Starting to detail on the side

top189h

top189h

New member
Hey guys, I've been working at a body shop for the past few years and I'm looking to make money on the side detailing cars for friends, co workers, etc. At work we use the meguiars pro line and I think the chemicals are a bit too much. I was looking to invest in my own basic start up kit and wanted to use some chemicals that were a little easier on the nose. Anyway, I would like to keep my budget between 1,700 and 2,000$. I was going to get the Aztec hot rod, the vapamore steam cleaner, some basic chemicals from chemical guys, and a da polisher kit from poorboys. Are these good products to start off with? Again I'm not looking to do this professionally but I would like to make my money back and maybe a little extra to support my racing. Any support would be greatly apprecaited, Thanks guys. Oh and on a side note, I'm also looking for some products to use on my truck, just got finished repainting it and want to try some dressings and waxes, I like the wet look, the wetter and deeper the better, would the chemical guy's black light and vrp dressing do the trick? and can you go over the vrp with a longer lasting wax?
 
Nothing wrong with the list you have. Chemical Guys and Poorboys have a lot of good products. As far a Megs and their scents , have you tried Megs D300 compound and #40 vinyl dressing ? My customers seem to like the scent of these products.
 
Certainly nothing wrong with the products you've listed. There is no question that you can find sound products in the two lines listed to accomplish most any need. PoorBoys definitely has some of the most pleasant smelling products to work around. The thought that goes through my mind when reading your post is simply this; I'm a person that usually jumps into anything I do whole hog. I've spent thousands of dollars purchasing equipment to build a specific type of rifle and literally built 5 of this type gun, no way that I've come close to breaking even. One can certainly question the wisdom in a decision like this one. I tell you this so that you know I understand the desire to have it all now. In your case, what you end up with is a good chunk of change tied up in the extractor and steam cleaner you have listed. There are so many services you can offer that either don't require the "big guns" or can be accomplished with a good stiff nylon brush, quality vacuum, the appropriate products (chemicals) and a bit more elbow work.

If you were telling me that you were going into the business full time tomorrow and had the assets to invest, I wouldn't be throwing this flag out. If money is no object I wouldn't fault you for doing just as you have proposed. If you're making a living at this you're going to really want to have this type of equipment somewhere down the line. However by the time you get there you might find that there is a piece of equipment that better meets your needs.

All this said, I believe you can be a serious detailer, tackle the majority of what is in front of you and make money without throwing this investment out initially. If you like what you are doing, find it profitable and decide to go full tilt then drop the cash on the heavy hardware. It's often hard to recoup your investment with this type of equipment should you decide it's not the right second job. By the way I know the equipment that you've listed is moderately priced within its own sphere. I simply question the need for it when just starting out.

Either way, I wish you well and welcome to the site. ;)
 
Good luck to you. You are certainly in the right place to learn and grow. I too soon hope to have a side venture going.
 
Congratulations on your new venture. Poorboys offers some great products that work really well and they are really inexpensive. I haven't use many Chemical Guys products yet but the few I have used have been great. You can't go wrong with either product line.
 
If you are just working on the side I would skip the steamer and extractor. Get yourself the Bissell Little Green machine and it will handle most stains that you run into. It's a much better ROI than some of the bigger units.

Chemical guys does make some great products, and they get really cheap when you buy them by the gallon. They do have a lot of overlap in products though so do some research and make sure you are getting what will work best for you. No point in haveing multiple products that do the same thing.

Personally I'd skip the poorboys polishes. The new master cut compound is great, but their SSR line of polishes has always left me wanting more. Sure they are cheap, but I feel they deliver subpar results as well. If you get yourself the Megs MF kit you will be able to tackle the majority of cars with it and get great results. Add some Menzerna Powerfinish and PO85 rd to that and you have enough polishes to do just about any paint job.
 
Autopia Car Care Store, has it all!

Check out Blackfire Car Care , Optimum Polymer Technologies, Meguiars Car Care Products, Menzerna, Pinnacle Natural Brilliance , Poorboy's World and Wolfgang Concours-Series Car Care. These are some of the best products around, so take a look at them and read the sections on the forums about them. On a carpet cleaner that won't break your bank, the Little Green Machine might help out and a dry vac also. So remember you don't have to spent alot to get started in the detailing business, just keep adding on as you go. Anything else please ask and we're help you in the search of a line for you. Good Luck and Welcome to AutopiaForums............:welcome:
 
Thanks for all the replies guys, and Gearhead_1, I'm the exact same way. I have a 69 camaro race car and decided I wanted a dragster. Well my first idea was a used one to get started in, nice and simple and put a spare motor in and have fun with both, that quickly turned into a new one, then me and my buddy laying out some custom paint (eighty hours worth) and 1000 horses in my new motor. Then I just sit back and go wow, that plan backfired and then its off to a new project lol (just glad the racing pays for itself, thank goodness). Spending the money now isn't so much a problem, it's just an idea I have toyed around with, right now the shop I work at supplies us with apc and hyper wash and the same rags that where there when I started, I just want to offer the best services I can. I don't plan on doing it full time because of the lack of a guaranteed paycheck, I just don't like the uncertainty, but so long as these products seem to be capable of doing the job, I'm going to pull the trigger. Thank you guys so much for all the advice and help again, AutopiaForums rocks!:rockon
 
I can agree with Gearhead. You can start small and build a cash reserve. You can then decide if the revenues your bringing in support the sideline. As they say "start small grow big it's not a sprint but a marathon" You never know you may find this could make you good money if you don't go overboard.
 
Flannigan said:
If you are just working on the side I would skip the steamer and extractor. Get yourself the Bissell Little Green machine and it will handle most stains that you run into. It's a much better ROI than some of the bigger units.
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That's great advice. The LGM is a great tool and its a lot cheaper than an extractor
 
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