David found us through one of our detailing ads on Facebook and filled out the quote quiz late on a Sunday night at the end of June. When I read his answers I knew this one was going to be fun. Complete detail, sports car, 2014 or older, over 120,000 miles, and parked outside. The car turned out to be a red 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder, the little mid engine two seater with the soft top and a stick shift. You just do not see many of these around Panama City anymore.
I gave him a call, we got it on the calendar, and he picked Saturday, July 4 at 7 in the morning. So the MR2 got its detail on the Fourth of July.
Why a Car Like This Deserves a Full Detail
A twenty five year old car with that many miles has been through a lot of Florida summers. Living outside means sun, pollen, rain and whatever blows in when the top is down. In a small convertible all of that ends up in the same places: the carpet, the floor mats, the little storage wells behind the seats, and every seam in the dash. The cabin is tiny, so when it is dirty you notice it every single time you climb in.
The good news is that a car this small rewards a careful detail. There is nowhere for the grime to hide once you actually get in there, and when it comes out clean the whole car feels different to drive.
The Work
I took the before photos around 9:30 that morning. The passenger side floor mat was covered in dried on gunk, there was dirt and debris down along the seat track, and the storage wells behind the seats had a layer of grit in the carpet. The steering wheel and the center of the dash had that dull, dusty look older interiors get.
Inside, everything got vacuumed and cleaned top to bottom, from the carpet and the seat tracks to the dash, vents, shifter area and door sills. Outside, the MR2 got a careful hand wash in the garage, and the wheels and tires got cleaned up. The wheel photo below shows the difference pretty well. Before, the wheel had a dull film of brake dust and the tire was faded. After, the silver is bright again and the tire is dressed dark and even. If you want to see what is included in each package, the detailing services page breaks it all down.
The Result
By about 12:30 that afternoon it was done. Under the hex lights you can see the shop ceiling reflected right across the red hood, and the black top looks crisp against the paint. Inside, the carpet came back to a clean, even black and the floor finally matched the rest of the car. David had his MR2 back with plenty of the holiday left to enjoy it, which is about the best timing you can ask for with a convertible.
Now that it is October and fall is finally showing up in Panama City, this is the best time of year to drop the top. The mornings are cooler, the humidity is backing off, and the only thing in the way is the fall love bug flight. If your car has a lot of miles on it and you want it to feel special again, a full detail in Panama City is a great place to start. Give me a call and I will get you on the calendar.