Detailing is a systematic process of meticulously cleaning, rejuvenating, and protecting the various surfaces of an automobile.

Paint Surface Contamination

Red Iron oxide speckles, more visible on white vehicles, come mainly from the constant bombardment of metal brake dust that is in the air. Professional clay treatment can eliminate this as well as other contamination such as tree sap, bug spatter, and bird droppings which can cause permanent damage to a vehicle's paint if left unchecked.

Paint Scratch Removal

Hwy 101 Auto Reconditioning can remove many surface scratches, swirl marks and scuffs through the use of advanced polishing techniques. Scratches tend to dull a vehicles paint surface, which opens it to many conditions that can create further damage.

Paint Protection

Wax:
Wax will give your vehicle an enhanced shine and protection from the sun's harmful rays. Wax must be reapplied every 3 to 6 weeks in order to be affective.

Paint Sealant:
is the longest form of protection you can buy for your vehicle's painted surface. Paint sealant is a synthetic polymer, which actually bonds to your painted surface providing the very best protection and shine. Paint sealant should be re-applied every 3 to 6 months.

Why Wax Your Car?

Predating the automobile, it was European coach builders that first applied coatings of animal fats and wax to protect the custom paintwork on their horse drawn carriages. This tradition has endured over 100 years and is still the best way to protect the paintwork on modern-day coaches. Today, the multi-layered finish on your car, from the primer through the top (clear) coat, is only .006 to .008 of an inch thick. Regardless of how fine the finish is now, it will deteriorate and dull. Radiant and ultraviolet energy, acid rain, salt, atmospheric pollution, insect fluids, and bird droppings wage a constant war on your car’s finish. Waxing provides an easily renewable, transparent barrier between the finish and a hostile environment.

Waxing also makes your car, new or old, look better. Quality waxes now combine enriching oils that “wet” the surface with Brazilian Carnauba Wax and/or modern polymers for a high gloss shine. This brings us to the subject of selecting a wax. Waxes can be made from a natural wax, usually Brazilian Carnauba, or synthetically made with polymers and acrylic resins.

Paint Contamination

Most paint contamination consists of tiny metallic particles from brake pad linings and rail dust created from the friction of train wheels against railroad tracks. These hot metallic particles fill the air on highways and near railroad tracks where they ultimately land on your car's finish, burning through any wax or sealant coating and embedding themselves in the top paint or clear coat layer. They can be felt as a "rough or gritty" texture on the paint's finish. Less severe paint contamination consists of overspray, tree sap mist and industrial pollution. If left untreated, this contamination can cause tiny rust spots in your car's finish.

We can safely remove any type of contamination on a vehicles paint surface due to paint overspray, environmental fallout, ferrous oxide (rail dust, iron particles), concrete, tar, magnetic sign residue or anything else that is on a vehicles paint surface. Kaitpco Auto Reconditioning will then follow the contamination removal with polishing and an application of premium wax or paint sealant protection.

Leather Care

Leather should be routinely cleaned using a ph-balanced, non-alkaline cleaner. Cleaners loosen and lift grease and grime (like French Fry fingerprints) without drying the leather or affecting the hides natural ph.

In addition to regular cleaning, leather requires replacement of natural oils. (The smell of leather comes from oils evaporating out of the hide.) If these oils are not replaced, the leather will dry out, deteriorate and crack. Once every month or two, use a leather conditioner to restore these natural oils and keep the leather soft and supple. Leather conditioners with rich combinations of natural oils are especially beneficial on neglected, abused or aged leathers that have developed "character lines".

Swirl Removal

There is lot of confusion in the automotive detailing world when it comes to the term swirl mark. Simply put, swirl marks are caused by the misuse of a high speed buffer in the hands of an untrained detailer. A buffer is used with a wool or foam pad combined with an abrasive compound or polish to microscopically abrade away paint imperfections such as scratches or oxidation (dull paint). Because it spins in only one direction, the buffer leaves ultra fine scratches in the paint’s surface in the shape of concentric circles. The result is a vehicle covered in swirl marks, hologram like reflections seen only in direct sunlight.

Swirl marks should not be confused with normal micro scratches that occur from everyday driving and routine washing. These types of scratches are ones that cannot be felt with your fingernail and seem to form a cobweb like pattern when viewed in the sun.

Headlight Restoration

Discolored/yellowed headlights are unsafe and reduce the effectiveness of headlights by up to 30%, adding great difficulty when driving at night. Lenses are wet sanded, polished to like new condition, then sealed with clear plastic resin and polymer sealant for long-term oxidation protection. Headlight rejuvenation costs less than new or used headlights and most repairs can be done in a fairly short time.

Bumper Scratch, Scuff, Ding, Gouge and Tear Repair

Factory color-coded flexible or rigid bumpers with damage such as deep scratches, scuffs, dings, gouges and even small tears are repairable and usually take a couple of hours to repair. Paint is custom mixed using factory color code from your vehicle. Micro repairs are performed only at the affected area, minimizing repair time and cost as compared to a new bumper replacement. Bumper repairs are painted with exact factory color match making site like new again.

Paintless Dent Repair

Minor door ding or dent on a vehicle can be an eye sore. Most small door dings and dents without paint damage or stretched/crimped metal can be repaired 95% to 98% of the dent removed. The repair area is usually undetectable or difficult to detect. Specialized tools are maneuvered inside of panels directly behind the damaged area and a specialized dent repair tool is used to push out the dents, dings and minor fender bender damage.

Wheel Repair

Custom or OEM alloy wheels that are painted, machined or polished with cosmetic damage such as curb rash, nicks, scuff, scratches, color fade, and minor bead damage are repairable and can be completed in a couple of hours. Repairs are performed with the wheel and tire still intact and performed directly on the vehicle. Repaired wheel is painted with color that closely matches to the original wheel, or the customer may choose a new color. Wheel repair is permanent, cost effective as compared to purchasing new and expensive wheel replacement.

Windshield Chip Repair

Windshield damage such as stone chips, star breaks and bulls eye breaks are repairable and normally can be completed in a short time. We use modern technology, quality equipment and only the finest resins in repairing windshield damage. The repaired chip or crack is filled with resin and cured, preventing further exposure and possibly more damage. The repaired site is significantly reduced to a very small visible spot.

Odor Romval/Air Freshener Treatment

Unpleasant odors such as tobacco, pet, bacteria, mold and mildew can be neutralized permanently with an Ozone Generator. An Ozone Generator is environmentally friendly and will not harm the interior of your vehicle. Ozone (O3) sometimes called activated oxygen is very powerful that actually destroys the source of the odor upon contact. Odor is permanently eliminated resulting in fresh clean smell.

Fabric Protection

Fabric protectant is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and provide a high degree of liquid repellence without hindering the breath-ability of fabrics. When applied regularly on carpet or on upholstery seats, fabric protectant repels liquid spills and prevent full absorption into the fabric thereby giving you time to clean up.