Randy Coffey and the crew at Detail Authority hosted a small group of GWS members at their Herndon, VA facility. Randy, founder and owner of Detail Authority, has over two decades of experience in the detailing business – needless to say, he really knows his stuff, and his level of professionalism is reflected in the quality of the work done by his crew.

While the Detail Authority crew washed a member's car, the GWS group got a detailed explanation of the process, which starts with a good rinse using a pressure washer. Next comes a top to bottom wash using a product specifically made for washing cars. Wheels and tires are done separately using an (acid-based) wheel cleaner and brushes designed to clean without scratching. After the rinse and first wash, the crew uses body solvent to clean any tar or bug jerky - this is done using a mesh-covered soft sponge. The car is then washed again from the top down and thorougly rinsed. To dry the car, Randy's crew uses artificial chamois because they don't leave an oily film or small bits of leather residue as a natural chamois might - they're also easy to wring out and re-use unlike special drying towels. The crew also uses compressed air to make sure all the water is out of recessed areas and crevices.

With the wash and dry complete, it's on to the next step. And again we got an interactive demonstration and explanation by Randy. The demonstration started with a discussion of the different products and procedures used to clean painted surfaces and prepare them for a finish coat of wax or sealer. For this part of the session, Randy used a damaged hood that was covered with dust and other surface contaminants. As he worked, Randy fielded questions from the group on the use of clay to remove surface contamination. This morphed into a discussion of the different types of cleaning compounds and the tools used to apply them. Randy first showed a dual-action (sometimes called a random-orbital) buffer of the type a car owner might use – he then showed two professional grade buffers - one a dual-action, the other a high-speed rotary buffer.

To illustrate the effects of different grades of polishing material, and the effect of wet-sanding paint, Randy used some 1500 grit wet sanding paper on a small area of the hood used in the demonstations. He then broke out the tools and compound and proceeded to buff out the sanded area to restore the shine. Members of the group were given the chance to use the sample buffers and feel the effects the cleaning compounds had on the surface of the hood. As part of this demonstration, Randy also did a little dry-erase board work to illustrate the difference between one, two, and three layer paint systems – included in this demo was a detailed explanation of the causes of dull paint on a two-layer finish and the difference between polishing with cleaners and compound and using clay to remove surface contaminants. In response to questions from the group on the difference between wax and sealer, Randy explained that both bond to and protect the paint but that wax, as a natural product, is easier to work with while sealant requires more work but can protect paint longer.

After the washing and cleaning demonstration came another interactive demonstration of paintless dent removal. The demonstration hood had some dents similar to those caused by hail, and Randy broke out his paintless dent removal tools to show how to remove a dent the relatively painless way. This involves using a fluorescent light with a stripe on it to illuminate the dent, then carefully applying pressure to the underside of the dent while watching the area to make sure the dent is out. Members of the group were invited to try their hand at taking out other dents, and one or two gave it a try (and learned that it's not as easy as Randy made it look).

Since Detail Authority uses professional-grade products in the shop and mobile service units, Randy couldn't provide product references. That said, his personal opinion is that Mothers products are more consistent in terms of quality, purpose and value. Randy was a little less enthusiastic about Meguiars products, which he said are generally good, but similar (and sometimes the same) products will be packaged differently and sold at different prices and for diffierent purposes, so it can be hard to tell exactly what you're getting.

All in all, it was a good session, and those who attended walked away with some useful tips on how to keep their cars looking like new. This is an event we should repeat – next time with a larger group.