I need some advice from my fellow detailers?

Y

Yodaddi

New member
what can i use to possible remove the swirl/scratches on my black F150 truck? i have a orbital polisher.
 
I suggest you take the vehicle to Detail Masters, they are in the phone book, north side of San Antonio.



Ask for Tom or Bob Merideth, tell em Ketch said to take care of you right or I will come down there and hurt them.



They'll know what I am saying, good friends for many years.



This is the company that does major claim work all around the world for the insurance companies and a real fine company.



This is the best way to get the problem handled, and they have the training to do it right.



Ketch

:up
 
If you can feel them with your finger nail they cannot be removed with abrasives. For those you will need to fill the scratches with touch-up paint and then wet sand and polish. The others you could use a product like 3M Finesse-It II Finishing Material and 3M Swirl Mark Remover for the rest of the swirls. With the FI-II it will probably leave a haze on your black paint, then you need to polish it down more with the SMR. Application method is very important with these products so do search and research the different methods.
 
Ron, I have a simular scratch and a couple of rock chips. Can you recommend a quality detailer in the Atlanta, GA area?

Thanks,
 
Yodaddi:



Post some pictures if you can. It is very difficult to evaluate the level of damage from your desciption.

Additional information would also be helpful. How old is truck? What is general condition of the finish right now? Has it been well-cared for in the past?

How did this damage occur? Slowly over time or a single ride over a gravel road?

Any other information you might think is pertinent may also be helpful.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Ron Ketcham [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Ask for Tom or Bob Merideth, tell em Ketch said to take care of you right or I will come down there and hurt them.

[/b]</blockquote>

:eek: :eek:

note to self>>> Dont FU$K with Ketch!
 
We have never had any detailers from the Atlanta area attend the school, am sure there are some who have purchased some products, but that doesn't mean much.



I don't handle the orders, so couldn't even point you that way.



Sorry, maybe someday, some detailers down that way will wake up and realize that just slinging products on a vehicle and greasing it up does not make them a professional or knowledgable.



Ketch

:eek:
 
Thanks for the reply Ron,



Have any detailers in Knoxville, Nashville or Birmingham attended your school?. I am willing to drive awhile to get a quality job done.



Thanks again.
 
Go to our site, www.autoint.com and click on the Find a Detailer, while the list is a little behind, end of year and all that, you can click on each state that is colored and it will give you the names, phone numbers, addresses etc for Trusted Professional Detailers, the TPD.

Ketch
:up
 
Hey guys, Ive been contemplating my next move for my business? And I wanted some advice from all my buds on here.

So my contemplation is my detailing vehicle. When all of this started, I was just detailing average cars, and the most exciting cars I would get to detail is like a corvette or 350z and things like that. but after a full year of business, I am now finally up to the big dogs with Lambo's, Vipers, Maserati's and other nice high end cars.

I know a Professional image is very important when it comes to people letting you detail there very expensive toys. So let me elaborate my overall question.


This was my first mobile detailing vehicle.

2002 Chevy Astro Cargo Van (it was ok but wasn't the most reliable vehicle to take on long trips) so I sold it.

IMG_3257.jpg


So since that wasn't the most realiable, I sold it and got this Honda Ridgeline. We found this on Craigslist for CRAZY cheap! but the only down fall is that it has a bunch of scratches and dings.

With the Ridgeline I bought this 6x12 Trailer to pull all of my detailing supplies with.

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So I decked out the trailer a little bit.

IMG_3683.jpg


Painted the inside

IMG_3687.jpg


put down some cool checker board pattern flooring.

DSC_0046.jpg



The only two downfalls to this set up is

1) when I pull the trailer on the interstate i get *10mpg's* thats right TEN MILES PER GALLON!!!! and this Sucks for long trips because it cost so much to get to the location.

2) There are so many scratches and dents that it doen't represent Tru_Shine very well.

So this is where the question comes in?


I am now going to be rolling up to some nice places to detail some really nice cars. and I dont know if I should be worrying about what my truck looks like or if I should get something with a more professional look.

I found this Red Chevy Express 3500 cargo van that I think would look pretty crazy with my lettering and some wheels. It is forsale for a really good price

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but in order to get it I have to sell the Rigdeline. Or I could use my 09 Honda Fit and get 40mpg's and detail out of it?

IMG_2783-2.jpg


What to do? get a new vehicle that is less beat up or rock the Honda fit, or just deal with the dings and scratches on the Ridgeline and keep the 10mpg?

Sorry if this confused you but I have been really bothered with what to do.

here are some more pics of the scratches and dents.

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any opinions are welcome? thanks



 
If your potential client doesn't mind you hooking up to there water/power source you could just jamm everything into your 09 Honda or just charge a travel fee and haul your trailer with your Ridgeline. That red van I believe use to haul dead bodys :-?

I doubt very seriously if your clients care or will even notice the scratches on your Ridgeline :smile:
 
I agree with Flash 100%. The trailor looks very professional. I love the flooring! Pull it around with the Honda.:thumbup:
 
the red van and the trailer would be the best combo!!! not sure if thats an option though..if not id say stick with the trailer it looks professional
 
Flash Gordon said:
If your potential client doesn't mind you hooking up to there water/power source you could just jamm everything into your 09 Honda or just charge a travel fee and haul your trailer with your Ridgeline. That red van I believe use to haul dead bodys :-?

I doubt very seriously if your clients care or will even notice the scratches on your Ridgeline :smile:
Click to expand...

Well I was kinda called out by the owner of that orange lamborghini? thats what got all this started. he said, "Man your not really representing Tru Shine very well in this thing" and since then, I have been wandering what to do.

and I always hook up to the customers power and water and use their garage, so thats not an issue. Plus the Honda Fit gets about 40mpg's, but its not the most Manly car out there either? Maybe I am just putting to much thought in it.

bmw5541 said:
I agree with Flash 100%. The trailor looks very professional. I love the flooring! Pull it around with the Honda.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Yeah but when I have to drive 400 miles to detail a clients car and I have to charge an extra $150-$200 just to break even on fuel cost, that gets old real fast.
 
bmc said:
the red van and the trailer would be the best combo!!! not sure if thats an option though..if not id say stick with the trailer it looks professional
Click to expand...


I dont really need that much storage space. I can easily fit every thing I need into the Honda Fit, with plenty of space left.
 
if you can get everything in your honda that you put in your trailer, then the 40mpg ups your profit margin. however, in a lil car like that if you have to drive 200 miles to get to your client, that lil car gonna beat you up. i think the van would be the better situation for your dilemna...
 
Keep the Honda and give it a truck Vinyl wrap. It will hide those scratches and look great with your logo on it!
 
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