Everything people ask
Questions, answered properly
Where the honest answer is "it depends," we say what it depends on. Where we cannot promise something, we do not.
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How we work
The basics
Where are you located, and what are your hours?
We work out of our shop at 920 Shall Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed on weekends.
Do you offer pickup and drop-off?
We do. We pick your vehicle up and bring it back across Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Cabot and Jacksonville. Ask about pickup when you book.
Are you certified?
Yes. We are an XPEL Certified Paint Protection Film Installer and an XPEL Certified Window Tint and Ceramic Coating Installer, and we hold a Detroit Tint Studio Window Tint Certification.
Do you work on anything besides cars?
We do. Alongside cars, trucks and SUVs we work on motorcycles, boats, ATVs and UTVs. Boat and UTV work has its own packages.
Do you take commercial or fleet work?
Yes. We work with car dealerships, body shops and companies that run a fleet, and we schedule around when your vehicles are free.
How do I book?
Call the shop at (501) 420-1939 or send us a message, and we will give you a price and a date. If you already know the package you want, you can book online.
Who will I be dealing with?
Nick Lemaire and Austin Sanderson started Slick Auto Care in 2021 and still run it. You will be talking to the owners.
What things cost
Pricing
Why is everything "starting at"?
Because condition drives price in this trade. A garage-kept sedan and a neglected work truck are not the same job even when the package name is the same. The starting figure is real and the final number comes after we have looked at the vehicle.
Will the price change once you have my vehicle?
Not after we have quoted it. We look first, quote second, and the figure we give you is the figure you pay. If we find something that changes the scope, you hear about it before we do the work.
What makes the number go up?
Vehicle size is the main one. Coating and detailing step up from coupes and sedans to small SUVs, then again to large SUVs, vans and trucks. Paint that needs more correction before a coating is the other.
Do you offer payment plans or subscriptions?
We run a monthly ceramic maintenance subscription for vehicles that already have a coating. Ask when you book.
Coating
Ceramic coating
Does a ceramic coating mean I never have to wash the car again?
No. A coating makes washing easier and stops road grime sticking. The car still needs washing, and we offer a monthly maintenance wash for coated vehicles.
Do I need paint correction before a coating?
Yes, and every package includes it. A coating over scratched paint seals the scratches in for years. Lite gets one polishing step, and Classic and Ultimate get two.
How long does it actually last?
It depends on the product. XPEL Fusion Plus Lite carries one year of coverage, Fusion Plus Classic is up to four years with proper maintenance, and Fusion Plus Premium in our Ultimate package carries an eight year warranty.
Can I install a coating myself?
You can buy a bottle off the shelf. The coatings we use are unforgiving about prep, application and curing, and our XPEL certification keeps the product warranty intact.
Does ceramic coating prevent scratches?
Only light scratching. It will not stop a rock chip or a deep gouge. Paint protection film stops those. We run film on the front end and coating over everything else.
Film
Paint protection film
What is the difference between film and a ceramic coating?
Film is thick enough to physically take a rock hit. A coating is a thin layer that handles water spots, sun and road grime, but it will not stop anything that hits the car. Most people end up with film on the front end and coating over everything else.
What does self-healing mean?
Fine scratches in the film go away with heat. Park it in the sun and they disappear.
Will it change how my paint looks?
Ultimate Plus is virtually invisible over your existing color. If you want a different look, we install Stealth for a satin finish and Ultimate Fusion for extra slickness.
Can the film be removed later?
Yes. Professionally installed film comes off without taking your paint with it.
Does it come with a warranty?
Our pricing is based on XPEL Ultimate Plus, which carries a ten year warranty.
Do you do color change wraps?
We do. Color paint protection film changes the color of the car and still protects the paint. We carry XPEL colors in gloss, matte, satin and metallic.
Tint
Window tinting
How dark can I legally go in Arkansas?
Front side windows must let at least 25 percent of light through, and that is measured through the glass and the film together, which is why 35 percent film is the darkest we fit up front. Behind the driver, trucks, SUVs, vans and other multipurpose vehicles can go as low as 10 percent, but an ordinary passenger car is still held to 25 percent on the rear sides. The rearmost window can go to 10 percent, and nothing on a road vehicle is legal below that.
What about the windshield?
Arkansas allows a tint strip on the top five inches of the windshield only. That is the brow we quote separately. Full windshield film is available in our ceramic lines where a customer wants the heat rejection.
Will you install illegal tint if I ask?
No. We install to Arkansas legal specs, and state law also requires an installer label on the front glass to the operator's left showing who did the work. Our name goes on that sticker.
Is ceramic film actually worth the difference?
If heat is your problem, yes. Our XPEL XR and XR Plus lines are ceramic and block a lot more heat than the HP line, they are clearer to see through, and they do not interfere with your radio, phone signal or Bluetooth. If you mostly want the look and the UV protection, HP does that for less.
How long does an install take?
Front two windows is about 30 minutes. A full car is about 2 hours, and a full windshield is 1 to 2 hours.
Correction
Paint correction
Will correction remove every scratch?
Not always. Your paint has a clear layer on top of it, and if your fingernail catches in a scratch, that scratch has gone through it. Polishing will not bring that back. Most light scratches never get that deep, and those we can polish out. Send us a photo and we will tell you which one you have.
What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2?
Level 1 is a single polishing step and takes out about half the scratches or better. That is enough for most cars. Level 2 uses two different polish and pad combinations for deeper scratching and gets 90 percent or better.
How do I know if I need it?
Look at the paint in direct sunlight. If you see a hazy web of fine circular scratches, that is exactly what correction removes.
Is it safe for my paint?
We measure the clear layer as we go. If your paint cannot take a correction safely, we tell you before we start.
Detailing
Auto detailing
What is the difference between a detail and a car wash?
A wash gets the surface. A detail gets everything else, including the door frames, vents, seat rails and trim seams a wash never touches. Our Interior Detail covers the inside end to end, and the Detailer's Special adds a deep cleaned and dressed exterior.
Do you do pet hair and odors?
Yes. Interior work includes hot water extraction and steam cleaning, and we clean the surfaces holding the smell.
Can you come to me?
All work happens at the shop. We pick up and drop off across Little Rock, North Little Rock, Maumelle, Cabot and Jacksonville.
Lighting
LED lighting
Will you install parts I bought myself?
No. We install lighting from our qualified vendors only, including Diode Dynamics and LowGlow.
Is underglow legal in Arkansas?
There are rules about what colors and what behavior are permitted on a public road. Tell us what you are picturing and we will tell you what is sensible for a street vehicle before anything gets installed.
Will an LED kit drain my battery or fail in the rain?
Not when it is wired and fused properly. Cheap kits usually fail because of how they were installed.
What can you actually do?
LED bulb upgrades and OEM replacement headlight units, LED pods, rock lights, light bars, footwell illumination and underglow by LowGlow, all from Diode Dynamics and our other qualified vendors.
Marine
Marine and UTV
Why is boat work priced per foot?
Hull length drives the labor. A 30 foot boat takes more time than a 20 foot boat.
My hull is chalky and faded. Is it gone?
Usually not. That chalky layer is sun damage sitting on the surface. Our Restore and Protect package cuts it back with a two-step polish, and the Marine Ceramic Coating package goes further and finishes with a three year coating.
When should I book?
Before the season or before storage. Sun, lake water and dock rash dull a hull fast, and a sealed hull washes easier.
What about a side-by-side?
Arkansas mud gets into places on a UTV that a pressure washer will never reach. Our UTV package covers the frame, plastics, seating, wheels, tires and underbody, and we can coat the surfaces so the next mud day rinses off far easier.
EV
Tesla and EV
Does Tesla paint really need different treatment?
It is softer than most. Fine scratches show up faster, dirt on the surface is easier to see, and the paint reacts more to being washed badly than most cars do. That changes how we wash it and how we correct it.
Is a coating enough, or do I need film too?
A coating handles water spotting, UV and contamination. It will not stop a rock chip. If you drive highway miles, get film on the impact areas and coating over the rest.
Will correction damage the finish?
Not when we measure the clear layer first. Softer paint polishes more easily, so we use a lighter touch.
Why does XPEL certification matter here?
Our coating, film and tint installs carry the manufacturer's warranty because we are an XPEL certified shop.
New vehicle
New vehicle
How does the pricing work?
It is an a la carte menu with a two service minimum to unlock bundle savings, and the more services you add the bigger the discount. We quote by year, make and model.
Do I have to take everything on the menu?
No. Pick the two or more that fit how you drive.
My vehicle is pre-owned. Does that disqualify me?
Not at all. Pre-owned vehicles in good condition qualify for the same menu.
Is a new car not already protected?
Less than people assume. Paint leaves the factory with nothing on it, and damage is far easier to prevent than to fix. Doing this before the first highway mile is the whole point.
What is windshield protection film?
A clear, nearly invisible barrier on the front glass that reduces the risk of chips and cracks from road debris. On a new vehicle it protects one of the most expensive single pieces on the car.
Still stuck
Ask us the awkward one.
If the answer is that a service will not help your vehicle, we would rather tell you now than take the booking.
Know what you want? Book online