[bolty]

My two week old 335 just went and saw Picus this morning.

What more can I say that hasnt been said about him already?? He did a fantastic job. The car is noticeably shinier and was worth the 1 hour drive

Picus is a cool guy on top of that and I got to hang out with his killer attack dog If you're considering getting some detailing done by him, then wtf are you waiting for? You wont be disappointed!

[Alessandro]

what kind of service did you use for your car?

Nice color i have exactly the same

[Joekerr]

Nice!

He and I have nailed down a date for Friday July 11th around 4ish so I'll be hanging with his "attack" dog too Also be another 335 there earlier in the afternoon from what I understand - guessing its someone on these forums?

[bolty]

Originally Posted by Alessandro

what kind of service did you use for your car?

Nice color i have exactly the same

He did the new car prep on mine.

[picus]

Hey! Thanks for the kind words and for bringing the car by. I am glad you got pictures, because like the genious I am I was shooting without a cf card. Uhg!

Joekerr; the prep before yours is for Quant (yes, another e90post member. )

Soon my dog will be the official mascot of the forums.

[Lotus99]

Hi Picus, since you're our resident detailer, I've got a question for you:

I'd not heard of paint sealants until recently when a friend of mine got it done on his new car based on the recommendations of his usual detailer, as it's supposed to last 6 months plus he said.

Do you recommend putting on a paint sealant, and as a rough idea, how much might one expect to pay for a top quality paint sealant application by a detailer on a brand new car?

Feel free to PM me if you prefer. Thanks a lot.

[picus]

Originally Posted by Lotus99

Hi Picus, since you're our resident detailer, I've got a question for you:

I'd not heard of paint sealants until recently when a friend of mine got it done on his new car based on the recommendations of his usual detailer, as it's supposed to last 6 months plus he said.

Do you recommend putting on a paint sealant, and as a rough idea, how much might one expect to pay for a top quality paint sealant application by a detailer on a brand new car?

Feel free to PM me if you prefer. Thanks a lot.

That's a good question, and I'll answer publicly so everyone can check it out.

Paint sealants have been around awhile, they are man made as opposed to waxes, which contain carnauba, a natural product. Both of them are designed to achieve the same goal; protect paint from the environment. The whole idea of "sealing" a car is pretty new to a lot of people, which is why most sealant makers will label their products as polishes or waxes. In any event, ignoring the arguments about which looks better, sealants will generally last longer. Most will last 3 months or more, some last as long as 6-8 months. However like waxes their durability is subject to how you care for the car.

So do I recommend a paint sealant? Absolutely; the same as I'd recommend a wax or any other protective measure. Why? Well, they'll help protect the car from things like bird crap, acid rain, waterspotting, etc... more importantly they make the car easier to wash (which is key, since washing is where most damage occurs). For some people I think waxes are more appropriate, but either way, some form of protection is a requirement, imo.

The issues of cost is funny. Paint sealants generally cost between $20 and $60 for 16oz, you use about 1/2 of one ounce per application, and the application is usually as easy or easier than a wax; so the idea that some shops or dealers charge hundreds of dollars to apply one is hilarious. You could buy Zaino Z2pro for $30 and apply it in 20 minutes. When you're paying for any type of detailing what you should be paying for is everything that happend *before* the application of a sealant or wax. I can apply a sealant and remove it in under 5 minutes. The cost of product is under a $1... and if your car is new and in good condition that's all you'll need. What I get paid for is claying and polishing and chemically cleaning etc.. the stuff most people can't do themselves.

So do I recommend getting your car sealed for $500? No. Would I expect to pay someone $500 to wash, clay, compound, polish, and then seal? Sure. Odds are for your car (which is likely less than a year old), all you'll need is a good wash, claybar, and then seal. From a good detailer I'd expect to pay ~$100-$200 max for that; and the claybar is the important part, not the sealant.

More questions? Let me know. As you can see I like to talk detailing.

[Lotus99]

Wow, as usual, a great reply. Thanks. My car's less than a week old actually, so there shouldn't be any need for polishing and clay barring I would think, which would make the prep work part fairly straight forward it sounds like.

Interestingly, I tried to get some idea of pricing, so I called a local detaling shop in town that has a good reputation. They said they use a Dupont sealer with some sort of 5 year warranty (not meaning though that it will actually last 5 years they said - but apparently the sealant comes with a warranty that protects you against certain things like bird dropping etchings in paint for those 5 years) and on a new car it would cost $350.

A personal detailer I asked said he uses some really high end stuff imported from Europe and he quoted me $300, as the product he's using is very expensive he said. He didn't say it would last many years, but that a year I should expect. I've heard of some ridiculously expensive waxes (like $2,000 a jar or something), so I thought maybe it makes sense, but I don't know if such a thing exists as super expensive sealants? Doesn't sound like it.

Well, this is great info for me to at least take a closer look before going ahead with some of the prices I've been given so far. Too bad you're not out here!

[picus]

Some notes.

- The warranty is worth it only if it is worth it to you. Read it carefully; sometimes it requires that you never clay, polish, or wax your car. Having a fall back for bird etchings is nice though; just make sure you trust the shop since they will be doing any work required (like buffing out bird etchings. )

- The most expensive sealant I know about is $80 for 4oz. You use maybe 1/8th of an ounce per app (so 32 apps, or ~$2.50 an app). There are no sealants that are considered "labor intensive"; some are more difficult to remove than others, but none of them require special procedures afaik.

- I have that $2,000 wax. You get free refills for life, applications is like any way, I do not charge more or less depending on the wax I use. Some people do, but $300 just for a sealant application without any sort of prep work or warranty is silly unless that's really what your market is demanding.

- Even new cars need clay, I promise.

- It sounds to me like you should order some quick detailer, clay, and a paint sealant and set aside 2 hours to do it yourself.

[Lotus99]

Thanks picus! You're a fantastic resource. I've got some things to talk about before doing this it looks like!

[G-Mach1]

Picus, I asked this question on the detailing forum. I am going to ask this here as well. I know it is sort of taking business away from you. But I am one of those people who like to detail my own car plus I am not in TO. So if you choose not to answer I totally understand.
Thanks in advance.

Not sure whether any one had asked this before. I have been using Zaino to detail my car. I found DIY in the forum and I used that to detail my car and I am extremely happy with it. But I am wondering between Zaino and CG which one is better? Is the a DIY is available for CG?
Thanks

[picus]

Originally Posted by G-Mach1

Picus, I asked this question on the detailing forum. I am going to ask this here as well. I know it is sort of taking business away from you. But I am one of those people who like to detail my own car plus I am not in TO. So if you choose not to answer I totally understand.
Thanks in advance.

Not sure whether any one had asked this before. I have been using Zaino to detail my car. I found DIY in the forum and I used that to detail my car and I am extremely happy with it. But I am wondering between Zaino and CG which one is better? Is the a DIY is available for CG?
Thanks

If you're happy with Zaino continue using it. If you're just talking about the sealants (Jetseal vs Z2/Z5) Zaino is better, imo.

[alexhjs]

Picus.. do you do clear bras as well?

just thought i'd ask..

[Soni]

Originally Posted by alexhjs

Picus.. do you do clear bras as well?

just thought i'd ask..

as far as I remember, he doesn't clear bars.
give a Marco a call...he did few member in this board before.

Marco
Advanced Mobile Group
(519) 903-0430

[victor328]

Originally Posted by Soni

as far as I remember, he doesn't clear bars.
give a Marco a call...he did few member in this board before.

Marco
Advanced Mobile Group
(519) 903-0430

Marco did my car on Friday evening, did an excellent job ! I saw some of the cars at the dealer where I bought my car that had a clear bra installed and there was no comparison to the install that Marco did on my car, the dealer installed clear bra's had the edges and corners lifting and they were charging alot more ! When it comes to clear bras the most important aspect is the quality of the install and for that I highly recommend Marco ! I haven't posted any pictures of the clear bra because you can't really see it in the pictures.

[picus]

Originally Posted by alexhjs

Picus.. do you do clear bras as well?

just thought i'd ask..

Originally Posted by Soni

as far as I remember, he doesn't clear bars.
give a Marco a call...he did few member in this board before.

Marco
Advanced Mobile Group
(519) 903-0430

Originally Posted by victor328

Marco did my car on Friday evening, did an excellent job ! I saw some of the cars at the dealer where I bought my car that had a clear bra installed and there was no comparison to the install that Marco did on my car, the dealer installed clear bra's had the edges and corners lifting and they were charging alot more ! When it comes to clear bras the most important aspect is the quality of the install and for that I highly recommend Marco ! I haven't posted any pictures of the clear bra because you can't really see it in the pictures.

+1

[alexhjs]

Originally Posted by Soni

as far as I remember, he doesn't clear bars.
give a Marco a call...he did few member in this board before.

Marco
Advanced Mobile Group
(519) 903-0430

+1 gave him a call.. he's going to send me the package and the prices through the e-mail..

Regardless, thanks for the awesome thread Picus. =)

[Lotus99]

Not to keep thread jacking... But Picus, which one of these two do you think would most likely lead to swirl marks?

1. Washing with a nice mitt but using one bucket
2. Washing with two buckets but using a high quality boar's hair brush

I'm hoping you're going to say 1, b/c out of compromise for a clean car and laziness/wanting to do it quickly each time, I've bought one of those $70 boar's hair brushes!

[Joekerr]

Well, got my car detailed by Kevin on Friday - have to say, a very nice job done! And even though its black, it still looks clean, also in spite of torrential downpours on Saturday in Barrie.

Anyways, just wanted to express my appreciation!

Kevin, when you get a chance, can you email me those pics please?

[duhprez]

I'll also vouch for Kevin's quality workmanship and quality jobs. My black paint looks like a wet mirror. Here's a look at his exterior one-step polish package;





Based on Kevin's recommendation, I went with Marco for my clear bra. Got the fenders, hood and lower front lip spoiler done. Can't even notice that it's there unless you look hard. Thoroughly satisfied with the Ventureshield clear bra install. My last car had 3M and it turns yellow after a few years.

[bolty]

bumping this old thread because I went and saw picus yesterday. I've been a regular with him ever since I got my car about 4 years ago and I wouldnt trust my car with anyone else.

He and Marco have their own shop in Mississauga now so its alot more convenient to see them.

For the newer members that are not familiar with picus, search the forums and you will see many testimonials and examples of his work. If you are looking for a premium detail job, he is the man to see. Search google for "gta in detail".

[MOAB]

Originally Posted by bolty

bumping this old thread because I went and saw picus yesterday. I've been a regular with him ever since I got my car about 4 years ago and I wouldnt trust my car with anyone else.

He and Marco have their own shop in Mississauga now so its alot more convenient to see them.

For the newer members that are not familiar with picus, search the forums and you will see many testimonials and examples of his work. If you are looking for a premium detail job, he is the man to see. Search google for "gta in detail".

+ ∞.

Kevin is the MAN.