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Author Topic: Detailing Red Flags  (Read 6228 times)

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Offline Too Stroked

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Detailing Red Flags
« on: April 11, 2015, 03:34:23 PM »
One of the most popular phrases in and around this web site is “pics or it never happened.” Well, since I don’t have pics, I guess this particular detail never happened. But assuming it did happen – because it did – I wanted to share some of the (many) red flags that were waving right from the first phone call so that some of you could turn something like this down. It’ll also explain why I didn’t even bring my camera.

So I get a phone call from a guy I work with who needs a “big favor.” His GF’s son has just graduated from college (great kid BTW) and his (divorced) father has given him a car for a graduation present. (Sounds good so far eh?) The GF wants to know if I could detail the car. (Normally not a problem.) But the car turns out to be a 1987 Nissan 300ZX that has sat outside for its whole life and had at least one bad re-spray. (Numerous red flags.)

So I start back peddling right away and give my standard disclaimer of “Look, I can heal the sick, but I can’t raise the dead.” It doesn’t work. Both of them want me to at least take a look at the car and its red paint. OK, I can at least do that. They bring the car over and the first thing I notice is that it’s flat pink. “No, it’s actually just faded red” is their reply. (Another red flag.) Oh, and what’s that peeking through the “red” paint? That would be primer. (Yet another red flag.) By now I’m in full back off mode, but they really want me to “just make it shine.” I reply that slobbering a gallon of Armor All over the whole car might be their best option. “Pretty please with sugar on top?” “But if I buff it even the slightest bit too aggressively it’ll turn into a DeLorean” I say. “We’re not worried because the worst you could possibly do is still better than what we’ve got now. Just make it shiny.” “Ok, but no guarantees and I’m not responsible for buffing through the, um, red paint.” So they leave the car and I figure I’ll come back to the shop the next day to try a few things.

Given the hopelessness – er, I mean delicacy - of the situation, I decide not to even bring a camera since nothing worth capturing and sharing is going to happen anyway. And I decide that I’m going to go as non-aggressive as possible with both pad and polish. I dredge up some old and really soft Meguire’s Soft Buff Finishing pads and Menzerna Ultra Finish for use with the Flex. Time to cross my fingers.

I start with a full wash where the wash mitt literally drags across the dull surface. Clay shows some contamination, but nothing out of the ordinary. And the paint doesn’t look any better. Next I start polishing the top of the hood since it’s dull, oxidized, has primer showing through and should surely be a real acid test. I make two passes with the Flex before wiping the haze off. Guess what? (A little drum roll please.) What appears through the haze is a shiny bright lipstick red surface. WTF? I can’t believe my eyes, so I do an adjacent section. More shiny red single stage paint. Finally, I do half of the hood and wipe everything down. Damn, other than some minor surface scratches – which I’m not even going to try to remove – it looks downright, um, half way decent. The things that happen when you don’t have a camera. (And for the record, my phone takes crappy pics.)

So I continue on and do the rest of the car. Generally speaking, everything comes back to nice, red shiny paint – or maybe shiny red paint with black primer showing through. I hit the polished aluminum wheels lightly with the Super Finish. I hit the black trim, wheel wells and tires with HD, then step back and take a look. I am utterly amazed what’s standing in front of me. Sure it’s a 50 footer at best, but we now have a very shiny red sports car that would stand out in any parking lot. Damn!

When the folks that asked me to do the car came back to check it out, they absolutely couldn’t believe what was sitting there. (Of course neither could I.) Mom started excitedly taking pictures and sending them to her son and his father. Dad got back to her first and said that there was absolutely no way that was his old car. Then junior got back and was happy as hell too. Not a bad ending for everyone involved. Oh, and I refused to take any money for this one because the boy is a great kid and he deserved it.

Now here’s the reason I wanted to share this story. (No, I didn’t want to open myself up to the inevitable ribbing for not taking pics – again.) What I really wanted to share were the red flags which popped up and one should really heed before taking on a detailing job. Here they are:

-   The entire car was re-painted
-   One could see primer showing through the paint
-   The paint was flat / dull and oxidized
-   The car was old and not well taken care of
-   The car had spent its entire life outside and uncovered

I’m sure some of you have a number of other red flags which you heed when doing a pre-inspection of a possible detailing job. Anybody want to add anything?

Offline sscully

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Re: Detailing Red Flags
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2015, 09:03:49 PM »
You talked me through finding the repaint on the SIL (ab)used mustang.
- I did not see it and went all in...until the white pad came back red  :wow:

Some guys are pretty good with masking, but there is always the chance of finding a small miss.



Primer / old sanded paint showing through a stone chip



I told you on the phone she got rid of this for a 2010 ( that has been 100% tunnel washed ), so I got off luck never having to repaint the red one.

I only removed the dealer tag and found the "flapping sound" where she banged it against parking stops ( ala the Lightning in the F&F ) on the 2010.
That is it for me. I'm out.  She did not want me touching it beyond that.
Steve

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Detailing Red Flags
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2015, 11:11:54 PM »
Great thread Tom 

when the Lexus dealership calls you and says, can you fix this...say no.   


Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline gipraw

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Re: Detailing Red Flags
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2015, 01:36:36 PM »
Great thread Tom 

when the Lexus dealership calls you and says, can you fix this...say no.

when JP calls you multiple times about a Lexus he didn't say "no" to, quit trying to help him over the phone and just drive to Keller.

 
================

Doug

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: Detailing Red Flags
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2015, 03:39:37 PM »
Great thread Tom 

when the Lexus dealership calls you and says, can you fix this...say no.

when JP calls you multiple times about a Lexus he didn't say "no" to, quit trying to help him over the phone and just drive to Keller.

LOL    :funny:  ^^^^
Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline Kitzy

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Re: Detailing Red Flags
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2015, 08:42:18 PM »
Great thread Tom 

when the Lexus dealership calls you and says, can you fix this...say no.

when JP calls you multiple times about a Lexus he didn't say "no" to, quit trying to help him over the phone and just drive to Keller.

Hahaha.  Damn. 

Tapatalkin...

If you always do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll always get what you\'ve always got.

Offline Rockpick

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Re: Detailing Red Flags
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2015, 08:47:06 AM »
Great thread Tom 

when the Lexus dealership calls you and says, can you fix this...say no.

when JP calls you multiple times about a Lexus he didn't say "no" to, quit trying to help him over the phone and just drive to Keller.

LOL!
Now With Scrubbing Bubbles...

 


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