Paint Correction?!

[GK Auto Spa]

Ok guys,it's obvious my idea of detailing is from a production perspective(where you never hear the term "Paint Correction"). I get my occupational license wednesday & i will be detailing next weekend @ a local gas station. Before i go out there i wanna fully understand the Profession from a Seasoned Veteran perspective.

My idea of Paint Correction is bring a used car back to the lot in a nik of time(2hours max)
I been studying & some take 2 days to do 1 job.

Whats the difference from my idea & the actual process?

[tuscarora dave]

I suggest for you to set up a halogen light beside yout finished work and then look at the halogen light reflections in the show and shine section of this forum. look at the before pics in either direct sunlight or in the halgen lights (in the show and shine section) and compare them to the after pics in the same light reflection.

Most people just want a clean shiney car and don't even know or care what marring or swirls look like. There is a great market for simply cleaning cars. There is also a market for paint correction albeit a small market. Check out the articles written by Mike Phillips if you want a full understanding of paint correction.

Keep in mind though that reading about it and doing it without making costly mistakes are 2 different things. It does take a bit of time and perseverance to get through the initial learning curve as paint correction is concerned.

[CriticalDetails]

Even performing a single step paint correction in two hours is ambitious. The paint preparation alone can easily take this much time to complete. When it comes to paint correction it is better to take your time and do it right the first time. In the long run you will be saving time, product and most importantly clear coat. Are you planning on using a dual action or rotary polisher?

[GK Auto Spa]

Im mostly dealer trained where you get'em out within two hours. I never liked detailing like that because i knew so much more is involve when you want the "BEST" Results!!

I have a plan though.

[D0ughB0y]

In 2 hours you want perfect paint correction? Not going to happen.

Wash, dry, clay, tape.... then you've got maybe 30-45 minutes to correct the paint, clean, and apply a LSP?

I think you need to reset your expectations considerably.

[JonMiles]

"real" paint correction is removing any and all problems in the paint. Dealerships, IME at BMW, use heavy filling products to cover paint problems not get rid of them.if you want to set up at a gas station and detail for extra money, you are better off just doing wash, clay, seal all day. You can run those through in 1 hour a piece if you hustle. If you want to do paint correction, set up appointments to come to the person on an open day. You are going to need at least 5 hours to do correction. This includes wash, clay, correct, seal.

[PAR Detailing]

"real" paint correction is removing any and all problems in the paint. Dealerships, IME at BMW, use heavy filling products to cover paint problems not get rid of them.if you want to set up at a gas station and detail for extra money, you are better off just doing wash, clay, seal all day. You can run those through in 1 hour a piece if you hustle. If you want to do paint correction, set up appointments to come to the person on an open day. You are going to need at least 5 hours to do correction. This includes wash, clay, correct, seal.

I agree with Jon, if you want to get the most bang for your buck just do wash clay and seal jobs at the gas station. You will be able to do more volume and probably make more $$ per hr. People dont know what paint correction is for the most part but you can sell them on that after you are done with their wash and wax. I would say make sure you can get perfect paint before you sell them on perfect paint. It is harder than some think, now us detailers on here have a more scrutinizing eye than the customer for the most part but still. And for perfect paint you will need more than 5 hrs IME (It takes me 12-15hrs). If you are doing a one step to remove alot of swirls and get the paint to shine more then 5 hrs is spot on probably a little high. As a small business detailer I will say best of luck to you! Work hard, do the best job you can, and keep studying and practicing to become better and separate yourself from the rest of the pack.

Jon

[GK Auto Spa]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the insight. I will include the hours of each service on my flyers. All details that may take over a 5hour period will be scheduled on a slow day.

I want to put a Weekend Wash/Wax special together just for the everyday customer.

[O.C.Detailing]

There's no way you're going to get a decent amount of work done if you're time-frame is 2 hours. My customers are lucky to get a wash done in 2 hours from me.

If you're really going to offer paint correction, you're going to have to schedule one car for a full day's worth of work, if not more, especially if you're a 1-man show. You could probably do 1 car a day if you had someone else polishing with you, depending on how OCD you're going to be about the paint.

I'd figure 4-5 hours for a 1-step polish/protection and a light interior. Any less than that and you're missing WAYYYYY too much in the "detail" department.