Author: shane

In the detailing world when it comes to polishing paint , soft paint is a detailers worst nightmare. Some describe as trying to polish pudding. It takes a lot of practice , technique and proper equipment to polish it safely and efficiently.

The current shop project,  this 1997 Porsche Boxster is no exception . Porsche’s are known for soft paint, some of the softest in the industry. For this project after measuring the thickness of the paint and doing numerous test spots to determine what pad and polish would be the safest. I determined that damp polishing would  bring the severely neglected paint back to its maximum potential in the safest possible way . Damp polishing goes against what most body shops and detailers are taught there whole career, most are taught to use a high speed rotary polisher with an aggressive wool pad and aggressive compounds. This method heats the paint up very quickly and removes the vehicles clear coat harshly. Damp polishing is a technique that uses water, spray wax , or rinse less wash sprayed on the pad of choice to aid in keeping the heat to a minimum. With the damp pad and low speed polishing we are able to polish soft paint safely and not potentially cause clear coat failure from heating up the clear coat and thinning it down to the point of no return.

Damp polishing takes years to get good at , but it is  a great method to use on softer paints like Porsche’s and Subaru’s. It keeps the vehicles paint safe while achieving maximum potential . It takes patience and steady arm speed and pad rotation.  You can see in the pictures below , the results are outstanding ! They were achieved safely with the integrity of the paint intact now we can ceramic coat the paint and add more layers of protection to preserve the finish .auto detailing redmond oregon auto detailing redmond oregon auto detailing redmond oregon  porsches detailing redmond oregon

I have alot of clients this time of year who ask “why should i do the outside of my car in the winter its just going to get dirty”. While that is true, the answer to that question is simple. PROTECTION, with all the bad chemicals, salts, cinders and everything else on the road your vehicle needs to be protected. Thats where a ceramic sealer or carnuba wax comes in . Also it is not good for for your vehicles exterior materials to be left in chemicals, salts, cinder etc , as these harsh things will break down your vehicles plastics , chrome , glass , and paint. This leads to expensive repairs and rust damage.

My recomendation is to protect your vehicle before the first heavy snow of the year . Wash your vehicle after each passing storm and have your undercarriage rinsed at lease once during this time of year to prevent rusting and corrosion of your supension parts, frame , underbody etc.

Even though you dont get to enjoy the wow factor of a nice shiny exterior for very long during this time of year it is still a  idea to have it protected for the harsh weather. 

This morning i find myself struggling in certain aspects of my life and it hurts. I try my best i really do . I have learned though that every circumstance has to run its course and its not always in your best interest to try to manipulate that course. everything happens for a reason and it will get better with time. Patience and understanding are things i struggle with in these type of circumstances. But they are necessary to stay sane and not become overwhelmed. I constantly try to improve my life in all aspects and become better than the day before . When life kicks you in the teeth is when you suck it up , put one foot in front of the other and keep marching toward your goal. Its then an only then that you find out just how much youve grown and how far you have come. You will become a better person , friend, significant other because of it . In situations like this I always have to remind myself “theres a bigger plan in the works for you ” just be patient. Keep working towards what you want in life. I truly believe that you get waht you put in and people get what they deserve. Just my 2 cents for the day.

Lets be real here , basic detailing is not that hard , thats why we see all these new shops  and craigslist detailers pop up every year. The initial investment is not super expensive to get into . If  you have cleaned your own vehicle , with a little more practice and research (at least 3-4 youtube videos lol ) you to could claim to be a “detailer” .

These type of detailers have no formal training , have never worked under an experienced journey man level detailer . Thats the scary part , they usually buy the cheapest products and equipment they can to keep the cost low and profits high. What they dont realize is that some of those products , even though they do the job at the time of the detail are actually harmful for some of the materials in your vehicle in the long run. Heres an example: using an unbalanced all purpose cleaner on leather is a big no no , even though the a.p.c. cleans the leather it also penetrates the pores of the leather and begins breaking down the structural integrity of the leather immediately , thats why your leather gets dried out and starts cracking 6 months after you just had your vehicle detailed.

In my opinion a true detailer , has at least 10 years experience, has formal training or has worked under and experienced detailer for at least 5 years.
A good detailer knows the ph scale and how it works in conjuction with all the different materials your vehicle is made of . A good detailer always practices the “least aggresive method” to get the desired results. They consistently improve there techniques and methods with your vehicles safety in mind. A good detailer buys the proper tools to do the job correctly. They invest time and money into learning the safest methods , products and procedures to preserve your vehicles condition properly . 

In short you get what you pay for , do you want the mcdonalds  of detailing or do you want the steakhouse of detailing?  You might pay a bit more but the flavors are totally different. The mcdonalds detailer is cheaper , fills you up for the moment but is unhealthy in the long run. The steakhouse detailer is more money but the products are better and healthier for your vehicle now and in the long run. Choose wisely !

I care for every vehicle that comes to our shop for service like I would want my vehicle treated , not because I own the place and want to make a great impression on my customer but because im a car guy. To me a car guy , a true car guy respects everything auto relalted , we might have our preferences of brands, makes , models , etc but at the end of the day we have a special place in our hearts for this niche.

I got the “car bug” at an early age , my mom was epileptic and could not drive , my dad wasnt around alot. We had this guy that lived in our neighborhood who had a really loud old car , it was red oxide primered and us kids would hear him fire that thing up and run out to the street to see what was making that sound. He would gives us rides in it every now and then and do burnouts and doughnuts with us . Its one of my best childhood memories. The car was a 1966 Chevelle Super Sport. The first time he told us what kind of car it was , it was instantly burned in my brain 66 chevelle super sport . I must have said it a hundred times that day . I would tell everyone that i got to ride in a 66 chevelle super sport. That was the day I began to fall for cars.

My love for cars today is just as great as that day if not greater . I have a place in my heart for all of them. My employess poke fun at me because sometimes i talk to the cars we are working on or stand up for one when others make fun. If a vehicle is giving me a tough time , I talk to it and assure it im here to make them better. Maybe its a mental thing but to me it seems to work better than getting frustrated with it.

To sum this topic up , I treat all cars like my own because , well frankly I love cars always have , always will. They have given me this oppurtunity to do what i love and get paid for it. Without them i would probably be stuck in a cubicle somewhere hating my existence, so for that I show them appreciation by the treating them all like there my 66 chevelle super sport!