Detailing Shops in FL - who to go to?

[SUPO]

You know, I've been reading all the posts about detailing with Zaino, Zymol, etc; After just busting my butt on trying Zymol on my red 240SX (the NSX is coming very soon - negotiating a deal on a new 2001 65 miles) - I'm almost ready to say "screw it" and take it to the professionals to detail it with the waxing and I'll handle the car washes. You see, I washed my car today with RainX Spot Free, dried the car, applied Zymol Wax with an applicator, removed it and buffed it and the car still looked like major crap with all the flaws in the paint showing. Is it because I didn't do the Dawn, then the clay, then the wax? Oh, I also followed up with Maguires Quick Detail. Anyway, does anyone know a place for me to take the NSX for the very first wax that won't "F" it up (to them, it's just a job, not an art). Where do I go in FL (I'm in Tampa)? I'm looking to do that and spend the money so I don't do something wrong, but yet I want someone who is highly skilled and will do it perfectly. Man, is detailing the question of the month or what?
NSXtacy - just want to say thanks for everything. I'm learning alot and I appreciate it.

 

[nsxtasy]

Hi SUPO,

First of all, I hope that deal works out to put you in the driver's seat of that 2001.

The reason that your 240SX still shows all the flaws in the paint is that you haven't gone through the steps that remove the flaws. Wax by itself will put a shine on the car, but if there are problems in the finish - either with swirl marks and scratches, or with oxidized paint that is faded or not shiny - wax won't help. That's the reason for all those "in between" steps, like the swirl mark removal, the clay, and the cleansing. You can skip those steps on a car whose finish is in good condition and still get great results, but not one which has problems.

Depending on what the flaws are, you can try detailing steps yourself to remove them. If the problem is swirl marks or scratches, then a swirl mark remover (like Meguiars or 3M's product named for this purpose) is needed. The swirl mark remover also will help for paint that is severely faded. If the paint is just not glossy, then a clay product followed by a cleanser may be enough to do the trick. Wax when you're done with whatever step(s) are needed to fix the flaws.

There are some finish problems that are tougher to deal with. One common problem is sometimes called "road rash", a front end that has small chips all over the finish, due to gravel and such being flung at it from traffic in front of you. You can touch up individual chips with touch-up paint, but if there are a whole lot of them and they are very small, your options are limited - basically, either live with it, or have the front end repainted. I know that my own NSX, with 52K miles on it, has this to some extent; it shows the 52K miles. I just live with it; I know that if I had it repainted, the process would just start all over again every time I drive it. (It's not too bad on a light-colored car like my red one, but it's worse on a dark car.)

Here's another tip. Rather than go over the entire car, try working on one section of the car to figure out what combination of products works for you. So, for example, just work on half of the hood. That way, if you find that what you're using isn't enough to cure the problems, you can use something stronger, until you find exactly how much you'll need to use to restore the car properly. Once you figure it out on that part of the car, you can go over the rest of the car.

In fact, I rarely do all the steps on my entire car at the same time. If I'm just washing the car, I wash it. But when I want to go over the whole car with HD-Cleanse and then wax it - which I do about once a year - I do it on two or three different days, when I'm washing the car anyway. One day I'll do the hood and the front bumper. Another day I'll do the roof and the trunk lid and trunk spoiler. And yet another day I'll do the doors and fenders and rear bumper.

If you would prefer to have a professional detailer work on your car, by all means feel free to do so (and hopefully someone in your area can recommend one). A pro can go through any steps needed to make your finish shine; after that, a frequent wash and an occasional wax should be enough for quite a while.

BTW, the Zymol waxes vary in effort. The 51 percent carnauba ones (like NSX and Concours) are tougher to apply because you need to use the warmth of your hands to soften them; they're virtually impossible to apply with an applicator. The 37 percent carnauba Zymol Japon is actually very easy to work with. In either case, the key to making them easy to work with is to apply a VERY VERY thin coat, and to buff it off a minute or two after applying it. If you're not sure whether you're using too much, then you probably ARE using too much. And don't wait longer than a minute or two before buffing the wax off, because it will harden and get tougher to buff off.

Hope all of this helps. Keep us posted.

 

[NSXLNT]

Ken, is there ever a point in the process of using carnauba - based waxes where you would do something to remove the previous layers of wax? IOW, when using HD Cleanse, is it applied right over a waxed surface? What should be done when new swirls appear in a properly prepared and waxed finish? Do the swirl-remover products work over the wax, or must the wax be removed? What about you guys who are using products like the Griot's Machine-applied polishes. Do you have to remove previous layers of wax before proceeding with the machine buffing? What would a pro detailer do-would they take the time to wash the car and remove all the wax, or do their machines/products cut right through?

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by NSXLNT:
is there ever a point in the process of using carnauba - based waxes where you would do something to remove the previous layers of wax? IOW, when using HD Cleanse, is it applied right over a waxed surface?

HD-Cleanse removes whatever wax is on the surface.

Originally posted by NSXLNT:
What should be done when new swirls appear in a properly prepared and waxed finish? Do the swirl-remover products work over the wax, or must the wax be removed?

Swirl marks are actually very light scratches in the finish. There are different kinds of swirl marks. Some swirl marks are caused by the improper use of an orbital buffer; if you've ever seen a car whose finish looks like it has patches of concentric circles in the finish, that's the cause. The swirl marks term can also refer to scratches in the finish in various directions that reflect sunlight.

Regardless of cause, the removal of swirl marks requires the use of a product which is also strong enough to remove the wax. A mild cleanser like HD-Cleanse as well as a stronger, slightly abrasive swirl remover product like the Meguiars or 3M swirl remover, will each remove any wax on the finish.

Originally posted by NSXLNT:
What about you guys who are using products like the Griot's Machine-applied polishes. Do you have to remove previous layers of wax before proceeding with the machine buffing?

There's no difference in concept between machine-applied products and hand-applied products. An abrasive polish like the swirl removers will remove wax, regardless of whether it's applied by machine or by hand.

Originally posted by NSXLNT:
What would a pro detailer do-would they take the time to wash the car and remove all the wax, or do their machines/products cut right through?

A professional detailer would go through the same steps as an amateur - claying to remove any surface impurities, cleansing to remove oxidation, swirl removing as needed, followed by a coat of wax.

An experienced professional sometimes uses tricks and techniques for various problems that might be present. They often use buffers to speed the process. (Buffers can be a time saver, but improperly used they can also cause problems on the finish.)

The do-it-yourself detailer can use many of the same techniques and can buy the same equipment as the pros. There are a few books on the market that have a lot of information on detailing; for example, at Classic Motorbooks, you can buy "Auto Detailing: The Professional Way" by J. Joseph ($23.95), or "Automotive Detailing" by Don Taylor ($17.95).

There are advantages to using a good professional detailer. If he's good, he has the experience to know exactly what's best for your car. And, of course, it saves you time. The downside is primarily cost.

 

[TampaBayNSX-R]

SUPO,
Good luck with the purchase process on that '01! It will be great to have another NSX owner in the Bay area. There are several of us locally and we're always happy to add another to our ranks. If you have any questions about the car or just want to get together for a spirited drive drop me a line. PS, I'm the suncoast rep for the Florida Chapter of the NSXCA and will be happy to keep you posted on our upcoming events. Take a look at NSXFlorida.com to get info on some of our get togethers. Best of luck,
Scott
PS I do have a local guy who can give your car the attention it deserves. He does sev eral high end vehicles in the area including an F50, Diablos and even my NSX!

 

[NSXLNT]

Questions answered, Thanks.

 

[SUPO]

Originally posted by TampaBayNSX-R:
SUPO,
I do have a local guy who can give your car the attention it deserves. He does sev eral high end vehicles in the area including an F50, Diablos and even my NSX!

AWESOME - who is it? I'm sure he'll appreciate the recommendation! Phone, email, location, or name?