I'm polishing with a PC, but I seem to need to go over an area quite a bit. This may be partially due to the finishing polish I was using. I've recently invested in a more agressive polish, so I won't have to stay in one area as long.

Even things like a basic wash seem to take forever. Having to spray down the whole car after washing each panel can get time consuming. The alternative is to let the water dry and leave spots.

I'm going to try again this weekend, concentrating on efficiency. We'll see if there's any improvement.

 

how many coats of your wax or synthetic are you applying? and i assume that you start early and in the shade most of the time (especially the wash process- should always be in shade)?

one secret is to apply just one coat of synthetic on the full detail day, then wash the car again the following weekend and apply another... let it cure and then apply the wax over.

your car will be protected by one coat- it just wont yet have the full "pop" of a few coats... but you will get that the next week.

 

[QUOTE=Tom Jr,May 4 2007, 03:08 PM] Even things like a basic wash seem to take forever.

 

I wash the horizontal surfaces, rinse...then vertical surfaces, rinse...doesn't take long at all...i'm always in the shade...if i know i'm gonna clay or PC, i don't bother drying the car...speeds things up a bit...

 

You'll get faster with practice. Don't spend too much time scrubbing any single area down (you actually shouldn't be "scrubbing" at all). Also, when you rinse down the whole car, remove the nozzle (if there is one) and let the water flow gently down each panel from top to bottom. This will significantly reduce the amount of water left on each panel and speed up your drying process. For wheels, tires, and crevices I have a leaf blower that I use to dry them.

If you're really having a problem with panels drying too quickly, then I would suggested invested in some rinseless car wash (such as DP or Optimum No Rinse). This will allow you to wash and dry each panel independently (and quickly). Even in direct sunlight I've haven't had a problem with panels drying and leaving water spots. It's great stuff

 

I never dry the car before I clay. I simply rinse the soap off and go straight to claying. It's a nice time saver