I want to be the best of the best

L

LCharlie's

New member
I grew up in a car family, my last name is Carr haha. My dad is extremely fussy with cars (especially with his 61 vette) and I adopted his OCD ways. I started detailing cars in the summers when I was in High School. I took awhile but my customers were very happy with my work and many said I should be charging more.



I'm now graduating college and haven't done anything with the business in 4 years, but I want to come back since it's so hard to find a marketing job right now, I want to market my company. I'm starting to get desperate for work. I have the ability now to make it real professional. I have a new chevy pickup that I can do mobile detailing with.



I need to perfect my skills and don't know what schools or training is out there. I use Auto Magic Products and have been to one of their training seminars.



I need help with removing swirls. I'm extremely fussy and the swirls that most people don't notice I do, and it's very very rare that I see a car that doesn't have any swirls. I want to practice getting that perfect, completely swirl free finish. Windows too, anybody have any secrets other than Castle Glass cleaner?



I appreciate any advice.



Charlie
 
You ought to look into Meguiars, Optimum, Menzerna and 3M polishes. 3M's Ultrafina is a great way to finish out hologram free and the other 3 companies have excellent polishes to remove heavy swirls without trashing the paint so Ultrafina can do its job at the end.



The best thing to do is practice on your own vehicle and friend's vehicles until you have enough experience to remove swirls without leaving buffer haze or rotary swirls.
 
I admire what you want to do but............customers saying you should charge more? That's a first!
 
RTexasF said:
I admire what you want to do but............customers saying you should charge more? That's a first!
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I heard the same thing when I was starting out too. A few customers (correctly!) told me the only way I attract high end clientel was with prices in line with other high end service businesses.
 
I wish you the best on your goals as a detailer and that you bring your best to the customers. But... it'll be a long road before you can beat the "Master Detailer" :grinno:
 
It takes a lot of skill to post and have no posts....



But I do agree with the others. Do a lot of reading here, and just practice.
 
salty said:
"Practice makes perfect"



How the hell do you get 0 posts? when you have already posted?
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I dunno alot of my post always seem to get messed up on this site. Either edited to say somethings I fully know I didn't say or just deleted all together... Not sure why my "Practice makes perfect" comment was deemed unworthy... Ehh not sure what's really going on.. Maybe a mod can PM me and explain what's going on.
 
Jake I've noticed a few time when my posts don't show up and the post counter seems stuck at times.
 
Scottwax said:
You ought to look into Meguiars, Optimum, Menzerna and 3M polishes. 3M's Ultrafina is a great way to finish out hologram free and the other 3 companies have excellent polishes to remove heavy swirls without trashing the paint so Ultrafina can do its job at the end.



The best thing to do is practice on your own vehicle and friend's vehicles until you have enough experience to remove swirls without leaving buffer haze or rotary swirls.
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Good advise Scott! Practice ,practice, practice!
 
Scottwax said:
The best thing to do is practice on your own vehicle and friend's vehicles until you have enough experience to remove swirls without leaving buffer haze or rotary swirls.
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This is how I started to get "good".



No friend will complain if you want to practice on their car--I promise that. Just be conservative in your methods--better to leave swirls than to wreck the paint.
 
LCharlie's- Welcome to Autopia!



For professional training, you might check out Automotive International. Here's a quote from the http://www.autoint.com website:



"AI also conducts an internationally renowned training program "PrepExcellence", which certifies detailers from around the world in diagnostic and repair skills on paint. Paint engineers from major car manufacturers have attended the course."
 
[You ought to look into Meguiars, Optimum, Menzerna and 3M polishes. 3M's Ultrafina is a great way to finish out hologram free and the other 3 companies have excellent polishes to remove heavy swirls without trashing the paint so Ultrafina can do its job at the end.
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This advice is essential. Know your products and test them on as many cars as you can get your hands on(i.e. friends, family, personal) and soon enough they'll be getting more clients for you. These products Scottwax mentions are great, the abrasive scale is easy to understand for a beginner too. It really helped tremendously when I started studying the abrasive scales and what each product is intended for. Practicing with friends cars helped me get my process down so when it came time to open shop I wouldn't be wasting time. Try finding people with hard clear coats and soft to see which products work best. I use Megs 105/205 very often, and many times I can polish down a vehicle with these two alone, but with some paints I have to have the Ultrafina(Which I think is great product with a rotary and decelerating the RPM's until it's jeweled perfectly) or a Menzerna product to finish the car off. Knowing your detailing vocabulary also helps when speaking with clients, it just lets them know you know what your doing and puts them at ease.



For professional training, you might check out Automotive International. Here's a quote from the http://www.autoint.com website:
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Thanks Accumulator, i've been looking for something like this.
 
If you want to be the best of the best, detail 1000 cars first. You'll be about 5% of the way there.



If you want to make a living, swirls are your last worries.



Here's what people pay for:



1. Stain removal. Terriyaki, coffee, milkshakes, soda, pet urine.

2. Pet hair removal. Remove it from headliners, from seats, from carpets (even the tight nap carpets), from floormats, from velour, from microfiber, from cargo liners.

3. Water spot removal. Remove it from glass, paint, plastic, wheels.

4. Odor removal. Remove tobacco, pet, food, and body odor.

5. Scratch removal. Wetsand, buff, even touch up large scratches that people don't have the budget to repaint.

6. Overspray removal. Remove latex paint, roofing material, and clearcoat from painted surfaces, glass, and plastic trim.



To make a full time living, you have to be an expert at these things to keep your calendar full.
 
AppliedColors said:
If you want to be the best of the best, detail 1000 cars first. You'll be about 5% of the way there..
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Smart Comment ^^^:up



AppliedColors said:
If you want to make a living, swirls are your last worries.



Here's what people pay for:



1. Stain removal. Terriyaki, coffee, milkshakes, soda, pet urine.

2. Pet hair removal. Remove it from headliners, from seats, from carpets (even the tight nap carpets), from floormats, from velour, from microfiber, from cargo liners.

3. Water spot removal. Remove it from glass, paint, plastic, wheels.

4. Odor removal. Remove tobacco, pet, food, and body odor.

5. Scratch removal. Wetsand, buff, even touch up large scratches that people don't have the budget to repaint.

6. Overspray removal. Remove latex paint, roofing material, and clearcoat from painted surfaces, glass, and plastic trim.



To make a full time living, you have to be an expert at these things to keep your calendar full.
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Not So Smart Comment^^^:down
 
I don't know I think he hit the nail on the head there. Most people don't care near as much about swirls on their cars as they do about the stains in their carpets (assuming most work comes from your normal daily drivers). And as I consider myself somewhat of an expert in the subject of detailing (LOL) I find it take's more skill and know how on getting stains out of carpets than it does removing swirls from paint. to the point that paint is paint. it comes in SS or BC/CC then some have soft and some have hard clears... That's pretty much what you're working with and have to learn about. However stains came come from literally an endless supply of sources. Most of which will need a different approch to tackle and remove. From enzyme based stains to red stains bleach stains dumped gas in the trunks etc etc etc... And I know there's a LOT of guys on here that will disagree with me on the subject but it takes a LOT more skill to get an interior back to perfect than it does to get a paint job back to nice and glossy.
 
AppliedColors said:
If you want to be the best of the best, detail 1000 cars first. You'll be about 5% of the way there.



If you want to make a living, swirls are your last worries.



Here's what people pay for:



1. Stain removal. Terriyaki, coffee, milkshakes, soda, pet urine.

2. Pet hair removal. Remove it from headliners, from seats, from carpets (even the tight nap carpets), from floormats, from velour, from microfiber, from cargo liners.

3. Water spot removal. Remove it from glass, paint, plastic, wheels.

4. Odor removal. Remove tobacco, pet, food, and body odor.

5. Scratch removal. Wetsand, buff, even touch up large scratches that people don't have the budget to repaint.

6. Overspray removal. Remove latex paint, roofing material, and clearcoat from painted surfaces, glass, and plastic trim.



To make a full time living, you have to be an expert at these things to keep your calendar full.
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I agree100%





David Fermani said:
Smart Comment ^^^:up







Not So Smart Comment^^^:down
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I have been in business full-time since 1981, However I have only recently joined any of these internet forums discussing detail procedures....It is simply amazing to me at how much input is focused on swirl removal, IMO any duffuss with a how to video, a P/C, the right pads/product can remove swirls. Having said that there is just not that big a demand for $500-$1,000 Swirl removal jobs around this neck of tha woods.What people want round here is a 4-6 hour detail that covers everything. For $125-$175 And when you are dealing with masses of cars you better know how to handle ALL aspects of detailing or you will be out of business with tha quickness.
 
Jakerooni said:
Most people don't care near as much about swirls on their cars as they do about the stains in their carpets (assuming most work comes from your normal daily drivers).

And as I consider myself somewhat of an expert in the subject of detailing (LOL) I find it take's more skill and know how on getting stains out of carpets than it does removing swirls from paint. to the point that paint is paint. it comes in SS or BC/CC then some have soft and some have hard clears... That's pretty much what you're working with and have to learn about. However stains came come from literally an endless supply of sources. Most of which will need a different approch to tackle and remove. From enzyme based stains to red stains bleach stains dumped gas in the trunks etc etc etc... And I know there's a LOT of guys on here that will disagree with me on the subject but it takes a LOT more skill to get an interior back to perfect than it does to get a paint job back to nice and glossy.
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Yes, that’s probably the case in Michigan. People’s demands vary state by state, city by city. Vehicles go through different exposures to wear & tear in different geographic locations as well. Seems like the lowest common denominator to this industry is to market yourself “cheap and good�. If that works and you can be successful at it, go for it.



Many people (like me and tons of other Autopians) choose to think outside of the box and market themselves within specialized “nichesâ€� within the industry. Is that bad – no, not if you can be successful at it. People like Rydawg, RickRack, TH0001, gmblack3a, Bob @ Auto Concierge, dsms, SpoiledMan, Grouse, FMINUS, SuperiorShine, MobileJay, Apollo-Auto, Richie Carbone, Anthony Orosco, JoshVette, pampos, Pat300ZX, Picus, joyriiide1113, themightytimma, 01bluecls, ScheerSpeed, ebpcivicsi, MotorCity, etc……. do pretty well at concentrating on the “swirl removalâ€� market. I rarely, if ever, see them doing odor & stain cleanups. Should they be considered less skilled at detailing because of this?



Being successful or professional shouldn’t be dictated by what you focus on as long as your clients are coming in droves and you’re profitable. I was so sick and tired of cracking my knuckles open scrubbing nasty carpets for 15 years. Doing train wrecks day after day gets old, especially if you’re only getting $150-$200. I, in retrospect, can honestly say it actually takes less skill, less effort and is less satisfying doing it than a paint correction. It’s either clean or not – not too many variables if you think about it. The art of paint correction has evolved dramatically over the last few years at an alarming rate. Detailers are pushing themselves to achieve the highest level of quality possible.
 
I recently increased my prices and changed up my services menu on my website to more comprehinsive detailing and paint correction. I've always been very good with a rotary and using the right combos with the PC and cyclo. My prices before weren't too low but I alway's got the calls from people looking to get a detail and how much it would cost. Most of the time, but not all, I was dealing with DD's that were just either never waxed in 3 years, interior was horrible, or they just didn't care about how their car looked, it was just getting so bad, they had to get it cleaned up, and that's all they expected; was to get it clean. Now when people call their mostly car enthusiast who really care about their vehicles. I actually get more calls now then I did when my prices were lower and less specialized. They never ask how much it's going to cost, they just either ask me when I can come out or when they can drop it off, and I stay booked 2 months out. Even when new clients call they are willing to wait months for me to get to them. There's definitely room for any business structure in this country, from the 50hr exotic jobs to doing 10 basic washes a day and everything in between. Just like Fermani said, it's all about what your market will allow. Many places have room for many correction specialists and some don't have room for even one. For me, it's just very relaxing to work on 8+ hr details where I can get it perfect. I don't miss running around town all day for three $120 details, but that's just me. For instance, yesterday a man dropped off a Denali at my shop and rather than asking for a price, he just said "do your magic, just try not to go over 25 hours."
 
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