Help me spend $1500!!

[TTWAGN]

By the sounds of things you will be doing sub $300 details. Possibly even sub $200 details.



At that price you will not be able to offer 3 stage swirl removal using SFX 1,2,3, and then topping with a sealant then wax. That will take 10+ hours and would pay below the minimum wage.



I myself struggle to get customers that want full paint correction. Probably 10% of my customers want basic swirl removal and the rest just want a quick wax.



You do not have any products available for these bread and butter details that will most likely make up the bulk of your customers. Most just want something that adds a bit of gloss and protection, if swirls are removed then thats a bonus. Most customers wont care if your protection lasts 1 month or 6 months.



If a customer pays enough for only one product to be applied to the paint, what do you choose?



1) A compound - defects removed but there is slight marring and NO protection.

2) A polish - removes light swirls leaving no marring but again NO protection and heavy some swirls still remain.

3) Sealant/Wax - provides protection but all the defects remain.



Either option is bad. You are better off using a all in one product it may not do each of those steps as well but atleast each step is covered. The results will be far better



SFX polishes, KAIO and P21S could all be replaced by a single product meguiars #66.



You may think P21s will look better but it wont. If the surface is still full of swirls Meguiars #66 or any cleaner wax (AIO) products will beat it hands down.



If you dont want to buy a gallon of meguiars #66, then buy the smaller bottle for under $10.. Meguiars colorx is the same product but in a small bottle.



Also as a replacement for PGP a product like aquawax will be much better. You can apply it as you buff the #66 away. Sure it wont last as long but its cheaper, quicker and looks just as good.



If you are buying from autogeek get the UDM intro kit. It includes 4 cutting pads and 4 polishing/finishing pads.

 

[CleanGSR]

Ok, so I revised my plan. I hear what you guys are saying about getting a UDM, so I decided to get one. I still would rather not cheap out on the chemicals tho, so I'm going to stay with the Sonus stuff. So basically, I'm going to pick up:



-UDM kit with Sonus SFX 1,2,3 and pads.

-KAIO for sealant after polishing

-P21S to wax



I'm not sure as of yet if I want to ditch the PGP. One question tho, because I'm confused as hell. What do I apply with the UDM, and what to I apply by hand? Also, when I am doing it by hand, what applicator do I use?



Another thought was to just get the UDM for polishing, and then I will just use the PGP over SFX-3 or over KAIO. Any recommendations?

You are clearly new at all of this because Meg's 21 and 80 are far from "cheaping out on chemicals". They are two incredible products that are both user friendly, look incredible, and will have better durability than P21S (comparable looks too). However, if you are one of those people who judges a product based on it's price, pic up some high end wax with poor durability and high price......you'll not only make less money, but you're customers won't be satisfied when their Dodge Neon that they spend $150-200 to have detailed doesn't have protection/bead after a month in the sun.

 

[brownj218]

You are clearly new at all of this because Meg's 21 and 80 are far from "cheaping out on chemicals".

Sorry, I was refering to the chemicalguys stuff.

By the sounds of things you will be doing sub $300 details. Possibly even sub $200 details.



At that price you will not be able to offer 3 stage swirl removal using SFX 1,2,3, and then topping with a sealant then wax. That will take 10+ hours and would pay below the minimum wage.

Actually I was planning on buying these chemicals, so why wouldn't I have been able to offer that? The only reason that now I'm thinking not to do it, is because I didn't realize it would take 10+ hours, and I doubt anyone around my area would be up to paying for that kind of work.

You are better off using a all in one product it may not do each of those steps as well but atleast each step is covered. The results will be far better.

Actually I really like that advice. I think I will just do that with #66, and then later on after I have built up some business, I will invest in chemicals and pads that allow me to do a 3 stage.



I think I will actually start by offering 1 and 2 stage. If I was going to do that, I would want to do polish and wax, right? Any product recommendations?

 

[TTWAGN]

Actually I really like that advice. I think I will just do that with #66, and then later on after I have built up some business, I will invest in chemicals and pads that allow me to do a 3 stage.



I think I will actually start by offering 1 and 2 stage. If I was going to do that, I would want to do polish and wax, right? Any product recommendations?

Sounds like a plan and will definitely suit the $200 detail price bracket.



If you were to offer a 2 stage detail then you could indeed provide a dedicated light/medium polish and then top with a wax on cars in good condition. However the problem appears when you get cars with heavy swirls and light scratches. You need a stronger heavy polish/compound to fix the paint and usually the paint wont be ready to wax after such a strong step. So the second step would need to polish out the marring from the stronger compound, but then you have the problem again of having no protection. This is why you can again go to Meguiars #66 as it will remove the marring from the strong compound and then leave a decent wax protection.



I would only consider using a dedicated wax if the customer is paying for at least 3 steps or the paint is in great condition. At the start it will be highly unlikely you will get a customer that will be willing to pay over $300 for a detail, it will also be highly unlikely to get a car with good paint.



So in summary i wouldn't bother getting a dedicated wax or sealant just yet. Meguiars #66 will offer enough protection for sub $200 details.



So for your 2 steps the compound i recommend would be a 32oz bottle of Meguiars M105. It has a lot of cut and when using a smaller 5.5inch cutting pad the UDM has proven to be able to provide enough heat to use "rotary only" products. Of course a rotary buffer works much better and stronger with M105 however it has been proven to work with a random orbital buffer quite welll. Cutting power is significantly reduced with the UDM however as M105 is so strong you should be able to remove most imperfections you come across. Though it probably wont be able to remove scratches.



Once you get the reputation and have customers willing to pay over $300 then you can start looking at getting a rotary or flex as well as products dedicated to polish like Menzerna 106FF and dedicated wax's such as P21s.



With such a limited budget its better to concentrate on what will make up the bulk of your details.

 

[brownj218]

Sounds like a plan and will definitely suit the $200 detail price bracket.



If you were to offer a 2 stage detail then you could indeed provide a dedicated light/medium polish and then top with a wax on cars in good condition. However the problem appears when you get cars with heavy swirls and light scratches. You need a stronger heavy polish/compound to fix the paint and usually the paint wont be ready to wax after such a strong step. So the second step would need to polish out the marring from the stronger compound, but then you have the problem again of having no protection. This is why you can again go to Meguiars #66 as it will remove the marring from the strong compound and then leave a decent wax protection.



I would only consider using a dedicated wax if the customer is paying for at least 3 steps or the paint is in great condition. At the start it will be highly unlikely you will get a customer that will be willing to pay over $300 for a detail, it will also be highly unlikely to get a car with good paint.



So in summary i wouldn't bother getting a dedicated wax or sealant just yet. Meguiars #66 will offer enough protection for sub $200 details.



So for your 2 steps the compound i recommend would be a 32oz bottle of Meguiars M105. It has a lot of cut and when using a smaller 5.5inch cutting pad the UDM has proven to be able to provide enough heat to use "rotary only" products. Of course a rotary buffer works much better and stronger with M105 however it has been proven to work with a random orbital buffer quite welll. Cutting power is significantly reduced with the UDM however as M105 is so strong you should be able to remove most imperfections you come across. Though it probably wont be able to remove scratches.



Once you get the reputation and have customers willing to pay over $300 then you can start looking at getting a rotary or flex as well as products dedicated to polish like Menzerna 106FF and dedicated wax's such as P21s.



With such a limited budget its better to concentrate on what will make up the bulk of your details.

Alright, so to summerize again... for 2 stage we are looking at M105 and then #66, and for 1 stage we age looking at just #66, right?



Also, I'm still trying to figure out if i should stick with PGP or aqua wax. I was thinking of offering a cheap package with just PGP, then a step up would be the 1 stage, then 1 stage with PGP, then 2 stage, then 2 stage with PGP. Make sense? Otherwise, I will only use the PGP by itself in the cheapest package, and then offer it as an additional service with the others. Thinking about it, I know PGP is meant to just be used by itself, or after polish, so I'm not sure if this would be a good idea.



By the way, thanks alot for the advice, I appreciate it loads.

 

[TTWAGN]

Alright, so to summerize again... for 2 stage we are looking at M105 and then #66, and for 1 stage we age looking at just #66, right?



Also, I'm still trying to figure out if i should stick with PGP or aqua wax. I was thinking of offering a cheap package with just PGP, then a step up would be the 1 stage, then 1 stage with PGP, then 2 stage, then 2 stage with PGP. Make sense? Otherwise, I will only use the PGP by itself in the cheapest package, and then offer it as an additional service with the others. Thinking about it, I know PGP is meant to just be used by itself, or after polish, so I'm not sure if this would be a good idea.



By the way, thanks alot for the advice, I appreciate it loads.

Yep that is correct



I'd use aquawax as its cheap and extremely quick to use and apply it to every detail.



That way you have 3 packages



wash with coat of aquawax, you can dry 90% of the water off the car and then apply aquawax while you remove any remaining water. It wont add any extra time to your drying process.



stage 1 #66 and then aquawax



stage 2 M105, #66 and then aquawax



When you wipe off #66 you'd apply aquawax at the same time, so its actually no extra time.

 

[bunkeroo26]

Okay, here are some of my suggestions for starting out cheap.



Bissell Little Green Machine - cheap and effective.

Scrub the carpet with Woolite and water solution, and extract with LGM, works great for budget.



For Chemicals, I have tried the full line of Megs, and they are really good.

But, I like to stay with Optimum Polish and Compound. Two good Polishing chemicals that I can use for almost everything.



For Pads, i really like the Lake County VC pads. The VC is variable Contact, if I'm not mistaken. VC puts a bevel on the edge, so that its easier to maintain contact with the panel on curved surfaces.



Another priceless Chemical is 303 Aerospace protectant. This is my default for trim and door gaskets. People also use it for interior trim and tires, for a matte finish.

It is important to have a chemical for a matte finish, as many car afficiandos don't want the super glossy finish.



You should also buy multiple Clay Bars. Count on dropping them (making them useless), and using them so often that you need new ones constantly. A previous thread pointed out that most clay bars are produced by the same brand. But, see if you can purchase 3 or 4, so that you can get a bulk discount.



I would suggest getting 2 - buckets for washing. A grit guard for one of them is good also, it stops your mitt from picking up the excess dirt in the bucket. Also, a bucket which is on casters, and has a lid that you can sit on is an invaluable addition to your detailing cabinet. This will save your back!



As TTWAGN pointed out, the KAIO and P21S combo will not look great without prior paint correction. Meaning, if you aren't polishing, then you need an additional wax that has cleaner and filling properties.



If you want to portray a professional appearance, then I would also suggest you to get a whole bunch of spray bottles, and small applicator bottles. If you rebottle and label your chemicals before the detail, then the customer does not see your mis-matched bottles of product. Appearance goes a long way into convincing your customer that you can charge more for a detail.



The last addition that I can suggest is a Gilmour Foam gun, and a quick release valve to go with it. These foam guns really speed up the washing process immensely; and its a fun gadget!



Look into polycharging your wax. This is new frontier for me, and I'm in no ways an expert on it. But, if adding poly chargers to your wax or LSP, gets them to last for MONTHS longer,then I think this could be an important addition to your buisness. Anything that you can do to keep the car beading for longer, is best. Beading is the most noticeable thing for a customer. You want to strive for them to wake up in the morning, and see those dropletts running off their vehicle three months down the road. Then, you know that you'll have repeat buisness.



Goodluck!

 

[green dimnd]

I believe the OP is from Canada, which means the clay to get is yellow clay, sold by eshine.ca under the Riccardo brand. They can also provide many of the other suggested products (megs, optimum, klasse, etc) and free shipping for orders over $150.

 

[brownj218]

Ok, so I have made a revised list of stuff I plan on buying (pulled the list from another thread.)



Please let me know if you recommend getting a different product over one that I have chosen. Cheaper/ better quality is what I am looking for. I have the money to spend, so I don't need to get the cheapest thing possible as long as it is good quality. I just need to know if I am buying a bottle of something for $40 where I could be getting another product that is the same for $20.



Anyways here it is:



EXTERIOR DETAILING SUPPLIES



1. Buckets- Walmart

2. Wash mitts- Sonus Wool

3. Soap- Sonus

4. Tire & Wheel brushes- OXO

5. Clay- Sonus SFX

6. Water blades- California Jelly Blade

7. Wheel dressing- Sonus Tire & Wheel

8. Micro fiber towels- 3 types, all from autopia car care

9. Window cleaner- Sonus perfect glass

10. Compound- Meguiars M105

12. Polish/ Wax- Meguiars #66

15. Metal polish- Flitz

16. Molding restorer- Sonus Bumper

18. Degreaser- Autoglym Engine Cleaner

20. UDM

21. Pads for all machines and products- UDM pads



INTERIOR DETAILING SUPPLIES



1. All purpose cleaner- Sonus All-in-1

2. Carpet brushes- OXO

3. Wet/Dry vacuum- Canadian Tire/ Autopia Car Care

4. Leather cleaner & conditioner- Sonus Leather Care

5. Vinyl cleaner & dressing- 303/Sonus

6. Plastic cleaner & dressing- 303/Sonus

9. Detailing brushes- OXO

10. Window cleaner- Sonus perfect glass

11. Micro fiber towels- Autopia Car Care





Also buying spray bottles as suggested and aquawax





Ha, I realize now after typing that out that I am buying alot of Sonus stuff. I know they are good products, but would I be better off buying something else...and maybe in a larger quantity? One main reason my list is what it is, is because I get most of my info about detailing from this site, so I figure the chemicals the site sells must be good. One main thing is that I can buy them all in one place. Any recommendations on other products maybe...and better yet, where should I buy? I want to buy from 3 different sites/ sources max.





Geez, it really is confusing with all the stuff out there. I appreciate all the help you guys have provided thus far. If anyone has more guidance they can offer, I really appreciate it.



Thanks.

 

[bunkeroo26]

6. Water blades- California Jelly Blade

I'd be very careful about water blades in general. people say that they work well, but if you get one grain of sand/dirt in them they will scratch your paint

 

[Holden_C04]

I think we are missing the point here. Making a shopping list of detailing products is easy. Starting a business is not.



The biggest part of business will always be getting and keep customers. Marketing will get you new clients. Customer service will keep them coming back.



Advertise, Advertise, Advertise.



Build a professional reputation (I can help ya there )



Here's a link to a quality ad that earns business: The Ultimate Detailing Service - Kitchener Cars & Vehicles - Kijiji Kitchener



Here's a quality web design: Apollo Detailing - The Ultimate Detailing Service

 

[TTWAGN]

You could replace your vinyl, leather, plastic cleaners and degreaser with a single jug of Meguiars APC.



Cut it 2:1 for engine bay, wheels and tyres. 20:1 for leather and 10:1 for plastic and vinyl.



You could also replace your tyre dressing, molding restorer and interior dressing with a single jug of Meguiars hyper dressing. Use it undiluted on tyres and 4:1 on interior for a matt finish.



Not sure if it will work out cheaper though, as you'd have to buy a gallon. Much cheaper in the long run.



Also for your car wash solution i'd definitely consider optimum no rinse if your mobile as it doesn't suds which makes it easier to rinse off.



For your average car that hasn't been washed for months, buy some truck wash which is extremely cheap. It will do a much better and quicker job. The boutique car wash products are often very mild and designed for regular washing. They often struggle to remove thick oil films and bug guts etc. Go the truck wash for sure

 

[brownj218]

You guys are awesome.



Ok, so as for the products... i'm thinking autogeek for the meguiars stuff, and autopia car care for the rest. Is there anything else that I am missing?



TTWAGN, would you really recommend using those products for all those jobs? Spending the extra money on the specialized plastic, leather, vinyl and engine cleaners is something i don't mind doing, as long as it yeilds better results. If you think that it will be pretty damn close anyways, then I will for sure just go with the APC and hyper dressing.



Holden, I have put alot of thought into the marketing. I already have 3 people lined up for complete details. These people all have nice cars, are fond of their cars, and have big mouths. They also work with many people that have nice cars. I think that if I do a good job on those cars and leave them with a few business cards and flyers, that I will build a nice customer base right there. I'm also planning on printing a ton of flyers and business cards for distribution. I have lots of family that is willing to help me out, whose car's I will be detailing as well. That kijiji ad looks great, I think I will do something similar as well in my area.





As for the water blades, after doing at minimum a hand wash and rinse; chances are sand won't still be on the car...right?





TTWAGN...ah, u edited. Alright, would truck wash work with a foam gun? I was looking at the foam gun and it looks pretty cool to tell you the truth. 1 thing though, would truck wash be safe on all paints/ clearcoats?



As for the no rinse, I don't think that would be necessary yet. Just starting out as I am going to be, I'm going to concentrate more on people that want their car detailed in their own driveway. With that, I will ask them to have an available hose outlet for me to hook up my hose. That or they can bring their car to my place. Either way, I am going to require that a hose outlet be available when I do a job. In general, I don't think people would have a problem with that, right?

 

[Holden_C04]

Holden, I have put alot of thought into the marketing. I already have 3 people lined up for complete details. These people all have nice cars, are fond of their cars, and have big mouths. They also work with many people that have nice cars. I think that if I do a good job on those cars and leave them with a few business cards and flyers, that I will build a nice customer base right there. I'm also planning on printing a ton of flyers and business cards for distribution. I have lots of family that is willing to help me out, whose car's I will be detailing as well. That kijiji ad looks great, I think I will do something similar as well in my area.

If only it were that simple...



But it's good you are thinking about it. You need a comprehensive plan that consists of more than 3 customers' referrals.



I really enjoy Applied Colours' posts about business and marketing as well as mirrorfinishman. Those two will help you out.

 

[getcha]

For your "polish/wax" category I would look to separate these. I dont think #66 while its a great product, will cover alot of your polishing needs. You should check out optimum products, they are inexpensive, great quality and for many of us on here, alot of the time a go-to polish. Meguiars #84 and #80 are tried and true and awesome too. If you want to spend a bit more look at the menzerna IP/FPII combo.

As far as waxes and sealants, read up.



Consider Black Wow over your choice of moulding restorer.

As far as your brushes, I would really go to a store and make sure you look at them and feel them, make sure they are the right thickness, and stiffness you want.

APC(get it, its AWESOME) can also take care of engine degreasing @ 4:1.



Ditch the water blades. bad no question.

Shampoos which may be more cost effective are Meguiars super soap and shampoo plus as well as Chemical guys citrus washngloss and maxisuds(there are TONS).



When youre at Walmart grab some of Meguiars Gold class shampoo instead of your sonus, some invisible glass and a cheap pack of 25 or so MF towels for your cleaning duties of interior and jambs. Save your good towels for the paint.



Patrick @ exceldetail.com is amazing and will help you out.

Bob @ danase is great too.

 

[jayjacque]

One more thing, or maybe a couple. If at all possible, any stuff you are ordering from the states have them ship United States Postal (USPS). (that is if you are in Canada, which I believe you are) For one or two good size orders like you are describing you will pay up the gazoo for brokerage fees from the other shippers like UPS. Sales reps from some of the companies you'll deal with know that, some do not. But you should ALWAYS specify. If you don't, believe me, you sure will after the first order comes in COD owing somewhere $100 and $300 you weren't expecting! If a company is not willing to ship USPS, then I'd recommend going thru eshine.ca, aka chris. Prices are comparable and no brokerage fees

 

[TTWAGN]

Either way, I am going to require that a hose outlet be available when I do a job. In general, I don't think people would have a problem with that, right?

In australia we have a product called a car cube. Its a small 20litre water container with an inbuilt pump that connects to your cigarette lighter. It comes with a 5 metre hose. Thats what i use for my mobile details. It has similar pressure to a normal garden hose and usually i just have enough water to rinse the car two times. I then bring a 20 litre contrainer of water to fill a bucket with.



You could indeed seperate the polish and waxing steps however this multiple step process would be pushing the details into the $300+ price bracket which is out of reach of most customers. I still think meguiars #66 would be best to start off with.



Maybe later you can consider something like Menzerna 106FF and a dedicated wax to create a 3 step package.



1: Meguiars M105 to cut

2: 106FF to remove marring

3: wax or sealant.



You could then upgrade to a rotary or a flex forced rotation orbital and a extractor if you think theres a market for expensive $500 details. You may only get a single $500 detail every month compared to a dozen $150 mini details per month. You may make considerably more money from doing mini details and having many more happy customers using only cheap bulk products.



The amount of people who are willing to pay over $300 to clean their cars would be a very very small minority.



With the truck wash, yes its safe on clearcoats if used correctly. Any shampoo can stain clearcoat if its used with a strong dilution. When a tough cleaning job comes, you may want to dump half a bottle of shampoo in the bucket to get cleaning strength required. Thats not very cost effective so you are far better off using a strong cleaning shampoo and only using a little. You want to avoid rubbing the surface to remove dirt and grime, using a strong product will often be safer on the paint as you dont have to rub as much. Obviously you wouldn't use truck wash on a car you just detailed as it will strip all the wax off the car.



Forget about the foam gun. It only slightly reduces the chance of producing swirls and takes longer to setup. Most of your details will have swirls already so it doesn't matter what you using before buffing. The 15 minutes setting up and using a foam cannon is better spent buffing the paint.

 

[bunkeroo26]

Well, most of what you are asking, about equipment, and chemicals needed, is pure opinion. I would really suggest trying several different things. Don't spend everything at once, try a few products, and try some more new ones. I personally love testing out different combinations and tactics for detailing. It is one of the things that keeps it interesting for me. And plus, something for someone might not work perfectly for you. Your water might be harder, and a certain car shampoo might not suds as well. So, really man, its trial and error.

As he pointed out, he thinks a foam gun takes extra time, and that is polishing time. Personally, I find that it saves me a ton of time. It is all just personal preference.



303 aerospace is my personal choice for trims and such!

 

[brownj218]

Ugh, opinion...that's what I was afraid of. O well, if only it were as simple as having a single list of products that everyone agreed on...



I guess I will be experimenting then (and why not, its government money after all...haha). So I'm definitely going to try #66/ m105 and the optimum products, and a few shampoos too. I'm going to go with megs APC and hyper dressing for sure, but I think I would still rather use a dedicated leather cleaner and conditioner instead of the APC for leather.



I'm still waiting for the cheque...so I have time to read up before making any decisions. I think I'll make a big order once I get the cheque, and then after experimenting and making a final list of products, make a smaller order near the end of June (I can't start until July anyways).

In australia we have a product called a car cube.

That actually looks like a great product, but I can only find it shipped to Australia. Do you know where you can buy it shipped to canada?

If only it were that simple...



But it's good you are thinking about it. You need a comprehensive plan that consists of more than 3 customers' referrals.

Haha, I hear you. Don't worry, in no way am I relying on 3 referrals. I'm just saying, that is what I have done so far. Once I get the cheque, I will be printing out a ton of flyers/ business cards. I'm also planning on borrowing a g35, a 530i, and a CL 600 from family that I will detail in high visibility areas...hopefully grabbing a few customers like that. I still have a while to worry about marketing, but I need to buy the products soon to start practicing.







If anyone is at all interested, I can post up what I chose to go for in terms of products when I decide. Anyways, thanks alot for all the help to everyone who posted on here. It's gotten me to exactly where I want to be in terms of getting this thing started up.

 

[TTWAGN]

That actually looks like a great product, but I can only find it shipped to Australia. Do you know where you can buy it shipped to canada?

The car cube is good. I used mine probably over 100 times now.



Sometimes it lacks the pressure for the really dirty cars and i often have to refill it, but that doesn't happen very often.



You could make your own. Im considering making my own with more pressure and a bigger tank. Say a 100 litre water tank with a flat bottom for the boot of your car. Then use a 12volt automotive petrol pump. That would pump out over twice as much water and at twice the pressure of the car cube i use now. I'll then get a longer 15 metre air hose on a reel and mount that to the tank. That way i can park my car near the customers car and just pull the hose out and im ready to go.



With the car cube it has a short 6 metre hose so i have to sit the unit on the ground and run a cigarette lighter extension.



That would be awesome for mobile detailing.