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Having Your Car "Detailed"

I had my E Class done by Paul Dalton about 5 years ago. It looked okay, but I found the finish lasted about a week, never mind the 3 months they advertise. I don't subscribe to his kind of work - personal experience, others seem to get on with his service.

I guess I can spend about 4-5 hours on a Saturday detailing the CLS (and I've done so) and this gets it to about 99% perfect. I do this about once every 8 weeks. The rest of the time - decent wash using the two bucket method. Works fine.

CLS paint and Nanopaint / Merc paint btw is VERY hard. Soft - not a chance. I'd use someone else if this is your detailers verdict. Strikes me they may be going at the paint with too much force / cut.
 
Howard said:
Is he saying your CLS has iffy paint ?

If so i would take it back to the dealer .... or was it part of his sales pitch ;)
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All Obs black is iffy apparently - probably ok to you and me but to a detailer its iffy
 
imadoofus said:
You've just bought a DB9 convertible, and you're going to take it off the road for four days in the (inevitably) short summer just to clean it to such a degree that you'll be afraid to take it out at any other time?!

Life's too short, surely...
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The car is IMHO unacceptable as is however this does not show in the gallery pics I posted but huge buffer trails line the sides to my dismay

Four days midweek will not kill me if the perfectionist in me is satisfied
 
Nothing wrong with a mobile detailer. This guy is probably the best in the business. Have met him through the Porsche forum and GTGs.

He's written a wash guide here and also has an online shop too.
 
I don't wish to be confrontational but do you have your servicing and repairs done by Mercedes or a reputable Indy at a fraction of the cost? Same as a wash and wax isnt it?
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The cars always been under warranty so by MB, why do you ask?
 
Ian B Walker said:
Same as a wash and wax isnt it?
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Nothing like.
A decent machine polish will make a car shine like never before. You cannot remove swirls with a wash and wax, in fact it will impart more.

Did anyone actually look at the pictures of the Golf I linked to. The finish will have added a couple of thousand to it's value, if not more.
 
Im only an amature and only do it for my own cars/family but paying someone to spend 4 days detailing IMHO is a bit to long, 2 days i can understand. But after 2 days it will look awesome, and after 4 it wont look much better then after 2.

I spent yesterday doing my dads SL600, She looked stunning after right down to attacking the wing badges with a cotton bud of Autosol, well worth it tho. And as i topped it off with a hard wax that was high in carnubra wax it will last 3 months or so as long as it gets a quick wash and detail (2 hours tops) every few weeks.
 
Worth it?

Thats a matter for the individual to decide.

Some will say money wasted, others will say the very opposite.

This could run for years with no conclusion ever reached.

Each to his own.
 
worth doing once when you buy the car so that you have a good baseline to keep up.
 
Using a normal spunch WILL make swirls.

The best is to use a washmit (sheeps wool) with normal plain car shampoo (no funky hotwax etc). Then dry the car using a microfiber towel. Do not use a leather as this will also make swirls and easy to scratch the paintwork.

Another good thing is to use a bucket with a grit guard at the bottom.
 
buccal said:
Interesting debate on these threads.
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But no conclusion, just loads of slagging off with no facts.

Mind you this is a cracking post..

( THIS IS A MADE UP STORY JUST FOR FUN AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OP POSTS OR THE DETAILER IN QUESTION)

My friend lost his job and had a RMS issue so could not afford to pay for it, the car was also looking a bit tired but alass he could not afford to get it detailed either.

So he booked it in to a detailers, on the way he stopped the car reset the trip and took pictures, why he did this was a bit strange as the detailer was still 25 miles away.

Any way upon picking up the car he showed the detailer the photo's he had taken when dropping off the car, odd the detailer thought I only drove it a few miles to dry it off after the wash the rest of the time it sat on tick over.

Any way the trap was now set and my friend now refused to pay out due to the 25 miles showing on the clock.

stage one was compete a free detail was had :-) now because the car was on tick over the Mpg was down at 9Mpg and part two of the plan was coming in.

"hay you dirty scum bag detailer monkey man" the friend said "you have thrashed my ******g car and blown up my engine"

"I am now going to get my car checked at the OPC for damage"

Ofcourse this was to plan the car had a RMS issue which needed sorting. stage 2 on said plan was now coming on quite nice.

Lucky the detailer was insured for damage and the insurance paid out for the RMS repair.

My friend was very happy , not only did his car look the best it ever had, the RSM was also fixed.

( THIS IS A MADE UP STORY JUST FOR FUN AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OP POSTS OR THE DETAILER IN QUESTION)


I wonder if the poster 'sledgehammer' kept saying 'I don't think I'm being unreasonable'...;)
 
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From my experience, If you clean a car properly, inside and out, including a good clay, machine light polish and machine wax, it will take probably two 6 hour days, after which all you will need to do is to wash it properly every two weeks and it will look good for at least 6 months. If you have a proper base it is much easier to keep clean

I like to see my cars clean, I am not obsessive but if you enjoy driving and care about what you drive a clean and well kept car illustrates this and is satisfying.
 
Liking the post with a link to Elite Detailing!

Really interesting process for washing etc on there.

Nice that he is prepared to share the information that forms part of the service he is selling.
 
On a prestige\exotic car detailing can add thousands. It can change the preception of a potential buyer. A car that is used daily, can be made to look like a garage queen.
 
Im enjoying this thread but a bit of clarity

DONT flame for this comment - I wouldnt pay for a 4 day detail (or a 2 day) on the CLS just a deswirl from a knowing expert as IMHO a clean Merc is nice, a detailed Merc is still nice but not £hundreds nicer

The Aston is more than a car in my eyes and a lifetimes desire made possible through Gordon Brown in ways I never thought he would :rolleyes: . To have it as near perfect as possible is my desire and my aim, it will be a nice day / dry day mood lifter and having huge big buffer streaks down it isnt part of the plan.

The outside is 2.5 days, the inside is mainly leather and wool and takes a full day and the rest is spent on wheels / hood / etc the suede headlining isnt a damp rag jobby.
 
A Pride and Joy should be looked after
 
Each to his own, most definately..

If I had the time, I'd do it myself.

If I had the money spare, I'd pay some else to do it.

As it is mine gets a quick wash and vac each w/e and that's about it. :)
 
stats007 said:
Nothing wrong with a mobile detailer. This guy is probably the best in the business. Have met him through the Porsche forum and GTGs.

He's written a wash guide here and also has an online shop too.
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I have met this guy before and I have 2 very good friends from the porsche club who know him really well. Both had there cars done by him..........It looks amazing, like it just came out of the factory.

I knew the guy was good........but I didnt know he was one of the best around.

Might take my car to him when I get enough cash to do it!
 
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A picture of the Golf from the thread I posted earlier.
If people genuinely can't tell a difference then they shouldn't ever wash a car, or maybe not own one...:D

IMG_1694.jpg
 
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