I never would have thought that I would have as much success detailing here in Lexington, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I have already done a car of one of our fellow tenants in our rather "low-end" apartment complex, and I've got two more lined up as well. This car belongs to my boyfriend's manager--he just upgraded from a Dodge Neon and wants to keep his new car looking good. I really enjoy doing newer vehicles that have not been neglected for years, as it gives me more of an opportunity to make things look perfect--with an older car there's damage that often detracts from the overall look of the vehicle. First, I started by looking for all problem areas--bug splatters, bird dirt, and grime. Those areas were pre-treated with Zep Citrus at 3:1 dilution. Next I washed the vehicle using ONR, the two-bucket method, and a Griot's wash mitt. Next, the wheels and tires were treated with Zep Citrus at 3:1 and cleaned with an old microfiber. Due to the cool weather I was able to clay the vehicle without drying it first, using ONR at clay lube dilution and DI fine clay. After drying with Vroom drying towels, I performed an IPA wipedown to remove any residues from the wash and claying processes. The tires were then dressed with 303 Aerospace Protectant. Finally, I applied Autoglym HD by hand. By this time I was starting to lose my shade and the temperature was climbing, so I had to work quickly. After waxing I used Adam's Detail Spray to wipe down the entire vehicle in order to remove the streaks I always seem to get when using HD. The door jambs were cleaned with ONR at quick detailer dilution. As I had a few spare moments I tidied up the engine bay a little bit. The interior was not done at this time--the owner is moving house and wants to have the interior done after he moves. I also managed to pick up another client while working on this vehicle--one of our neighbors has seen me cleaning many times, and told me that since I seem to enjoy it so much she would pay me "good money" to clean up her Chevy Cruze. She also mentioned that she had spent over $300 to have a company clean her car and that it looked awful. I told her she wouldn't be disappointed with my work But enough talking...onto the pictures! Sorry for the poor quality, iPhone photos again. There was minimal marring on the paint...this one appears to have been spared from the dealer's buffer. Before: After: Thanks for viewing, hopefully I'll have more to post soon! -Clark
