Automotive Detailing

[Nick F40]

Does anyone enjoy doing it? Have pictures? Have their own business? I am thinking of maybe having a business at home or mobile in detailing. I belong to a couple sites, Detailing World and Meguiar's Online, is there any other good references or sites? What all is needed and what types of cars to detail etc. I just need input.

Edited April 13, 2009 by Nick F40

[CAL]

Does anyone have their own business or do it on here? I am thinking of maybe having a business at home or mobile in detailing. I belong to a couple sites, Detailing World and Meguiar's Online, is there any other good references or sites? What all is needed and what types of cars to detail etc. I just need input.

It was some time ago but I owened a high end detail shop where we did high end exotics at $1000 + a pop.

What do you want to know?

I used a lot of different brushes, rags, towels. The products all have changed, but I like Xylon sp? now. easy to work with.

I have found it's one of those things that you can't teach. You either get it or don't and the only way to get it, is by doing it.

However, there are some people no matter how hard they try or want to detail they just cannot do it. Sometimes you have to redo your work several times to get it just right.

It's hard, like any high end stuff, to build a customer base, but once you get a few and they like you you are set. Always listen to your high end customers right or wrong do what they want.

Don't take apart anything that might break be hard to get back together or may rattle later.

Red in all variants is the hardest color to do.

[Nick F40]

Well, that is awsome, why don't you still have it? I'd be moving to Colorado!

You never told me that, so I knew there was something else with you that we got along with.

That basically sums it up! Red and black being the hardest. I want to get either a Meguiars or DeWalt polisher.

How did you get started, how did you get your name out, how did you get to do exotics? I guess in Colorado you have the rich folk

Names, I was thinking,

Nick's Group B Detailing and Rally Prep

Kern's Automotive Detailing (KAD)

Kern's Sports car Detailing

Nick's Specialy Detailing

I can also get my dad to help.

I have rags, polishes, waxes, etc. Need more supplies and a polisher but other than that. I just want to build up a good name and make decent money, how did you set the prices and did you earn good money? It's something my dad enjoys but something I always loved to watch him do and sometimes help with and now since I know the tools and how to use them I love doing it. I like the fact that I fixed screw ups in the paint and I made it like glass, I like that feeling. I just found my calling, I just don't know why I didn't see it earlier.

You want to do it again and team up?

[eburg_Dub]

http://www.autopia.org/forum/index.php?s=

all you need to know is there

i liked detail my cars but ever since i got my truck and it being black and i do live on a dusty road i just don't give a ###### about it

[CAL]

Well, that is awsome, why don't you still have it? I'd be moving to Colorado!

You never told me that, so I knew there was something else with you that we got along with.

That basically sums it up! Red and black being the hardest. I want to get either a Meguiars or DeWalt polisher.

How did you get started, how did you get your name out, how did you get to do exotics? I guess in Colorado you have the rich folk

Names, I was thinking,

Nick's Group B Detailing and Rally Prep

Kern's Automotive Detailing (KAD)

Kern's Sports car Detailing

Nick's Specialy Detailing

I can also get my dad to help.

I have rags, polishes, waxes, etc. Need more supplies and a polisher but other than that. I just want to build up a good name and make decent money, how did you set the prices and did you earn good money? It's something my dad enjoys but something I always loved to watch him do and sometimes help with and now since I know the tools and how to use them I love doing it. I like the fact that I fixed screw ups in the paint and I made it like glass, I like that feeling. I just found my calling, I just don't know why I didn't see it earlier.

You want to do it again and team up?

That was actually when we lived in Wisconsin sowing the seeds for KellyMoss Motorsports.

It was kind of a convoluted deal. The original owner was renting some space out of my dads shop and one day he up and said he was quiting the detail biz for something in Florida. So my dad picked up the biz from this guy cheap. However, he had not intrest in detailing cars so he gave it to me.

It was all kind of pre-established the price structure and the customer base, we just expanded off my dads mechanical shop customers.

So I did a lot of Porsches. a rare 1 of 1 AC Cobra, some other weird stuff like 57 T-birds, it was almost always when someone was trying to sell their car or just bought a used car and wanted to look like new. Very few were regulars who had it done every year, but there were a few every couple months got it done.

I wasn't that into it either, didn't like the lifetime supply of the product the other guy was using, and ended up going to college.

I thought about trying to get back into it a 6 months or so ago, but some other things panned out.

The nice thing is it's got low overhead and is mostly labor.

You will have to just start doing it for whatever you can get $ wise and prove yourself first you'll know when to charge the big money.

Edited April 13, 2009 by CAL

[CAL]

Yup I agree on the power polisher. We never used any. It was all done by hand.

If you think you want to use one, use a good high quality orbital polisher and don't use any abrasive medium, period.

Clears now days are soft and very thin it doesn't take much to burn through on an edge. Practice on your own car before taking to someone's 30K or more car. It is very expensive to repaint even a single panel.

Edited April 13, 2009 by CAL

[CAL]

I took a break from painting about 10 years ago and worked for a "friend" who had opened a shop. Absolutly the worst job I ever had !!

Seriously ,, I wouldn't even wash my own car for a year and a half after that. I'll go flip burgers or dig sewers before I ever do that again !! My so called friend and I didn't speak to each other for over two years.

Anyway, ,, that said ,, from you'r posts I get the idea you've never done this as work before.. maybe I'm wrong. But you'll need a good shop vac, cleaning supplies, a couple old tooth brushes or a proper detailing brush .,, a small carpet shampooer would be good to have. , , Tar remover is a must. I could recommend some other stuff but I'm kinda hesitent without knowing how much experience you have doing this.

When you say "polisher" do you mean one of those things with a handle on each side or a proper polisher ,, one that looks like a grinder. I have a Simonize 7" polisher like in the pic. Be warned thaough ,, you can ruin a paintjob aufully fast with one of those . If you've never used one best not to have one.

I guess I'm sounding really negitive but that's my experiences in the field.

Of corse there's a difference in doing a few cars a week out of your driveway and doing 6 or 8 a day in a dedicated shop too ,, so maybe just ignore me.

sheesh sound bad.

[Harry P.]

There's a big difference between doing this as sort of a "hobby" out of your garage or in your driveway, and actually opening up a detailing shop.

If you're thinking of a home-based thing, all you really need to do is go to the local copy/print store and print up a couple hundred flyers listing your info, prices, etc. and pass them out around town, on supermarket bulletin boards, etc., and wait for the calls to come.

However, if you're talking about actually opening up a detailing business, that's a whole 'nother world. Now you're talking about renting space, paying utilities, insurance, business licenses, the IRS, etc, etc. Maybe more involved than you realize. You can't just "open a business" without jumping through a lot of hoops. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it's a lot more involved than you may think.

[Nick F40]

Well, I go to an Auto Body VoTech class so lately I have been using an orbital polisher like that one, with one handle on the side. I just want to get the supplies like you said, not a lot but what I need. I go soft when I use it. This would most likely be done in our garage. I probably will use the polishe if it's real bad but yeah I like to do it by hand. Clears aren't that great anymore like you said, I'll have to watch those corners

what exactly do you mean by abrasive medium I think I know but just checking.

here's an example of my work,

this is when I first brought it home

it needs some love now, becasue it got a little scratched up

[CAL]

There's a big difference between doing this as sort of a "hobby" out of your garage or in your driveway, and actually opening up a detailing shop.

If you're thinking of a home-based thing, all you really need to do is go to the local copy/print store and print up a couple hundred flyers listing your info, prices, etc. and pass them out around town, on supermarket bulletin boards, etc., and wait for the calls to come.

However, if you're talking about actually opening up a detailing business, that's a whole 'nother world. Now you're talking about renting space, paying utilities, insurance, business licenses, the IRS, etc, etc. Maybe more involved than you realize. You can't just "open a business" without jumping through a lot of hoops. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it's a lot more involved than you may think.

Running the ###### thing is more of a headach than doing the jobs.

[Nick F40]

Yeah I don't know if I'm going to go full business.

Like I said Chris, hey if you do!

[Harry P.]

And also... it's one thing to be detailing a buddy's junker.

But what happens when someone drops off their Lexus or whatever, and you accidentally burn through the paint? Or your customer picks up his car after you're done with it, notices some scratch or whatever that he claims wasn't there before and blames you? Or you're polishing the fender, you get the buffer head caught on the mirror and accidentally rip it off? Or even some neighborhood kid on a bike falls and the bike dings the car while it's sitting in your driveway?

Whenever your business involves handling other people's property (expensive property like cars!), you have to either be extremely lucky and never get caught in a "situation"... or you need plenty of insurance to cover your you-know-what in case something DOES goes wrong. Even something as seemingly harmless as detailing some guy's car in your garage can turn out costing you big bucks, sometimes through no fault of your own. Just remember... you have to anticipate the worst, and be covered for it somehow, in case it ever happens... because if you're not covered, you're rolling the dice every day...

[Nick F40]

C'MON HARRY! I would be doing this IN the garage! They I would be able to fix the dent, now paint, if they want to take it to paint but since I don't have a booth, I can get a gun and supplies, but I COULD paint it.....

[eburg_Dub]

C'MON HARRY! I would be doing this IN the garage! They I would be able to fix the dent, now paint, if they want to take it to paint but since I don't have a booth, I can get a gun and supplies, but I COULD paint it.....

sine you are on vortex check this guys work

pm him for some pointers ive always enjoyed his work

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4316659

[E St. Kruiser50]

There's a big difference between doing this as sort of a "hobby" out of your garage or in your driveway, and actually opening up a detailing shop.

If you're thinking of a home-based thing, all you really need to do is go to the local copy/print store and print up a couple hundred flyers listing your info, prices, etc. and pass them out around town, on supermarket bulletin boards, etc., and wait for the calls to come.

However, if you're talking about actually opening up a detailing business, that's a whole 'nother world. Now you're talking about renting space, paying utilities, insurance, business licenses, the IRS, etc, etc. Maybe more involved than you realize. You can't just "open a business" without jumping through a lot of hoops. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it's a lot more involved than you may think.

I totally agree with you Harry .

Also there's a lot of tricks to every trade, and to me personally, I think jumping in without any "WORKING WITH A PRO EXPERIENCE", is a really bad choice .

Everyone I know who has been sucessful at a business, including myself, had experience before they started.

YOU'RE NOT TALKING A LEMON AIDE STAND HERE

Edited April 13, 2009 by Treehugger Dave

[CAL]

C'MON HARRY! I would be doing this IN the garage! They I would be able to fix the dent, now paint, if they want to take it to paint but since I don't have a booth, I can get a gun and supplies, but I COULD paint it.....

You need to check the car in with a paint marker and the cust standing there.

Prewash the vehicle if needed.

And mark everthing with a colored paint marker.

Then photo it up.

It will save your ass.

[FujimiLover]

I'm still learning how to detail my car properly. We also live on dirt roads and the car get's very dusty quickly and worse when we get snow. We just had a major snow storm this past weekend and the roads yesterday/this morning were a foot of thick shtuff.

I usually take my car through a touchless car-wash and hand-dry it right then and there. Sometimes I just let the driving dry it.

I keep my dashboard as dust-free with a micro-fiber towel and would occasionally use some dust-remover stuff. Last stuff I used was Black Magic anti-static dust guard. HA! What a laugh, it looked good for a while, but the dust always comes back, so not sure what they meant by dust guard.

One thing you dont' want to use is any petrolium based products. I've heard that petrolium based products, particularly the older Armor-All, can eat plastic. I dont' know about the newest stuff, but I'd stay away from the older stuff.

I've heard one professional shop in California uses pure-drinking water for whipping down the dashboard, and then uses Q-tips to get the vent's and every nook and cranny detailed.

While some Armor-All products look great when plastic is all nice and shiney, it leaves a disgusting greesy residue that I'm sure your clients wouldn't want. Plus, it can reflect and be problematic. So, try and stay away from the "Shiny" stuff.

As I said, I'm still learning how to detail my car properly. I'm not as anal as my brother is about his Subaru WRX STI, but I do like my car as perfect as it can be, but awfully difficult when you live in a climate such as Colorado, and in the forest with dirt-roads!

[CAL]

I'm still learning how to detail my car properly. We also live on dirt roads and the car get's very dusty quickly and worse when we get snow. We just had a major snow storm this past weekend and the roads yesterday/this morning were a foot of thick shtuff.

I usually take my car through a touchless car-wash and hand-dry it right then and there. Sometimes I just let the driving dry it.

I keep my dashboard as dust-free with a micro-fiber towel and would occasionally use some dust-remover stuff. Last stuff I used was Black Magic anti-static dust guard. HA! What a laugh, it looked good for a while, but the dust always comes back, so not sure what they meant by dust guard.

One thing you dont' want to use is any petrolium based products. I've heard that petrolium based products, particularly the older Armor-All, can eat plastic. I dont' know about the newest stuff, but I'd stay away from the older stuff.

I've heard one professional shop in California uses pure-drinking water for whipping down the dashboard, and then uses Q-tips to get the vent's and every nook and cranny detailed.

While some Armor-All products look great when plastic is all nice and shiney, it leaves a disgusting greesy residue that I'm sure your clients wouldn't want. Plus, it can reflect and be problematic. So, try and stay away from the "Shiny" stuff.

As I said, I'm still learning how to detail my car properly. I'm not as anal as my brother is about his Subaru WRX STI, but I do like my car as perfect as it can be, but awfully difficult when you live in a climate such as Colorado, and in the forest with dirt-roads!

The trick with Armor-All is to cut it 50% with distilled water, and once you start using it you have to keep using. It doens't eat plastic but is sucks the natrual moistureizers right out of your plastics causing them to dry rott prematurely.

[MrObsessive]

Okay, you detailing fellas out there--------how safe is steam cleaning an engine these days?

What with all the electronics in engine bays these days.

I've owned my car for three years now and of course when I got it you could eat off the engine. Now it's crusted over with dust (no oil leaks though) and I'd like to get it back to the squeaky clean newness it had when I bought it.

Good luck with your endeavor Nick!

[CAL]

Okay, you detailing fellas out there--------how safe is steam cleaning an engine these days?

What with all the electronics in engine bays these days.

I've owned my car for three years now and of course when I got it you could eat off the engine. Now it's crusted over with dust (no oil leaks though) and I'd like to get it back to the squeaky clean newness it had when I bought it.

Good luck with your endeavor Nick!

Pretty safe. Ever once in a great while you have a problem steam cleaning an engine and it's usually a problem like someone worked on it and didn't put it back correctly or a cracked seal or cover.

[FujimiLover]

I'd like to get my steering wheel back to black. It's the only thing that's faded on the car. I dont' know if it's from the sun, which doesn't make sence since the dash board is perfect, or if it's just rubbed off from constant handling. It's an air-bag steering wheel, so I dont' want to remove it. Any suggestions?

[CAL]

I'd like to get my steering wheel back to black. It's the only thing that's faded on the car. I dont' know if it's from the sun, which doesn't make sence since the dash board is perfect, or if it's just rubbed off from constant handling. It's an air-bag steering wheel, so I dont' want to remove it. Any suggestions?

donno what's it made out of?

[FujimiLover]

Good question. It's just a normal bone stock Honda-type Air-bag equipped steering wheel. I assume plastic or vynal covering, not sure. All I know is it's faded and it's the only ugly part on the car!

[CAL]

Good question. It's just a normal bone stock Honda-type Air-bag equipped steering wheel. I assume plastic or vynal covering, not sure. All I know is it's faded and it's the only ugly part on the car!

Usually they don't fade they get something on them, sometimes hand cream makes them get funny. Steering wheels are hard because all the good tricks either make the steering wheel slippery or the color replacement comes off in your hands.

I'd try cleaning it real well make sure it's indeed faded and not just got some gook on it. You don't see a faded steering wheel to often. If it's under warranty I'd make Honda put a new wheel on it.

Shoe polish works real good to bring back faded colors especailly on leather, but you have to becareful where you use it because it comes off for a while. So you don't want to use it on seats. You might try a tiny test spot somewhere on the steering wheel. Sometimes you can dye it. depends on how the dye takes to the wheel.

The last effort is put a good stitched leather steering wheel cover on it. The kind you have to stitch up.

[Nick F40]

sine you are on vortex check this guys work

pm him for some pointers ive always enjoyed his work

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4316659

you saw my post? Yeah, he looks like he does amazing work, I will be talking to him more, that's the kind of stuff I want to do, in the garage.

I'm starting to remember all my dad had taught me becasue some of the things you guys are saying is ringing bells. I have experience, I pretty much grew up doing and helping with it and I went to school for it.

ANYONE around the southeast part of Pa, stop by and i'll detail it!