For those that believe detailing is a waste of time
- Thread starter Cyrus
- Start date
From a pure cost effectiveness point of view (i.e. selling the car) it's probably worth the money, but as an ongoing exercise I still think it's ultimately pointless. It's like a religion to the people that believe in it though, you'll never convince them otherwise (and vice versa).
on a car like that, yes, probably worth it. but detailing your everyday average car is a waste of time IMO. i reckon i could have that BMW looking similarly good with just the classic tcut, autoglym polish and extra gloss... £20 max spent and about 4-5 hours work by hand?
yes you'll still have the majority of the swirls still, but they wont be half as visible as before.... up close is obviously where you see the major difference, and yes, i know this is the area where a lot of owners are aiming to improve... however for the time, equipment and money invested, how many people look at your car that close to appreciate it?
just my 2pence anyhoo
yes you'll still have the majority of the swirls still, but they wont be half as visible as before.... up close is obviously where you see the major difference, and yes, i know this is the area where a lot of owners are aiming to improve... however for the time, equipment and money invested, how many people look at your car that close to appreciate it?
just my 2pence anyhoo
I think spending 5-6 hours detailing your "everyday average car" isn't exactly over the top... I speant that on mine and if I have a machine I could have easily speant more time to get it looking spot on.
And no, you couldn't get similar results from those products, there were some serious problems with the paintwork that by hand you couldn't correct.
So ner.
And no, you couldn't get similar results from those products, there were some serious problems with the paintwork that by hand you couldn't correct.
So ner.
but yours still looks crud
Yea, if crud is the best car in the world!!!!!!!!1
At least I own a mans car
You only do it once, once you get a car in a decent state, it stays like that unless you wash the car like a tard.
on a car like that, yes, probably worth it. but detailing your everyday average car is a waste of time IMO. i reckon i could have that BMW looking similarly good with just the classic tcut, autoglym polish and extra gloss... £20 max spent and about 4-5 hours work by hand?
yes you'll still have the majority of the swirls still, but they wont be half as visible as before.... up close is obviously where you see the major difference, and yes, i know this is the area where a lot of owners are aiming to improve... however for the time, equipment and money invested, how many people look at your car that close to appreciate it?
just my 2pence anyhoo
Most modern paints are very hard, especially the german marques, you will not do these by hand easily, if at all.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
I really, really can't understand why some of you have so much difficulty with the concept of measuring paint thickness. It's as if you think they do it for fun.
Let me explain for you in nice easy steps
a) Cool electric polisher makes car shiney!
b) Cool electric polisher removes swirls and scratches!
c) Cool electric polisher does this by taking off a layer of the existing finish
d) If you use cool electric polisher on a car with very very very thin paint, you take all the paint off.
e) This makes owner of car Sad Panda. He has no paint!
f) So, clever people measure the paint thickness first so they know if its safe to use cool electric polisher.
Is that easier to comprehend?
You did your MR2 properly, didn't you? ie, it was polished using more than 30 minutes and some Turtle Wax.
As a result, I still see it around here. It's still IMMACULATE. Years later..
[TW]Fox;10478023 said:
I'll dip my toe in the other pool just momentarily here.
As long as you aren't a complete Porter Cable Whore™, there really isn't much need to measure paint thickness.
This is the point where I reach the line.
/jumps back in the other pool as its much warmer
[TW]Fox;10478077 said:
Exactly.
It's another tool that the professional uses to assist the job.
Do you complain when a builder uses a stud finder before drilling into the walls to fit a shelf? You may not do in your own home, but a builder would do because it assists him, and ensures you will not do additional damage.
maybe it's me, but as long as my car looks presentable (which is not the same thing as a showroom++ shine - a few decent meguiars products, and a bit of effort = presentable) that's me happy - all the important stuff with it goes on when i cant see the paintwork anyway.
the exercise that goes on at the start of the thread makes an additional point of interest. it's now possible, for a few hundred pounds, to turn a car that has had a hard life, and been mistreated, into an utterly mint example, at least visually. how long before the less honest traders start to clock onto this?
the exercise that goes on at the start of the thread makes an additional point of interest. it's now possible, for a few hundred pounds, to turn a car that has had a hard life, and been mistreated, into an utterly mint example, at least visually. how long before the less honest traders start to clock onto this?