ShowCarDetailing Frequently Asked Questions of the Best Detail Shop in Orange County

What is your rainy day policy?

2012-10-20T09:44:53.565-07:00

A lot of people are concerned about paying for a detail only for it to be "wasted" by it raining the next day. The work we do will last through many rain storms and car washes. However we realize that having a shiny clean car is a wonderful experience so our policy is that if it rains anytime within a week after we detail your car, please bring it back for a complementary wash. We want to be the first person to wash your car after our hard work and this also gives us a chance to look things over to make sure everything is as expected.

Why are car washes so bad?

2012-10-16T09:05:22.742-07:00

Take a look at this sign. Not Responsible for: Antennas, License Plates, Bike Racks, Bug Shields, Wiper Blades, Roof Racks, Vehicle Leaving Track, After Market Accessories, Tail Pipes & Low Hanging Mufflers, Damage due to driver negligence, rims, wheel covers, and custom rims, mirrors, excessively muddy vehicles will be turned away. Automatic folding mirrors must be folded prior to entering car wash. While all of them are important, the ones that stand out are: NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR Custom rims, After Market Accessories, Tail Pipes.

Would you spend $10 at the local car wash and accept all of these release of liability statements?

Car washes will dull your paint, potentially cause premature failure of the UV coating on your headlights, and potentially induce deep swirls and scratches into your paint. The best way to keep a "perfect" finish is to wash your vehicle yourself.

When the “car wash” is a part of your vocabulary, you probably don’t even think twice about it being part of a bigger problem with your car. Most people think their paint only looks good for a few years then the car needs to be replaced or repainted, or maybe even “detailed”. The problem is that the car wash doesn’t do a proper detail as their main line of business is to wash your car. So if you pay extra for a detail, the results will be marginal and your expectations will be low.

Services offered?

2012-10-16T07:03:51.538-07:00

Please have a look at our SERVICES tab.

What happens on my first visit?

2012-10-16T07:00:13.356-07:00

When you book an evaluation with us, we go over your vehicle under the sunlight looking at the problem areas and discuss your paints current condition and what we can do to improve it. If desired, we'll then bring it inside the shop and conduct our 3 spot evaluation to show you what our different levels of detailing will do to your paint so you can decide which recommended course of action to take. Sometimes your decision is motivated solely by price however most people expect a certain level of quality and doing the 3 spot evaluation lets us perform services at a level that meets your budget.

How do I maintain a black car?

2012-10-03T21:58:02.065-07:00

There is no doubt that black cars are the most difficult to maintain. However there is no better color than black when it comes to that deep rich shine after a proper polish and wax.

Claying won't prevent or remove swirls. It is an important step to help your wax bond properly to the paint once it has been polished.

Ask yourself some important questions.

1.) Will your car be garaged?
2.) Can you honestly give up the local car wash and complimentary dealership washes?
3.) How OCD are you? Will a little dust bother you on a perfectly clean surface?
4.) Are you willing to invest the time to maintain a black car??

Some real life case studies:
Customer A has a black AMG E63 with soft paint. Another detailer completely wrecked the paint, but we restored it and the owner maintained it. Six months and one year later, it looked nearly identical to when we did the work. What was his trick? He followed our suggestions.
-Control who touches your paint (His wife thinks he's crazy)
-Avoid abrading your paint (Use a foam cannon to wash the paint, rinse with spot free water, blow dry with air blowers)
-Use our recommended spray wax, Prima Hydro
-A year later we only had to do a very easy Enhancement Detail to replenish the wax. The first detail was the most expensive, but proper maintenance means much lower costs down the road plus the benefit the paint will always look like a brand new car.

Another option is to go with a coating like Opti-Coat. This will greatly reduce your need to be OCD to maintain your paint. You still can't take it to the car wash, but it's a permanent coating that is super hydrophobic. It resists scratches and marring and even protects from bird bombs with any stains evaporating within days after it is cleaned. It's a great solution and has been proven over the years. The coating lasts for about 2 years before it needs to be reapplied. We recommend evaluating and polishing the paint first before doing the Opti-Coat as if there are any defects you decide you want to remove, we have to remove (sand off) the Opti-Coat first! So it's best to perfect the paint, then Opti-Coat it.

How do I prevent swirls?

2012-10-03T11:55:58.501-07:00

The simplest answer is to not abrade your paint. The not so clear answer is that to avoid abrading your paint, you need to change your thinking about maintaining paint. No more "complimentary dealer car washes", no more local "hand washes". Preventing swirls involves choosing quality microfiber towels and using them in the right situations. Wipe a dirty panel with a microfiber towel and eventually you will rub that dirt into the paint causing swirls, despite the fact you are using a microfiber towel. We teach our customers the best techniques for using today's best technology to maintain your finish.

How much for a detail?

2012-10-03T11:52:49.389-07:00

We get this question daily and it can be answered about as precisely as asking your doctor "How much to fix my stomach ache?", or your local auto mechanic, "How much to fix that knocking noise?". The problem is further compounded by not knowing what your expectations are. It's natural to want to know how much something costs, but when it comes to detailing a car, we need considerably more information before giving you an answer. Here are the factors that will influence the costs as well as the recommended services:

1.) Where is the vehicle parked at night?
2.) How often do you wash your vehicle?
3.) Do you take it to the car wash?
4.) Do you accept dealership complementary washes?

The answers to these questions give us a lot of information about your maintenance habits as well as physical condition of your car. A car that is washed at the car wash will have a dull finish. In the sunlight, it will be covered in scratches and swirls. A car that is parked outside at night instead of in a garage will be wet in the morning due to morning dew. When a car is already dirty, that dew will intermingle with the dirt and dry out in the warm sun causing it to be baked on to the finish. Repeat this process daily and your paint will be caked in hard dirt and contaminants in no time.

In general, a frequently washed car tends to be in better condition than one that is neglected for long periods of time. however an improperly washed vehicle or one that uses the local car wash (hand wash included) will show signs of neglect with the appears of swirls commonly referred to as cobwebbing.

Those free dealership car washes when you take your car in for servicing need to be avoided at all costs.