How Long Does A Detail Last?

[Doofus]

I see loads of pictures of cars pre- and post- detail, and the thing that seems to agitate most converts is the swirl marks in the paint before detailing. As well as that, there's all kinds of grime and grease, apparently, that stick to your car over time.

So having had it detailed, and assuming you're not so anal that you never drive it, or that you redo it each weekend, how long (and how many 'normal' washes) does a detail last before the swirl marks reappear and you have to do it all again?

[randlemarcus]

The swirl marks are paint damage, usually from machine car washes, and grit on the sponges of your favourite Eastern Europeans.

So a detail will last until you gently rub through the wax, using your virgin lambswool mitt and two buckets.

[markcoopers]

I am no expert, but this will depend on how you wash the car and the dirt on it. So pre wash and 2 buckets and new mist each go will prolong this greatly.

Having said that my car was detailed last feb and still looks good, some 5K miles later.

[Truffles]

Mine is fine from over a year ago, apart from the new stone chips picked up from www.thesupercarevent.com/.

[gaz1234]

i am anal.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

All depends on how you treat your car, how you wash it etc.

A bit of google searching will dig up plenty of ways to minimise swirls, however you'll never be swirl free for ever.

Depending on the car, it can take hours and hours and cost hundreds of pounds to completely remove swirls from paintwork.

Some products (megiuers for examaple ) will 'disquise' swirls for a few weeks but they are easy to do. The other (proper) way to do it is machine polish them out completely using various grades of compound. This will take alot longer but will last longer.

[roadman]

I snow foam and 2BM every week...sometimes every other depending on time. Clay it once every 2 months...proper detail everytime I clay.....it might be a bit excessive but I enjoy the process

[kds keltec]

Very good question.

And one I get asked a lot by customers and public.

So firstly you have to consider many differing factors that contribute to "how long does it last".

Very quickly of the top of my head in no particular order

1) What colour is the car? (White hardly showing swirls / black showing everything)

2) How often is the car used? (3 times a year on supercar run / every day to work)

3) When and where is it used (dry/wet / snow with salt/ baking hot sun)

4) Where is it stored (indoors/outdoors/outdoors under tree/ outdoors near industrial factories?)

5) Who washes the car (owner / detailer / valeter / hand car wash / automatic machine?)

6) What the car washed with (proper clean chemicals / washing up liquid/dirty sponge, soft wash mitt?)

7) what products where applied to vehicle after detail (show wax with life span of weeks / sealant with life span of many months / Nano coatings with life span of a year)

8) Hardness of paint (so soft that it marks on final waxing of car / glass hard that nothing marks the paint)

9) When car was detailed were ALL the defect properly removed ( full correction with solvent wipe down after to establish it was FULL correction / non wipe down leaving fillers from compounds and then filled even more with glazes and waxes (make up for cars), one will last a lot longer than the other)

10) Is the car maintained with top up products (hence keeping and protecting the appearances for longer?) if see number 5 who does this


As you can see there is never going to be a single answer. Just too many variables involved.

HTH Kelly

[Doofus]

kds keltec said:

HTH Kelly

It does, thanks.

In truth, and not wanting to start a war, I tend to sit in the "life's too short" camp, but I can and do appreciate the results of a decent detailing job. I know that it can be hugeley expensive, and I was just idly wondering how obsessed you had to be - sacrificing-a-package-holiday-to-Spain-once-a-year osbessed, or going-without-clothes-and-food obsessed.

[kds keltec]

Doofus said:

It does, thanks.

In truth, and not wanting to start a war, I tend to sit in the "life's too short" camp, but I can and do appreciate the results of a decent detailing job. I know that it can be hugeley expensive, and I was just idly wondering how obsessed you had to be - sacrificing-a-package-holiday-to-Spain-once-a-year osbessed, or going-without-clothes-and-food obsessed.

hey never thought it was going to be war, like to make things as clear and truthful as possible.

on the subject of prices.

The media headline grabbing quotes dont help the trade.

and when is valeting detailing.

someone washing a car is valeting in ones eyes and detailing in another.
is detailing (with full wet sanding) detailing or restoration of paint?

you can see a headline of many thousands of pounds detailing when in fact its valeting with expensive so called posh products.

yes detailing can cost in some eyes a lot of money (not helped by walking into halfords buying some products and then thinking that after 4 hours on Sunday afternoon "hey this is easy i might start charging thousands to do this") and to others as great value , in fact i know of cars that have sold for more money or instantly due to detailing type of work (which should be called restoration) due to the condition.

when was the last time you read on a forum "look how great my car looks after i washed and waxed it" it now "i detailed my car this weekend" so the word "detailing" has been diluted right down to a simple wash now.

We have also saved cars that needed a repaint through careful detailing and escaped a repaint, even thou we repaint cars so could gain by just simply repainting the car

i think whats more important to explain to the customers exactly what you will get for your money and how to look after the vehicle asking the points in my first reply.

i have a massive range of customers with similar range of vehicles the art is balancing it while running a successful business.