[Tomikaze]

Have you guys heard of Todd Helmes? Look around this guy's website especially at the 458. WOW. And I thought I was somewhat talented at detailing...



http://www.belladetailing.com/

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[rhudeboye]

<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/ohmy.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />







<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/blink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />





All of you that think the 458 is ugly must be sharing the same crack pipe.

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[Darryl]

That's absolutely beautiful work...anyone care to guess what that cost? I've got a pretty good idea... Speaking of cost, if my 458 came from the factory looking like that, I wouldn't accept delivery, plain and simple.



With regard to the detailing, I did a similar process to a 308 that had a pretty bad respray. Most of the car looked like this 458 with all of the orange peel bumps and blurred finish. The entire car got wet sanded and then gradually polished as best it could. Keep in mind I was working with an almost 30 year old car that had been resprayed who knows how many times and with what kind of paint, and who knows if it was prepped properly for the respray. At least with the 458 in this example, a paint meter was used to baseline the cars finish. The owner had given me a budget so every inch wasn't 100% but for what I charged and what he got, it was a great result. Everyone was amazed at the final outcome and the owner was very happy. 6 complete trips around the car were made and took about a week or so.



Here are some photos of the original finish, A close-up after the first pass of sanding, and two shots of the final product while still on the lift during reassembly.

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[Ryan]

That is an impressive paint smoothing....Very cool to follow the steps and see how meticulous he is. Thanks for the link.

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[Ryan]

Darryl, are we talking 5k on that 458?

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[Darryl]

I checked out his website a little more and his top of the line package starts at 2250.00 and the hourly rate is 75.00. The link to the 458 mentions 65 hours, so yes, a quick punch of the calculator buttons yields 4,875.00!



- Darryl

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[Cloud9...68]

Wow



People with the skills (and patience!) to do this sort of detail work, along with bodywork, paint, etc., have my utmost respect. I guess that's why they call it "detailing." Even the documentation is impressive. So, who's going to be the first 968 owner to subject their car to this treatment? Just imagine what a genuinely attractive car (sorry, Rhudeboy, I couldn't resist <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/tongue.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> ) would look with this kind of shine!



As far as the Ferrari, yes, that as-delivered finish was truly atrocious. I hate to say this, but it makes me wonder about the quality of the workmanship that went into the mechanicals of the car...

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[ds968]

simply amazing, wow ! not sure I'm ready to plunk down more than $ 300( max ) for any detail job on the 968, but I can clearly see the reason for Helmes' prices



yeah, rhude, i echo what cloud said <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/laugh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> but hey, that's what makes the world go around ; different strokes.. seriously now, if someone would hand me the keys to a brand new 458 and a brand new 968 and say: the performance of these two cars is identical, they have the same price, there are absolutely no differences other than style so just pick one.. i'd take the 968 without even looking at the 458 twice. but this probably belongs in the other thread <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> , so again : wow what incredible results !

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[Darryl]

Cloud...my white Cab got a complete 5 pass treatment (no wet sand) but that was 2 years ago now and it still gets many compliments from passers by and people who see it in person for the first time. Then I tell them that it's dirty and needs a little work! I would've charged probably 600 or 700 for what I did and since it's kept indoors and wiped down after road trips and such, the service has lasted this long. It's time to do a little touch up here and there from driving and convertible boot installation and removal. There's also a dirt line from the boot cover that rubs in the wind. I plan to tackle a spruce up this winter, which will include fitment of a set of newly refinished stock wheels and center caps which should really make the car pop.



I'll most likely take some photos along the way, but it's very hard to photograph the defects in white paint...everyone thinks black is the hardest color to keep clean and that may be true but it's one of the easiest to polish because you can see everything. Just because you can see it doesn't necessarily mean it can be corrected, but at least you know where the problem areas are. White is one of the hardest because it is very difficult to locate the surface scratches and paint blemishes. Here's a quick shot of my passenger side rear quarter from 2 years ago after the polishing phase(s) but before any gloss enhancing final sealer and/or wax. My avatar photo was taken during the same detailing session.



- Darryl

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[Cloud9...68]

Darryl,



Yes, that is truly gorgeous. Again, my admiration for guys with your kind of talent knows no bounds. It really takes an artist's touch. I can't draw a decent stick figure on my best day, so all I can do is admire the work of the artists who can do this kind of thing.

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[rhudeboye]

Darryls car does look nice. However he's being modest.



My first time visiting his shop he had the headlights in pieces and was detailing each component as well as he purchased some new parts for it.. How many hours have you put into that car anyway?

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[marazas]

here is a nice detailing done on 968 in UK

http://www.driveandshine.co.uk/wordpress...n-project/



unfortunately it wasn't done on my car <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />))

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[flash]

i had my car color sanded when i had it shot - i have a love/hate thing going on with it since - it look like a bloody mirror when it's clean - but it shows every single flaw, as there is no orange peel to hide it

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[rxter]

So how do you keep one of those $500 multi-step detail jobs looking good? Seems like the swirl marks come back pretty fast.

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[Darryl]

rhude...thanks for the compliment...I have no idea how many hours...it's a continuous thing, a labor of love, and it's WHITE!



rxter...a good sealer is the key to locking in the results and you can layer most sealers on top of themselves for added protection. I usually let the sealer cure for 24 hours before removal and then follow any manufacturer guidelines for adding additional layers. Any wax you may want to use should be last and be used as a top coat for added shine but most pure waxes will only offer minimal protection. Protection is the sealers job. Then, practicing good washing and drying techniques will help them from coming back. Most of the swirls you get you bring on yourself and don't even realize it until it's too late. The swirls will come back eventually, especially on dark colored cars, but you can at least postpone the inevitable for a while. Stay away from car washes of any kind - brushless, touchless, etc. Topless may be OK...just don't let them wash your car!! Only use microfiber towels when doing anything that has to do with your paint....never a t-shirt or terry towel...they'll scratch it instantly! Hope that gives you some food for thought.



- Darryl

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[Ryan]

Darryl,



I guess those water blades are a no-no as well???

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[DaveN]

I have heard they are more marketing than 100% useful.

I don't dry my car except for the hatch seals and the stuff the stays between the cracks for the turn/stop lights. I rinse the car with filtered water after washing and let it dry naturally with no spots.

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[flash]

i use the water blade on the denali (on the rare occasion when i wash it myself) - big car + laziness - works well though - never noticed any marks

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[rxter]

Darryl - so I read your comments twice and I seem to be getting stuck on "topless". Swirl marks be damned I'm hunting for that topless car wash this wkend.



Thanks for the tips. I'm probably 5 to 10 wash/waxes post the really expensive detailing job. Think a buff with a cleaner followed by a sealer would work? I've got a 6" random orbital buffer (standard type not the high speed).

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[Darryl]

Yes, that's exactly what I'd try first. Always go with the least aggressive technique first.



I think the "topless" thing only happens in the movies...



- Darryl

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