How long does it take for you guys and gals to detail a car including these steps: wash, clay, 1 compound, 1 polish, wax/sealant on average in hours? I can usually spend anywhere from 6-14 hours depending on the car. Im looking for ways to speed up the process... Any tips on increasing speed? Time on average you spend on a car? Just something im throwing out there since im in the learning stages of buffing and would like to get a little insight. Thanks !!!
A two step polish is always two days. Period. Wash 1.5 - 2 hours Clay .5 - 1 hour 1st step of polishing 6-8 hours 2nd step 3-4 hours Apply/remove sealant 1.0hr per coat Dress tires, polish exhaust tips etc 1.0 -1.5 hours This would be for a full size sedan with more than just carwash induced swirls. Don't focus on getting faster. Focus on getting better. Stop looking at the clock. The only way that you will get faster is to have systems. Do EVERY car the same way and you will get smoother. Things will flow better. Thats how you get faster. Not by trying to cut corners. I have been detailing for 18 years and it takes me 1.5 -2.0 hours to wash a car properly no matter its condition. It just takes that long. The trick is to get GOOD so that people won't mind paying you for your time as the quality of your work will be worth it.
It's all dependent on the vehicle on hand and condition, so many variables. Find your niche as previously mentioned and go with the flow.
Listen to Ken ... he won't steer you wrong. This is what I have been doing lately ... and it's basically what Ken is saying. Work the car in a sequence of steps and then figure out which one is the most efficient. I have been able to reduce the time it takes me to do an interior by half because I have a strict sequence that works for me. One thing that has improved my time is to always gather the products before starting step. I was wasting too much time looking for crap in my garage. I've been timing myself lately and I'm improving my working time without affecting the quality of my work. My wife has been encouraging me to spend less time doing cars ...:whistle:
You have to be organize and have every tool you will need nearby. know what you have to do next step is also important too.
some damn fine advice there mate. If only people from all walks of life took this advice & applied it to ANY job or profession they are in ( not only detailing ) products & services would be much better off. Great , sound business advice right there ^^^^^^
thanks for the advice guys! I was asking because i work for a detailing company that has a shop located at an exotic car dealer and time is of the essence especially when we get pushed to do cars. I was just trying to see if theres any advice on improving time because it plays such a big role. Since the cars being worked on are very expensive, cutting corners is only asking to have problems ( ive burned paint on a rolls royce phantom :X). I do understand that quality work does not include cutting corners. I know experience is the biggest factor when it comes down to improving speed and i know ill get there. With my limited experience, the advice/opinion i have is always be prepared (tools, products, equipment, lighting) and the best thing to do to save time is not do extra work by adding steps that arent required... On a test area like the hood, start with the least aggressive and work your way up until you find the level of correction you are looking for and hit the rest of the car once you get the results your are looking for. I usually find that the top half of the car requires more attention than the lower (not always true) and you can spend less time on the lower panels. This is just my opinion and i dont believe i have enough experience to give much advice but this is what ive learned so far. I hope through my experience others can gain and vice-versa. Thanks again DB!
Lets not forget that the reason for the burn on the RR was not because you were working too fast it was because you were using a backing plate that was too large for the pad..
do you mind if i ask why it takes so long to complete this steps..i'm not sure i understand,but i am interrested in learning how to achieve the result i see here in this fourm Thanks in advance
I would have to say that if you are going to fully detail a car, wouldn't you want to do your best and let your work show for it? The cliantele will grow because you took the time to do than what is expected and made it shine like it was brand new. I tell people all the time about Auto Concierge aka Bob's work on cars. He won't disappoint you because he does the job properly w/o cutting corners :thumb: Just take your time to learn on the site and practice.
guys joke about my speed, but it came with practice, and setting up rigid systems that I follow again and again. I was an assembly line supervisor for 10 years, efficiency was jammed down my throat on a daily basis, it's hard not to be an efficiency freak. better systems and proper tools for the job can do wonders. Follow the three P's Products Process Persistence and you will get there
It takes me two even sometimes three days because I will do a three stage polish and sometimes add multiple coats of LSP's, hours are really not counted because I loose track of time eventually being caught up in it. But the amount of hours vary due to the amount of imperfections in the vehicles paint that your working on. Every vehicle you get is going to be different some might need less correction some might need alot and then there is the factor about how hard or soft the manufactures clear is and the size and body style of the vehicle. As Ken stated try and keep your routine the same only change to make improvements in it, that way you will become faster because you follow a set method. But don't try and rush the process detailing takes time that why its paint correction/detailing and not car washing. Even car washing takes me about 1 hour and a half from start to finish and thats, that I have my routine set up with all my supplies and products ready.
wash in 45 minutes to 1.5 hours clay 30min to 1 hour Polishing 1 step -3-5 hours with more if you do more than 1-2 passes eah section each step maybe takes 5 hours otherwise if you counting only 1 pass AIO style polishing 1-2 hours seal and details 1 hour to 2 hours
While there is a lot of good info here, let's not forget that the client also plays a role in this. Some people just don't want to wait that long and want their car back 5-6 hours later. I personally had clients that wanted thier car done same night and stayed with me the whole time. That means getting up and starting early in the morning and going through with an 11-12-13 hour day. I'd also throw in the type of paint would have an effect. Stickier paints take longer to correct than others. I'd say if you're doing cars in 6-14 hours depending on how many steps, you're pretty much on the ball.
