Massachusetts detailers...

speedingpenguin · 03-29-04, 12:07

Hey, i'm 16 years old and have just really gotten into detailing...i'm located right near Lowell Massachusetts and have been looking for a job or something to get me out of the house (Yeah, i dont do any sports or anything really...LOL cars cars cars), and so far have been out of luck. I've tried to get a job at the local Ford dealership prep'ing cars but they were all full...i called a dozen detailing places/car wash places around here asking if they needed anyone to do anything at all pretty much...no luck with that. I'm willing to work for a while without pay just to learn the 'fine art' of detailing...what sort of advice can you give me? I've picked up some books on detailing, i've read all the stuff online about it, been working on my car and my parents cars pretty much every weekend trying new stuff (mostly interior stuff because of the crappy weather around here lately...bright and sunny one day, snowing the next.) I know that places that are hiring are more interested in someone who has alot of experience, but where does one start?

Anyone have any ideas for me? Where to try? How to go about getting a job? (Preferably involving cars.) I've tried other places too (A+ Autobody...someone from a different forum suggested trying to get a job helping out painters and stuff...good way to learn and stuff, but no luck there)
Thanks,
-Chris

Lynn · 03-29-04, 08:32

speedingpenguin, I think various folks have asked this question, and the discussions have been posted in the Pro Detailers forum, so that's where I'm moving your question. And you may want to read thru that forum, to see what advice has already been suggested to other folks.

speedingpenguin · 03-30-04, 03:30

Thanks...wasnt sure where to post it, LOL....Thank though

Lynn · 03-30-04, 09:34

No problem on the where-to-post question, speedingpenguin. It takes everybody a while to figure that one out.

I ran this search and it turned up some threads that might be useful to you. You might want to read thru those while you wait for other folks to post in this thread.

joed1228 · 03-31-04, 07:08

I'm in South Boston myself. I'm 22 now, started to detail when I was around 18-19.

Best advice I can give is buy a Porter Cable or Cyclo and later on a rotary polisher and work for yourself. You'll make alot more money, you only work when you want to (or when you need cash) and you can be alot more flexible with the customers. Dealership jobs blow for someone who actually enjoys the detailing.

P.S. I tried to get my brother into a few body shops and the guys I know are pretty open and speak their mind. They all tell me they really want someone who can at least buff safely with a rotary and a compound, wet sand and have a tiny amount of experience. They all say training someone is too time consuming (kind of baffles me though, how is someone going to learn if they are new but want to get into the feild when people only want to hire others with experience).

speedingpenguin · 03-31-04, 11:42

Thanks for the reply :-)
Yeah, I've sorta tossed around the idea of just going for it and sorta doing it on my own, but I'm gonna need some more practice before I can start doing other peoples cars.....
I feel confident that I could do a fine job, but it would probably take for ever since I still havnt had enough 'practice' to really get things moving along fast...
Also, i've gotta get my licence this June (Just a permit for now :-/) so i dont have an easy way of getting from place to place. Thanks

joed1228 · 03-31-04, 12:51

Well maybe sometime you wanna mess around let me know, you can use my DeWalt rotary and Porter Cable random orbital.

speedingpenguin · 03-31-04, 01:26

What city/town are you located in though? I'm in Chelmsford (Near Lowell)...would love to learn from someone with more experience.....Thanks for the offer, we'll see if I cant learn a thing or two from you :-)

joed1228 · 03-31-04, 01:55

South Boston as in Southie.

speedingpenguin · 03-31-04, 03:47

ooooooooooooohhhhhh
sorry, i must have thrown in an "Of" cause in your first post i thought you said south OF boston....my bad, LOL
I was actually in Boston yesterday.....You wouldnt happen to know the address of 'Ferrari of Boston', would you? Me and my dad have tried to find it before......occasionally we'll go down there for a car show at the Bayside Expo Center and afterwards wanna just drive around....we were able to find Baystate Motorsports (not in boston, but oh well) but no Ferrari of Boston. lol

joed1228 · 03-31-04, 05:39

Yea, the Expo center. Cross that fence to the right and that is where my parents now live, Harbor Point.

speedingpenguin · 03-31-04, 06:39

On the topic of 'expo center', are there ever any car detailing/car care expos there?