[Kohn]

Detailing is great, but you'd need cash for that. In what circumstances would you consider detailing a good investment?

I know someone who had his car detailed. Man, he was absolutely meticulous. He would look at his car inch by inch and declare back jobs out of every imperfection that I can hardly see. I asked him where his meticulousness is coming from. He told me he's paying good money for the detailing. He just wants his money's worth.

[FiveSpeed]

You can pay to have someone detail your car, or you can do it yourself. Just be prepared to spend several hours on the job. Detailing includes vacuuming, shampooing, treating all the vinyl and leather and getting all the dust out of all the A/C vents and crevices.

[Kohn]

Hi FiveSpeed! I was actually referring to "auto detailing." It is an extremely thorough procedure of cleaning and polishing a car such that it would look almost impeccable and brand new. Some type of technology is being used in the procedure. I don't think I can do that on my own. It increases resale value of the car, though I'm not sure how the numbers would actually work out.

[jason]

You can get away with two big details during the year. I normally take two weekends a year to do a complete full detail, with one of those using a clay bar. Depending on the wax that I use, I fill in between about every half way between those two. So a total of four times a year. The better the wax, the longer it will last. The length it lasts depends on certain conditions. Stuff like how often it gets driven, and where, how much sun it gets, if it sits under trees, and other factors. Most good quality waxes will get you 2-3 months between use.

[Kohn]

Great suggestions, Jason. Have you ever encountered a large scratch? It's caused by a sturdy twig you didn't see protruding in someone's drive way. It's a fraction of a millimeter deep at the most pronounced segment. The whole thing is around 18 inches long. Can detailing remove that kind of scratch?

[jason]

Take your finger nail and run it over the scratch. If the finger nail catches, it has gone past your clear coat on the pain. If you see a different color then the rest of the car, you have gone through your paint.

If you went through your paint, you will need to use touch up paint.

If you did not go through your clear coat, you can usually buff it out.