What I do for a living. [Archive] - Toyota Yaris Forums

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counterfiend

10-12-2009, 02:49 PM

http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0813.JPG
http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0814.JPG
http://dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/800detail_013.jpg
http://dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/800detail_023.jpg
http://dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/800misc.._043.jpg
http://dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/800misc.._054.jpg
http://dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/800misc.._064.jpg
http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0862.JPG
http://www.dfwstangs.net/coppermine/albums/userpics/10253/DPP_0871.JPG

So when i give advice i'm not trying to be a dick, or attack anyone. I just know what im talkin about.

counterfiend

10-12-2009, 02:49 PM

BTW, only a few of the hundreds of cars I have had my hand in helping with.

ozmdd

10-12-2009, 03:34 PM

You never mentioned this highly-valuable skill. Holding-out, eh? I will be hiring you soon, my young friend. :biggrin:

schleppy

10-12-2009, 03:35 PM

You are truly an artist my good man.

Altitude

10-12-2009, 03:47 PM

Nice work. I hope you charge people a premium for that kind of polish!!

counterfiend

10-12-2009, 04:06 PM

A good polish/buff is anywhere from 300-500 depending on the level they want the car at.
If they want the car wetsanded (to remove orange peel) it starts at 800 and goes up from there.
Not to mention all the other stuff we do, full interior with hot water extractor for carpets and seats, motor, so on so forth. And all mobile too.

tomato

10-12-2009, 04:13 PM

holy cow!!!

Before and After :eek: wow

yarisugi

10-12-2009, 04:24 PM

You definitely got some skills. Excellent photos of your work, too.
If I lived near you, I'd probably pay you a visit soon.

TinyGiant

10-12-2009, 05:05 PM

lol good thing you arent in NH i would be bugging to barter for shirts all the time lol

Sabretooth

10-12-2009, 07:32 PM

I need to find a guy like you to do my car here in FL!!!

Awesome work on that Mustang btw!

JumpmanYaris

10-12-2009, 08:05 PM

Snap, u going to the meet ?? if u r i got some work for u its easy nothing like that red car

Saskatchewan17

10-12-2009, 11:19 PM

A detailer eh? Very nice! Are you on Autopia?

blacksandiegovitz

10-13-2009, 12:04 AM

Thats probaly some of the best before/after pictures i've ever seen ! You do some killer work . Have you worked on the shitty stock orange peel paint that comes on the yaris yet ?

counterfiend

10-13-2009, 12:15 AM

Not yet, havent quiet learned the art of wetsanding. But maybe someday. Alot of this stuff I worked on with my boss the guy who owns the company, but I have recently started more on the buffing and polishing more then the full detail jobs.
There are more before and afters just havent gotten around to it.
And actually yeah, I and my boss are both on autotopia.com
He is actually having a detailing class coming up the weekend after SEMA with the old detailer from Meguairs that no longer works for them. Having the class at out shop. Should be fun.

RevoluScion

10-13-2009, 02:03 PM

what product do you use may i ask?

counterfiend

10-13-2009, 02:15 PM

We are not product whores and only use one thing. We kinda mix it up. Have alot of lug with Megs stuff, but have been using Menzerna alot lately too. They have great finishing compounds that contain a far bit of oil that give the paint just that much more luster.
And yes, Menzerna does use alot of fillers, but when we do test spots, we wipe the area clean with alcohol to break down the fillers and remove them to make sure we are actually correctly the defects in the paint, rather then hiding them.

And we have like 10 different wax's we use. None are really OTC wax, but we have different wax's for different needs. If the car never see's sunlight and is a museum car, then a wax that looks it best, but doesnt last as long. And the other way around for a car that lives outside.

ddongbap

12-04-2009, 01:08 PM

Lafiro

12-04-2009, 03:17 PM

Wow, thats amazing work.

Sidicas

12-20-2009, 07:40 AM

You take pictures of yourself for a living? :w00t:

HTM Yaris

12-22-2009, 03:59 PM

:headbang::bow:

Killer work Dude

You should do a DIY on waxing ....seriously . Some of us would like a shine half that good

jamal1984

12-22-2009, 05:11 PM

great work man, any good recommended machine polish, buffer? to get rid of a few of my water spot?

counterfiend

12-23-2009, 02:24 AM

Wouldn't need much of a machine polish or buffer to get out water spots. But then again, it really depends on how bad the water spots are. Once worked on some that were so bad, they had to be wet sanded from a really bad calcium buildup.
Honestly 95% of people that are into cars will do well enough with OTC stuff. The megs lines are great. As is mothers, and chemical guys. The key is finding something you like and sticking with it. If you keep changing products cause it doesnt give you the result you desire right away, maybe you just need to use it slightly different, work it a little longer, use a different pad or machine.

And waxing is honestly a really easy process. But then again it all really depends on what wax your using.
Megs #16 is crazy good, but hard to take off. Fusion is amazingly easy on, and easy off, but its a wipe on wipe off, dont let it set up on the paint, otherwise its a bear to get off. Wet Diamond is another wipe on wipe off wax thats amazing.

And its also important to pick a wax that will do what you want it to do. If its a garage car that never goes outside, then a wax that does more for looks, then for protection will work for you. And other way around if its not a garage car and sits outside. You want something that will protect more. And all that depends on the climate you keep the car in. A wax that will last 3 months in Florida could only last a month in Texas because of the heat. Yeah, now I'm just talkin. ha.

Arkhangel

12-29-2009, 12:19 PM

A wax that will last 3 months in Florida could only last a month in Texas because of the heat. Yeah, now I'm just talkin. ha.

Very good to know, I live in PR, Tropical Climate , my car is only 2 years old and in the sun every day, my hood and the top of my mirror look like there fading..(Hood needs to be repainted at this point , Clear started to come off, ) What can i do to prevent it from happeing again or to the rest of the car?

Arkhangel

01-13-2010, 01:56 PM

counterfiend

01-18-2010, 09:50 AM

Clean the car more often, and keep wax on the car.

taracor

01-22-2010, 08:40 PM

I want to make love to that BMW. Alright, well I want to make sure my car has that show car shine all the time, and I'm willing to put in the man hours. Problem my car lives outside. I already wash and quick-wax once a week with Meguiars NXT soap and ultimate quick wax, and wax it about once a month with the tech 2.0 wax. Should I use a glaze or something? Or perhaps invest in a DA polisher?

jambo101

01-23-2010, 12:31 PM

What could one expect to pay for a result like that?..

counterfiend

01-24-2010, 12:59 PM

Well you can wash it all you want, its a matter of how you wash the car?
Do you use 1 bucket, with just a bit of soap? Do you use just soap on a mitt and a water hose?

The proper most effective way of keeping swirls and scratch's off the paint is with a 2 bucket method with a grit guard.
Basically you have 1 bucket with just clean water. And 1 bucket with soapy water (VERY SOAPY, at least 1oz of soap per gallon, because its acting like a lubricant). And the grit guard goes in the bottom of the clean water bucket.
So you get your soapy mitt, you wash an area, and then you rinse the mitt out in the clean water bucket, scrubbing the mitt against the grit guard. This helps to work dirt and anything off the mitt into the clean water bucket, so you can then go back to the soapy water, rinse repeat.

And price wise for something like that all depends on how the car was to begin with. Anywhere from 250-300 for a car that doesnt need too much work to be perfect which is just a good deep polish. And 500 up for a car that needs buffing. The more work is done, and the longer it takes obviously the price goes up.