How to Install Brake Pads
Ever needed to replace your brake pads but didn't have the money to take it to the shop? Installing brake pads is a great do it yourself job. You can save money and you can learn new things along the way. ...read more
By Anonymous August 30, 2014
Great service, Alex was exceptionally good at welding what a craftsman. I Will be back for all my auto work. ...read more
By Bircht November 21, 2013
saved almost half of what it would have cost to by a new seat for my motorcycle. Kenny's put new padding and recovered the seat. Good custom work. ...read more
By ralphrink November 19, 2013
I had a issue with a broken glass on a Mustang convertible. From the estimate to the completion of the job the service was great. ...read more
We've just published a new edition of our newsletter! You can check it out on our website and get the latest information from Sunset Detailing OC. Let us know what you think! Read It Now Here ...read more
By Sunset Detailing OC July 19, 2012
We are not a budget detailer. Now, before you run away for fear of high prices, read on to find out why this is a good thing. Budget Detailers and Why You Should Steer Clear! There are no shortage of detailers in and around Orange County. You may have noticed that there are more now than ever before. The reason? Simple. The economy crashed and many people went into the detailing business. So this is a good thing right? Not really. While having a large selection of providers to chose from is usually a good thing it also has unique drawbacks in the world of detailing. Most of these so-called budget detailers (those that charge less than 120.00 and promise you the world) are very inexperienced and often end up doing more damage to your vehicle than good. Detailing is FAR more than washing a vehicle and requires someone that has expert level knowledge and ability. Budget detailers will promise you the world and say they will even do paint correction for rock bottom prices. Well, I have seen the results of their work many times as many of my customers have brought their vehicle to me to correct the damage caused by these lesser detailers. So remember, while a detailer shouldn't overcharge, a high level detailer will charge a price that reflects their skill level and the amount of work that goes into the detail. It is far more economical to hire the right person and pay once, rather than hire a "budget" company that only makes the problem worse. What Should It Cost? The price of detailing can vary quite a bit. Some of the things you should look for in determining what the price should be is the skill level and knowledge of the detailer. To test the detailers knowledge I always recommend going online and learning about the terms and processes of high end detailing and then test the detailer to see if they know what those terms are. Simply put, if you know more about it, then you have not found the right detailer. When it comes to paint correction, there are some questions you should ask the detailer to detemrine if they are really going to correct your paint or make a mess out of it. 1. Ask them how long it takes them. This is a bit of a trick question. No matter how good the detailer is, paint correction takes several hours. If they are using a standard correction system, this process for a 4 door car in average shape should take about 6-9 hours. If they are using a microfiber system it will go faster and may take about 5 hours (we use both system depending on the type of paint we are using). If a detailer tells you they can correct your paint in 2-3 hours they are not being truthful and may not know what they are doing. Paint correction takes the amount of time it takes and nothing can change that. The machine can only work so fast and the compounds cannot be rushed or they will damage the paint. 2. Who trained them? They should be able to tell you who trained them and how much training they received. I was trained by Michael Philips who worked for Megauiar's at the time several years ago in Irvine, Ca. I attended several of the classes Meg's offered to learn the art of paint correction and I now train others. By the way, you can catch Mike on autogeek.com, youtube and several other sites teaching others all about paint correction and he is considered one of the most knowledgeable detailers in the world. I have also spent time learning from Michael Stoop, who is now teaching at Megauir's in Irvine, Ca. 3. What products do they use? A detailer should be able to tell you exactly what products they use and why. We use mostly Meguair's professional level products because simply put, they are the best for most detailing needs. We also use Wolfgang and Blackfire (both are high level professional products). With just a few questions such as these, you can better equip yourself to determine if the detailer you are speaking with is worth hiring. ...read more
By Sunset Detailing OC July 15, 2012
Many people ask me what paint correction is all the time. Simply put, paint correction is the process of removing scratches and swirls from a vehicle's paint. Highly trained expert detailers are able to use specially designed machines and compounds to safely remove the scratches and swirls. This is a long and very involved process and is best left to an expert. How Swirls Get in Your Paint When your vehicle sits at rest and when it is moving it is constantly bombarded with dirt and other harsh elements. The dirt is blown around the surface of your vehicle's paint in a swirling pattern by rushing wind and as this happens, those dirt particles start to etch their way into your clear coat leaving millions of tiny scratches, which shows up in the sun light as a swirl in the paint. hence, the term "Swirling". Why Do I Need to Have Swirls Removed? You vehicle's paint, while pleasing to the eye, actually serves another and more important purpose than aesthetics. The paint is designed to protect the vehicle from rust and the clear coat is designed to protect the paint. When swirls start to form on the paint, they start to breakdown the clear coat and eventually, if left untreated, the clear coat will oxidize and turn into a white powdery mess. You have most likely seen this already on many vehicle and it is never pretty. In order to protect your vehicle's paint and keep it looking like the beautiful machine it was the day you bought it, it is important to have your vehicle professionally detailed every 6 months and at least one of those details should be a paint correction service. ...read more
By Sunset Detailing OC July 15, 2012