Just completed a full detail on two cars yesterday with a friend. Cost me 4&1/2 hours and 8 bottles of beer.

I usually detail 4 times a year and wash every other week

 

OP - you live in California, land of beautiful weather. Wash it yourself. Problem solved.

 

I’ve got a detail guy who comes by the house and does the car in the drive way. It saves time and I get personal attention. I like having the ability to observe what is being done and being able to make sure everything is done to my satisfaction. And if you have multiple cars being done it is much more efficient. Griots Garage and Weathertech have good stuff for the DIY folks. The Premium doesn’t require any different care.

 

Nick, get your skibbies on and give the neighborhood a show!

 

Land of fire better describes it. I'm afraid to check in, but I hope my detailer is still there. My window tinting place as well

 

Much to close for comfort. I think of wild fires as something that happens in the mountains or a national forest. Not Santa Rosa. We’re from So Marin and we had so much moisture from the ocean I thought nothing would burn. The ground was damp all year around.

Hard to read the news this AM of the loss of life, suffering, and destruction.

 

+1

I have xpel on all but rear and opti-gloss on rest (and wheels). I hand wash at least 3x / month, sometimes more. Sounds funny, but I enjoy the quality time - I also drive it dry then add shine with griots best of show detailer. Unless physically unable, I will always personally hand-wash her - I don’t trust others.

 

Re: Quality Time. I once read Eli Walich say he found washing the dishes relaxing. I tried it. Didn’t work for me.

 

Great - now I have 'The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly' theme running through my head.

 

Now you'll be hearing it for days.

 

Thread title makes me chuckle. Don't have to wash them differently based on trim line!

 

Sheesh.

 

I wash and detail my own cars, always have. I know how, and It's relaxing and satisfying to me. The idea of spending 100-200 a month on car washing and detailing is... alien to me, but to each his own.

I also do other crazy manual labor like changing water pumps and carburetors, but that's just me being weird.

A friend pays $40 a month for 'unlimited washes' at some clean machine type place where they towel off your car and do some quick detailing. I'm confident they swirl the paint (his car is white so he will never know) and it's not great detail work, but the 'unlimited' is nice I suppose.

There's just so many times someone can 'detail' / rub a car before the paint starts coming off, or some kid breaks something in your interior IMO.

 

I used Hydro2 on my van this last weekend and was really impressed with it.

Can't report on how long it will last yet. Seems to repel water and feels as slick as a polish/wax job. The fact that it gets into every crack and crevis unlike paste waxes is a plus.

For the F-Type it is treated with Carpro Reload for now. I did apply Hydro2 on the FT's powdercoated Gyrodynes though.

 

<Monster Alert>
I had mine coated with OptiPro Plus and send it through the car wash, probably once a month.
A user I met said his wife had it applied and washed her car every week in the car wash and there was no damage after four years - looked new.
Another thing about OptiPro is that the finish has very good "release" - stuff doesn't stick to it, so it stays clean longer.
</Monster Alert>