MoeMistry

Here’s another elaboration of the New-Car Detail that we do. In this segment, we’ll talk about why it’s so important to do this detail, the procedure of the detail, and what to do post detail.

The New-Car Detail was originally incepted when I started to get some current clients that bought new cars and had me come to their home to do the detail. It was apparent, somewhere along the line, the paint on the new cars I was getting should not have had swirls, scratches, and hologramming. Once we backtracked a bit, I realized this was being done when the dealers prepped the cars prior to the client taking delivery. My assumption was confirmed after watching cars being prepped at various dealerships here locally.

Most dealerships need and want to get the “unit” out the door. I say unit, because no matter how much you’ve spent on this new car, it’s a unit in the eye of the dealer. To us enthusiasts, it’s a “car” and at this level, it should be treated with some dignity. Often times, a car arrives at the dealer, it’s stripped of all plastic and protective films, washed by the porter, and waxed using hand or machine to shine it up for the client. Most people don’t ever notice the small detail such as paint swirls, scratches, and imperfections in the paint because of the emotional high of finally getting the car you been waiting for. The client just wants to sign the papers, shake the salesman’s hand, and drive. It’s only the weekend when it comes time to wash the car, the way the sun shines on the hood when coming out of the office one afternoon, or when a obsessive compulsive detailer points out these flaws, that you realize the extent of the damage done to your car’s paint from one wash alone at the dealer.

I decided to offer a service that would keep the car in pristine condition, just as it left the factory, until you take delivery. This service would step in right after the car had been delivered and the dealer did their technical pre-delivery inspection, PDI. New-Car Detail would have us be the first to take all the plastic off the seats, remove stickers from windows, remove plastic wrap from the paint, etc. Your car would be cared for in a manner that respected this new acquisition, with assurance that YOUR best interest was in mind. After all, you are the one paying for this service, not the dealer.

This LS460 was delivered a few days before my arrival. I thank Crown Lexus in Ontario for their hospitality.

Initial Condition

Each dealership has different protocol. I don't always get the car with all the wrapping. In this case, the salesman was kind enough to make sure all the wrapping stayed on.


















Protective wrapping is removed from interior and exterior (35 min)



















New Paint Condition





Wheels, tires, and wheel wells are cleaned (40 min)





Initial rinse, wash, rinse, and dry using Airmax forced air blower (40 min)

MoeMistry

Paint and glass surfaces are decontaminated using clay (30 min)



The surfaces weren't too bad. Lexus did an excellent job protecting the horizontal surfaces from debris landing and sitting.



After claying. If you notice, the gentle technique has not added any scratches or marring to the paint





Paint is polished using an all-natural pre-wax cleanser and waxed using natural carnauba wax





Tires, wheels, and wheel well are cleaned and conditioned (30 min)







Up-close look at the wheel wax. It's a simple spray-on and walk-away product. It cures without any spots on most wheels. If chrome or polished wheels, you will see small dots of wax that you have to buff off.






Interior is cleaned and conditioned using all-natural products. This preserves the New-Car scent and exhibits a soft, satin look (150 min)




Glass surfaces are protected with polymer sealant (30 min)



All brightwork is polished by hand using an all-natural metal cleanser (10 min)

MoeMistry

Final Results















In recap, some may say this is too much work, a new car doesn’t need this much work, or this is over the top. To these critics, I can only say that there has never been a time in our lifetime that a typical high-end luxury, sport, or exotic car has cost more than a home. Starting on the right foot and maintaining the car’s level of care is just another aspect of ownership. I feel we’re never the true owner of a car. Cars will typically outlive us and be passed down generation to generation. You are the current caretaker of this new Lexus, or a Porsche, Ferrai, Bugatti, Lamorghini, etc. It’s your responsibility to make sure the time, effort, and passion that went into making this car is reflected in how you carry the torch. Properly detailing the car through its life is simply the best investment in assuring you get top-dollar when it come time to sell the car and move on to the next purchase.

slvrboolet

Looks good if i were dropping that much coin on a new car i would deff pay to have taken care of properly (although i think the dealership should already do this).

MoeMistry

If there's anything to take away from this post is that you DON'T want the dealership doing the delivery detail. Unfortunately, they always do more harm than good

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Thats how a detail should be from the Dealer.. When i bought my mustang years ago the Dealer detailed it and nothing but swirl marks...

This is a beautiful job..

varcity64

iTrader: (2)

Can i ask a question here... since you were the one removing the plastic, were there no swirl marks or minimal swirl marks? would you do any tpe of paint correction on a car that is this brand new? or just claying the surface to remove contaminents? i have heard you should wait for the paint to cure before doing any type of paint correction and some say it isnt necessarily the case. any input is greatly appreciated. and the final shots of the car were stunning. simply stunning. i do not own any zymol products, but i see they make up quite a bit of your arsenal. i may look into this line of products

MoeMistry

The typical "dealer" story....I feel your pain. I just hope posts like this educate you guys and show you how a proper detail should be. Thanks for looking

MoeMistry

Each car will be different when removing the plastic because of how the manufacturer has prepped it. For example, we detail a lot of Porsches. The newer GT3 and GT2 are filled with swirls and scratches. Aston Martins come out of the factory semi-polished...they expect the dealer to polish the last two stages. Lexus happens to be an excellent example. I believe the LS is now wetsanded hence why the paint is soooo smooth. I was very surprised to find the paint in flawless condition.

As for paint correction, keep in mind, most of these foreign cars were built weeks prior to them arriving here in the US. Next time, take a look at your vin sticker. It'll tell you the actual build date of the car. Often times, it's a month or two prior to it coming here. By the time it leaves Japan, spends weeks on the ocean, then on rail, then at the port, then on transport to dealer, imagine all the damage from the salt, rail dust, road grimme, etc. this new car has seen. Hence why this client decided to give his LS this treatment. Claying will take care of 99% of any damage for these new cars.

Another point about paint curing...it varies on the paint used. There is no standard XX days across the board. One manufacturer may heat cure their paint so basically within hours it's ready to go, and another may not. and will need days or weeks to cure. You just have to know what chemistry of paint is used and go by what the manufacturer and painter suggests.

As for zymol, I use to be a factory detailer and western tech adviser for them since 1997. I no longer use their products for multiple reasons; this just happened to be a car I worked on a few years back that I thought you all enjoy. Zymol is still making some great products...their waxes are very good. The current brand that has replaced them that we used daily is from Switzerland called Swissvax.

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...vax/Categories

They're a bit pricey, but they make some great products that warrant the premium. I use many brands of products since there isn't ONE company that makes the best of everything. At the end, there is a "look" I'm after that is signature to our company. It's my job to achieve the look no matter what product we use.