Where to spend my Dad`s money?

[sunsetstroker]

My Dad is getting me a polisher and whatever kit I want for an early Christmas present. I want the best deal I can get and want to spend less than $250 for everything. Most of the big places have sales now but dont discount polishers. I see I can get a porter cable with everything I need off HD for 40% off but not sure about their products as Ive read a few mixed reviews.



Can you guys recommend a complete set for me to start with? I detail cars on the side right now and would like to offer polishing services as well.



So basically Im looking for a complete kit with enough products to polish many customers cars and my C6 all for around $250 or less.



Thanks - heres a pic of my car after a wash and wax. I have tons of swirl marks and paint damage from the previous owner I would like to fix on my own.

[Automints]

It`s gonna be a bit tough to get everything for $250.

Here`s what I recommend, which would be okay for a beginner, for around $250.



Porter Cable $120

LC 4 or 5 inch backing plate $20

LC orange and white pads $20

Menzerna Intensive Polish $30

Menzerna Final Polish $40

Chemical Guys M-Seal $15



This is assuming you have everything else, (wash soap, clay + lube, tire dressing, detailing accessories, etc. etc.).



Again, its` hard to get everything you need to start a detailing business, even a part time one for $250. But the above combo will work well as a starting kit, and you can probably do a few of your friend`s car with this as well. For real customers, you`ll later need to buy a rotary polisher, amongst many other things.

[nyyankees22]

I would get the Porter Cable Poorboys Kit from Superior Car Care for $259....It comes with everything you should need. Once you use their products, you will not use anything else ever again.

[imported_tim]

Detailed Image is having a buffer sale as we speak.



25% Off, Buffer and Vacuum Sale - Big Sale ‘09 – Detailed Image

[Big Leegr]

There`s also this sale going on:

http://www.autopia.org/forum/high-de...iday-sale.html

[DetailnByDustn]

If your anything under 20 and own a grand sport c6 corvette I would be ticked, I worked all my life for a c5 series corvette. Detailed Image is having a sell as mentioned above, also check into chemicalguys.com great selection of detailing equipment and some of the cheapest professional products available. Ive never used the HD line of product but this is what I would invest in if I was starting up:



Washing steps:



Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss

EZ-Detail Brush

Lambs Wool Wash Mitt

Three Buckets

Chemical Guys Synthetic Detailer

Waffle Microfiber Towel

Chemical Guys Sticky Wheel Cleaner (All Wheel Cleaner)

Chemical Guys Grime Reaper (Diluted Properly for Tires and Wheel Wells)



Correcting Steps:



Chemical Guys (Mild) Clay Bar (Should be a gray color)

Chemical Guys Luber

Menzerna SIP, PO

Chemical Guys Pro Polish

Lake Country Pads (At Least 2x of: Orange, White, Blue)

PCXP equipped with a 5 inch backing plate



Interior:



Chemical Guys Silk Shine

Chemical Guys Lightning Fast

Carpet Brush

Leather Brush

Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner

Woolite (10:1)

Stoners Invisible Glass

Various Detailing Brushes

Wet Vac

Tons of Microfiber Towels

Chemical Guys Carpet Protection



Finishing Touches:



Chemical Guys Fade to Black

Stoners More Shine/Chemical Guys Tire Gel

Chemical Guys Medium Duty Metal Polish (Wheels, Tips, Metal Pieces)



Theres a lot that Im forgetting but thats about the gist.



You cant really get away with spending $250 on starting a detailing business, I would save that money and get around $600 and then buy everything. $250 will barely buy you a PC and a quarter of a typical regiment.

[black03mach]

Nice vette! Sip and 106ff will be your goto polishes on the car! and get a pc7424 xp or one of the new higher powered orbital buffers

[sunsetstroker]

:clap:Thanks man, I just turned 29 and had the car since 27. My next car will be an exotic for sure, I just need to get back on my feet.



I decided to get a ton of stuff from HD at 40% off and the UDM xp from autopia for 30% off, it came out cheaoer that way.



I got more than enough stuff to detail cars the way HD has it set up, I just hope it works as well as they say it does.



DA FOAM PAD KIT HD-DAPPAD-KIT 1 38.00

HD POXY HD-POXY-9 1 25.00

HD UNO HD-UNO-9 4 6.00

HD METAL HD-METAL-9 1 12.00

HD UNOPAD HD-UNOPAD 3 7.50

HD POXYPAD HD-POXYPAD 2 6.50

HD FREE HD-FREE-24 4 6.00

HD PROTECT HD-PROTECT-12 3 10.00

HD INTERIOR DUOPAD HD-INTDUOPAD-2 1 9.00

HD TOTAL HD-TOTAL-24 1 12.00



Grand total of a little over $250. I already have a lot of detail stuff so this order and the polisher will more than complete my setup.

[DetailnByDustn]

:clap:Thanks man, I just turned 29 and had the car since 27. My next car will be an exotic for sure, I just need to get back on my feet.



I decided to get a ton of stuff from HD at 40% off and the UDM xp from autopia for 30% off, it came out cheaoer that way.



I got more than enough stuff to detail cars the way HD has it set up, I just hope it works as well as they say it does.



DA FOAM PAD KIT HD-DAPPAD-KIT 1 38.00

HD POXY HD-POXY-9 1 25.00

HD UNO HD-UNO-9 4 6.00

HD METAL HD-METAL-9 1 12.00

HD UNOPAD HD-UNOPAD 3 7.50

HD POXYPAD HD-POXYPAD 2 6.50

HD FREE HD-FREE-24 4 6.00

HD PROTECT HD-PROTECT-12 3 10.00

HD INTERIOR DUOPAD HD-INTDUOPAD-2 1 9.00

HD TOTAL HD-TOTAL-24 1 12.00



Grand total of a little over $250. I already have a lot of detail stuff so this order and the polisher will more than complete my setup.

Glad to hear you got everything you needed for $250 thats a steal :clap:, I know I would of spent way more than that on the basic stuff for my car.



Good, It puts me down to see someone my age roll up in a new corvette after all the long hours of working to get a c5 series vette, Ive got a friends that gets whatever he wants from his parents it just puts me down when he gets stuff handed to him.



Tell us how all the HD products work out and good luck! :2thumbs:

[DetailnByDustn]

Thats a sharp corvette man, looks really good is it a grand sport or do you just have the decals on the front fender?

[sunsetstroker]

Glad to hear you got everything you needed for $250 thats a steal :clap:, I know I would of spent way more than that on the basic stuff for my car.



Good, It puts me down to see someone my age roll up in a new corvette after all the long hours of working to get a c5 series vette, Ive got a friends that gets whatever he wants from his parents it just puts me down when he gets stuff handed to him.



Tell us how all the HD products work out and good luck! :2thumbs:

Yeah if you buy the wax seperate you get uno, free and the protect half off! I actually saved over 50% when after buying 4 uno, 4 free and 3 protect.



Wait, how old are you? I have been on my own since I was 17. Nobody gave me anything. I sold cars for a while and made a lot of money pre Obama. Now Im unemployeed. Ha.



Just keep working hard and youll be in a new one sooner than you think. They were just some decals I put on. I think GS was back on C4 models and now they offer one in 2010.

[toxin440]

nice vette - I have an 08 Z06 - love it to death.



To the people asking - that`s not a grand sport, it`s a base C6 with the "ron fellows" stripes on it.



The newest grand sport from GM, is basically a C6 with a widebody kid, Z06 brakes, and a dry sump, still keeping the 6.3L 436HP engine.



Sunset: i feel you, I`m 27, was making great money pre-obama in oil and gas, and i`ve been unemployed for almost a year (and cant collect unemploytment b/c I`m self employed)

[tomwiller]

Try looking for craiglists and ebay. There are lot of cheapers stuffs there...

[DetailnByDustn]

Wait, how old are you? I have been on my own since I was 17. Nobody gave me anything. I sold cars for a while and made a lot of money pre Obama. Now Im unemployeed. Ha.



Just keep working hard and youll be in a new one sooner than you think. They were just some decals I put on. I think GS was back on C4 models and now they offer one in 2010.

Im 19. I had 90 silverado (Pictures) lowered with weld racing wheels, 2 ten inch subs, custom paint scheme and some other things sold it for about 4 thousand, I had around three thousand in the bank and sold my cattle and financed the rest, I knew the guy and got a great deal on it after I detailed it for him for 13 thousand. Hopefully Ill get one later on I love the new design I cant wait for the c7 series. Sorry to hear about your losing your job, Im looking at a 98 trans am right now but Im worried if somethings wrong with it, the guy is selling it for 6 grand and its in great shape, exhaust, suspension, stereo, wheels, ls1 thats a deal if its passes the mechanics inspection.

[Candor]

Lucky git, in my family growing up if you made a list those were items you weren`t getting. Few times we would add stuff we hated to avoid getting them.... it never worked. Anyhow I`m a sucker for Vettes, father had a `76 stingray, he sold it before I could learn all about it, all I remember is it grumbled like no other. Fell in love ever since.