What does a car/truck "Detail" include?

[jeff kushner]

I guess it's a moving target depending on area and local expectations?

I have always assumed since the first time I watched as someone detailed a car....that "detailing" was analogous to "make it look brand new". My experiences since were always the same.

Today though it seems that maybe I was wrong so maybe one of our car-folks can set me straight. I had Kerry's old car detailed prior to selling it. Granted, it was the son of her teacher friend who has been :"detailing for 3 years". While the cost was cheap @150, I had told the guy I wanted a full detail but they didn't lift the hood. I have to finish the car after paying if I want it done.

Are MY expectations unreasonable?

If I had it done at my old house, it would have been done correctly and cost $400. I could have lived with that for a really nice job.......this was a $180 wash , wax & vac LOL

 

[COmtnLady]

I always understood it to mean inside and out, too, but maybe he was afraid to mess with the engine. With all the electronics and stuff, a short could cost a ton...

 

[Yvonne G]

I never thought about it before, but now I figured it would not include anything under the hood.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Full exterior wash and wax. Including visible inner fenders and inside door jambs. Interior detailing with a Q-tip and vacuum. Spot clean the carpet and seats.
All glass cleaned. Etc.
No engine detailing.
I wouldn't want a non mechanical type under my hood with a garden hose or a pressure cleaner. That's a whole different job.

 

[jeff kushner]

I appreciate all the responses. I wasn't going to let the kid do my truck after seeing the first car. Last night I reconsidered. The kid is the son of Kerry's teacher friend, who she worked with for years. I'll let the kid do it today....

How come "seeing the bigger picture" is EXACTLY like "doing the right thing" in one way?

How come both always cost us?????

LOL

 

[wellington]

I always thought it meant under the hood too. But when I had mine detailed a few years ago, 200.00, nothing under the hood was cleaned up. They did clean where the hood and car meet though. Same when hubby had his detailed at same place
But now that Zeropilot mentioned not wanting a non mechanic under the hood, I agree, I wouldn't either.

 

[jeff kushner]

Life sure is unpredictable. The teacher friend and her son came by to pick up my truck so he could work on it since they were close at a store.
3hrs later Kerry gets a text asking how badly I needed my truck back that day. LOL

WHAT??

The 19 yr old kid broke up with his "headgame playing" girlfriend and wasn't able to continue. And here we are....


Kerry and Dad are leaving for NY. in the morning but I still have my 2seater and her rogue if I need to go out.

The kid will get his act back together....so no real rush. Those things can be debilitating for some folks...hmmm, I wonder if the kid is a "romantic" and doesn't know it yet?

 

[COmtnLady]

You have my sympathy. No matter what you do you're going to end up on the short end. * sigh. * Maybe watching the sunset, or a tomato sandwich will take your mind off of it.

Perhaps kiddo should bring his tools and cleaners to the vehicle rather than the other way around.... If he's that distraught it would probably be good that he not drive it once it is shiny.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Welp, you gotta be understanding, he is still a kid. Teenagers are still getting used to relationships and emotions... Good luck for your truck!

 

[EppsDynasty]

We had our sons car 'Cleaned" without our knowledge by a mechanic with a trigger happy pressure washer. It cost us hundreds to have it taken to another mechanic and figure out what was wrong. It ended up being water in a Coil Pack (Spark Plug Igniter) which shorted out quite a bit.

 

[wellington]

OMG, you are much more relaxed about it then I would be
My son just broke up with his 5 1/2 years relationship with his girlfriend. Yes, he was hurt and sad, but OMG he still went to work. I will say the B broke up with him over the phone while he was at work. The boss did send him home for the day and said he could take the next day off if needed.
But having my Wrangler and not bringing it back, oh hell no! I check mileage just dropping it off at the mechanics. Then again, I wouldn't have let them take it in the first place. We have enough transportation options in the city and two other cars.
It's a Jeep thing not a transportation thing lol

 

[jeff kushner]

Yesterday I popped the hood of the rogue, soaked the engine compartment with hoogie sauce, used a soft brush then wiped it, ALL OF IT. 30 minutes...ready for pics so up to the park where we did the deed.

Got another text from Teacher-friend this morning asking if tomorrow is ok to return my truck. I found the message on my phone after returning from a topdown drive this morning in near perfect weather! It's cool, you know?

Ya know, I'm a lot like W....suck it up, put on your big boy pants and carry on. The drama today is truly laughable.

I'm also pretty sure that's as far as that similarity goes. I learned early what soothes a broken heart....LOL

We all went through It if we were lucky but it does suck when you are young though and "EVERYTHING" is riding on what you will learn later, was a temporary relationship.

 

[Anastasia 22]

When I was 18yo my dad decided to organize competition. Me and my brother had to detail two of his huge trucks. The winner was promised a great gift. I worn myself out but
did the best (exterior,
waxing, interior, rims and tires). I won! And when I asked about a great gift, my dad happily said "Jump in! The winner is getting a ride in a shiny truck".
Since then I always do detailing by myself and get a ride in a shiny car.

 

[ryan57]

When it comes to detailing a car there is only one question to ask. "Do you have experience getting cars ready for a car show?" If not, they do not "detail" cars. They wash, wax and vac. If they do not power wash the jambs then they do not detail cars as well. If they do not pressure wash the radiator from both sides they do not detail cars.

Last time I had a real detail job I got a new stereo, sub, etc. installed in my wife's Mercedes that we drove back to PA from Seattle at a store called Car Toys. The person that did all of their detailing was about 35 years old, had classic cars and used their pressure washer carefully and rags on every square inch of the car, undercarriage, steam clean of the engine, etc.

You could have eaten dinner off of the transmission and licked the drive shaft when this person was done. Worth every cent of $300.

https://cartoys.com/collections/detailing

 

[jeff kushner]

Ryan, you would be disappointed! LOL The family texted at 7pm and asked if they could bring the car back. It came home around 8. It cost $200
The outside looked good as did the cabin...but the jambs under the rear hatch were not clean. I didn't look any further after I found 2 very small dents in the rear passenger quarter panel, as if something tall, like one of my ebikes hit it. I don't know that we didn't make them so I'm not blaming him...just that I never saw them before. It's his fault for cleaning the truck, right? LOL


PS It was funny as I handed the kid his money....you could tell that he wanted to count it, but wasn't sure if he should...you know the look. He put the cash in his pocket.