So your truck is looking a little rough around the edges, and you want it to look better. What to do? You could wash it, and maybe wax it, but really that truck needs lots more to look great. Maybe now is the time to have your truck professionally detailed. But what does having your truck "detailed" really mean? How will you know the detailer knows their stuff and the job will be the best it can be? To get some answers on detailing, we followed along as a truck and enclosed trailer were detailed by Supreme Detailing, a Michigan-based detailing shop with more than 35 years of experience.
The Details
The first thing we learned was what a detailer can do and not do. When you first meet with a prospective detailer, they should walk around your vehicle and identify areas they can improve, and other areas they can't improve. Some examples of what they can improve include painted surfaces with rubber or other gunk stuck to it, dulled paint, or aluminum that is dull. In general, the goal of detailing is to make the vehicle look as good as it can and improve the longevity of the vehicle.
Areas a detailer can't improve on a vehicle include dented surfaces, rusted metal, broken plastic or fiberglass components, and chips in the paint. Some detailers will apply touch-up paint to small chips in the paint if it is provided by the customer, but most will not.
A detailed truck has a level...
A detailed truck has a level of sparkle to it that really makes it look great. This truck gets a lot of hard use but needs to look good while doing it-which is why once a year it goes in for a thorough detailing at Supreme Detailing in Canton, Michigan, as part of its regular maintenance schedule.
A common process followed when detailing a vehicle is to start with the exterior, then move to the interior of the vehicle once the wet work is done. To do that, the heavily soiled areas of a vehicle are first sprayed with a pre-soak cleaner-then these areas are lightly scrubbed before being rinsed off. The vehicle is then washed with a soapy water-soaked wool mitten-starting from the roof and working down to the rocker panels and wheels/tires. While still sud-soaked, most detailers will start the paint rejuvenating work at this point by rubbing the painted surfaces with a light abrasive to remove any material embedded in the paint (often done with an abrasive sponge and/or a clay bar). This step is to remove any foreign material stuck in the surface of the paint.
The vehicle is then rinsed off, dried, and any remaining goo or other foreign material removed by rubbing it off with a rag soaked in bug remover or lacquer thinner. The entire surface is then brought to a shine by the careful use of a buffing wheel spinning on a coat of mild liquid abrasive. The painted surfaces are then sealed with a quality liquid wax to protect the newfound luster and shine.
A detailing job often includes cleaning the interior and then covering many of the interior and exterior surfaces with the appropriate protectant (as a rule, interior products are meant to be used inside the vehicle and tire shine products are intended for use on the outside of the vehicle).
In general, as the Supreme Detailing team often reinforced to us, a good detailer always performs the same process on every vehicle. This way, they can refine their process and the chemicals and tools they use in that process-and each job makes them better at their craft. So if you ask your detailer what they are going to do and they are not sure, then they probably aren't as good as they could be at their craft.
Another aspect to consider is which chemicals are being used by the detailer to clean and protect the vehicle. There are many levels of these chemicals: from brand-name to lowest cost. Some customers judge the detailer by which chemicals they use. For instance, the 3M or Meguiar's brands are considered bellwether companies in the detailing world. They are known as premium product that consistently performs. Often, a high-end detailing shop will prominently display that it exclusively uses 3M or Meguiar's products. In asking the Supreme Detailing crew about their product mix, they said they use these premium materials where no other substitute has been found to work as well. They use other, lower-priced products when they find other products that have produced just as good (or better) results-savings they pass on to their customers. Maybe the best way to look at this decision point is to check out other vehicles when they come out of the detailer you are considering, because that is really what you are going to pay for.
Does this truck look roughed...
Does this truck look roughed up or what!?! If your truck is a real workhorse, like this one, it can look great and last a long time, but you need to get it some detailing care and cleansing every once in a while.
Having a slick aluminum TruckCraft...
Having a slick aluminum TruckCraft dumpbed is cool, but it needs to be professionally cleaned regularly to maintain that like-new shine. Supreme Detailing is very experienced with the professional-grade spray-on cleaners, polish, and elbow grease needed to bring the luster back.
The first step Supreme Detailing...
The first step Supreme Detailing takes with a vehicle is to inspect it for any major paint damage, then discuss that with the customer. Once this is noted, they begin the cleaning process by spraying a pre-soak cleaner on all the heavily soiled areas-like the doorjambs, wheelwells, tires, rear bumper area, and anywhere else that has caked-on scrounge.
After the pre-soak cleaner...
After the pre-soak cleaner is scrubbed into some of the really yucky areas, the entire truck is rinsed off with a pressure washer-including the doorsill areas. The carpet/rubber mats are going to be cleaned anyway, so they can get a little wet. It is amazing how good this truck looked just from this step!
Mike and Tina Hensley, the...
Mike and Tina Hensley, the husband and wife team from Supreme Detailing, then jumped to soaping up the exterior and rubbing the sud-covered paint with their secret weapon, the Magna Sponge (from Hi-Tech Industries in Southfield, Michigan). This product removes a lot of the brake particles and debris in the paint...but requires a deft touch to avoid leaving marks in the surface. Luckily, the Supreme team does this work all day long, so they have the experience to do this process the right way every time.
Once the entire body was scrubbed...
Once the entire body was scrubbed and rubbed, the suds were rinsed off. While the truck was still wet from the rinsing, the aluminum on the truck was sprayed with pro-grade aluminum cleaner. This product is serious and requires knowledge and experience when using to avoid etching the aluminum and/or damaging the paint. The aluminum cleaner is sprayed on in a light coat, allowed to set on the aluminum, then rinsed off. A reapply may be necessary if the aluminum is heavily dulled (as this aluminum was).
For a long time, Supreme Detailing...
For a long time, Supreme Detailing used to dry vehicles with natural chamois, but it switched to blades a few years ago, as they are quicker, do less damage to the surface, and require much less muscle to use. It was hard to get this shot-the crew was done drying in such a short amount of time!