I visited Five Star Detailing and Wraps to ask about my new Corolla and my 20-year-old Avalon…read more Mike, the owner, was such a delight to talk to! He has been in this business for many years and from the vehicles I could see in the shop he has many clients and does a great job. No wonder he has a five-star Yelp rating!
I have in my mind perhaps becoming an amateur detailer now that I'm retired. I want my Toyota Corolla to shine like a show car. That means giving it a ceramic coating. Mike happily told me what steps to take to get there. He willingly answered all my many questions. He examined the Corolla for starring (spiderwebs) and said there were none. I'm lucky because in the 11 months I've owned it I have gone through car washes with brushes. That stops now! I youtubed how you are *supposed* to wash a car, and discovered that two buckets are used, and a detergent specific to cars. Well, that heralds the death of the Dawn dish detergent I've always used. In the last few weeks, I ordered the correct detergent (from Adams, a big name in detailing), two buckets, and pads to use to wash the car. Even if I pay to have a ceramic coating applied, I will at least wash my car properly. Per what I've studied, people who love their cars and want them to look good, wash them every week. FYI, "graphene" is a recent alternative to ceramic. Both are excellent and popular. There are five-year versions of each.
I asked Mike what could be done about my old and beloved Avalon, with its peeling clearcoat. While noting that he really needs to see the car to be sure, he said that if in fact the clearcoat is peeling off and the paint is exposed, the car can no longer be compounded (a detailing term, meaning grind it with strong grit all over the car) to get a result that will look good, even when ceramic coated. FYI, ceramic and graphene coatings are the modern replacement for wax. Unlike wax, which needs to be applied every three months or so, ceramic is applied every five years. In other words, practically speaking I never need to wax the car again. Just wash it. Then, at five years I renew the ceramic.
So, though I did not spend a long time with Mike, I was mightily impressed. I recommend his establishment based on my own excellent experience with him (and to a slight degree based on all the other reviewers just raving about him).