Victim of my own success

[4u2nvinmtl]

Lately, I`ve been having a lot of people asking me how much I charge to detail and I tell them all the same thing "go see [insert detailing company name], their professionals, I`m just an enthusiast". But people insist they want me to detail their car to look just like mine. The thing is people don`t understand that I`ve literally spent 100`s of hours detailing my car.

Money isn`t the issue for me it`s time it takes. People seem to think that it will take a few hours (like a correction is done in one pass).

Reluctantly I accepted to detail a Porsche Cayenne for an in-law who`s really gone out of his way to help me out. As there`s a learning for each paint type I was hoping a professional could give me an idea how hard/thick the clear is on a 2004 Navy Blue Porsche Cayenne that`s in poor condition. I have a feeling the owner can`t tell a swirl from a squirrel.

My game plan is to use the hood as a testing ground for CarPro Essence starting with a polishing pad, then cutting pad, and finally MF cutting disk. I also have some HD Speed that I could try. Or I could do a real two step using Menz FG400 or Meg`s M101 as my compound on foam cutting pads and CP Essence as my second step.

I would appreciate any advice.

Note: I don`t own a paint thickness gauge so I`m leaning towards doing a one step correction or AIO.
​

Questions recap:

• How thick is the paint on a 2004 Porsche Cayenne on average (thin/medium/thick)?
• How hard is the paint on a 2004 Porsche Cayenne (hard/medium/soft)?
• What compound and polish, combo, would you typically reach for when doing a production detail on a Porsche (2004 Cayenne)?
• Any tips or recommendations?

 

[Stokdgs]

The last Cayenne in beautiful Lapis Blue I Detailed had over 120 microns total thickness, and had probably never been Detailed..
It was scratched all over and the clearbra was really scratched..

The paint is medium to hard like all German Paint (except for BMW JetBLack), and I used Sonax Perfect Finish ( Cut = 4 of 6, Gloss = 6)
with Lake Country Hydro-Shred Foam Cyan 5" pads on a Makita, coming up from 600rpm to around 1,000rpm..

I would rather ramp up slowly to get the correction rather than hammer the paint with the most aggressive compounds, as a lot of people do today... And because I use less aggressive compounds I hardly ever have to go back and remove anything from the paint to get perfect clarity...
I am not in a hurry to do these, my Clients know that perfection takes longer and are willing to wait for it...

I don`t know if CarPro Essence has a cut number like all the others do or a visual gauge that shows where the cut is on a scale like Menzerna does..
If it seems like it does good correction work then it might work out for you..

This paint should reward you with absolute beautiful clarity and gloss like all Porsche paint does...
You may have to work hard and lean on your machine to give you the correction you are going for..

The extended Leather was really a hard leather that was very durable and held onto dirt quite well.. Had to use a lot of Zaino Leather Cleaner and Steam through a towel carefully, to get it all out in places... It turned out beautiful and was much softer and beautiful Dove Gray when done..

Good Luck, Amigo !
Dan F

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

Another guy (local track photographer with an eye for details) has seen my handy work time and time again at the track, has also asked me to detail his family`s collection of cars (black Ram SRT10, green Challenger SRT, black CTS-V, black Merc AMG, and a chameleon Plasti dipped SAABARU). He`s making an offer I shouldn`t refuse on cars I absolutely love to work on but he`s looking for "perfection". I tried referring him to professional`s but he`s already tried two different alleged professional detailers out on his black AMG Merc and it`s still swirled up (looks like they just glazed it and it wore off a few weeks later).

I wish I had the time but I already work a full-time job and spend a couple of hours every night managing investments and royalties so I really don`t need the additional income (I know poor me). The thing is I`m passionate about detailing and there`s just something I love about it (I guess I`ve never been the artistic type and detailing appeals to that need).

I know production detailing is really hard on the body over time (occasional paint correction here and there is no big deal but production level is another world).

If you were in my shoes (34, out of shape, financially comfortable, and married with kids) would you consider moving to production detailing if detailing was your passion?

I already know I would open a shop in an affluent neighborhood and only do high-end cars.

Maybe it`s just a midlife crisis and I don`t know what to do and want change... LOL

 

[512detail]

I`ve always wanted to do this combo on a car to try out- essence on a medium cut pad and DoDo Hybrid Nano (dodo claims it has great filling ability in the booklet that came with it)

to your paint question, I have no idea

for me, Essence is not something that I try to make cut a whole lot. I tried it with a rupes mf cut disc and didn`t like the finish (also didn`t feel the cut was that great either) compared to using it as a 2nd step for final polish or to remove compounding haze. im not sure how far essence can be taken cut wise but im sure others could get more cut with a rotary/ markII

Recently I used it as a final finishing polish/primer (with carpro gloss pad) after a 2 step and the gloss was out of this world



also..maybe you should find time to knock out one of those cars at a time and then see if its something you really want to do all the time. that money wouldn`t hurt to add to your `enthusiast` budget...(I`m in a similar boat as you minus two years and a wife/kids)...I enjoy the flexibility of being able to turn down the vehicles that I really don`t want to work on. I have no goals on a shop, but I think you detail out of the parking garage, right? I could see a shop being good for you but really only you can decide if you want to go into that type of capital investment.


Good luck on the Cayenne,,,i`m sure it will turn out great

 

[Stokdgs]

Be careful that you don`t allow the mid life crisis thing affect your long range plan for you and your family..
Besides, it`s only temporary and then it`s gone...

I am glad that you are attracting a "following" and you don`t even detail for a living - very impressive -

Since we both know that this craft takes around 20 hours to do one completely and about as perfectly as it can get, do you see how you can fit this into your schedule and still have time for family and everything else ?

How many 20 hour stints can you handle in a month ? A year ? Yeah, it can get complicated and I certainly found myself trying to juggle a lot of things - wife, her 3 kids, 2 beautiful German Shepherds, a huge house, 4-5 vehicles of our own, and then always another German car in the garage to take 20 hours out of the current situation...

Detailing is in itself very artistic, in its own space, so you are actually fulfilling that part of your life as well !

I always try to imagine how the Client will look at the vehicle when he sees it next, and make for certain, all the "sight lines" the body lines, the curves, all the places where the light really reflects are absolutely perfect before they see it and certainly, there can`t be even any dust on it when they do come to the big
"Reveal"...

I imagine all the work the designers did for that car in a big clay model at first, - these are artists, no ?
And my job is to bring all that work to the best possible level it can ever be - inside and out..

Then, as I have already mentioned before, you set up your "Studio" so the first look they get is absolutely focused on nothing else but their "new again to them" vehicle under lights, nothing else to distract from that moment...
But I digress...

I had that affluent neighborhood connection as well ! Everyone drove by the house in their Lambo`s Ferrari`s, Aston`s, Bentley`s, Mercedes`, BMW`s, Porsche, Audi, etc... and saw me and my brighter than noon lighting in the garage at night, and often just stopped by and wanted to see what I was doing..

I could have easily worked out of that Client base alone and never looked further..

Worked all year -around after the word got out but again, there was always, always, another vehicle to do... Do you want to get to that ?
It will be physically demanding but you will get really strong and in shape - especially upper body -wise.

The $$$ part can be all over the scale depending on your Client base, as we all know, so you have to see what the Client base will want to pay on average and after paying for extra insurance, business license, state taxes quarterly that are collected and paid back to the state, etc., and see if there are good breaks on your tax return for owning a business, etc., and all that stuff...
Takes a lot of hours spread out over the year or all at once before tax time rolls around... Does that fit into your plan too ??

It takes a lot of vehicles to pay for all the overhead and the new expenses that will come into play when you start burning way more electrical, water, heating, cooling, etc., than you are used to; will this be ok ?

I think at the best, I was Detailing around 65-70+ vehicles a year, and I work alone, so if you had good help - as good as you - that number could double if you guys wanted it and had the Clientele..

So, unless you are averaging around $1,000 a job, there might not be enough income from this alone to cover part of what you may leave on the table to follow your dream, etc... How does that fit into your financial planning for the rest of your life? And there is no 401k from detailing either, unless you set one up yourself and start contributing to it...

Perhaps looking back at what I just typed, it may be better to just do this when you have time, and I promise you, they will wait for you because they have seen your work, which speaks volumes...

And then, it will be more fun and challenging knowing you have lots of time, and dont have to worry about making enough to pay the bills and just get by and all that stuff that sometimes happens...
Dan F

 

[Swanicyouth]

Another guy (local track photographer with an eye for details) has seen my handy work time and time again at the track, has also asked me to detail his family`s collection of cars (black Ram SRT10, green Challenger SRT, black CTS-V, black Merc AMG, and a chameleon Plasti dipped SAABARU). He`s making an offer I shouldn`t refuse on cars I absolutely love to work on but he`s looking for "perfection". I tried referring him to professional`s but he`s already tried two different alleged professional detailers out on his black AMG Merc and it`s still swirled up (looks like they just glazed it and it wore off a few weeks later).

I wish I had the time but I already work a full-time job and spend a couple of hours every night managing investments and royalties so I really don`t need the additional income (I know poor me). The thing is I`m passionate about detailing and there`s just something I love about it (I guess I`ve never been the artistic type and detailing appeals to that need).

I know production detailing is really hard on the body over time (occasional paint correction here and there is no big deal but production level is another world).

If you were in my shoes (34, out of shape, financially comfortable, and married with kids) would you consider moving to production detailing if detailing was your passion?

I already know I would open a shop in an affluent neighborhood and only do high-end cars.

Maybe it`s just a midlife crisis and I don`t know what to do and want change... LOL

Dunno if your like me, but I`m pretty passionate about detailing for like 3hrs - then I wanna sit and take I break. Lolz.

Some of these dudes are running like 16 hrs a day. I think detailing is the kind of business where a lot of people need it fast and want it now - either right before a car show or because it`s their transportation.

If your thinking about switching careers; you have to consider health insurance, 401k, paid time off; etc... Also, depending on where you are the business may slump in the winter and if the economy goes bad.

Not like it can`t be done - but you really have to love detailing to leave a successful career IMHO.

 

[WaxAddict]

Back to your question(s), the Porsche paint will correct and shine like mad with Menzerna 2500, Orange pad. Only once did I need something stronger, due to bad car wash tunnel scratches in the lower panels.
Follow with any mild finishing polish for extra pop, but the 2500 will finish down fine, especially if the owner isn`t an Autopian type.

Porsche is renown for dozens of shades of blue. They all swirl easily for whatever reason.

 

[LEDetailng]

If you have HD Speed, give it a try. I like Speed a lot. After doing two step correction with Menzerna compound and polish. I have made the decision that my daily drivers are getting HD Speed or just HD polish. If you have a rotary, try Speed with a cutting pad. I got amazing cut and finish with Speed on a LC CCS orange pad. I have zero experience with Porsche paint.

My problem with doing $250-500 details is that I would spend 20 plus hours and it would not be profitable. If you are like me you will probably take more time in detailing your family member`s Porsche than you initially think.

Surprised my neighbor this spring by detailing his Dodge truck. I probably had 12 hours in that detail. He doesn`t drive it now because he doesn`t want to get my detail job dirty You won`t want to stop at "good enough". I looked at his paint and wanted it perfect. You will have to stop yourself from going to the level of your SRT Jeep.

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

Since we both know that this craft takes around 20 hours to do one completely and about as perfectly as it can get, do you see how you can fit this into your schedule and still have time for family and everything else ?

My work is flexible allowing me to take unpaid days off as I want as long as none of my projects fall behind. I`ll have to take the occasional conference call from my cell and answer an email or two but nothing super demanding. The detailing season isn`t very long so I think it`d be a nice way to get extra time out of the office and possibly make more money. Sitting on my butt in an office all just doesn`t seem right... I think I could ease into it with a couple cars a month, take it slow and doing it right. My wife is a stay at home mom and probably wouldn`t mind helping me out while the kids are out at school.

I always try to imagine how the Client will look at the vehicle when he sees it next, and make for certain, all the "sight lines" the body lines, the curves, all the places where the light really reflects are absolutely perfect before they see it and certainly, there can`t be even any dust on it when they do come to the big
"Reveal"...

I couldn`t agree more! I kind of do that to myself when I work on mine. I focus on each section until it`s perfect then I stand back and watch the sunlight dance on the body of the car and I walk around taking it all in. I feel`s like a primordial love for a horse. Cars are our modern horse and carriage, after.

I imagine all the work the designers did for that car in a big clay model at first, - these are artists, no ?
And my job is to bring all that work to the best possible level it can ever be - inside and out..

Yes and that`s why I relish polishing over every contour and get lost think about all the engineering and design behind the whats and whys of that specific make/model, it`s intriguing. I go to the annual International Car show to check out all the new the new consumer cars coming to market. It`s a blast, you get to sit in about 80% of the cars from just about every major manufacturer.

Inside, eh? I`m going to need an extractor if I`m going to take this seriously. No point in kidding myself.

Then, as I have already mentioned before, you set up your "Studio" so the first look they get is absolutely focused on nothing else but their "new again to them" vehicle under lights, nothing else to distract from that moment...
But I digress...

Now that`s something I haven`t thought about.

Worked all year -around after the word got out but again, there was always, always, another vehicle to do... Do you want to get to that ?

No. Thats why I think I need to be more dynamic and treat it as an alternate form of revenue (a change of pace from the office during the short summers). I think I`d have to network and find a suitable space to work out of on a day to day basis rather than renting long term. I seen one detailer set up in a 24hr private parking lot underground downtown. He had lots of a lighting and it was very clean (painted his space and was very organized). I could also work something out with another local detailer to share a space for a few days a month (give him some paid down time).

The $$$ part can be all over the scale depending on your Client base, as we all know, so you have to see what the Client base will want to pay on average and after paying for extra insurance, business license, state taxes quarterly that are collected and paid back to the state, etc., and see if there are good breaks on your tax return for owning a business, etc., and all that stuff...
Takes a lot of hours spread out over the year or all at once before tax time rolls around... Does that fit into your plan too ??

Anything under 20k is tax-free and technically I don`t have to register a business if it`s just a personal service like a babysitter, car wash, etc. Insurance would be a contract/inspection form as proof of the state it arrived in, and that I accept to pay for any damages caused while under my possession (other that automobile accidents as that`s covered by the car owners insurance in Quebec by law). No one reads the small print in Montreal I`m like the only one so that should be easy.

It takes a lot of vehicles to pay for all the overhead and the new expenses that will come into play when you start burning way more electrical, water, heating, cooling, etc., than you are used to; will this be ok ?

Fortunately, utilities are very affordable where I am. We have a surplus of hydro electricity leading to low rates, and water is free. Heating and cooling is typically electrical so it`d be just one bill to split with the owner for the days of my consumption. Owning a full blown detailing shop is out of the question but renting someone else isn`t.

I think at the best isn`t as Detailing around 65-70+ vehicles a year, and I work alone, so if you had good help - as good as you - that number could double if you guys wanted it and had the Clientele..

Volume won`t be the goal, perfection will be. I hope I could get my wife into it more.

So, unless you are averaging around $1,000 a job, there might not be enough income from this alone to cover part of what you may leave on the table to follow your dream, etc... How does that fit into your financial planning for the rest of your life? And there is no 401k from detailing either, unless you set one up yourself and start contributing to it...

That`s the game I`m already playing. Just recently starting paying into the government pension plan but it will be peanuts. Honestly, this is what worries me late at night, especially as my mom is 1 year from retirement and she`s totally unprepared.

Perhaps looking back at what I just typed, it may be better to just do this when you have time, and I promise you, they will wait for you because they have seen your work, which speaks volumes...

I`m honored! Your honesty and sincerity always shine trough in your words. Thanks for the thought provoking post. Much deeper than I ever thought a detailing forum could be!

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

Dunno if your like me, but I`m pretty passionate about detailing for like 3hrs - then I wanna sit and take I break.

Naw I`m the type to push on until 2am when I started at 10 because everything just feels right. Don`t get me wrong I couldn`t do that multiple days in a row, but I got the drive to finish what i start (my wife kind hates that sometimes).

Some of these dudes are running like 16 hrs a day. I think detailing is the kind of business where a lot of people need it fast and want it now - either right before a car show or because it`s their transportation.

That`s something I haven`t thought about but it`s true in the car seen. I think I should stick to passionate mature long time owners (demographic). I guess it really depends what they`re looking for.

If your thinking about switching careers; you have to consider health insurance, 401k, paid time off; etc... Also, depending on where you are the business may slump in the winter and if the economy goes bad.

Canada has free healthcare so I`m set there. 401K well I haven`t thunk the long term game plan yet, I usually take it 5-10 years at a time. Winter slump is extreme here. I don` see any exotics or any two door sports cars for 6-7 months of the year. [/QUOTE]

Thanks Swanicyouth

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

Back to your question(s), the Porsche paint will correct and shine like mad with Menzerna 2500, Orange pad. Only once did I need something stronger, due to bad car wash tunnel scratches in the lower panels.
Follow with any mild finishing polish for extra pop, but the 2500 will finish down fine, especially if the owner isn`t an Autopian type.

Porsche is renown for dozens of shades of blue. They all swirl easily for whatever reason.

Perfect I like Menzerna!

Thanks so much Poorboy.

...One step at a time

 

[JBM]

Detailing someone`s vehicle is akin to re-doing their mulch beds or even painting their house. Anyone feel like doing that for free or below what you would make at your day job?

 

[Accumulator]

4u2nvinmtl- I get asked to detail vehicles all the time. Well....I *used* to before they finally got the message. My side of the converstations usually went something like:

"Sorry, I won`t spend the time on anything other than my own vehicles and I begrudge the time that they take, I`d rather do other things. No, I won`t do anybody else`s vehicle in this lifetime, that`s not how I`m gonna spend my time. No no no, it`s not the money; I sure wouldn`t do it for...[pause]... I dunno, but I won`t even discuss doing it for $5K, maybe not for twice that. Anyhow, this isn`t rocket science, just DIY."

I felt I was being a nice guy by not just saying "detail your own [darn] car." JBM got it exactly right- you wouldn`t stop by somebody`s nice property and ask them to do your landscaping or painting.

I do actually feel a bit bad about not (re)doing my pal Bob`s Jag MKII, but a) I can simply never get those hours back and at presnet I`m gonna spend them doing other stuff, b) warned him about his clearcoat thickness and told him not to [do certain things] lest he mar it, and c) simply don`t care all that much about other people`s vehicles, not even his. I only give his Jag a moment`s thought because he`s physically unable to do it himself and he *is* somebody whom I esteem.

 

[Stokdgs]

4u2nvinmtl -- JBM --

Ref - "" Detailing someone`s vehicle is akin to re-doing their mulch beds or even painting their house. Anyone feel like doing that for free or below what you would make at your day job?""

Certainly, we all would love to make what we are worth all the time... And we need to strive to do this for our future and the future of our families...

But with Detailing, there IS a certain amount of Love for the Craft that goes along with this for some of us...

We love it to the extent that we hate to see something - that one last little thing go undone, and we (I) will do it even though no one may notice - but we will...

And then for me anyway, I have this artistic part I believe, that extends to the yard, the trees, bushes, everything - (especially Detailing), where I have to see it all looking very natural and full, not regimented, and it all has to have balance..

The Detailing side - well it`s a way smaller footprint, I have noon-day-lights in the garage, ( 16 - 4-ft, 2-tube T8 64watt Daylight Deluxe fixtures) so I can see everything and again, it all has to look the same everywhere - it has to match - and pretty much all the time, I will do a little extra for it if it doesn`t quite match like I want it to...

I absolutely Love to see the vehicle looking its absolute best when it`s in the Studio, awaiting the Clients arrival, and then their first impressions when they see it all beautiful, perfectly lit up in noon-day-lighting, so there is no missing anything...

What I am getting at with all this is the fact that how much Love you put into this is an incalculable factor that has to be balanced with the workload so it does not get out of control... You are giving them something that they are not paying for because there is no price for this, no ?

Well, that is how I do it anyway, for your reference...
Dan F

 

[WaxAddict]

Perfect I like Menzerna!

Thanks so much Poorboy.

...One step at a time

You`re welcome! But I`m just WaxAddict, not Poorboy. My avatar just shows I`m a big fan of PB products.

 

[JBM]

4u2nvinmtl -- JBM --

Ref - "" Detailing someone`s vehicle is akin to re-doing their mulch beds or even painting their house. Anyone feel like doing that for free or below what you would make at your day job?""

Certainly, we all would love to make what we are worth all the time... And we need to strive to do this for our future and the future of our families...

But with Detailing, there IS a certain amount of Love for the Craft that goes along with this for some of us...

We love it to the extent that we hate to see something - that one last little thing go undone, and we (I) will do it even though no one may notice - but we will...

And then for me anyway, I have this artistic part I believe, that extends to the yard, the trees, bushes, everything - (especially Detailing), where I have to see it all looking very natural and full, not regimented, and it all has to have balance..

Dan F

For family, sure I get that. Im a stone mason who does one off custom stuff. I get the "craft" part, but no thanks on detailing just for the feel goodz. But w/e everyone is different. Im not a spring chicken anymore either.

 

[Stokdgs]

For family, sure I get that. Im a stone mason who does one off custom stuff. I get the "craft" part, but no thanks on detailing just for the feel goodz. But w/e everyone is different. Im not a spring chicken anymore either.

My Friend, JBM -
I am sure that the years of being a stone mason have been hard on your body.. But I bet you do dynamite work !

My younger brother roofed a few decades and that about ruined his back from going up ladders with 90lbs of shingles on each shoulder and then squatting and kneeling all day on a pitch laying them out...

I am all for making some money for this work and there are those that will pay for it and really appreciate it as much as we do when we do it...
All I am saying is that if you really love the work, then sometimes, one can give some of that back from time to time..

I have had Clients (and I am sure you have too), that come in really nice, and wanting to get a good job done, you can tell pretty easily what their spirit feels like, and sometimes you just end up doing something a little something longer or more of, just for that time...

And then when they come, they are really appreciative, and absolutely love what you did - that is the best, most rewarding part of this entire thing we speak of here, at least for me...

I get that excitement - I have had it since I was a little kid.. I remember being able to sit on the bed on the back porch ( my brother and I never had a room inside the house - there were 5 of us kids in a 2 bedroom house), and I could tell by the sound of the car, what kind of car it was.. Yeah, I know, what was Wrong with me??

So, if I can just help them get that little spark back with my efforts, then I am so good for all the work it took to help bring that to pass...

That is why, (I have known for eons), that I will really never get "Rich" doing this work - monetarily - but I will get far more Blessings for making that little sacrifice...

Lastly, my friend, I am probably the most senior of any citizens on this forum !!! It has been a long, long, road, with so many ups and downs - sometimes, I wonder how I made it this far.... Then I remember my dear Mother, who prays for all of us, by name, each day and has never missed a day...
Dan F

 

[JBM]

My Friend, JBM -
I am sure that the years of being a stone mason have been hard on your body.. But I bet you do dynamite work !

My younger brother roofed a few decades and that about ruined his back from going up ladders with 90lbs of shingles on each shoulder and then squatting and kneeling all day on a pitch laying them out...

I am all for making some money for this work and there are those that will pay for it and really appreciate it as much as we do when we do it...
All I am saying is that if you really love the work, then sometimes, one can give some of that back from time to time..

I have had Clients (and I am sure you have too), that come in really nice, and wanting to get a good job done, you can tell pretty easily what their spirit feels like, and sometimes you just end up doing something a little something longer or more of, just for that time...

And then when they come, they are really appreciative, and absolutely love what you did - that is the best, most rewarding part of this entire thing we speak of here, at least for me...

I get that excitement - I have had it since I was a little kid.. I remember being able to sit on bed on the back porch ( my brother and I never had a room inside the house - there were 5 of us kids in a 2 bedroom house), and I could tell by the sound of the car, what kind of car it was.. Yeah, I know, what was Wrong with me??

So, if I can just help them get that little spark back with my efforts, then I am so good for all the work it took to help bring that to pass...

That is why, (I have known for eons), that I will really never get "Rich" doing this work - monetarily - but I will get far more Blessings for making that little sacrifice...

Lastly, my friend, I am probably the most senior of any citizens on this forum !!! It has been a long, long, road, with so many ups and downs - sometimes, I wonder how I made it this far.... Then I remember my dear Mother, who prays for all of us, by name, each day and has never missed a day...
Dan F

I appreciate loving what you do and wanting to give customers the shock and awe experience! Its part of what makes my phone ring as well!

I have a friend who taught himself the stock market and has 800k in it right now from a 10k investment some years ago. I wouldnt ask him to manage my money for free or even for almost free.

I wouldnt hesitate to work with someone on their car for a time, as long as they did most the work. This stuff is openly available for the world to learn. Love your car, pay up or learn it on your own, like painting your house.

If your in the biz working with your hands you have to do what makes the most sense and money. Sometimes doing very high quality work without charging someone is the long game, sometimes going really fast and hitting a middle road somewhere is the best strategy for a short game. As a biz owner our responsibilities are to maximize efficiency as well as strengthening our reputation to ultimately retire without worrying about money.

I dont really do jobs now "for the glory of it", that mentality seemed to fizzle out in my 30s, ive done it all. Id rather just go play catch with my 10 y/o.

 

[cardaddy]

Yeah, I can relate to the art part, to the OCD part, to the never getting it just perfect part, and many more. But for me at least... it`s the cathartic part that gives me the most. It`s a Zen thing for me more than anything else.

That brings the question, should you get into production detailing? How can I say it.... uh.... uh... well.....

H E - double - L no!!!!!! Not if you ENJOY detaiing!

But hey, I`m an ol` fart (59), retired.... and while I *CAN* get paid what I want when doing jobs, I`m not about to go out there and want a job day-in day-out. I`ll take 1 a month, maybe 2, but don`t care if it`s half a dozen a year. My passion for what I do pays for the passion (buffers and supplies). Making money at it is secondary.


I`d say if you WANT to get into it, (and knowing what little I know about your description of your OCD`ness when doing it) you should find out who the most expensive guy is within 90 minutes or more of you and price your services higher, maybe as much as 20% higher. Building a customer base of guys that WANT the best, and are willing to PAY for the best is FAR better than going in with $30 wash-n-wax jobs and beating yourself to death. You`ll end up hating it inside 6 months (if not the first month).

Lots of guys think you have to pump out by the hour to make money, and that holds true..... to a point. But I`d rather take my time, work on my schedule, and just get paid by the job. I know, I know... many will blast me for that. (I USED TO NOT THINK THAT WAY, trust me.) But with old age, and daily back pain I just can`t get around like I`d like these days. Heck... I *ALWAYS* tell a client that a paint correction is a week long deal. Why? Because I might indeed knock it out for 8, 10, 12 or more hours on one of those 7 days, then the next day I can`t get out of the freaking bed. It`s HAPPENED!!!! So either way, they think I`ve worked on it for 7 days, and they look at my prices, and they think I got robbed. Works for me! Being as it`s paying for the obsession, it`s all gravy.

But say you are charging $1000 and up for paint correction, and you are taking 5 days to do it. Working maybe 6 hours a day? That`s still $200 a day, nothing great, but it`s also $30 an hour, and you can do it AT HOME. Plus as you said, working from early till late, you could knock it out in 3 days. Now you`ve made $333 a day. Once the word gets out, the high-line guys will pay $1500~$2000 for a paint correction and not blink. Oooops.... now you`re making over $650 a day on those 3-day stints.

Of course it is still a business, IRS will tell you that based on my returns. LOL Don`t care if it always shows a profit either, just way too many ways to write off expenses in a personal business, being as I`ve owned one or another since 85.

I`d say if you`re considering it, then try it. But don`t go in cheap. Don`t EVER sell your services based on price. Sell on QUALITY. Make sure you ALWAYS under promise and over deliver. They`ll come back, and they`ll pay more. Then if it`s the golf club crowd they`ll all try to outspend the next guy, God knows why... but they do it, they ALWAYS do it! LMAO

I used to have a Home Theater business in the 90`s through when I retired in 03. I`d go into a neighborhood and do a job for a guy, he`d spend whatever... say $20K. Then his neighbor up the street would see it. He`d call and want to know what he could get for $30K, which would turn into $35K. Then the first guy would call back and want to "upgrade", then the guy around the corner. Then their work buddy, or golf buddy would see it... next thing I know I was doing dedicated rooms @ $100K+. Average ticket was $50K and didn`t hurt my feelings at all.

One couple (well a couple of guys.... but they HAD money) were living in-town and wanted a theater on the second floor of a 70+ year old wood frame home in a historic district. We knocked the back wall out, added a 8` x 16` addition to the back of the house (bumped out a 12` wide bedroom and closet) that cantilevered over the kitchen below, framed in a new roof, multi-level floating floor, the works. That was a HUGE job, and all from hanging around a forum... go figure.

I did all this while I was owning/operating a towing business full time. h34r:

So if it`s your passion, and you`re good at it, doesn`t hurt to at least try it at a level that you are comfortable with.

 

[siceci]

Hi, I don`t have the experience in detailing business but from a business perspective I would be very weary of taking on side work for 6 figure vehicles out of your garage for cash.

From your OP you have a lot of experience but on a narrow scale as far as vehicle make/model/color/age/condition is concerned. What happens if you do ten perfect details then make a mistake on a 200,000$ classic and the owner becomes disgruntled?

I know you are experience but maybe take on a part time gig with a detailer that is insured to get some volume and diversity under your belt? With your experience you can probably dictate the terms of your employment and choose what you want to work on so you don`t have to do camrys.

I don`t know if my input is helpful but my hope is to give you a different perspective.