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5 tips on how to care for your freshly detailed vehicle
It always stinks to spend hard earned dollars on a detail only to have it undone in a day or two! It seems like everything is out to make your car dirty again; whether the rain, snow, children, dogs, or even yourself.
So here are a few simple steps to keep your vehicle looking fresher…longer! Yes, I get it. If I teach you how to make your detail last, we may not see you as much. Our goal is to educate our community and serve them the best way we know how. This is not about money, it never has been. Money is nice, don’t get me wrong. But we wrote this article to help you save those hard-earned dollars not convince you to spend more of them!
By: Justin Petrillo V.P. Pride Auto Detailing
It always stinks to spend hard earned dollars on a detail only to have it undone in a day or two! It seems like everything is out to make your car dirty again; whether the rain, snow, children, dogs, or even yourself.
So here are a few simple steps to keep your vehicle looking fresher…longer! Yes, I get it. If I teach you how to make your detail last, we may not see you as much. Our goal is to educate our community and serve them the best way we know how. This is not about money, it never has been. Money is nice, don’t get me wrong. But we wrote this article to help you save those hard-earned dollars not convince you to spend more of them!
I won’t sugar coat it, this starts with you. Most of these tips are about behavior and repetition, but just like your home, a few minutes a day prevents hours of work later…or even DAYS!
First, let’s talk trash and clutter!
Whether it’s straw wrappers, plastic bottles, fast food bags, or boogie filled Kleenexes, every time you are near a trash can, gather some of it up and throw it away. I know this sounds simple, but this is habitual behavior. You must force yourself into the habit of tidying up whenever the opportunity arises; the gas station, your home, work, etc.!
Second let’s talk prevention!
If you have dogs, simply laying an old blanket down before letting them in the car could save you hours of vacuuming. Let’s not forget about the smell too! There are many doggie car seats covers out there. Any of them would work, the goal is to provide a simple barrier to prevent the dog hair from weaving into the fabric.
Have a few rug rats? Me too!
Children can be like the Tasmanian devil! Wreaking havoc all over your freshly detailed vehicle. I understand it’s hard to drive and keep constant focus on what your children are doing. Especially if you have more than one kid. This is going to be hard and I know I’m asking a lot, but not feeding your kids in the car will help A TON! Trust me, my daughter is not allowed to eat or drink in the car (exceptions have been made because I am a Daddy after all and she owns my heart)! A few stores sell seat protectors for the backs of your front seats! These are a GODSEND! Those little feet will put footprints all over your seat backs, it’s unavoidable, but these covers WORK!
Wax Sealants and Coatings!
I cannot stress enough how much damage a vehicle endures from just the Sun alone! Ultraviolet light will cause fading and oxidation which will make the exterior of your vehicle dull. Whether a simple wax, sealant or a ceramic coating, you must keep something on the paint. After a long period of time your paint can start to peel and fail, especially on dark colored vehicles! It is not the easiest task to wax a vehicle, but technology has helped a significant amount. Spray sealants have come along way and will save you many hours of Mr. Miyagi’s “Wax on, Wax off”!
Finally, Weekly touching!
If you can, I know we are busy with our children, work, and hobbies, but once a week vacuum your vehicle and wash it. I recommend carrying a few micro fiber towels with you! But, either by hand or machine, spend a few minutes really getting in there! (STAY CLEAR OF TOUCH AUTOMATIC WASHES!) This will help make that detail last and last! Sure, if you aren’t feeling up to it give us a call 417-763-7626, we are here to help you keep that “Pride in Your Ride”!
Stay cool and stay humble,
-Justin
2006 Pontiac GTO
This GTO was truly a treat to work on. The customer was looking to have this vehicle as perfect as possible and after some discussion we decided on a 2 step polish to give the paint some serious pop. Finishing it out with collonite 845 to protect it all throughout the winter.
2006 Pontiac GTO 2 Step Correction, Engine Detail and Interior Detail
This GTO was truly a treat to work on. The customer was looking to have this vehicle as perfect as possible and after some discussion we decided on a 2 step polish to give the paint some serious pop. Finishing it out with collonite 845 to protect it all throughout the winter.
Time taken 6 hours
Process Used
Decontamination
- Chemical Guys Honeydew Soap 2 bucket Wash
- Iron x Fallout Decontamination
- Tarminator Bug and tar remover
- Nanoskin Clay Bar
Polish
- Meguiar's Ultimate Compound on white microfiber cutting pad
- Meguiars Ultimate Compound on white hexlogic finishing pad
- IPA/H2O Wipedown
Last Step Products
- Collonite #845
- Meguiar's High Endurance Tire Shine
- Meguiar's Hyper Dressing
2016 Mercedes Benz Airstream RV Full Correction and Cquartz
I always love a challenge. That's what I was thinking as I took on this 2016 Mercedes RV on. This customer is a good client of mine and always calls on us to detail their company and personal vehicles. They had just bought this RV and the paint was very very scratched up. The Mercedes dealership would run this vehicle through their scratch-o-matic car wash doing nothing but destroying the quality of this very expensive RV. After agreeing on a price for a 2 step polish with Cquartz coating we got to work as there was heavy rain in the forecast soon and he needed this vehicle for their family's Christmas road trip.
I always love a challenge. That's what I was thinking as I took on this 2016 Mercedes RV on. This customer is a good client of mine and always calls on us to detail their company and personal vehicles. They had just bought this RV and the paint was very very scratched up. The Mercedes dealership would run this vehicle through their scratch-o-matic car wash doing nothing but destroying the quality of this very expensive RV. After agreeing on a price for a 2 step polish with Cquartz coating we got to work as there was heavy rain in the forecast soon and he needed this vehicle for their family's Christmas road trip.
2008 Pontiac G8 GT Paint Correction And Protection
This client was looking to have the paint restored on his 2008 Pontiac G8 GT The customer had just purchased this vehicle and was considering getting the vehicle repainted since it had become so dull due the previous owner using conveyor belt car washes. We discussed various options and the customer decided a 2 step paint correction would renew is paint color and polish would renew his paint and give it that deep shine he was looking for. After that we would seal it up with 2 coats of Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax to have it looking good all winter.
This client was looking to have the paint restored on his 2008 Pontiac G8 GT The customer had just purchased this vehicle and was considering getting the vehicle repainted since it had become so dull due the previous owner using conveyor belt car washes. We discussed various options and the customer decided a 2 step paint correction would renew is paint color and polish would renew his paint and give it that deep shine he was looking for. After that we would seal it up with 2 coats of Meguiar's Ultimate Paste Wax to have it looking good all winter.
Method
Wash: Chemical Guy's foam gun, Honeydew Shampoo and 2 bucket wash
Paint Decontamination: Clay bar & Iron-X
Compound: Meguiar's Ultimate compound, GG DA Polisher & Orange Cutting Discs
Polish: Meguiar's ultimate polish & Finishing Pad
Protection: Two Coats Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax
Wheels and Tires: Sonax Wheel cleaner, Meguiar's APC, Meguiar's Endurance Tire Dressing
Time: 10 Hours
The vehicle as it arrived, paint looks dull and black has no luster.
This picture shows the deep marring and swirling in the paint as well as an overall gray looking color.
Having a dedicated soap bucket and rinse bucket both with grit guards makes an enormous difference in preventing scratching the paint while washing especially on black cars such as this one.
Messing around with Adobe Made quick Foam bath slow-mo video
The now clean and decontaminated paint looks decent here in the shade but under the work light the true story comes out.
Deep Scratching here
Time to work! The paint was taped off to protect the trim and for some cool 50/50 shots!
Right side is before, left side is after.
After full hood correction Very pleased with result
This is the roof of the car before
Here is the roof of the car after.
Here is rear passenger door before
Rear Passenger Door After
Drivers Front Fender Before
Driver's Front Fender After
Final Result
Final Result
Final Result
Perfect Mirror shot on black paint in direct sunlight! I Approve!!
Thanks for viewing!
How to remove light scratches with a 1 step paint correction
We have all had those annoying swirl marks in our car after we get it clean. These swirls are mostly caused by using automatic car washes and poor hand washing technique. Using a simple 1 step polish to even out the clear coat can create an extremely impressive result. In this video you can learn how to do it yourself, or hire a detailing professional like myself to do it for you. Once your paint is corrected it can be very, very easy to maintain and your car can look shiny and new for YEARS.