Detailing is a nightmare [you are mental cases]

[Munson]

JFC. Did my first full detail today on the Escort. It has previously had a correction due to unforeseen circumstances and looked good after that, but this was my first proper effort (ever) at a detail.

Rinse. Snow foam. Wash. Clay. Snow foam. Rinse. Lime Prime. FK1000 wax. Windows done with Sonus glass polish and waxed with FK. Wheels sealed with CGWG. Basically everything. It was HARD work. Quite HTF you guys do this regularly is a mystery. I was ready to collapse.

The end result is superb. The car is blisteringly good looking now, and the paint feels like wet glass, but f**k me. Pay someone else to do it in future :S

Hopefully it'll now stay pretty much mint for the rest of the year with just snow foams and minor washes.

 

[Aluco]

It's horrendous I gave up and tend to pay foreigners to wipe it with rags. My quality of life has improved tenfold since. I contribute it to this and this alone.

 

[StephenJ]

You'll learn to love detailing it, especially with a bit of a push in the right direction from JD and Gally!

 

[Peperami]

The man in sainsburys carpark does mine. £6 wash, £8 wash and wax. Looks pristine afterwards.

Sometimes (when its a nice day) it gets one bucket and a wash mitt, and a chamois for afterwards... Lucky thing.

 

[Dave..]

I must confess... my car got washed at the weekend, by some local lads with sponges, for £6.

I cannot be arsed at the moment, but sometime it'll have the works done. Maybe when people start turning up for detailing again in the better weather.

 

[Gaz.]

Since buying a car with the worst paint in detailing history I just gave up, and quite frankly, it's much better that way. Leave the car to get blathered in s**t for 4/5 months, all is well.

 

[Munson]

That FK wax/sealant is mental BTW. It's pretty hard to apply and buff off, but Jesus, the paint feels rock hard and super glossy. They use this to wax alien space craft before light speed flight.

 

[Gally]

Flol at the convert. One day i'll find all those old posts!

It's an amazing rewarding hobbie imo.

 

[Drobbly]

I spend at least 8 hours a week cleaning mine.. think i need to get a life!

 

[Aluco]

It's s**t and makes your arms ache.

 

[Gib#244]

I never used to be into it....... but now have a few £££'s worth of products sitting there, everyone at my work take this piss on how the car 'ALWAYS' has a shine, but one by one they keep asking to clean their cars, done 3 out of the 12!

 

[Munson]

Fair play Gayly. I admit I am a convert so there's little point in searching. IMO I was wrong.

It is rewarding. The end results are pretty immense, and the fact that every wash will be easier, makes it worthwhile for those that hate cleaning. I'm hoping that my choice of wax (KF1000 thanks to you guys), will be long lasting. I intend to take good care of the heap, but the full clay/prime/wax is an anual event at most. Its HARD work! I cooked an entire chicken crown tonight, with spuds and broccoli (plus garlic and shiz or course). It didn't even touch the sides! Good way to keep fit IIRC.

 

[Si]

Detailing is addictive.

 

[Kane.]

I Love doing it, worst part is tidying up after. I give mine a wash every week which takes about 3 hours.

 

[richy22]

I only cleaned mine on Sunday...I was out again tonight cleaning the wheels as they had a bit of brake dust on them. Then I decided to pop all the rear lights out and clean BEHIND the rear lights.

I now want to go out and start cleaning the engine bay as i noticed that was filthy when I removed my heat vent ready to be sprayed due to stone chips. Im spured on by drinking about 4 jaeger and redbulls though.

I have issues.

 

[Munson]

My rims laugh in the face of brake dust.

 

[richy22]

So do mine..

Still doesn't stop me knowing its there!

Bloody XP8's! BAH. OH and refurb on the brembos needed

 

[Munson]

Your Bremblols are f**ked!

EDIT: Might try XP8 on mine next. Currently using DS2500 and they're ok but a touch inconsistent really at all temperatures. Not sure why the Clio guys rave about them so much.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Ive never cleaned my trophy.

Too much like hard work.

 

[Munson]

Think I'm gonna stick with 2500 and swap them out for XP10 for track. It's only two bolts, and I learnt ages ago that road and track pads are not an interchangeable compromise. One for one, one for the other.

 

[richy22]

XP8's are awesome..they do dust a lot and do stink when overused but have never had an issue with fade at all.

Yep im considering taking them off and totally redoing them in another colour.

I think they are too far gone to be recovered by sanding and going over with VHT lacquer

edit..although im supposed to be saving monies for the new house I have seen bigger boys brakes for sale on the Lancer Register recently...1.5K...Id love them.

 

[Munson]

4-pots are a bit bent

I'm sure XP8 are awesome, but since I'd never use such a pad on the road, I'll probably go more hardcore with XP10+ just for the track on its next outing. First time out was on AP404 (essentially DS2500 but not quite) and they were amazing and didn't fade. I did however cook them, making them rock hard and resulting in them eating through a set of f**king expensive rotors and ruining my paintwork in a MAJOR way.

 

[Tunst]

I enjoy giving my car a good wash every now and again, but during the winter i gave up, just started washing on the odd occasion so iv got it booked in to have a full paint correction in may

Not costing me a penny

Im just fitting springs to his BMW

 

[richy22]

Yep id be more inclined to think XP10 for some tack action too.

Totally off topic and very random but I've found myself spending the last hour looking for an old valver to buy...

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2555844.htm

Can someone slap me please...I needs bed I think.

 

[Liquid yellow 182]

£600, nice.

 

[Alastair.]

ive spent well over £1000 on kit, spend 2 hours once a week to keep it clean, end of the month it gets a full days worth of tidying up. Faking hate it but i feel i must do it. If i havent cleaned my car atleast once in seven days i get a bit stroppy and frustrated. MAD. Mrs hates it.

 

[VIICarCare]

flol, I thought I'd never see the day!

 

[Gally]

Did I see Roy post that he was wrong!

FS.

What has CS become!

 

[JD]

I feel I must right the universe - I hate detailing.

 

[JamesWilson]

Once you know what your car looks like totally clean and sparkling thats how you want it all the time Well thats what i'm like.

 

[Gally]

I may or may not have just order roughly £200 worth of detailing gear in the last 5 minutes.

 

[JD]

List me beatch, either here or he-mail.

 

[Kane.]

Gally, do you work as a detailer or is it just a hobby for your own car ?

 

[richy22]

He is a brand *****.

 

[Gally]

List me beatch, either here or he-mail.

He-mailed.

Gally, do you work as a detailer or is it just a hobby for your own car ?

It's a hobby that I enjoy, I don't need the extra money that it brings and most of the time it's given to my OH or I maybe buy some more detailing stuff with it. It's something i'm quite passionate about though so I always do it 100% or not at all.

If I stopped enjoying it, there's no way I would continue to do it just for an extra few quid here and there. I'd rather spend time chilling in the house ect..

What I would say though is I only really work on cars that I want to work on.

I'm not spending nights working on old Citroen C3's with sweets stuck to the rear windscreen. I'll offer my services to people who own decent cars that I think I can make better.
Luckily it's worked for me so far.

I would never do it as a job though. It's a hobby to me.

He is a brand *****.

FPMSL!

Z***O!!!!

 

[JD]

It still saddens me that Kev hasn't got a "buffer" related profile.

 

[Gally]

I'M A GYPSY, I'M A GYPSY!

 

[Munson]

Yes. Even I am wrong from time to time.

 

[Simon@SprayShack]

My cars washed about 5 times a year lol, its better not washed than taking it to the billys with a gritty sponge. (My cars stripped to hell anyway, so looks arent that important to me)

 

[mr.valver]

I was converted into this whole detailing game last year, forever cleaning.

Winter came and the cars never had a bath since and to be honest, looking at it's sorry self on the drive, couldn't be arsed to do it all again.

Pay someone to get it back to scratch then I maintain, that's my 2011 plan!

In fact I sold almost 99% of my gear to Gib#244 on here, see he's making good use of it!!