Hello from Central Texas! Long time Autopia lurker, finally posting!

[AustinZ]

Greetings to the Autopia community! I`m a Central Texas car enthusiast who has been in this area since the late 70s. I`ve been active in the local car scene since the 80s, from Saturday night street meets to putting myself through college while supporting myself installing 12v electronics to growing the local Datsun/Nissan club from infancy to over 150 members during the lean years of the late 90s to early 2000s when the Z was out of production. After starting a family and spending two decades climbing the corporate ladder and running on that treadmill, I made a change last year and decided to make a go of my own business. While I have several pans in the fire, one of the most exciting and current for me is getting my mobile detailing business off the ground in 2016. I`ve got a small collection of cars of my own that I am using to get the business going, I`ve got a shop and outdoor layout that I spent 2015 sorting out that is working out pretty well, and I will be looking to lease (and ultimately buy) more shop space in the next 2-3 years.

Right now I have a pretty wide variety of paint to work on within my own collection, and a small pool of customers I am building up as well. I`ve used Autopia in the past (pre-PBMG) as one of the premier resources for quality information on all things detailing, and I have been leaning on it heavily in the last year and a half as well as AG and several other sites. I`ve read about a million threads, watched a ton of videos read a good dozen books including Renny`s, and I`ve had a good bit of hands on show car and hot rod experience dating back to the 80s when I was all about The Wax Shop products (before I got a Jet Black BMW and I learned what misery was) through the mid 2000s when corporate took over my life. I am amazed at the leaps and bounds in products and tools in the last five years or so. In the last year I have been able to do a deep dive into the latest in detailing, and have been able to spend time hands on with a good variety of cars taking what I have learned and seeing what I find. In the last three months I have stepped up the investment into the business plan and associated details, and I`m working on the purchase and buildout of a dedicated work truck. I have some connections for local mentors, and I`m also heading to the Mike P.`s class this weekend.

Thanks to everyone who contributes to this board, and I hope to do some contribution myself in the future. Cheers!

[Ronkh]

hi

[GearHead_1]

Welcome to Autopia Forums.

[House of Wax]

Welcome and congrats on your successes so far

[Stokdgs]

Welcome, fellow Texan, from another Texan living in Northern California !

Looks like you have some good hands-on years back there and that will always be an advantage..

How nice to have a good Shop area set up with plans to expand..

I was also around (with just a very few people that are left here) on a couple of Forums before, including the one from Classic Motoring Accessories which later became Autopia Forums...

Every time the Forum broke up, we lost more of the original incredibly talented Core people and sadly, it looks like most of them went on to other places..

I remember the Wax Shop !

Have had a few Jet Black Bimmers and Detailed a bunch more of that color alone, and actually love working on anyone`s black paintwork than any other color..
There is still nothing equal to a perfectly Detailed Jet Black Bimmer going down the road under an absolute clear blue sky and sun at noon !

Hope that you enjoy your time back and we are all happy to help and share our experiences with yours..
Good luck with your business plans..
Dan F

[Migue]

Welcome! i`m not FROM Texas, but I`ve been living here for a few years and it`s been my Home away from Home and where I`ve settled nicely so far, i love it here.

[AustinZ]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

[Bunky]

Welcome !!

[512detail]

welcome from central tx as well
glad to see you decided to post up

this is a good place to get/share information

[AustinZ]

welcome from central tx as well
glad to see you decided to post up

this is a good place to get/share information

Brandt - I`d like to get together with you some time to talk detailing. Do you go to any of the local car meets?

[512detail]

Brandt - I`d like to get together with you some time to talk detailing. Do you go to any of the local car meets?

Im active in Alamo City LX out of San Antonio...I do cars and coffee every now and then at the Oasis.

I`m no pro, I`d consider myself a quality weekend warrior.

I`d be happy do offer any advice/thoughts I could though, or just shoot the detail you know what.

I`ll pm u my number

[mjlinane]

Welcome to Autopia!

[RaysWay]

Welcome to Autopia and have fun in the class! It normally doesn`t rain this much here!

[haris300]

Welcome! Fellow z32 owner here. Let me know if you`re ever in Houston.

[Oldfordisbetter]

Welcome