I now consider detailing a car to be manual labor

Step aside you guys on a chain gang, and also you loggers, roofers, asphalt layers, and even you ditch diggers. I think one of the toughest jobs out there is detailing a car!!! I hadn't waxed my car since last Fall so it was due. I planned on doing it on Saturday but the sun was out and it was 95 degrees so I put it off for the cloudier choice of Sunday. It didn't matter though because 96 degrees whether cloud or sun still equates to hot! I washed the car and got it back in the garage. I then removed each wheel since they were filthy from the inside out. That was pretty easy but then I got to the polishing part. Even though I have a Griot's buffer I use it to apply polish and wax but prefer to remove it by hand (I don't have good results using the device to remove polish/wax). Well since I have a darker car and also added the hardtop to it recently, this whole process took me almost 8 hours!!! I was covered in sweat, my arms lost all strength (I felt like I had done 10 rounds of boxing) and I was able to drink probably two gallons of water in one sitting. Once done the car looked great but talk about a labor-intensive process! I've gotten it done quicker in the past but always left wax residue or some other oversight that I tried to eliminate this time. I'll post some pics later as I'm at work now but anyone else have similar experiences? Are there any shortcuts or easier ways to do this?

get a Griot's (or other) random orbital do it more often...keeps you in shape and is less work Advil consider professional detailer...might be worth the $$$ vs a trip to the Dr for that sore shoulder and knees F&*^ It..leave it dirty! OH yea and what's with the tease of pics later I WANT THEM NOW

I find it therapeutic. I usually do a "big" detail job a couple of times a year, and I do smaller ones on a regular basis. I also find that it takes a whole Saturday to do the big detail job, but I like it.

I waxed mine a few weeks ago and spent about 4 hours. Wash, clay bar, cleaner wax and porsche Hard shell wax. Which I do all by hand. Did not do the wheels or soft top. Left them for another day. Also did nothing on the inside...which could use a good cleaning. I find it relaxing cleaning the pcar....but I hate to work on my wife's van. It makes me sick the condition she keeps it in. My DD could use a good claning inside althought I clay barded and waxed it a couple months ago. Try to hit each car twice a year.

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I can run to my parking garage and take photos with my cell phone Actually I do have the buffer but I still prefer to wipe by hand! Strange this is I do exercise regularly but this was just different movements and sitting on hard pavement when it's 90+ degrees outside. That's what I plan on doing. Since the car is almost always garaged the wax should last for a while. Then I can just take care of the rest when I wash the car every week. I forgot to mention I also clayed the car. But I used the buffer with a clay pad for that so it wasn't as manually intensive. I also detailed the wife's SUV once and didn't find it that difficult since her car is silver. The dark blue of mine really shows everything so you have to be more vigilant to get rid of any stray markings.

I've become a big fan of ultima paint guard. Polishing is still a pain, but at least the protection part has become simple. Wipe on, walk away. I buff out a minor streak here or there later, and it's good to go. -Shawn

I used the Ziano on the 996...that final step has to dry for like 4 hours between coats and I put on about 5 coats....but WOW!!! looked like liquid ink when done

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+1, even in the heat it's a great escape for me. My detailing business paid for my college and was the perfect college job as I could make my own schedule. Despite a professional career now I've never fully given up on the detailing business. I still really enjoy it quite a bit, having it pay for my track hobby is an added bonus. To me nothing better than throwing on a good set of headphones (ear protection) firing up the buffer and enjoying a peaceful day in the garage perfecting whatever I'm working on. The heat in the summer is my excuse for not needing to go to the gym that day Andy

I have a black car. I take it in for a "paint correction" and full detail job once a year (April). I take over on the washing and cosmetic care thereafter, which I really enjoy. As much a like to do the "heavy lifting" (buffing etc..) and have all the equipment to do so, my results are never as good as the pros.

I've been thinking about hiring a couple bikini models to "de-tail" mine. It is no longer manual labor, but a modeling session which can also be construed to be entertainment. Would be good to have several cars to defray expenses...

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Ok I'm hijacking my own thread here but what are the tire sizes on the car in your signature? Are they the stock 235/40-18 and 295/30-18 combo that is found on the GT3? Any spacers? The stance looks awesome and would like to emulate it on my car.

yes, Pilot sport Cup's in factory size (235 / 295). Wheel's are CCW C14 in 9" / 11" widths. Basically the rears are factory spec, fronts I'd have to look up the offsets to be sure.

I try to do the "basic" clay bar, wax job on mine too. I still have not commited on buying an orbital as I am worried I might mess up my paint? AudiOn19s - love your Sig Picture

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Would you consider a demonstration in my driveway...

I bought a Griot's random orbital and it's great. I still remove the polish and wax by hand, but the job goes so much faster when you apply it with the machine. It also takes out swirl marks much better. If you use it properly, you won't damage the paint. It's not difficult to use properly.

remember 20 years ago it used to be fun!.. now bending over to do the rocker and lower parts is just plain work!

All that hard work detailing car and in most places it rains, but in Arizona it.........

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I did the exact same thing because in the past the machine doesn't do a great job of removing the wax. Plus I always had to go back and buff up some spots that just didn't look right. But the Griot's is great when it comes to polishing and even applying the wax. Plus it's difficult to damage the paint since you can literally put all your weight on it and the machine will not burn through. I had a couple of light scuffs on the hardtop and I was able to get them removed with some mild polish. Thankfully it hasn't rained here all week so I still have a decent shine going on...

First point is "my god the things the size if a red rider wagon" It takes me exactly 1.5 hours to clean and wax my car. I use a product called permanon which is used in the yachting industry. It uses some very advanced technology to prevent the surface from fouling in the first place.

absolute pain in the ***. Hate detailing. If it wasn't so bloody expensive and more technically difficult, I'd pay someone. I stopped caring about my car being clean.

I clayed and waxed my car by hand yesterday and my shoulder is sore today ... but damn it looks great.

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I'm the same. The guy I go to defintly knows his stuff, and has that go the extra mile to make it perfect. No way I could compete with his skills without some major investment in time,tools, and materials. I'll leave it to him to do what he does, although I do enjoy the regular maintenance work and interior/engine bay. Cheers, Robert

My favorite T-shirt has a giant Q-Tip in the front and back... and a big red circle around it with a red slash through it. I'm planning on wearing it next Monday at the Parade concours. I'm not entered in that event. But I will take pictures on Sunday of my fellow PCA'ers feverishly re-detailing their cars in the brutally hot Savannah August sun. I will keep my cellphone close by in case I need to dial 911 for any of them. Otherwise loving couples will be screaming at each other as if they were lost on the TSD Rally ( I AM entered in that event, but not with my wife, though she is an excellent rally navigator). Once a year, I take my car to my very favorite Porsche dealership, request a mid-cycle oil and filter change and a Level 1 detail. Then I drive away in the free Porsche loaner and come back in a couple days to find a stunningly shiny car, treated leather, sparkling engine compartment, and wheels clean on the inside. Then I wash it once every month or so with car soap/wax until the following year. And I still often win my class at the local PCA concours. LOL! My preparation for that event usually consists of vacuuming the interior a few days before the event and then wiping down the morning dew the day of the event. LOL! My car is otherwise a perfect 30 footer. LOL!

We had a PCA driving event today - the Peak To Peak Highway drive from Denver to Estes Park. We had brunch at the Stanley Hotel, which is where they filmed The Shining. We had about 45 cars. It was cool. Yesterday, in preparation for this event, I detailed my car for about 8 hours. This included 3 coats of Griot's Best In Show wax applied with the random orbital buffer and hand buffed to remove it. My car looked like it was wet... it was awesome. It was quite a bit of work, but well worth it.

A few weeks ago, I had an "all day date" with the garage. I took a couple of Ibuprofen before I started. Busted out the Griot's Orbital buffer, clayed the car, then step 1 polish, then Best in Show Wax and then a speed shine final wipe down. (Can't seem to get all the wax off with the buffer)...then treated the seats, took off the wheels they were cleaned, (checked the brakes/rotors), cleaned the windows, vacumed the inside.........basically an all day affair, manual labor, hell yes! But an enjoyable to me depsite the soreness, etc. Once the car was done the black paint looked amazing...and it was easy to see, because I was lying on the gargage floor, almost crippled...but satisfied with the results/efforts. I can only do this max, 2x per year..........just can't take the strain as much as I used to...sucks getting older.

I use the spray on wax on areas that I can't remove dried wax. One quick spray and it gets it moist again so you can buff it off.

After i apply the wax with the porter cable and when it dries, i take the bulk of the wax off with a cheap orbital buffer with a terry cloth bonnet. That seems to really work well on light or dark cars.

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What about the hard-to-reach spots? I found there were too many of those which is why I decided to apply with my machine but remove by hand. Since I kept having to go over spots that the machine couldn't reach it just made more sense. Sure it was more exhausting but going on one week now the car still looks great!

I used a great detail shop when I lived in Colorado, and hope to find one in Austin. I'd rather leave this activity to the pros