What was it that got you into serious detailing?

[spartacus_33]

I did a Euro Delivery on my BMW 545i last year. I was in Munich in February and they salt the roads to prevent ice. When I dropped the car off in Munich for shipping it was covered with road spray (salt and sand). It was 23 degrees F.. so too cold to wash. There was a drive through car 2 blocks from the drop off site......... but I couldn`t get myself to drive a brand new Jet Black bimmer covered with sand.... through a car wash. I did sit there in my brand new baby staring at the car wash for about 10 minutes before driving away....



When it was re-delivered here in the states... it had bad water spots all over it.. windshield, hood, trunk...... not sure what happened, in the process of researching how to remove the water spots.... I stumbled across this forum....... been hooked ever since.

[imported_FJF]

Believe it or not, I got into detailing, because I hated to detail cars. My main goal was/is preserving the finish, so I figured that I might as well make it fun in hopes of actually doing it. I began researching the topic, looking at the various products, searching this site and basically getting myself acquainted with the concept. I then purchased a PC and started trying different products and techniques on my cars. As I`d hoped, it was fun and very rewarding. I`d always admired show-quality work and I`m hoping to one day be able to do it, myself.

[3Dog]

In the 70`s while still working for someone else, I would walk across the street during lunch and breaks to a detail shop. I was pretty large..around 10 detailers..lots of dealership business. I was amazed at the things they could do. Now remember there was no foam back then. I decided to research more. Not an easy thing without the internet. I was trained in the art by a man called Shine. It was fairly easy for me to get customers back then, even a few used car lots. I only worked at night in my basement with Shine coming over after his day job at the detailers. The mobility of my hot water pressure washer?? It had to sit on a 55 gal drum. It was during this time I found a company called Tidy Car. I drove about 50 miles to one of their franchises to see what they had to offer.

WOW!! Sealants in the 70`s and a nifty little two head buffer. I spent half a day there watching. Within two weeks I had my first Cyclo...blue in color.

Then we had three product line....Pro, Auto Magic and the Cyclo chemicals.

THINGS HAD DEFINATELY CHANGED!

[Todd@RUPES]

Does this guy post on this forum? I know of a couple hacks in Orlando that post on autopia (judging by the work I had to fix)....

[tom p.]

What was it that got you into serious detailing?

Certainly this website and all the great folks who have contributed over the past years. :2thumbs:

[imported_themightytimmah]

My mom bought a black car when I was 14 or so, and she would always ask me to wash and wax it for her. You can imagine how I did it - dirty bath towels, a sponge, dish soap or even dog shampoo to wash. I would hit it once in a while with Nu-Finish and it would just look amazing to me - back then, I thought only a new car could look perfect.



Fast forward 2 years, and the GTP was passed down to me. By this point, the paint was almost dull from the use of dirty wax applicators, crappy wash media, etc. After discovering Detail City, I got my PC as a Christmas present for Christmas 2004 along with SSR2.5, SSR1, S100 and a collection of MF towels. I started detailing on the side that summer and doing my own car - I could never get all the swirls out though.



Halfway through summer, I bought my Cyclo, PowerGloss, FPII, RMG and NB... and I got my black GTP perfect for the first time. I`ve been hooked (and an Autopia Member) ever since.

[PhatHoodDetail]

ive always wash and waxed cars since i was little. man i thought they looked good lol. well my gi bill money was about to run out so i went to school for auto body repair. well needless to say my instructor said i was too picky with my body work u will never make any money. in this class we had 1 week of detailing and i was hooked. omg this is what polish can do? what the heck u mean u should not wax or seal a car? imagine my shock. he coulnt even get me do any more body work cuz i was always buffing and polishing and glazing. when i graduated he said i would never wax his car. now ive been in business for 2 years and hes 1 of my main customers. imagine that

[superchargedg]

probably this forum after having my car so called having a pro job done and a few weeks later i had the swirls back.so i decided to do it myself and now i am addicted.

[rkf76]

The first time I remember "detailing" a car was when I was in the 5th or 6th grade. My dad had a Ford Ranger, a black one, that he had me take care of. I mainly did exterior wash and wax. Then I got a 89 Civic back in 88 and I babied that thing like it was a Benz. That was really when I got heavy in to making my car look good.

[imported_bigfoot]

I`ve lways like the look of a nice clean car. By the time, the only thing I had was AA, which I applied a full bottle per wash, and whatever soap I had. At least I had the chamois Then we got a 2000 Echo (The third one in my town back in PR) That`s when I started using Mothers and Meguiars. Then when my now wife and I got married, got an `05 Corolla. We lived in an apartment in MD(Balto), but keeping it clean was a hassle. So looking for info, found autopia, and ya`ll know the rest....

[kleraudio]

When I bought my truck i knew that i should use some sort of wax on it. I did not know why, but i knew that people waxed cars. Then one of my friends said i cant wax for six months because of the environmental paint that they use on cars. I had no idea what he was talking about so i searched on yahoo for environmental paint. i got nothing but i saw a link to a forum about car wax.



and here we are, 3 years later. Im addicted to detailing, have a small little side business, and still have that same passion I had when i first started. cant say that for too many other hobbies that i have.



Jim

[Crusader101]

My first job back in the early `70s was in a collision shop. I worked weekends detailing cars after they had been repaired. Only had four products at the time that were available to me: Kit carnauba wax, Meguiar`s #7, Tire Black paint and Nu-Vinyl. I have always kept my cars nice throughout the years. High stress sales management positions combined with heavy drinking curtailed my detailing enthusiasm for many years. Gave up drinking 2 years ago and eventually rekindled my interest in cars again.



So I have replaced my bottles of fine wine and booze with bottles of fine polish and wax.

[JB_TSX]

Discovering this forum and seeing the Click and Brag Threads really got me hooked...



Thanks to everyone here, who collectively I`ve learned a lot from...

[todd@bsaw]

I`ve always been involved with car clubs and shows since I was a kid. My uncle has rebuilt 3 Dodge Challengers and was always at shows with his Mopar club, other uncles have had classic Jags, Mustangs, and Bimmers, my older brother had an old Ford he rebuilt and took around the classic show scene, and I got into euros when I was old enough to drive going around to many BMW, VW, and Porsche shows.



I got hooked on the VW scene with my first (of many) dubs and always just had a passion to have the shiniest car there (even if it was nearly stock and hardly a show car). Since then, I`ve detailed many friends cars for the show season and it has spawned into a job.



... then I found Autopia... so I guess I`m kinda bass-ackward.

[jtford95]

I wasn`t any good at body and fender work,so this was the next best thing.

I cleaned a friend`s 81 Monty Carlo and liked the outcome. Her friend saw what I did ,so

I cleaned that one and liked the outcome of that one,I got paid. You get the picture