Detailer Review - Wes @ Orion Detailing (ON) & Ken @ Autowerkes Exclusive (BC)
05-25-2013 | 03:07 PM
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Detailer Review - Wes @ Orion Detailing (ON) & Ken @ Autowerkes Exclusive (BC)
A few months ago I posted on the forum that I was looking for a top notch detailer to do a number of cars for me in Ontario and B.C. Rennlisters were kind enough to recommend Wes in Ontario and Ken in BC to take care of my detailing needs.
The high-end detailer business is a small one in Canada which means both Ken and Wes actual knew of each other which was a good sign. One is old school (Ken) and one is new school (Wes). Both are pros and both will and did produce outstanding results. Here are my reviews:
For the BC Rennlisters - Ken:
Ken showed up at our location on time, was well spoken, friendly and clean cut. He instilled confidence when speaking about his plan on detailing the cars. He works from a purpose built detailing van and will travel to his customers in the Vancouver area. He kept his work area clean and free of excess water and all detailing supplies were put away as he worked. Methodical was a good word to describe him. He removed typical blemishes and had our $100K+ cars all carshow ready within a short period of time. I'm extremely picky when it comes to detailing and nothing makes me happier than looking over a car under flourescent lights and not seeing one imperfection. Some guys will do this on the first car and slack on the others, but not Ken, car after car were perfect. He has detailed countless cars for me but he is busy so book well in advance, you won't be disappointed. BTW - he makes dark cars' paint look like deep pools of water.
For the Ontario Rennlisters - Wes:
Wes showed up at our location on time, even after dropping his child off at daycare and had his assistant with him to initially assess all of the cars. Wes is younger than Ken but he is mature and well spoken. He constantly smiles and has that twinkle in his eye that says don't worry I've got this covered. I left him to get set up and 15 minutes later I came back and thought wow, are these guys going to detail the car or are they planning a covert operation. Let me explain, they both were dressed in all black and had LED headlamps on, sitting on rolling stools scouring the car for any imperfections. They marked down which areas needed attention and then went to work on washing the car. Every brush and mitt imaginable came out to get into every nook and cranny possible. After the car was thoroughly washed and dried, out came the green masking tape for all of the seams. A couple hours later with various waxes and polishes, the car was carshow ready. Wes did 10+ cars for me and every car received the same attention. If Ken was the michelangelo of detailing, Wes was the microsoft, possessing the latest in tech. devices to measure paint thickness on steel, aluminum or carbon fiber to know exactly how deep to polish and every tool possible. Wes will only come to your place if you have a lot of work to do, otherwise he will take care of you at his pimped out detailing garage in the Eglinton and Laird area.
Both Wes and Ken subscribe to the philosophy of constantly educating themselves through advanced courses and information sharing on detailling forums to hone their skills and knowledge.
If you are planning on bringing your car back to showroom new condition this spring, I highly recommend either detailer depending on where you live in the country. Here's an interesting fact to leave you with. Ken explained to me that in the UK there are two types of people that take care of cars' cosmetic needs, detailers and valets. Valets, wash cars and put a quick coat of wax on (and potentially crash your 458) but detailers are professionals that do this as a lifetime career. 95% of the guys in Canada are valets, Wes and Ken are both detailers!
The high-end detailer business is a small one in Canada which means both Ken and Wes actual knew of each other which was a good sign. One is old school (Ken) and one is new school (Wes). Both are pros and both will and did produce outstanding results. Here are my reviews:
For the BC Rennlisters - Ken:
Ken showed up at our location on time, was well spoken, friendly and clean cut. He instilled confidence when speaking about his plan on detailing the cars. He works from a purpose built detailing van and will travel to his customers in the Vancouver area. He kept his work area clean and free of excess water and all detailing supplies were put away as he worked. Methodical was a good word to describe him. He removed typical blemishes and had our $100K+ cars all carshow ready within a short period of time. I'm extremely picky when it comes to detailing and nothing makes me happier than looking over a car under flourescent lights and not seeing one imperfection. Some guys will do this on the first car and slack on the others, but not Ken, car after car were perfect. He has detailed countless cars for me but he is busy so book well in advance, you won't be disappointed. BTW - he makes dark cars' paint look like deep pools of water.
For the Ontario Rennlisters - Wes:
Wes showed up at our location on time, even after dropping his child off at daycare and had his assistant with him to initially assess all of the cars. Wes is younger than Ken but he is mature and well spoken. He constantly smiles and has that twinkle in his eye that says don't worry I've got this covered. I left him to get set up and 15 minutes later I came back and thought wow, are these guys going to detail the car or are they planning a covert operation. Let me explain, they both were dressed in all black and had LED headlamps on, sitting on rolling stools scouring the car for any imperfections. They marked down which areas needed attention and then went to work on washing the car. Every brush and mitt imaginable came out to get into every nook and cranny possible. After the car was thoroughly washed and dried, out came the green masking tape for all of the seams. A couple hours later with various waxes and polishes, the car was carshow ready. Wes did 10+ cars for me and every car received the same attention. If Ken was the michelangelo of detailing, Wes was the microsoft, possessing the latest in tech. devices to measure paint thickness on steel, aluminum or carbon fiber to know exactly how deep to polish and every tool possible. Wes will only come to your place if you have a lot of work to do, otherwise he will take care of you at his pimped out detailing garage in the Eglinton and Laird area.
Both Wes and Ken subscribe to the philosophy of constantly educating themselves through advanced courses and information sharing on detailling forums to hone their skills and knowledge.
If you are planning on bringing your car back to showroom new condition this spring, I highly recommend either detailer depending on where you live in the country. Here's an interesting fact to leave you with. Ken explained to me that in the UK there are two types of people that take care of cars' cosmetic needs, detailers and valets. Valets, wash cars and put a quick coat of wax on (and potentially crash your 458) but detailers are professionals that do this as a lifetime career. 95% of the guys in Canada are valets, Wes and Ken are both detailers!
