outside windows, and do any finishing touches all in about 10 - 15 minutes. And if it looks bad, oh well, at least it's clean. We don't do any polishing. We have clayed and waxed several cars, specifically cars that are going in the showroom or cars that are going to friends of the managers. We recently did a clay and wax on a car that a guy was giving to his wife for her birthday, and that turned out very good with no swirls. Yay! Actually, if you can buy a car that hasn't been sitting on the lot for too long and hasn't been subjected to very many lot washes, then you can usually get away with a swirl-free finish. Otherwise, plan on doing some polishing! OK, I think I'm done ranting. I look at it this way, this is just a temporary job to get me through college and get me some gas and spending money. And if we happen to make some clueless ditz happy in the meantime, then so be it. OK, now I'm done.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

To be honest, I think it is literally just because you were excited to get the car.

I worked for a year at a dealership and the stuff they made us do was wrong in EVERY sense of what we know to be proper detailing. Granted, I am sure there are exceptions, but they are rare.

I too have thought all my new cars looked great the first day or so because you are so excited to have the new vehicle... but then once things calm down (at least for me) the truth comes out.

Even high-end dealerships that sell Ferrari etc don't always polish... most just wash, and few wax as well.

[10degreesbtdc]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

Autoway Nissan...I managed the detailers for a private contracting firm that was hired to do all the cars. I ended up going behind them getting what they missed all day long because they were only paid $15 per car in most cases for an hour to hour and a half of work (usually the car and protective plastic had sat in the sun for a week and baked to the paint). They got $45 if a full detail was required on a used trade-in that was going back on the lot (at least 4 hours and more on these beaters). The owner of the contracting company (my boss) charged the dealership $245 for full service on used cars. and he was a real jerk to work for.

Anyway, their procedure was a quick wash with one bucket, no grit guard, a long handle brush and high pressure-pressure washer to rinse, dry with terry towel that had been used and washed in laundry detergent with other rags and used and used and dried on high head and used again...vacuum, wipe interior-no protectant, polish paint with generic polish/wax using GEM 15 lb polisher with terry bonnet (again used over and over and washed with other towels and rags) clean glass, put plastic on floor in front and out the door...swirls and all. Deeper defects were removed if noticed using supplied rotary from Harbor Freight tools, cheap wool or blue foam pads that had been washed in laundry detergent and dried on high heat in dryer over and over which induced swirls and halograms that were covered with house wax. One night I stayed until after midnight trying to remove another detailer's swirls that he just could not get out on a black Z that was being picked up in the morning. It was parked inside the showroom under fluorescent lights after he was "done" with it and it looked just like the "sterotype detail" we all see and hear about and Autoway was going to let it go like that. I took it back to the shop after everyone left and worked until after midnight on it and ended up coming in early the next morning to finish before the customer arrived. I got paid nothing since the detailer had already been credited for his "defect removal" which he was paid an extra $10 for (on top of the $15 for new car prep making his total time 3 hours for $25!). I had a terrible time getting it right using their abused foam pads. Pulled it in the showroom just in time for the customer's arrival and it looked much better, but there was still light hazing from the worn out blue pads they had. The customer didn't see any of it nor did the general manager. They thought it was fantastic. Not what I would want on a $40k+car I just purchased, but it was clean and shiny!

This was an experience I would just as soon forget, but their bad habits and bad practices were very much a "school" on what not to do.

[JD09civic]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

Wow Ciera and 10degrees those are horrible stories just like what i have heard. With that process i dont even know how i got my car without any swirls....The dealership i bought my car from is very into their customer satisfaction and all that but i doubt that was the reason i didn't get swirls or anything. Maybe i was just lucky?Well anyways they sent me a VIP thing in the mail for my purchase which gets me discounts on services and parts, and also includes that "free car wash" which i am hesistant to let them do after reading some horror stories on these forums lol. If i knew i was going to get my car in great condition like the day i picked it up then i wouldn't be worried about letting them wash it but now i am very hesitant. Thank you for your replies great info!

[JD09civic]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

To be honest, I think it is literally just because you were excited to get the car.

I worked for a year at a dealership and the stuff they made us do was wrong in EVERY sense of what we know to be proper detailing. Granted, I am sure there are exceptions, but they are rare.

I too have thought all my new cars looked great the first day or so because you are so excited to have the new vehicle... but then once things calm down (at least for me) the truth comes out.

Even high-end dealerships that sell Ferrari etc don't always polish... most just wash, and few wax as well.

I agree i was VERY excited like you say when i got my car which im sure helps make it even look better than it really is. But the only reason i was asking this question is because the dealer sent me a souvenir calender with a pic they took of me in front of it the day i got it and the car just looks awesome in the picture. It has that wet look an the color is deep an the wheels are nice and shiny as well. Basically how a car looks when you pick one up. That's why i was wondering what product they use to give it that wet look? Thanks again for your replies!

[CieraSL]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

It has that wet look an the color is deep an the wheels are nice and shiny as well. Basically how a car looks when you pick one up. That's why i was wondering what product they use to give it that wet look? Thanks again for your replies!

I'm sure it's either something thrown in the car wash or something they quickly wipe it down with just so it looks great upon delivery, but doesn't last. You probably don't want to know what it is. It ain't M26, I'll tell you that!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

You can learn more about how to create that high gloss look on your car's paint by hanging out on this forum, reading and asking questions than you can by trying to duplicate something a dealership did.

Gloss comes from smoothness, so the first thing to do is inspect for above surface bonded contaminants and if discovered, then use detailing clay to remove them.

After you've insured the surface is smooth then it's just a matter of finding a wax or paint sealant you like and using it.


Learning how to machine clean and polish will also help you to bring the finish to a standard but you can also work by hand and get professional results.

Then after you get the finish to where you like it all you have to do is wash it carefully and maintain it with products like Ultimate Quick Detailer and Ultimate Quik Wax.

[JD09civic]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

You can learn more about how to create that high gloss look on your car's paint by hanging out on this forum, reading and asking questions than you can by trying to duplicate something a dealership did.

Gloss comes from smoothness, so the first thing to do is inspect for above surface bonded contaminants and if discovered, then use detailing clay to remove them.

After you've insured the surface is smooth then it's just a matter of finding a wax or paint sealant you like and using it.


Learning how to machine clean and polish will also help you to bring the finish to a standard but you can also work by hand and get professional results.

Then after you get the finish to where you like it all you have to do is wash it carefully and maintain it with products like Ultimate Quick Detailer and Ultimate Quik Wax.

Great information. Thanks Mike! I will be on these forums a lot as they are very addicting and hard to get off of lol. Can't wait to learn more!

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

I worked at a few car dealers many moons ago. Dealer prep was...wash and dry, nothing more.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

Wow Ciera and 10degrees those are horrible stories just like what i have heard. With that process i dont even know how i got my car without any swirls....The dealership i bought my car from is very into their customer satisfaction and all that but i doubt that was the reason i didn't get swirls or anything. Maybe i was just lucky?Well anyways they sent me a VIP thing in the mail for my purchase which gets me discounts on services and parts, and also includes that "free car wash" which i am hesistant to let them do after reading some horror stories on these forums lol. If i knew i was going to get my car in great condition like the day i picked it up then i wouldn't be worried about letting them wash it but now i am very hesitant. Thank you for your replies great info!

Always forego the free car wash. If your finish was swirl free when you got the car, then your Honda was likely delivered within a few days of your purchase and probably had the protective shipping vinyl/mylar removed within a day of your taking delivery. If that's the case, you are very lucky. Most dealerships remove the shipping mylar and proceed to wash the car, introducing the first round of swirls into the new paint.

[JD09civic]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

Always forego the free car wash. If your finish was swirl free when you got the car, then your Honda was likely delivered within a few days of your purchase and probably had the protective shipping vinyl/mylar removed within a day of your taking delivery. If that's the case, you are very lucky. Most dealerships remove the shipping mylar and proceed to wash the car, introducing the first round of swirls into the new paint.

Excellent point! As a matter of fact when i was talking back an forth with the dealer through emails before i purchased my car, he asked what color i wanted an i said the atomic blue an he said they didn't have any on the lot at the time. I told him i didn't want to settle for a different color so i was going to search around and a couple days later he said he just got one on the lot in atomic blue. So shortly after that i actually made my purchase. That must explain why there were no swirls! Thanks clearlycoated!

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

BTW, luv that Atomic Blue! Next to Belize Blue Pearl (available on Accord coupes), it's my favorite Honda hue. I settled for Royal Blue Pearl (Navy) for my sedan, but that Atomic blue is really eye-catching and should really show some good gloss and depth when you detail it.

[JD09civic]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

thanks the color looks even better in person! Definitely have to take it to the next level if you know what i mean. Hopefully i can find some time to give it a nice detail job, then post some great pics like everyone else does on here

[Golden]

Re: Has anyone prepped cars at a dealership?

Somehow my car escaped the lot without swirls as well. They know not to wash it when I bring it in for oil changes. Then again, I take it in there spotless that way they do NOT wash it.