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Poor wash media, rotary risks, documenting damage, and the detailing network

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Who would have thought that one lonely C5 Corvette could turn out to be the driving force behind an article which covers multiple detailing related topics…

The Power of the Professional Detailing Network!

One of the greatest tools for a professional detailer is networking! By harnessing the power of the internet, (Blogs, Forums, Facebook…) not only are we able to learn from one another, but it is also a great tool for helping clients to find a reputable pro detailer in their area. While paying for a pro to fly/drive out to you is an option for some clients, the most logical and economical choice would be to seek the recommendation for a pro detailer in your area, and this is where the power of the detailing network really shines.

A prime example of our network in action is actually the subject for my article, the C5 Corvette. The vehicle’s owner is a recent Texas to Minnesota transplant who originally reached out to Josh Ottmann of Ottmann Detailing in his former hometown of Dallas, Texas. Josh listened to his concerns about the condition/damage of the car, reassured him that a professional detailer could definitely help improve the paint and then referred him to the manager of the “Ask-A-Pro” blog, Todd Cooperider who then referred the owner to me….pretty cool, no? πŸ™‚

The importance of documenting existing vehicle damage prior to working on a car

So before we get to the before pics I want to give you a little more info about this car. When the owner recently purchased the vehicle, he noticed something wasn’t right with the paint (he thought it looked like dried on wax), but got such a great deal on the car that there was plenty of wiggle room to have the car detailed. Initially, the owner followed a recommendation to bring the car to a local body shop. While that company was able to improve the finish a little, after seeing some detailing pics on a Corvette forum, he was still unhappy with how it looked and felt it could be better. It was at this point that the owner sought out advice from Josh, a member of that forum.

After I exchanged a few emails with the owner, we agreed to meet up one night after work to evaluate the condition of the car. The car was a little dirty when he arrived but there was still very noticeable holograms in the paint (typical body shop) and several RIDS (Random Isolated Deep Scratches) were also apparent. However, it was the random strike through marks on various edges that were the most concerning. It’s never easy pointing out issues to owners, especially when they weren’t previously aware, but it’s very important as a pro detailer to educate your client upfront and document pre-existing defects prior to working on the car. Taking this step has multiple benefits; building a relationship with your client, education, and protection of your business. I assured Corvette’s owner that the finish could be improved greatly and he scheduled an appointment for the car.

Once the car arrived, I thoroughly washed it to remove all polishing oils and fillers left behind by the body shop, which then revealed its true condition. Now with the car clean and dry, the aforementioned “dried on wax” revealed it’s true colors under the scrutiny of my Brinkmann. What looked like wax from a distance was actually deep scratching left behind from some unknowing person who washed the car with a scuff pad or Scotch Brite pad!!!

Here is some of the damage to the wheels from improper wash media. Sad as it may be, damage like this actually happens more often than you’d think!

Good stuff huh?

While looking over the paint on the car the story of how the damage occurred became more clear; the puzzle started coming into place. There was evidence that the body shop actually wet sanded the finish in an attempt to remove the deep scratching, but in doing so they also appeared to have rubbed through several edges with a rotary buffer and also left behind lots of sanding marks in the paint.

Here are some pics of the scuff pad damage still in the paint.

Here you can see how deep these scratches are…this is after the body shop sanded and buffed them!

Some left over wet sanding marks…

Holograms too!

By far, the worst part was seeing all the strike through marks as there is no real fix other than a repaint of the panel. Corvette’s are notorious for having sharp edges on a lot of their panels and as a pro detailer you have to be very mindful of this characteristic because it only takes a second for a rotary (or even DA) to burn thorough an edge. Prior to doing any correction work on the car I went around and documented all the burned edges. I placed tape next to each spot as a marker and it also gives the camera something to focus on. A few of them may be hard to see because of the light on the edge but you get the idea.

Oh, the body shop was nice enough to leave some compound splatter behind in a few areas too. πŸ˜‰

Once I completed all documentation, I clayed the paint andΒ  taped up all edges with Meguiar’s 3/4″ tape to avoid further damage. Since this was going to be a very dusty job, I left the convertible top closed and covered with a bed sheet.

Taping Tip: 3M’s 1/4″ Fine Line tape (PN 06405) is a must have for any detailer as it is very versatile, allowing it to bend around corners far better than traditional masking tape. It also allows you to polish closer to panel edges and there is also less adhesive pull when you polish over them. It’s especially good for taping off sharp panel bends when wet sanding or doing aggressive polishing. The only down side is that it’s not readily available and it’s also pretty expensive when compared to normal masking tape.

Once the body was complete I opened the convertible top and corrected the back hatch. The sheet draped over the interior to prevent dust invasion.

The Correction Process

This car posed a few concerns when it came to correction, but the biggest concern was that my PTG (Paint Thickness Gage) only reads ferrous and non-ferrous metals, which meant I had no way of verifying how much clear coat was left after the body shop got done with it. While I know my good friends Marc and Jacob at Auto Lavish would have been willing to lend me their DeFelsko PosiTector 200 ultra sonic PTG, my crazy schedule really didn’t allow time to wait for it to arrive. I spoke to the owner about our options and we agreed to just get it looking as good as we could, while treading on the safer side.

For the actual correction I decided to address a few of the deeper defects with my new Flex PE 14-2 150 rotary, which was equipped with a Lake Country PFW pad and some Meguiar’s M105 compound.

Some M105 on the DA equipped with a Surbuf pad yielded similar results and it ended up being my go to method for 90% of the car. Since these cars have such a hard clear coat, this process actually finished down very well!

The body shop apparently only wet sanded above the side door moldings so I ended up having to wet sand the lower sections along with the rear bumper cover, which also appeared untouched.

The taillights were in need of some love too.

For the refinement/finishing step I chose to go with Menzerna SF4000 (106fa) applied via DA which was equipped with a Lake Country Tangerine Hydro foam pad. For protection I decided to try out the jar of Dodo Juice Supernatural Hybrid that had been sitting unopened on my shelf for a few months….total two-thumbs-up!

It was raining the day I finished the car so I arranged a time the next afternoon to meet with the owner for delivery. I had also planned to take some good after (sun) pics before he arrived but their schedule opened up unexpectedly and the owner and his family ended up getting there before me so I wasn’t able to get as many after (sun) shots as generally like to have; may I note that I hate taking pics if front of the owners and I tend forget which shots I wanted to capture. Regardless, I think I got some decent pics that capture the end result, which was about 90-95% correction. She looked like a completely different car and the owner was thrilled!

Even though polishing the wheels wasn’t part of this job, I decided to spend a little time on them to try and remove some of the scratches…they aren’t perfect, but definitely a huge improvement. πŸ˜‰

Outdoor pics

So, here is a recap of the main points I covered in this reminder article:

  • The importance of using proper wash media! Some of the damage done to this car was too deep to be completely removed. The finish on our vehicles is very delicate and it’s important that people become aware of just how easily damage is incurred.
  • Rotary risks and the damage they can inflict within seconds when in the hands of inexperienced users. As detailers we need to slow down, take a step back and evaluate the vehicle before we even lay a polisher to the paint. Whoever took the rotary polisher to the Corvette before me caused thousands of dollars in damage, all of which could have been avoided with a pause for evaluation. An experienced detailer should have seen the sharp panel edges and known to tape them off. 10 minutes and a few dollars in tape could have saved the car from costly damage.
  • Documenting existing vehicle damage. Prior to working on any vehicle it is extremely important to walk around the car with the owner and note any existing damage. Taking this extra time will help build a relationship with your client as well as protect your business from false accusations of damage after the fact.
  • The power of the detailing network. With the advent of the internet, detailing forums, blogs, and social media sites have sprung up like wild fire, especially over the last few years! With these tools detailers and car enthusiasts are able to learn faster then ever, help others out, refer clients, advertise, find out about new products before they are even released, and make many new friends. Over the years of being on these sites I have made many new friends.Β  I now talk to several other detailers around the US (and some outside the US) and I even had the pleasure of meeting several of them at the 2010 and 2011 SEMA show.

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you have any questions or comments I’d love to hear them.

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Chad Rskovich Rasky's Auto Detailing
Chad Raskovich
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Minneapolis, MN
RaskyAutoDetailing.com

40 comments on Poor wash media, rotary risks, documenting damage, and the detailing network

  1. Great article Chad, and a tremendous save as well. This is definitely a great example of the power of the professional highline detailing network. All of us regularly get requests for recommended detailers around the country, and it’s nice to be able to get the owners of these cars connected with the right detailer. When Josh contacted me about this one, there was no question who was going to work on it…Rasky!

  2. Mark M Detail says:

    Talking about a night and day result,
    you have turned that car right around.Great work.

  3. Thomas Kehlenbeck says:

    Really great work there Chad! It really shows why proper care and really being careful on who you select to work on your car are so important. I have seen several cars like this from body shops and it just blows my mind that these are the ones who are supposed to fix major issues and not create them. Pro detailers who really take the time to fully go over a vehicle and really think before acting is such a valuable quality and you (as always) showed us why that is. Fantastic work as always!

  4. MarkyMark says:

    Nice job Chad, I was most impressed with the wheels. Care to share how many hours you have into this one? Corvette clear is tough stuff and the damage was extensive so i’m guessing a lot.

  5. Chad M. says:

    great work on that vette! i know how much fun removing scotch brite marks are thanks to a friend. πŸ™‚

  6. Andy says:

    Chad, it’s work like this that inspires the guys like me who don’t have as much experience. What did you use to diminish some of the wheel scratches?

  7. Thanks for all the positive feedback everyone! πŸ™‚

    Mark, I did this car back in September so I could be off a little, but I think I had around 14hrs invested into it.

    Andy, for the wheels I used M105 and M205. The faces were done using 4″ LC pads on the rotary and the inner part of the spokes was done using the Mothers Power Ball Mini with an electric drill. πŸ˜‰

  8. Paul says:

    Hey Chad,

    Great job! Its amazing to see the trasformation, anybody else would have opted to get the car re-spray but it takes somone with dedication, attention to detail and experience to get such results.

  9. Jeff says:

    WOW! I greatly admire your work. You mention several times the term “professional detailer”. What exactly makes for one? I understand that this would include the time you took to review the car’s condition with the owner, etc. And I understand it should include a high level of technical ability. It is also because of a training or licensing program where you have to demonstrate a certain standard of work? It is years of experience? I truly enjoy detailing vehicles and aspire to reach the level of “professional” detailer.

    • Hey Jeff,

      This question actually comes up fairly often and will get all types of answers…I guess I probably should have used a different term, maybe “Highline Detailer” as Todd likes to use, that probably would have made more sense or at least offered some separation between what high volume shops do and the type of work the AAP blog detailers do. πŸ˜‰

      Most would say that a professional is someone that makes a living off a skill or trade, but I don’t agree with that as there are all kinds of detailers out there damaging cars daily who probably consider themselves a professional too.

      I’ll email you a link to check out some discussion on this topic.

      Sounds like we have a new topic for an AAP article though. πŸ˜‰

      Thanks again,
      Rasky

  10. Jeremiah says:

    Chad, thanks so much for all the amazing time and effort you put into this! You are a tremendous professional and I am thankful to Josh and Todd for guiding me to your care. I was blown away the day I picked the car up from you at the drastic positive change. I can’t wait for the Spring to get her back out on the road!!

  11. Tim says:

    Chad, nice save! To me these are the best kinds of jobs! The first few Vette’s I did were just terrible, under-estimated the job, put way to much time in and lost money on the jobs! But the owners were so stoked when they saw them that it was all worth it! And then the referrals started coming in and I thought to my self, “you better start liking to work on Vette’s”…lol! And now the area clubs are visiting every winter to get work done! Last year one of my customer’s took First in Show at the Autorama for Stock class, when for the years past all he could do was place! That is a really satisfying phone call to receive! I always find your articles very informative. Pictures also very precise! And also good customers like Jeremiah, also are a plus! It’s nice when customers take the time to want learn what your doing and why. I think jobs like this one show the difference between a “Detailer” and a “PRO Detailer”!

    • Thanks for the kind remarks, Tim! I under estimated this one a little too, but it was all worth it in the end. πŸ˜‰

      Congrats on your client taking First in Show too!!!

      Rasky

  12. Rui Miranda says:

    Great work Chad!
    I leave you with a link of a job done on a Volvo by a detailer here in Portugal.
    http://www.detalhe.net/forum/threads/13192-Pesadelo-em-H-de-Lima-street!?highlight=pesadelo
    I know that you probably do not understand the language but the before and after pictures speak for themselves.
    It really is incredible what kind of damage can be done by improper care. It seems the previous owner of the car was using Scotch Brite to clean the paintwork.
    Cheers,
    Rui.

    • Thanks Rui!

      That was one heck of a job by the detailer in Portugal! Nice documentation too! It is a bummer I couldn’t tell what they were saying though, hopefully it’s not going back to the same owner who put it in that condition!!! πŸ˜‰

      Rasky

  13. John says:

    When you sanded the car what grit paper were you using?

    Thanks!

  14. Eric says:

    dang man, nice work and save! Its a shame that people think a bodyshop is the place to go for a detail. 2-3 hours vs 15-20 definitely has its major differences!!!

    excellent!

  15. Gabriel says:

    Beautiful Job! Perfect!

  16. One of the most complete, well rounded, and well documented write-ups I think I’ve ever seen. This is incredible and should be shared by anyone who really loves to see cars treated right. Thanks for taking the time to put together such a lengthy and informative article that covers multiple topics and shows yet again why trusting a quality professional is so important from the start. Awesome work Chad!

  17. Jeff @ Immaculate Reflections says:

    Excellent article Chad! Good car to do it on too! Truly exception documentation and explaining why its so important. One of my least favorite things about this job is notifying the owner of paint issues, but it has to be done before you get into it. Again, great job.

  18. DJ P says:

    AMAZING!!! I bet this job was very self-rewarding. What type of LC pads did you use for the wheels?

  19. Eric says:

    Very nice work and write up. I’m not sure what part is my favorite, the detailed explanation of your process or the before and after pics, either way, this car looks great! Thank you for the info on what you used for the wheel repair. I also wanted to know what you used to protect them and what other cleaning\repairing steps you use on other wheels that may not be in as bad a condition. Thanks for any information!

  20. Joel Marsh says:

    Amazing work Chad
    Once Spring comes i would love to bring my TL in for you to evaluate? Its ABP πŸ™‚

  21. Ron Ayotte says:

    Chad .. outstanding work.

  22. Thanks again everyone! πŸ™‚

  23. shamsi says:

    hi chad you did a great work i am a new member of this forum and my business in UAE .this articles help me very much i am a new comer in auto detailing, and i have a question or doubt on this article what did you exactly on the wheels because i have customers same like this problem i am waiting for your reply

    • Hey Shamsi,

      The wheels on this vehicle are clear coated from the factory. I polished them using M105 and M205. The faces were done using 4β€³ LC foam pads on the rotary and the inner part of the spokes was done using the Mothers Power Ball Mini with an electric drill. By no means were the wheels perfect when I was done, but they were noticeably better. Had I been asked, and paid to polish them, I could have gotten them much better with a little more time and effort.

      Hope this helps,
      Rasky

  24. Dunstan says:

    paste link in google translate

  25. Andrew Fields says:

    Some people should not be allowed to own nice things. Great recovery!!

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