Looking for some tips on getting started

N

nudy34

New member
I have been growing interested in detailing for a while now and need a little help. I really want to start detailing full time by next summer but want to start small over the winter and spring. Does anyone have any recomendations on what products, tools, etc I should purchase to get started. Thanks for any help and any other posts everyone has made on getting started I have learned a lot

-Nick
 
Aloha Nick :) , Welcome to DC forums. Alot of info here.Just stick around for awhile and you'll be up to speed.

Here's a tip: make some business cards and don't go cheap. Try and come up with an original and catchy name. ( easier said than done ) design a logo.
Make a price list that you can give people when they ask " how much do you charge?"

Lots of places on the internet . I did mine at office max.

oh yeah after you get a business name , go get your General Excise Tax Liscense . You can write off your expenses at the end of the year. The Tax liscense is only $20.00
 
was up nudy... ok heres what i did and others will join in on this .. please take the advice given and you will be ok .. many including me tried to use our old school ideas and realized you need to let those old ideas go . first you need some good car wash . also we need to know where you are located and what youre budget is also how serious are you . 2. i like a good chamious 3. you should get some detailing clay . then a good polish 4. then a good carnuba or polymer sealer or both . 5. get some microfiber towels . i highly recomend investing in a porter cable polisher also known as a p.c. . i resisted buying one for a while and i was a fool .. GET ONE !!!!!!!. you will need a good all purpose cleaner and some brushes for interiors . a good vacum or a carpet extractor is a must if you are going to get serious . i couldnt live without my karcher powerwasher. its great on bugs , engines , wheelwells and doorjambs . i prefer solvent based dressings but i buy professional products and some of that kind of stuff cant be store bought . to be real honest with you please call dwayne at PREMIUM AUTO CARE he provides this web site and he is top notch . i really mean it he and our other sponsors here provide advice and customer service you wont get anywhere else. dwayne has given great prices and advice. you tell him what you are looking to do and he will get you the exact stuff you need. also steve at poorboys will get you going on some great products . you can see the results right here on detail city . good luck
 
hey thanks guys for the quick replies. I actually found the sticky in another area of the site with a list of products to order through Premium Auto Care and placed an order to get started. Never heard so many good things about the products listed and the website so I made a quick decision and placed my first order through them. Not my normal style of approaching things but this site had so many good and positive reasons for using them and the products I purchased.

Also thanks for the tips on a business card, flyers, etc. I will work on coming up with a name and some advertising ideas. I dont want to push it too much right away without a good amount of practice on my own and family cars. Plus I work 50 hours a week right now and take classes so Im going to go easy on pushing things til I more comfortable with my skill and I have more time. Thanks again everyone.
 
after reading more i have 2 things I am curious about.

1. what does qd stand for? i have seen it mentioned many times.

2. another it seems like when polishing you should top or wax or do something also. noticed people say to wait a day before they do the next step. does anyone have steps for the polishing and waxing? also what does a detail shop do since they have a car done in a couple hours.


thanks everyone
 
nudy34 said:
after reading more i have 2 things I am curious about.

1. what does qd stand for? i have seen it mentioned many times.

2. another it seems like when polishing you should top or wax or do something also. noticed people say to wait a day before they do the next step. does anyone have steps for the polishing and waxing? also what does a detail shop do since they have a car done in a couple hours.thanks everyone
Click to expand...

QD = Quick Detailer.

Yes, after polishing you need to protect the paint. Most polishes are just for preparing the paint for a sealer/wax. Most sealants say they need a 24 hour cure time before you apply another coat or a wax topper.
 
Most of the time. Most detail shops just wax the car. Sealants aren't really used by as many shops as you would think. Sealants aren't really marketed to the big time professional shops anyway. They are marketed more towards the backyard detailers.
 
nudy34 said:
so do detail centers just skip the topping part?
Click to expand...

Most detail places (at least around here) skip any kind of swirl removal as well as polishing. They usually slap some high gloss glaze on to fill in the swirls and send you on your way. The first rain will usually knock all of the shine off!!!
 
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