Detailing?

Ernie Ball · 15-04-2005 7:51pm #1

Anyone know if there's a place in Ireland (preferably Dublin) that does what the Americans call 'detailing': cleaning a car so thoroughly that every square inch of it shines? It's a big business across the pond (particularly southern california) where people will pay 100s to have their cars cleaned with toothbrushes and I'm wondering if there's anyplace one could get the same kind of service here.

ando · 15-04-2005 8:24pm

yea I'd like to know this aswell. I can see why its so big, look at this thread:

http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=49460&perpage=12&highlight=lease golf&pagenumber=1

Gobsmacking difference ! I'd love to that to my motor

chicken_food · 15-04-2005 9:51pm

Place up in Naas do it for you. Its called Valleting. They come along at 12ish and take the car away for and hour or two. When you get it back its ridiculously clean. I think it cost around 75-100 for a Ford st220. They did inside,hoovering,leather treatment,under seats,engine bay,boot, wheel wells,exhausts,alloys THE LOT! Im not sure the name but il dig it out asap for you. Have used these guys 3-4 times and each time i get more and more impressed.

Balfa · 15-04-2005 9:53pm

I just bought a '99 Mazda Protege. I saw it first two days ago, and the dealership had given it a good wash, but hadn't polished and buffed it. I already thought it looked really good, but I returned the next day to pick it up after they had finished all the work on it, and it was amazing.

The car is super shiny and the abrasions previously visible, especially on the boot lid, are completely gone. The best thing about it, though, is the feel. It's super smooth and feels just like warm plastic not hard cold metal.

I was thinking of asking them what they'd charge to do the same thing for my wife's Hyundai Accent if we brought it in

mike65 · 15-04-2005 10:22pm

It would be great to be able to get hold of the products they use here. But as any visit to a factor shows they only stock a handful of quality products the rest are "workaday" cleaners. Anyone ever see Mothers Swissol or Zaino stuff here?

Mike.

causal · 16-04-2005 3:40am

Anyone know if there's a place in Ireland (preferably Dublin) that does what the Americans call 'detailing': cleaning a car so thoroughly that every square inch of it shines? It's a big business across the pond (particularly southern california) where people will pay 100s to have their cars cleaned with toothbrushes ...

I have an image in my head of the car cleaning scene from Pulp Fiction

causal

CrowdedHouse · 16-04-2005 7:55am

LoL

Ernie Ball · 16-04-2005 10:11am

causal wrote:

I have an image in my head of the car cleaning scene from Pulp Fiction

Damn. They're on to me...

Ernie Ball · 16-04-2005 10:30am

Has anyone used either:

http://www.callawash.com

or

http://www.bumper2bumper.ie ?

Both are mobile valeting services.

Anyone know of others (mobile or not) that they can recommend?

PauloMN · 16-04-2005 11:28pm

Be careful what you pay for... the valet services where you drop the car in for a few hours are not the same as the detailing you refered to earlier. €100 won't have your paintwork treated as described in the thread linked by Ando, it'll be a wash and polish with a few frills included like blackened tyres/plastic etc. Any swirl marks will still be there - guaranteed.

Ernie Ball · 17-04-2005 1:36am

OK. Do you have any recommendations?

nxbyveromdwjpg · 17-04-2005 11:12am

http://www.carcraft.ie/

knifey_spoonie · 17-04-2005 4:33pm

To get a real dirty car back to new it takes about a day.I once spent 12 hours ona E240 with beige interior it was owned by a horse trainer when i was finished the carpet pille was sooooooooo fresh.

My worst car ever was a l200 which had been parked beside a cement mixer i spent 8 hours with a stanly blade and a light acid but it all came off

ando · 17-04-2005 5:51pm

knife_fighter wrote:

To get a real dirty car back to new it takes about a day

using what

samo · 17-04-2005 6:50pm

I had a bad experience with a windscreen replacement company last week,who to make ammends, paid for my car to be fully valeted - got it back from Ford and it was a truly lovely job done.

Car smells fantastic

The tab for this which took a good few hours amongst other work being done was approx 155 inc VAT!!

Great money if you can get it but unfortunately, its not looking so pretty thanks to the lovely weather in Dublin today

ando · 17-04-2005 7:42pm

samo wrote:

unfortunately, its not looking so pretty thanks to the lovely weather in Dublin today

yea tell me about it, i spent 3 hours washing and waxing my car yesterday, now its as muddy as before :rolleyes:

note to self: check weather forecast before washing car

knifey_spoonie · 17-04-2005 7:43pm

ando wrote:

using what

Mixture of concept and autoglym products and carcoubana(SP) polish

Squirrel · 18-04-2005 7:18am

ando wrote:

yea tell me about it, i spent 3 hours washing and waxing my car yesterday, now its as muddy as before :rolleyes:

note to self: check weather forecast before washing car

On saturday I gave my dads car a full valet, sparkling it was, and then the weather does this to me, and it took hours

Seth Brundle · 18-04-2005 8:43am

I use Meguiars NXT Wash followed by NXT tech wax.
To help wash I use the lambswool mitten.
Very simple and straightforward and the car looks so shiny it could be new afterwards.

edit: just to add it doesn't take much effort or time either.

CrowdedHouse · 18-04-2005 1:31pm

Where can I get Meguiars in Ireland,anyone do mail order ?

mike65 · 18-04-2005 4:37pm

You can get a few Meguiars products here but not many. I'd like to know if they send to Ireland too!

Mike.

ando · 18-04-2005 5:09pm

CrowdedHouse wrote:

Where can I get Meguiars in Ireland,anyone do mail order ?

If your in Dublin, you can get them in Consort.

I used the NXT wax on Saturday (pic) which is really good, but I have still to try out the meguiars shampoo.

kbannon wrote:

I use Meguiars NXT Wash

Everytime I wash my car myself using a bucket and water I get the drops of water drying out and making stupid little marks on the paint, do you get that with the shampoo?

mike65 · 18-04-2005 5:39pm

To get rid of drying marks, use a rubber blade or go for a very fast drive!

Mike.

knifey_spoonie · 18-04-2005 6:56pm

those blades are savage. also an air compersor

shagman · 18-04-2005 9:18pm

Halfords do Meguirs and theres some good stuff in CPL in maynooth too. Halfords are doing a car wash system (can't remember the name of it) that eliminates these water spots you speak of (type of?) using ionised air to dry the car after washing.€35 I think it was.
I saw it discussed on www.vannin.com forums and users on that reckoned it was great.

Seth Brundle · 19-04-2005 8:36am

I get my Meguiars through BMW Car Club group buys!
When I wash, I first rinse the car with an ordinary sponge and hose. Then I use the NXT shampoo and lambswool mitten and do a few panels and then rinse. When entire car is clean I use a chamois to dry the car. I will be trying out a microfibre drying cloth shortly to see what they are like. I have to say that Id be reluctant to use a rubber squeege - couldn't this mark the paint?
I then wax!
Its a great feeling looking out at the car in the drive all clean and shiny - pity it gets mucky as soon as you turn the key!

ambro25 · 22-04-2005 8:30am

mike65 wrote:

To get rid of drying marks, use a rubber blade or go for a very fast drive!
Mike

Ever heard of chamois leather? After hot water wash, get bucket of clean cold water, chamois, swipe one panel at a time then rince & twist down to "damp only", start again... no drying marks left whatsoever, barely needs a wax after that