First complete detailing job, yikes!

[Jerry Carguy]

Nice weather finally, did the whole treatment, wheels, tires, interior, and exterior. What a pita! I have never owned a car with so many nooks and crannies. Plus it is black, which doesn't help. What have I got myself into?

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[LaMustang62]

It's one of those things you need to enjoy and have the right tools and chemicals. Inside alone is 3 hours

 

[CarbonZ]

A lot of people absolutely love detailing their own cars. I don't mind it, but it's far from a favorite of mine. I wish I enjoyed it as much as some others though. Takes forever, and I have to be motivated to do it proper. Once I'm about halfway done though I'm into it.

That being said I'd much rather detail the Shelby vs my gen 1 Raptor. That things takes 3 times as long easy.

 

[19gtMD]

As many times that i have said i am not gonna own a black car... i ended up with a black car.. LOL I did a low budget paint correction on my girl on saturday. Used some meguiars 105 ultra cutting compound then meguiars 205 high gloss finishing compound with a da polisher. All of 3 hrs worth of work on just the outside. Looked sooo good sitting in the garage. I hit the cars and coffee today and looks like i rode through a dust storm. Dont know if i can say it was worth it, but it wont stop me from being out there again next weekend doing the same thing.

 

[Joker721]

Make sure you have the right microfibers. Makes all the difference

 

[Mustang702000]

Man,I am just getting started detailing mine. Weather is breaking good mostly, but I like it outside when I can. I applied some wax on the hood, deck, and along top sides just for a trial ,and it went well. Rained overnight and it beaded nicely. I have a growing store list of goodies to replenish my stock of detail stuff.
I promised wife I would put a whoopin detail on the Rav and even on the 03 Sienna I use for my Truck.
Goes to the range much better than stang would.
I like to open garage door, put some Santana Abraxas on the shop player, turn it up LOUD,and get a cold one or two or three, and commence.
Usually by cold one # 3, I dont give a s---, but I dont worry about that. By then several neighbors come over and we just chill.
What was I doing out here,anyway-----
Have a goodun y'all. Dave n Frosty

 

[LaMustang62]

As many times that i have said i am not gonna own a black car... i ended up with a black car.. LOL I did a low budget paint correction on my girl on saturday. Used some meguiars 105 ultra cutting compound then meguiars 205 high gloss finishing compound with a da polisher. All of 3 hrs worth of work on just the outside. Looked sooo good sitting in the garage. I hit the cars and coffee today and looks like i rode through a dust storm. Dont know if i can say it was worth it, but it wont stop me from being out there again next weekend doing the same thing.

Well Thank you. You have posted something to me hold me ground against black. It was getting a thought and that alone makes me nervous. And I have a dedicated inside wash bay.

Back to the topic.

 

[GR1MxREAPER]

Thankfully I found out a guy that is a family friend loves to clean cars. He is 62 yrs old and retired and he says it keeps him busy lol.. He has some nice classic corvettes and they are always perfect. He charges me $200 to do the whole inside and outside wax and shampoo and everything. For that price I have to let him lol. Most shops around me are $350-$500 and they do a shitty job.. bunch of young kids who don’t care about your stuff at all.

 

[LaMustang62]

delete

 

[Jerry Carguy]

Sounds like we are all in the same boat. I have never owned a car cover, but I think it's time. With all the yard work we go through around the front of the garage it's mandatory now.

 

[Jerry Carguy]

Man,I am just getting started detailing mine. Weather is breaking good mostly, but I like it outside when I can. I applied some wax on the hood, deck, and along top sides just for a trial ,and it went well. Rained overnight and it beaded nicely. I have a growing store list of goodies to replenish my stock of detail stuff.
I promised wife I would put a whoopin detail on the Rav and even on the 03 Sienna I use for my Truck.
Goes to the range much better than stang would.
I like to open garage door, put some Santana Abraxas on the shop player, turn it up LOUD,and get a cold one or two or three, and commence.
Usually by cold one # 3, I dont give a s---, but I dont worry about that. By then several neighbors come over and we just chill.
What was I doing out here,anyway-----
Have a goodun y'all. Dave n Frosty

I hear you! Same thing with me, screw the neighbors. I have a sign that says, "my neighbors are listening to great music whether they like it or not". I am a professional guitarist who likes all kinds of music, and I give them a wide range of tunes. I like working on the car with Steely Dan or Muddy Waters blasting. Once I played Carwash and tried to finish the chore before the song ended.... Love that funky r and b.

 

[Bobn57]

Nice weather finally, did the whole treatment, wheels, tires, interior, and exterior. What a pita! I have never owned a car with so many nooks and crannies. Plus it is black, which doesn't help. What have I got myself into?

I hear ya. I just spent past 3 days detailing mine. Complete strip off last years wax then clay bar, polish and ceramic coating applied to all paint and trim. Applied glass coating to exterior glass and finished today with interior. I’m beat

 

[Balr14]

I usually pay to have my car detailed and ceramic coated once a year. It's worth it!

 

[DFB5.0]

I hear ya. I just spent past 3 days detailing mine. Complete strip off last years wax then clay bar and ceramic coating applied to all paint and trim. Applied glass coating to exterior glass and finished today with interior. I’m beat

That last pic is stunning, the depth and gloss is amazing. Well done.

 

[DFB5.0]

I think it would be an understatement to say I enjoy detailing my car. I'm going to get much deeper into this, so sorry if this is a ramble.

I have always loved cleaning my car, starting by cleaning my parents cars and progressing onto my own once I was old enough. As the years have ticked away, I have gotten deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole.

When the pandemic and lockdowns hit , I was sidelined from my job and suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. There were other things I would do to wind down and relax, things that were no longer possible due to lockdowns. It was during these on-off-on-off lockdowns when I really doubled down on detailing.

I started detailing more cars, more often. Both my own cars and I took on a few customers as well. The money I was not spending on other activities, I was directing towards detailing. A new pressure washer was the big one, but also stepping up my microfiber collection, installing a sink in the garage and investing in a new floor. All the while I was documenting this across several online forums.

While detailing is a lot or hard work, it's more than that to me. I'm not ashamed to say that I have had a lot of health struggles to deal with over the last few years, both mentally and physically. The detailing is a way to unwind, forget the world around me and loose myself in the "process", often with music or a podcast playing through my noise cancelling headphones. Afterwards, editing photos, writing about what I have been doing and sharing it among like minded people has been very beneficial to my mental health. I call it "distractive therapy". When I'm detailing and writing about it, I forget my troubles and feel good about myself.

So yes, a bit more than "I like to detail my car". Everyone has that thing they love doing the most, the thing that makes them happy and content.

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