how long does it take to detail your car??

sk8xr8 · 08-09-2008, 07:34 PM

gday guys, just thought id ask around to see how long it takes you guys to detail your pride n joy. some of my relatives come round the other day and gave me sh#t because i spend so long doing it when "its just gonna get dirty again", i cant seem to get them to understand the feeling i get when the ute is perfect and i go for that cruise right afterwards.....

me and dad are both the same, he always keeps his fpv spotless, and i think thats where i get it from, always been taught to take pride in what you do and own....

V|PER · 08-09-2008, 07:38 PM

As long as I want!

GT0132 · 08-09-2008, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk8xr8

gday guys, just thought id ask around to see how long it takes you guys to detail your pride n joy. some of my relatives come round the other day and gave me sh#t because i spend so long doing it when "its just gonna get dirty again", i cant seem to get them to understand the feeling i get when the ute is perfect and i go for that cruise right afterwards.....

me and dad are both the same, he always keeps his fpv spotless, and i think thats where i get it from, always been taught to take pride in what you do and own....

about 2 hours if just doing a wash, detail spray and a wax.....6 hours if doing claying and a polish as well....Maybe all day if also doing the interiors...Yes it is addicitve

DABOSS · 08-09-2008, 07:39 PM

Takes me 3 days for a proper detail , wash clay , wash , wax remove , menzerna stages, and wash, wheels off and wax , inside vac and polish windows.

I do this type of clean every 3 months.

every 2nd week wash clay , and wax.

GT0132 · 08-09-2008, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DABOSS

Takes me 3 days for a proper detail , wash clay , wash , wax remove , menzerna stages, and wash, wheels off and wax , inside vac and polish windows.

I do this type of clean every 3 months.

every 2nd week wash clay , and wax.

you clay every 2 weeks ????...I was told more than once every 3-4 months is not a good idea

sk8xr8 · 08-09-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozmale42

about 2 hours if just doing a wash, detail spray and a wax.....6 hours if doing claying and a polish as well....Maybe all day if also doing the interiors...Yes it is addicitve

whew, i thought i was the only one, i take saturday off work to do the car, takes me all day, usually wheels off, wash, wax, interior, windows, clean inside the guards, all the little stuff.....

then i drive her on sunday.... beautiful...

JOSH · 08-09-2008, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DABOSS

Takes me 3 days for a proper detail , wash clay , wash , wax remove , menzerna stages, and wash, wheels off and wax , inside vac and polish windows.

I do this type of clean every 3 months.

every 2nd week wash clay , and wax.

any chance you want to come up and do my car?

sk8xr8 · 08-09-2008, 07:44 PM

clay only every 4 months personally...

Cat BF · 08-09-2008, 07:50 PM

10 hours start to finish. 6 to Wash, polish out tar if any, wax (do your wheels as well with wax it keeps the road snot and brake dust off), vacumm and smelly stuff, tyre shine, plus a sixpack of scotch and coke and bout four smokes, HA! Then pull out a chair and stare at it for another four hours. MMMM shiny.....

sk8xr8 · 08-09-2008, 07:54 PM

see now i dont see the problem, if i spend a day cleaning my car, it makes me feel better about myself, im proud to own her, love her to death, so if anyone has a problem with it they can jam it!!!

sk8xr8 · 08-09-2008, 07:56 PM

[QUOTE=Cat BF](do your wheels as well with wax it keeps the road snot and brake dust off)

deadset????

Cat BF · 08-09-2008, 08:03 PM

[QUOTE=sk8xr8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat BF

(do your wheels as well with wax it keeps the road snot and brake dust off)

deadset????

Yeah mate, but i have the stock wheels. They're factory painted so they deserve a bit of tlc too. So much easier to clean.

arlester · 08-09-2008, 08:09 PM

45 mins. but I did it for a livin for ages so am abit quicker and know a few tricks of the trade

R0BD0G · 08-09-2008, 08:23 PM

my mate works at a detailers.. usually about 3 hours for him to do it(gerney,buff,interior etc).. but he's a "professional"

geckoGT · 08-09-2008, 08:38 PM

The standard that I take her to a show, 2-3 days, made more difficult by he fact she is a daily driver.

Average good wash, wax and pamper, half to full day. A simple was is about 1 1/2 hours.

Quote:

45 mins. but I did it for a livin for ages so am abit quicker and know a few tricks of the trade

Is that for a wash and vacuum etc only or does it include a wax?

There is no way you could do what I consider a detail (full day) in 45 mins.

Creampuff · 08-09-2008, 08:58 PM

I agree with geckoGT....(remember me from the wedding at Shorncliffe).
I wash and detail inside and out every week. Pain in the bum for a daily drive.
Clay twice a year.

DABOSS · 08-09-2008, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozmale42

you clay every 2 weeks ????...I was told more than once every 3-4 months is not a good idea

If it needs it and the freezer bag on hand test will tell you...

:

DABOSS · 08-09-2008, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOSH

any chance you want to come up and do my car?

Ive seen this movie before Josh....lol the little guy dies first....

GT0132 · 08-09-2008, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DABOSS

If it needs it and the freezer bag on hand test will tell you...

:

I clayed mine in January, then again in July...the 2nd time there was no dirt on the clay bar which wasn't a bad sign i guess...probably because it gets washed weekly whether the cars used or not in that week...

There was a time earlier this year April/May over the space of a month the car only came out of the garage just to get a wash and a quik detail job...I need to get a life

DABOSS · 08-09-2008, 09:27 PM

I tell ya those of you that dont have black cars have it easy. black is so dam hard to keep clean.

GT0132 · 08-09-2008, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DABOSS

I tell ya those of you that dont have black cars have it easy. black is so dam hard to keep clean.

I hear ya....My last car was Shockwave and that looked good even after 6 weeks not being washed....I dont think i'll buy another black car

DABOSS · 08-09-2008, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozmale42

I clayed mine in January, then again in July...the 2nd time there was no dirt on the clay bar which wasn't a bad sign i guess...probably because it gets washed weekly whether the cars used or not in that week...

There was a time earlier this year April/May over the space of a month the car only came out of the garage just to get a wash and a quik detail job...I need to get a life

I'm the same , I look at the weather forecast, and if its going to rain or looks like it I race home and park it.

I wash it almost once a week , drive or no drive , but most likey every 2nd cause it doesnt get driven 3 -4 weeks at a time sometimes the batt goes flat.

5 years old and 42K. need to enjoyed it more I think. but its nice to see people freek out when you tell em that the car's 5 years old. and then the looks at the lights is fun too.

geckoGT · 08-09-2008, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozmale42

I hear ya....My last car was Shockwave and that looked good even after 6 weeks not being washed....I dont think i'll buy another black car

Menace is not so much fun either, shows swirls very quickly and if there is not a good clean surface with wax it can look flat without the blue pearl effect.

BIGJB · 08-09-2008, 09:43 PM

How ever long it takes the detailer to do it while i'm havin a coffee

Dragoneletra · 08-09-2008, 10:09 PM

Once apon a time I was a detailer and have it down pat.
To do my ute it takes:

To wash: between 5 to ten minutes (Not including engine bay)
To polish on or seal paint: 10 to 20 minutes
To polish off: 5 minutes
To clean interior and interior shine: 20 minutes

Jc

kocho · 08-09-2008, 10:14 PM

Complaining about black, equal complaints about white. Dirt shows up without a problem. I spend probably 2 hours washing and cleaning mine every week. Daily drive in peak hour so it gets a bit dirty.

Also, the rain and water sticks to my car so much. Its like a rainwater tank.. Is there something you can apply so it drains off a bit easier?

geckoGT · 08-09-2008, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kocho

Complaining about black, equal complaints about white. Dirt shows up without a problem. I spend probably 2 hours washing and cleaning mine every week. Daily drive in peak hour so it gets a bit dirty.

Also, the rain and water sticks to my car so much. Its like a rainwater tank.. Is there something you can apply so it drains off a bit easier?

A good quality wax, I use Meguires Hi Tech Yellow Wax. Even bat poo washes off with water and mild detergent. It is the best I have found for shine, protection and longevity of finish, even on a daily driver.

Swordsman88 · 09-09-2008, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kocho

Complaining about black, equal complaints about white. Dirt shows up without a problem. I spend probably 2 hours washing and cleaning mine every week. Daily drive in peak hour so it gets a bit dirty.

Also, the rain and water sticks to my car so much. Its like a rainwater tank.. Is there something you can apply so it drains off a bit easier?

Its the daily driving causing the problem there kocho, i don't drive mine much during the week so that helps. I have a white ef and though it shows up dirt and water marks (dusty car and a light rain) it will hide dust much better than dark colours. White is best at hiding the swirls/scratches, which is what makes life hard with black cars esp.

As for getting the rain to come off...gecko is right, meguiars has worked hard on getting water to sheet off....this is said to stop water marks.

Having said that, I now use Collinite Insulator Wax (a liquid carnuba)....interesting stuff from the states. You can get it from Dave at waxit.com.au (forum sponsor).....it beads like crazy and the water flies off it when you are driving. Importanly it will outlast pretty much all other carnuba based waxes bar none....it outlasts some polymer sealants. Yanks use it as a 'winter wax' so it will last through snow and salted roads. It comes up quite nice on white too (provided your paint is nice and clean). Once you have a nice wax layer then regular use of quick detail sprays and microfibres are your friend. This way you won't get as much stuff stuck to the paint and won't have to wash as often unless it is really dirty.

GT0132 · 09-09-2008, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DABOSS

I'm the same , I look at the weather forecast, and if its going to rain or looks like it I race home and park it.

I wash it almost once a week , drive or no drive , but most likey every 2nd cause it doesnt get driven 3 -4 weeks at a time sometimes the batt goes flat.

5 years old and 42K. need to enjoyed it more I think. but its nice to see people freek out when you tell em that the car's 5 years old. and then the looks at the lights is fun too.

Ha ha...Good to see there's more people like me in this world DABOSS.

My car's nearly 4 years old (well it will be in Jan 2009)...18,000 kms.(6,000 of those kms done since I bought it 9 months ago) ...The old owner was like me , fussy and this was not his daily driver.

There have been times I've pulled out of going on a cruise because the forecast was for rain. Thats after spending the previous day detailing it just for the cruise..ha ha

Another time I was on the way home...black clouds coming in from the west...and was 20 mins from my place...Got home just in time before a hailstorm..

Dezza · 09-09-2008, 10:35 AM

At Oakleigh, the EA spends 15 minutes at the carwash while I clean it! At Maffra, when I wash it there, it takes me a couple of hours as I try to do an immaculate job cleaning it on my parent's lawn. btw it's nice and legal there as it uses bore water (which is actually better than what we get out of the tap at Oakleigh!). The EA is rarely clean though. I've polished the EA twice in the last year. Before that, it went for 5 years without a polish!