Han Kim
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[quote]While I partly agree with you Mr. Clark, it can make the adjacent panels that weren’t painted look better and look more like the panels you painted.[/quote]
Absolutely! I use liquid Meguairs NXT 2.0. NXT Spray Wax, or Meguairs Ultimate Quick Detailer when the
adjacent panels are clean enough (fast and easy). None of these products dust too much if applying thin
coats and wiping of with a damp MF towel.Many of the lower end, budget/fleet clears, have a slight amber cast to them. And with multiple coats,
this can/does make a difference as well. Another reason why i like SPI Euro clear; no amber cast!!!BK, the way you do your work, it should be north of 8g’s easy. That’s a LOT of surface area to cover
more than twice that of the stang you’re currently working on. And it takes up a ridiculous amount
of space too. And you’d probably have to rig up an outdoor canopy/booth.And if it’s a customer you don’t know very well, be sure to get half up front. And if he jumped on 4g’s,
then he has shopped around or KNOWS what’s involved. That’s actually a good thing.If i had to crunch the numbers – with minor body work – i’d probably get around 2g’s in materials
and around 7g’s in labor (exterior only). Also factoring in around 50 hours of sanding and buffing (for me). Ball park..
Although you’re not a shop, you should be charging shop prices because of the way you do your work.Welcome to the forum mudslinger!
Post ’em if you got ’em!
🙂
Nice progress! How many hours will you have into this?
I’d guess around 150 hours minimum when it’s all done.
Well, they do make LOTS of good products. We all use ’em and not just in this field.
The market(s) are saturated with their products and the pricing also reflects the marketing
involved. Many don’t even think to look towards other brands…And there are “better” products available but not as widely known or marketed. So often
times we sort of ignore them as being inferior in some way (and some are).Eagle Abrasives make better sand papers; from course to fine. Nikkens is another excellent
brand (Meguiars). Price wise, it’s similar or cheaper than 3M, BUT the papers are better and
last twice as long which makes them a better value also.And the list goes on…
It brings back memories… This is when i was beginning to understand:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/zsolo/Zride/g35a.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/zsolo/Zride/g35c.jpg[/IMG]It’s not that they ran out of Zymol – which is actually made by Turtle Wax – it’s that the wax simply wore off. 🙂
Most often, an insurance company wants a few estimates from the claimant/client.
*Several of the estimates from DRP shops that i’ve seen are rediculously inflated.
Insurers aren’t getting a “deal.” Rather, they’re getting screwed over by their own
“preferred” shop…Yes, they’re easy to spot. And i get at least 2 a day wasting my time. Sometimes, it’s all day long.
Trust me, this would get to you too.I don’t average 7-9 cars a week. But again, spending 5 hours or so certainly isn’t every customer/job.
Maybe once or twice a month i’d put in those hours; generally on weekends. I’m not much of a “production”
shop. The majority is scheduled weeks in advance depending on the type of work. And sometimes, i’d
be way ahead of schedule with a day or two gap and that’s another time to put in a few more hours.
Add to the fact that i don’t have kids or a social life to speak of. And i enjoy the physical work; whether
it’s painting, buffing, detailing or just straight grunt work. I try to break a sweat everyday, really.The complaints i seem to hear most about body shops is the general mess after the job. You can read about
this on many other car related forums or from people in general. And a vast majority of shops really don’t
know how to clean up or polish correctly.I know it’s a lot of time and i do this for “good” customers. The type that refers all their family and friends.
Or even new customers that i like. Sometimes it’s a free brake job, oil change, windshields and tires at cost.
Plus, once i start cleaning it’s hard to stop. And over the few years, i can tell where everyone is coming
from and just how much i’ve made from them.So if a customer has brought in 15g’s or so, a few hours doesn’t hurt a thing.
[quote]I’m not used to this here, people aren’t agreeing! what do we do? [/quote]
This is a good thing.
On the 73′ Datsun i worked on, i got full hiding in 4-5 coats with Chromabase shooting over primer
and epoxy sealer on the valance panel. Didn’t expect this at all…I’ve only shot yellow a few times (under 5). And maybe about a dozen metallic reds; i used the main red
in the formula (slightly adjusted) for the ground coat and this works for me. I’m sure there are many
other factors involved…Customer is gonna be happy for sure! Sweet job!
you’re good zarbat007!
OK, what does “zarbat007” mean? 🙂