mc2hill

I was lucky enough to meet Adam when I worked the booth at Daytona Turkey Trot - A very cool and knowledgeable guy.  Also spent time with Scott (@Sizzle Chest) and his lovely wife that weekend, and it was fun to work with all the cars that were in at the Adam's, especially showing the baggie test to the owners on their own cars, and watching their eyes get big when they realized the paint was not really clean!  They all bought clay, Detail Spray, and towels and got to work right away.    

Check out this thread for building portable detailing lights -  DIY LED light build.  I wrote it 5 years ago, so the prices for the stands, etc. may have increased, but the price of the light bulbs  are much lower.

Welcome Daniel!

Welcome Bill!

9 hours ago, blee9999 said:

Currently using chemical guys eco-smart RU for road dust. CG product is great but I think I should purchase an Adams WW in the future. 
 

Get the Rinseless Wash, and diluted to WW level...much cheaper.

@Captain Slow Wow Paul, that is sad to see!  Glad you were able to get it sorted, but it sounds like that dealer has some sketchy employees.

What Shane said^^^^

Many of us are hear after getting a quote for paint correction, and realizing that we could buy the equipment needed for a little more than the price of the detail.  We build the experience by working on our own cars.

Welcome Mark! 

I love H2O G&G as a topper for Paint Sealant.

12 hours ago, BpcIS350 said:

So I have recently done a ceramic Coating on my car would it be redundant and pointless to use buttery wax on top? My understanding is its best to stick with ceramic maintenance products and other SIO2 infused products am I correct?

The Buttery Wax does not last long, so as you said, you would be better off using a Sio2 product as a topper if you have a coating applied.

If you are using Paint Sealant, using H2O G&G every month or so will give a great look.

Welcome Josh!

Welcome Chase!

First off, Welcome!

The microfiber pads are more aggressive that foam pads, so you may want to give them a try.

But remember clearcoat is thin, a little more than a Post-It note, and every pass takes off some clearcoat.  It is your car, so you decide how perfect you want the paint to be, but know there is a point of no return, when you have polished thru the clear.

Welcome Bonmoo.  That a cool looking SUV, but all the detailers I talk too say Tesla has horrible paint.  Best thing is to learn how to wash and maintain it properly so it stays swirl-free.

Welcome back Matt!

On 2/22/2020 at 10:03 PM, Rich said:

Nah.  It was a prize. They announced it was worth the $1250 from the beginning.  Adam's has come a long way since the beginning. 

I don't know James Brown (even the football one) > Drew Carey!

Welcome Michael! 

Adam's has some great paste waxes.  For show cars I prefer Brilliant Glaze topped with Americana.  The Glaze gives a little extra 'pop' and putting it under the wax allows it to last longer.

That will be a great work space!  Very jelly.

I like the idea of a matte orange, but I like orange and yellow cars.  But since it is a Lotus, how about a matte BRG?

Welcome James!  That is a lot of truck to clean.

@TR6speed I find that I have work on a smaller area to not have streaks on darker paint. - I have not worked with this product, but do this for other products (Detail Spray, etc.).

No need to 'wash' new towels, but I would recommend running them thru the Rinse cycle, to remove anything that may have gotten on them during storage/shipping.

The MFR is used just like regular laundry detergent, not as an additive.  It has degreasers, and other stuff to get the MF towels cleaner and softer than regular detergent.  You can also use some in a bucket as a pre-soak for the 'dirtier' towels.  (I presoak all my towels for 12-24 hours before washing them,  but have enough towels to only do laundry every 3 months.)

@Liralen Wow, that is amazing!

@CrazeyDetail Your truck may be swirl free, even from the dealership.  Our Accord was delivered from the port, and so the dealer never touched it.  They called me to ask about removing the bugs from the 2 hour trip from the port, but I was happy to take delivery of a dirty, but swirl free car.  

I do not wash my cars with Waterless Wash, but use Rinseless Wash about 95% of the time.  I will often clean the wheels at the end with the remaining Rinseless Wash and a wheel brush.

As for the rain, I have washed my car in the garage several times when it was raining.  It left no more water that it would if I had driven in the rain, maybe less.

My favorite wash of all time was cleaning my clients 1912 race car in an airplane hangar!  We had set it up for an event (DuPont Registry dinner) that was held in 2 adjacent hangars.  Several folks stood around with their mouths hanging open while I cleaned the car (using the 'bucket of towels' or Garry Dean method) while the catering staff was setting up the bar and serving stations.

Fantastic information Shane!  

It is very easy in detailing to treat every car like you treat your own - like a showcar!  The hardest part for me was learning to give the customer just what they paid for.  The LEVEL of service does not change, just how much work is done.  When they become clients, I start doing a little extra (wipe and dress the engine, etc.) at no charge (or in most cases it matches the tip).

And it easy to drop the price to 'get the work', but as you say, those folks are 'customers', not clients.

I am the recommended detailer for my local mechanic.  I have gotten lots of work from them, but have also had some folks that thought I was too expensive.