98 GS400 Full exterior detail- before/after pix!
07-16-10, 05:14 AM
#20
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i know he used 3M products, but im not sure of the process, he came over and did the work while i went out and ran errands, so i didnt watch him while he did it.
07-16-10, 12:56 PM
#26
From the pics I can still see quite a bit of swirls. Not as much as before of course. Don't get me wrong, your friend did a great job. Some "detailers" charge 100-150 and will only use a single polish and wax. From your "before" pics, this type of job would usually cost well over $250-$300. That's what I would have charged.
For those looking for a "budget" way of detailing an exterior, here's what I would have used:
1. Meguiars 105 - Its a heavy cutting compound and should take off the majority of the swirls. Use a Yellow or Orange foam pad.
2. Meguiars 205 - Medium cutting compound. This will smoothen out the rest of the swirls. Use a Blue or Green foam pad.
3. Sealant - I personally use Menzerna products (for both polishing and sealant) but there's a ton of other cheaper sealant choices around. Klasse makes a good sealant and its fairly cheap. Use a black foam pad or use a hand applicator pad.
4. Wax - Whatever swirls you couldn't get out, the wax would help fill them in. Plus the wax will give you that wet look. I personally use either P21S or Lusso Oro. A good budget wax is the Meguiars Yellow Wax. Use a hand applicator pad.
Don't forget to use a Dual Action or Rotary buffer. For those that are new, stick with either a Porter Cable or Flex 3401.
For those looking for a "budget" way of detailing an exterior, here's what I would have used:
1. Meguiars 105 - Its a heavy cutting compound and should take off the majority of the swirls. Use a Yellow or Orange foam pad.
2. Meguiars 205 - Medium cutting compound. This will smoothen out the rest of the swirls. Use a Blue or Green foam pad.
3. Sealant - I personally use Menzerna products (for both polishing and sealant) but there's a ton of other cheaper sealant choices around. Klasse makes a good sealant and its fairly cheap. Use a black foam pad or use a hand applicator pad.
4. Wax - Whatever swirls you couldn't get out, the wax would help fill them in. Plus the wax will give you that wet look. I personally use either P21S or Lusso Oro. A good budget wax is the Meguiars Yellow Wax. Use a hand applicator pad.
Don't forget to use a Dual Action or Rotary buffer. For those that are new, stick with either a Porter Cable or Flex 3401.
Last edited by nasageek; 07-16-10 at 01:10 PM.
07-16-10, 08:26 PM
#28
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He normally charges about 180-200 for a job like this. Not sure how the dealers are outside of Houston, but most of then suck around here when it comes to details
