sounds like you want more of a refresh then a full on detail. A detail isn't ruined just "10 miles down the road" though. You are thinking of it as just a good wash it seems like when a good detail is SO much more

 

totally agree with you based on his posts. its your money but you seem to prefer clean ride than detailed ride. (if you know what i mean)

 

A proper detail will last you months, not a few washes. The trick is to maintain it properly using high quality products...not the stuff at the local part store or walmart. Just invest in a good detail, there's and excellent detailer in your area, Detailing Dynamics. Get some products from them and maintain your car. I think you'll enjoy the whole process.

 

I couldn't agree more with Moe and Stealth, especially the above... I can almost put my savings (not much haha) on the fact that your car is in fact in fairly crappy condition compared to where it could/should be, even after only <10k miles... as for the detail, I don't necessarily think you're not the 'car guy' who would appreciate the quality, proper detail as opposed to a usual 'wash & wax the crap out of it that lasts 1-2 months' detail but you do seem, unfortunately, like one of the MANY/almost ALL people who have accepted the term 'detail' to mean the 'job' 'done' by the local car wash places... this work usually/always consists of a horrible wash/dry technique, followed by layers of glazing which covers and hides most swirl marks in the paint, thus lasting only a month or so until the glaze and wax wash off... then you're back at it... you're very fortunate if you end up with just a poor wash/dry/wax from these places as I've had many clients come telling me how the shop used a rotary machine, resulting in this:

http://lustrdetail.com/Images/porsche%202002%20911%20Joe%2003.20.08/before/porsche911joebefore%20(1).JPG
http://lustrdetail.com/Images/porsche%202002%20911%20Joe%2003.20.08/before/porsche911joebefore%20(4).JPG

instead of this:
http://lustrdetail.com/Images/porsche%202002%20911%20Joe%2003.20.08/after/porsche911joeafter%20(4).JPG

Now pricing is a completely different issue... I have a kid locally, he's about 15, who I've 'trained' in a way, and he does very good quality detailing for probably 1/4 of my price. The shop quoting you at the moment might just be a glorified car wash and can simply charge the high prices, even though you might get your crappy detail in the end...

So in short, do a lot more research, ask a lot of questions from the shop(s) potentially working on your car, and make a choice based on that, not on how much it'll cost. While you do get what you pay for 95% of the time, I've seen way too many cases of a incompetent car wash shop charging a ridiculous amount of money for something even I would've done for a fraction of the price.

I would suggest searching autopia.org for a detailer in NYC. Good luck!

 

FWIW, Stealth and I detailed a 997 turbo that had 80 miles on it. Roughly 30 hours.

As Mike and john mentioned the difference is in the details. You can bust out a car in 4 hours, but to truely detail it, well that is another thing.

FWIW most of my Basic work ranges from 520-650 per 8-10 hours. I have the luxury of being by referral only.

 

Everyone's made great points here. One thing to consider is that a quality detail, much like quality items, lasts a while. I do a full detail on my car only once a year. I drive her every day and she's never garaged. She sits in the rain and snow. And when I just do a proper wash everyone always asks me if I just detailed her; I tell them I just washed her and most of them think I'm pulling their leg. The difference is that I did a proper detail in the first place with quality products which are effective on my particular car and I wash the car in the proper fashion without degrading the original detailing results. And anyone who is local to us can verify that what I'm saying is true. As of today my M5 has not been washed in almost two weeks - yeah, it's dirty; yet after spending only an hour washing her she is pristine again.

So don't be afraid to drive your cars 10 miles or more; that's what they're for. Just take care of them and you won't feel as if you've wasted your money.

Matt

 

Matt.....I couldn't have said it better. Cars are meant to be enjoyed...

 

great points guys, I agree with just about everything said here.

Key points if you car was corrected properly you should be good for months even longer provided you care for it properly

 

IMHO, paint correction is only needed once in a car's lifetime. If cared for properly, right technique and products, there's no reason you'd get swirls and scratches. The light scratches that come from wiping down with a towel over time can easily be remdied by hand application using a high quality polish and wax. This way you keep the original paint's integrity for decades. I'm old-school I guess.

 

That's true... I basically preach to my clients that I will only do major correction to their vehicle once, then 1-2 times per year I'll do a very light step just to get rid of the swirls and keep the paint condition looking like new... it's their job, and mine if hired, to maintain it properly and not let it go bad again

 

The local place charges $80, and it starts with one of those good old fashioned drive in and watch the cars get scratched to sh$t.

Never even brought my P/U in there.

Wish I had a quality guy locally. I just have time to properly maintain my cars, myself.

 

When you guys say "one major correction" in the cars lifetime, what does that entail? I would assume a "light correction" we be something like Menzerna SIP on an orange pad using a porter cable or something similar? Or is a light correction white pad/Nano on a porter cable or similar? I do the above process to my daily driver once per year and it stay nice, but definately NEEDS it when the time comes, and I am the only one to wash the car. Regardless of how you handle the car, scratches and swirls still occur, it is inevitable.

 

I can't speak for other detailer, but a major correction for me is SAFELY correcting 95-100% of the visible imperfection in the paint. This means swirls, scratches, etching, etc. is legitimately, removed without compromising the clearcoat. If there's something that needs wetsanding, I usually try and make it as less visible as possible without wetsanding. I know there are others out there that will wetsand, but on a production car with a thin amount of paint as is, I don't sand.

So back to major polishing, this will vary case by case. But, if I have to polish any more than two stages, that means a major correction. If there's light swirls, on a soft Japanese paint like Lexus or Acura, you may get by using Menzerna SIP/Orange pad and Super Finish/White pad. But on a Porsche, Audi, even the new cermiclears like Ferrari F430 or Rolls Phantom, you may minimize things, sometimes remove if using a FLEX, but most likely you'll need a 3-stage polishing with SIP/Yellow pad, Super Finish/White pad, and maybe Super Finish/Black pad.

So once a major correction is done, paint is 95-100% corrected, you are then starting from a clean slate. If you find you're having to machine polish often, this means you either did not fully correct the paint to begin with or your technique in washing and wiping down is incorrect. There are so many variables involved here, that it won't make sense to go through. But here are some reasons why you may have swirls/scratches re-appear and require machine polishing:

- Did not fully correct paint when machine polishing. Sone polishes contain fillers that will dry out over time exposing the hidden defects
- When washing, using too harsh of soap or not enough soap. Soap acts as a lubricant and you need to use the right water/soap concentration
- Using improper wash mitt. Always use a high quality lambs wool mitt. There are other good mediums, but I always prefer lambs wool. Old mitts like cotton, synthetic lamb, etc. trap dirt and you rub the microscopic dirt paticles back into the paint
- NOT Either using a two-bucket method or rinse the wash mitt constantly. Remember, a dirty wash mitt should never go back into a clean soap bucket. I rinse my mitt after each panel and never dunk back into my "virgin" soap with a dirty mitt
- Using synthetic or natural chamois. Chamois are old technology IMHO. They trap dirt and they get dirtier and dirtier with each use. Use a microfiber drying cloth since it will get washed after every use
- Using poor quality microfiber towels. The yellow cheap towels from Costco aren't meant for the paint. They're good for one or two times on the paint but after that they lose their integrity and begin scratching the paint. Use a high quality towel. It will last longer and stay fluffier.
- Washing and wiping too fast. Take your time. It's not a race to see who finishes first. If you washed correctly and followed the right technique, a proper wash should take at least 20-30 minutes for a typical speedster like a 911.

Hope the above helps.

 

So after all is said and done in regards to paint correction, does the consumer then proceed maintaining his or her finish by only hand polishing the car throughout the year?

-Eric

 

To be controversal, I'd like Moe or one of the other professionals to answer this question. Assuming you want to keep a car a long time, and that you are not trying to win a concours or similar style event, isn't paint correction a bad idea??

Here's my reasoning. Any correction involves some sort of flattening of the clear coat imperfections, ie you are removing paint. Why not, clean aggressively, and then fill with wax or similar products and seal etc. yes the final finish will not be as perfect as one of your masterpieces, but no paint will be removed. Over the next 10-20 years keep this process up, and only paint correct if and when the blemishes etc start to detract from your enjoyment of the vehicle. Or will you argue that flattening the paint in someway protects it from future damage?? Curious about your thoughts for this situation, again the key is keeping the vehicle for a very long time, and wanting to preserve the paint as best as you can.