GMC Sierra 1500 detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the Sierra 1500

Paint and exterior

Denali trucks carry a big chrome grille that spots badly in hard water; AT4 and Elevation trucks swap it for black trim that fades instead. The hood and tailgate are large flat panels, so tunnel-wash swirls show clearly on dark colors.

Interior

SLT and Denali cabins have perforated leather that traps dust, and the crew cab rear bench flips up over a floor that collects everything. Work trucks have vinyl seats and rubber floors that rinse clean but hold grit in the tread pattern.

Living in Houston

A Sierra that tows a bass boat to Lake Conroe on Saturday and drives to a jobsite on Monday picks up road tar on the rockers and red mud in the wheel wells; both come off far easier the same week.

• Hard clear coat: swirls take more cutting to remove, so correction is slower, but a corrected finish holds up well afterwards.
• Lots of chrome: Houston hard water etches it, so it is dried fully, polished where needed and sealed.
• Black and dark colors are common: they show swirls, water spots and pollen film first, and benefit most from a coating.
• Pickup bed: tell us what the bed carries; spray-in liners clean up well, drop-in liners come out for the rinse.
• Tows and hauls: hitch, rear bumper and the lower panels collect road tar and brake dust, so they get iron remover and tar remover.
• Large wheels and tall tires: wheel faces, barrels and wells take real time on this one, and it shows when they are done right.