Are you OVER-detailing your car?! 

If you're looking for more detailed information on how to be better at paint correction and ceramic coating, then check out our new ONLINE training at: www.esotericdetail.com/education

I think what drives us crazy is knowing that 99.99% of the people looking at the car or truck you detailed says it looks perfect, yet you know where every little flaw is... and clients who expect perfection after neglecting their vehicle for years.

In all these years, I am surprised as to why and how I never came across such an honest take on detailing. Most importantly the topic of paint preservation. Bless you Todd

Well said. I have asked detailers with more years of experience than me, is there a car that you have done that is 100% scratch-free, and the answer is always no, a perfect car paint does not exist.

most underrated detailing channel! one of the best detailer and provides so good quality content! keep it up.

Managing expectations is by far one of the most important skills to master. Love the content!

I think soo many people try achieving perfection on a car they are routinely driving. It just isn’t worth the time and stomach ulcers for me. Nothing is worse than spending hours on a Saturday detailing/polishing my car only for Sunday to come along, get caught by a mis firing sprinkler on the road or end up behind a semi truck that marginally goes off the road and sends a dirt flume up in the air in which I have no choice but to drive through. Nothing is worse. I’ve realized my sanity is much more important ; so I don’t stress it anymore.

THANK YOU AGAIN! You guys ROCK! I let people know that a 100% Correction does not exist! My ride is 8 years old and it is a BLACK RIDE! I do just maintenance and when I do polish it (Maybe 1 time per 16 months now) I use a VERY FINE polish like Polish Angel Fine Polish 2. I don't do very many passes just a simple 1 to 3 passes. My ride still looks awesome. When I do work on a ride they are usually newer rides. Again, thank you for this information! KEEP ON ROCKING!

Good points made, as Larry Kozilla described this a few times, as the detailers dilemma. You want to archive perfection, but know when to stop! I can agree on your point made for not sanding, if the paint thickness is factory. I always recommend a paint thickness gauge. Only sand when you know the car is repainted and has more than necessary paint on it. I paid my learning money when i went trough the clear on two diffrent cars. Communication and managing Expectations as a Detailer is key!

I just have a 2003 Camry, but I really like that you are modest and transparent about what can and cannot be done to paint.

Thanks again Todd. Such a great article. Great insights and very helpful for the OCD's out here. Helps me with my perspective.

Great Video with Awesome points that every detailer needs to hear. I'm not a pro, in fact I'm more of a weekend tinkerer. I detail my own rigs, but people notice how they look and ask questions. This has led to me detailing many cars for friends and family. I always ask "What are your expectations?", "What is this car used for?" and "How do you maintain and care for your car's finish?". You'd be surprised at how many people only run their car through car washes for 5 years, never maintain it, but want a showroom finish from you for $100 that lasts forever.

Great video and, as always, good common sense advice. I’ve been so perplexed by the recent interest in SANDING customers’ paint. The risk sanding brings with it just ain’t worth it!

Well said Todd

Preservation is why I like products with durable fillers that can sit under LSP's.

I think this was well said!!! Good info for newbs or even a mediocre experience detailer!

You know, i'm not a detailer, but I'm currently building my first model car since I was kid. I've been fighting perfection the last couple of weeks on the body finish. Everything said in this video has really helped me temper my expectations. What I have now on the body is quite good, just not perfect. But that's ok. I can move on a be satisfied.

Great conversation. Thank you.

Agreee 1000000000000000000%%%%%% congatulations you came forward to talk about those problems.!!!

Glad I found this channel this guy makes so much sense love from the UK 🇬🇧 new subscriber

very true! My theory is, leave the basic scratches. More you remove, less protection the car has. Now, the industry has flooded the protective coatings into the consumer space so they can maybe help replace a bit of protection.

Yvan did a great speech on detailers expectations vs the average joe. Funny my car a 2015 S5 was corrected and coated. Before it was done i did not even no what a swirl was lol. Now i see everything. Even now the paint is prob 75% perfect but riddled with rock chips up front. Everyone that sees my car is in awe how it looks ... im like o...k lol when i see every scratch, pit, swirl mark that is on the car.

Excellent point made. Well said.

I feel much better about my swirls and odd chips here and there. Great info.

Thanks for another helpful and honest video

Great advice as always, thanks Todd.

Good stuff!! I hope all detailers would watch this😁👍🏻

Well said! There's always going to be deeper rids, and you have to make the decision are you going to go after them or leave them. Is it a daily driver? Many years left on the road, it needs all the u v protection it can get.

Simply an excellent article. Thanks for the education. Great job. Will you or Esoteric be at the Amelia Concours d’Elegance?

I have been what most people wou.d say, over waxing my cars since 1967. I have been warned that I am going to rub the paint off but I haven't rubbed the paint off yet. For my own enjoyment I use no grit waxes nearly twice a month on my cars.

I have 2005 Porsche 911 c2. I'm DIY guy. I polish twice year. Chemical guys polisher with meguiar ultimate polish. Perfect

Awesome information!

Great video..

Solid information - thank you!

Excellent points, thank you.

I keep telling people, you don't remove the swirls or scratches, your taking clear coat down to that level. On a Daily Driven car, chasing every imperfection is harmful in the long term. I had someone do some paint correction on my vehicles and dang was that a mistake. The Detailer burnt through the paint in several areas trying to make the area "perfect" even after I told him I wasn't looking for that. I am not pro detailer, just a guy that enjoys taking care of my cars. I did so all myslef for many years till a back injury happened and I just can't be there polishing a car with a DA anymore. Hence the hire of the Detailer. Now I have 2 vehicles with more damage then when the vehicles first were touched. Went to talk to the guy about what he was going to do about it? Well, he packed his bags and left town. Where he is now? I have no idea. Lesson learned.

Really great information! Sometimes its hard to accept the truth, there is no such thing as 100%.

Todd thanks for a this great video. May I ask if hand polishing also removes a great amount of clear?

The short answer, yes.

hey there Esoteric, awesome vid as always, do you have a video that teaches how to wetsand correctly without damaging paint but removing scratches that normal compound could not get rid of? And also tips on when to wetsand and when to not, if trying to preserve paint thanks!

Just a thought to possibly determine how much paint has been previously removed. Would using the thickness gauge on areas less likely to have been polished, ie back side of doors, door jambs etc give you a better idea if what the paint started out as, or are those areas typically thinner to begin with?

Just a detailing enthusiast here. Along the same lines as not wanting to do to much correction on my cars I picked up some paintwork cleansing lotion that is supposed to fill in fine scratches & swirls making it easier on the clear coat. What is your opinion on these cleansing lotion? Thank you & thank you for letting me know it will NEVER be perfect.

Was that the article where you said you can see the carbon weave under the thin paint?

Great video Todd on when to correct & when not to correct! Question.....how do I deal with rock chips on the front hood of the 2-stage black paint job on a 98 Porsche 911. Since I want to preserve the original paint & do not want to repaint the hood do I leave the rock chips alone or can I get a professional to fill in with black paint & a coating on top or something else? Some chips go thru the clear coat, some down to primer & some in between. Please advise on which rock chips to correct or do I do nothing.

Is it a bad idea to hand wash your car every week?

great video, wish I had seen it sooner. I have a c7 corvette that was full of dealer installed swirls. I used an Adams two step correcting process with DA. The swirls are gone and paint looks much better, but now i worry that i have removed too much clear. How shall I maintain this going forward? should i fear ever using any light correcting polishes in the future?

Can you effectively restart the clock if you respray clearcoat on a vehicle with paint that’s been polished thin over the years? Granted, you’d want to ensure it’s polished as close to perfect as possible before laying fresh clearcoat, and then you’d want to polish that fresh coat once it’s done curing. I get it, what I’m suggesting is a crazy amount of labor... but in a world of uber rich and blank checks, is it possible??

YES!

Would it be better if is too risky because of thinning but yet still wanting to enhance and better the situation by buffing with hand than DA?

Detailing is not just the paint

What paint gauge are you using here ?

hi guys

A car's paint is perfect only when it came out of factory with a heavy layer of paint, then a detailer can professionally detail it for maximum gloss and coat it with a quality ceramic coating. But you can never say it's perfect, there's no such thing as 100.00000%.

What decent paint gauge thickness I can buy without break a bank please thanks

should be re titled. "Can detailing your paint too much damage it?" as i originally thought you meant the interior

Love kills 😏