Bud- Okay, I'll look into the powder. As for your claim that orbital buffers can't remove scratches and swirls from paint, you have been repeatedly contradicted on that point by others on the various forums. I have thought up a test that should settle the issue. Once I perform it, I'll post the results. By the way, you never seem to say anything nice about your competitorsby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- As for my ignorance...Why should a powder be any better than a bottled glass polish ? I've indicated my ideas were based on theory so I can't see what harm I did. Sam now knows of a couple of glass polishes he can consider. If you want to recommend some other product, fire away. Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Sam- I have no experiance with glass polishing but I understand it is limited in what it can accomplish. Autopia sells and recommends AutoGlym glass polish. Griot's, of course, recommends their brand, available in two levels of aggressiveness. I suspect that an orbital buffer with a dedicated foam pad would be the best tool to use. Imagine a rotary putting buffer swirls in the gby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- I found " Dawn With Bleach Alternative " on the Proctor and Gamble Web site. I used their search feature. You can also find it by walking into Wal-mart and clicking on " detergent aisle ". Look again. " Seek and Ye shall find. " I suspect that the product does not contain actual bleach but rather a " bleach alternative " similar to the one adby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Ketch- If the truckers want that " true aluminum polishing " and detailers want to risk their eyes, livers and lives to use acid, and pollute to boot, that doesn't make it a smart thing to do. Note that every motorcycle on the road today seems to have a loud aftermarket exhaust system on it--or just straight pipes, proving that what's popular isn't always sensible.by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud : What we have here is a failure to communicate ( to borrow a line from the classic movie, " Cool Hand Luke " ). No doubt, what New Again was referring to is a product called " Dawn With Bleach Alternative ". You understood him to be mixing Bleach with Dawn and using the mixture to clean wheels, an iffy idea at best ! From what you wrote about HF, I'd have tby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Nuprin : I'll bet if you explained the above to a truck owner and then offered to simply clay, compound, polish and wax his coated wheels without damaging their protection, he'd give you the job. I wouldn't let you near my truck with paint stripper and acid and my truck is an old F-150. I'm betting AM blue clay, Meg. Diamond Cut, Swirl-Free Polish and a durable sealantby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Tony- There are some on this forum who are easily irritated but I'm not one of them. Sorry if I gave you the impression that I know it all. I don't. In fact, until I read some posts here, I thought the "Big Three" were named Curly, Larry and Moe. ( JOKE ) Anyway, if you'd like some more advice from a rank amateur who doesn't sell chemicals, here it is :by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Stephen- You are right but remember we are going by what his wife told him the dealer told her ( see my post above ). In any case he can't go wrong by having it measured and evaluated by a good pro detailer. I imagine ( correct me if I'm wrong ) that it would take a lot of buffing to remove 2.5 mils of brand new factory clearcoat so the whole story looks like a possible misundeby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
ynot- Your email address is hidden. you can visit www.griotsgarage.com and look for a link to download the book or phone them. Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Ynot6352- Your post is more vague than you think. You could be saying that the scratches are deep enough to penetrate the clearcoat and reach into the pigmented paint or down to the metal. OR...you could be saying that the buffing operation removed all of the clearcoat. Either statement is doubtful. If they actually buffed away all of the clearcoat in an effort to remove the scratches, tby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Could a heat gun bake the undercoating dry ? Frankly, I wonder why anyone needs to undercoat a new car. The substance does little to stop rust and can plug drain holes and actually encourage rust. It deadens noise. Big deal. It is probably a high-profit/low value dealer pack. Doug "Out of debt, out of danger."by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Joe- Good points indeed ! Scott- After reading it over, I find the text isn't exciting enough and the need to click links to read more about a service makes it feel disorganized. I'd like it better if the home page had big tabs to click on that sent you to a page devoted to the desired subject. Some clearer text would read : " Auto detailing, whether exterior, interior or bby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- Concoursgarage asked some important questions on this thread but you may have missed her post. If so, hope you'll reply to her now. Doug " What's right isn't always popular and what's popular isn't always right. "-LL Inst Bkby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Gentlemen : To return to the topic----A local body shop owner tells me he removed brake dust from chrome wheels with CLR ( Calcium/Lime/Rust ), a household product. He simply wiped it on and pressure washed it off. The product did not work very well on clearcoated wheels and polished aluminum. Doug " Unless you are the lead sled dog, your view never changes."by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Wecome to the forum. You'll find a lot of useful info just reading the archives. You can highlight and print out passages of info you want to save for future reference. Then you can hole-punch, organize by subject, and place the info in a loose-leaf binder. Let us all know what you think of the forum once you've explored. Gina, aka Concoursgarage is a source of info on specialized aby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Everyone, Here are a few suggestions that I think will make your posts good and help the forum continue to interest everyone ; 1) Using your real name is preferable to anonymity. It gives your posts an air of seriousness. It will also make you think twice about what you say. Pseudonyms are associated with make-believe activities where you can be anyone you want to be just for the fun of itby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Brian- Don't tell me...you also sell a $10,000.00 can of wax to apply with your invention. " There's a Barnum born every minute. " LOL Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Joshua : You might want to try a two-pronged approach : a simplified menu and a separate long article about your company, detailing and its benefits in general and why your work is special. People who don't want facts can skip the article and find what they need. This is, of course, speculation. Sometimes you don't know what works until you try it out. Doug " Never ask a baby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Guys- It should come as no surprise that the Zaino I applied on 9/27 is still holding up after a week. It rained and the stuff beaded the water wonderfully, although the significance of water beads can be debated--and has been at length on this forum in the past. The Zaino appears to be optically clear so the stuff doesn't seem to make the paint look darker and richer. Some waxes, sby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- The issue was not my "faith" or lack thereof in you or your company. It was the narrow question of your test's validity. You have every right to rebut the points I raised one by one if you wish. It is unfair to imply that I am doubting your test because of some personality trait instead of cold hard fact and logic. Do not expect me to base anything on "faith"by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Joshua : Based on advice I've received on advertising in general, I believe your home page has too much text and will confuse customers while it impresses pro detailers. The approach I would try would be impressive but in fewer words. Examples : " All exterior details include my special 5 step paint restoration process. The paint is hand washed. The bugs, tar, sap and otherby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- I think you understand perfectly, that your dependence on auto mechanics to jump cars is analogous to my dependence on chemists to design the products and tell me how to use them. You have touted your own products as being less expensive than some name brands. Now you chide me for using products that only cost a dollar but do a better job than some name brand products. You want to haby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- What a coincidence ! When I need a chemical product, I rely on chemists. Ketch- Look behind the front bumper on a Dodge Stratus or its clones. Under the rear seat on an old VW Bug, in the trunk on some Rolls Royces...If you still can't find it, follow the cable from the starter. Did you ever try to find the trans dipstick on an old Pontiac Tempest ? Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Joe, I'm defending Bud on this one. You had a responsibility to say your copy was bought used. Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud : Here's a quiz for you. Do you know what to do if a customer's car battery goes dead ? What is the proper way to jump it ? Should you jump it ? What two other techniques are safer for the cars ? What parts of the car can be damaged by jumping a dead battery ? What is the ideal way to avoid damage and get the car started ? How can you decide whether to recommend a new batteryby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Bud- Thanks for the info and I will do some googling now that you've given me the idea. I thought it was pretty clear that I agreed with you on acids by the way I light-heartedly labeled your opponents "acid heads". I also made it clear that my idea in this thread was only a framework for a process yet to be developed and tested. That isn't an irresponsible approach, is itby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
You win this round, Ketch. It is past my bedtime so must hit the sack. To be continued. Doug " Early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy and wealthy and dead. "by Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Ketch : You may have missed my pun and thought my last post insulting. It was supposed to be funny, not malicious. I did say IN FUN. Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
Ketch- Yeah. I can't stand that sort of person either. Dougby Doug Delmont - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts