How would you classify yourself as a detailer?

[joyriide1113]

Long time enthusiast. I get paid to detail, so you can call me a pro, but I`m not a business. Always here to pick up tips.

[9D4E420]

I started professional detailing when I was 18. So I guess you can call me a enthusiast pro detailer. I have a bachelor degree but recently started detailing again full time until I find a good business job. I`m doing it now not only for the money but for the love of the hobby. I`m having a blast doing it. I consider myself a subcontractor. I detail cars at a used car dealership and give the owner a bill at the end of each week. I work when I want to and usually do my customers cars up at the shop during nights or weekends. How can you beat it I have free run of the shop and dont have to pay utilities.When I do start working I plan on trying a small mobile business on the weekend. Thats my deal. Is there anyone else with a similar situation to mine??

[Pander5]

Hey that`s a pretty nice setup 94 E420.

[baker]

Started out as an enthusiast on my own car, but over the last 2 years started doing others, last summer close to 30 with another dozen turned down. This year I have business cards made to try and expand it a bit. Besides working at a 50 to 60 hour a week job. Biggest problem here is that its here, lol, the east coast of Canada, Nova Scotia, it is strictly a summer thing.

[black bart]

I`m not a slow detailer
I`m not a fast detailer
I;m a halffast detailer
Boy I hope I got that spelled right.

[Djoseph]

Hi. My name`s Dustin, and I`m from Nebraska. As far as my talent is concerned, I`m unrivaled in my area, but that`s my personal opinion. I love to detail. To take an utter pile and turn it into to something beautiful is an art, and I don`t think people really appreciate our line of work. I was pro for a couple of years, but the business is cut throat around here, and the local dealers just want cheap and fast. Well, I`m not cheap, and I`m certainly not fast. I can bust out a couple of details in a day, but that`s not coming close to the express shop down the street. But I don`t know..... I guess quality doesn`t always outway quantity.

Anyway, I joined Detail City to learn from other detailers` techniques and get advice on products. I`m a product nut...... I`m always excited to try a new wax or polish, but I still seem to stick with what I know works. But Anyway, hello from Nebraska.

[Reddwarf]

I`m new to this. But I hope to have my own detailing bussines someday. I am very very very lucky to be working with a guy that has so much time under his belt and even has his own line of products. I`m talking about Steve (a.k.a Poorboy) I have learned everything that I know from him and I always love learning all the little tips and tricks that he knows. There is so much more that I want to learn and will hopefully be with steve for more years to come.

Suck up!

just kidding. I bet Steve is a good boss.

[GearHead_1]

Suck up!

just kidding. I bet Steve is a good boss.

I`m sure Pockets isn`t feeling the same way 13 months later.

[Reddwarf]

I started detailing in 2005. I bought my 2003 Jaguar then and I wanted to keep it looking as good as it was when I bought it. Previously I had an Explorer for 9 years that was parked outside most of the time. I ran it through the car wash and never washed it myself.

I rapidly got into detailing the Jaguar and spent lots of money on products. I only detail my cars and occasionally a relatives.

I like having the mix of people on the board and I continue to learn from everyone. I`m not sure about new sponsors. Most of the sponsors here are great because they offer advice and answer questions but they don`t use this as a vehicle for hard selling.

Troy, thanks for all you do on the board. I know we all appreciate your hard work and support in letting us share information and build a community.

[Reddwarf]

I`m sure Pockets isn`t feeling the same way 13 months later.

Ha! I just realized how old this thread is!

Good one Gearhead. You may be right!

[wilkes006]

I guess I`ll go ahead and post something now.

I found this site last year after moving out of Tampa while I was pursuing a business to start up. I got hooked on the concept, spent three months working my way through this site, then bought my equipment and opened for business. I`ve been mobile since last October and have become very good at the work.

Anytime I wasn`t sure of something, I`d look on here. My wife now works with me and our business is growing extremely fast, while our work continues to get better and better with each detail.

This is maybe the third time I`ve posted anything on here, mainly because I was still learning the craft. Now that I read that not everyone is a pro, and I might provide some decent info, I`ll start posting on a more regular basis.

[premier shine]

i would say that i am a pro with over tens years in experance

[hemin8r]

I`ve been detailing cars for about four years now. I detail on the weekends and usually have the customers bring their cars to me. I have a full time job monday thru friday so if a detail request comes up during the week I can usually leave my full time job early enough to get started on the detail. Usually booked every weekend so I guess I can consider my self a pro enthusiast still wanting to learn alot more.

[Old Pirate]

First time i wash and wax a car was when my dad said that i had to learn something new. So he got me a bucket and a wash towel and had me wash his 63 SS Impala. When i finish drying it off he had me wax the car too. Now that was in 63 and i was 9 yrs old. From there i always did the family car and also friends car to for money. I missed a few yrs because i was stationed overseas and deployments too. Always doing my on cars and do a few cars here and there for other folks too. Always willing to learn something new and glad things have change to the better on so many products out there to use to better the finish on vehicles.

[heatgain]

I bought a new Saturn Aura in March of 2007 and faithfully ran it through the swirl tunnel wash weekly. I wanted to keep it clean and shiny! After a month or 2, I thought I`d wax the car to make it shinier and protect it. In my garage I had some old Blue Coral Wash & Shine, a 14 year old bottle of Nu-Finish and an equally old unused bottle of Slick 50 Synthetic Car Polish. I didn`t know if it was healthy to use such old products so I googled "Car Washing." I discovered the Meguiar`s site and started reading.
Pics and pics of swirled cars came up on my screen. I thought I`d go outside and take a look at my new shiny car with my new knowledgeable eye.
Omigod! Swirls galore on my new pride & joy DD! And I thought I was doing good by tunnel washing it weekly! Now what?
Being the voracious reader and learner that I am, I read more, browsed more, and discovered other sites beside Meguiars. Armed with new knowledge, Meg`s #80, a new PC, a few pads, NXT 2.0, and another local enthusiast I found on Autopia, we tackled my wife`s 1996 white Saturn SC1 first. This other enthusiast I found online brought a rotary and PB`s polishes with him. He told me he was extremely knowledgeable and would teach me the rotary and how to polish.
I watched him and listened to him teach, but from what I had read, I disagreed with the way he was handling the rotary and polish. I didn`t say anything though because, after all, I had just read stuff and he was the "experienced one." I thought I was making better progress on 1/2 the car with #80 and my PC than he was doing with the rotary and the SSR 2.5.
Well, he created 2 small rotary burn-thrus with his rotary work. I thanked him for his time and effort and told him I`d rather finish the car myself so I would learn by doing. He apologized for the burn-thrus and offered to come back at a later time to fix them. I never saw him again.
I finished the car with my PC, laid a coat of NXT 2.0 on the car, and WOW! It NEVER looked that good! 12 years old and it looked better than 95% of the cars I see on the road. It was covered with swirls though but it was white and one had to get close and look with a "practiced eye" to see them. But it was shiny! I couldn`t stop going outside to look at it at different times of day and night to admire the gloss and light reflection.
I was hooked. I`ve since spent tons of money on products, supplies and equipment and have what I think is an impressive collection.
I then spent a few months and more money widening the area on the side of my garage so I could detail a couple of cars each weekend for $ to at least pay for my supplies.
I did 2 cars for 2 friends for a grand total of $70.00.
Now I realize detailing is hard on a 57 year body, so I`m just doing my car and the wife`s for the time being, but that doesn`t stop me from spending $$ on supplies and spending time on these forums.
I guess this is a long winded reply to the question, sorry!