What are the detailing equipment fundamentals?

A

ahheck01

New member
I ran a very small one-person detailing business 3-4 years back. Lots has changed.



I'm starting one with a partner now, and other than a PC random orbital buffer, I need to start from scratch with equipment. I know how to handle a rotary safely.



We have minimal capital to invest in equipment, but will invest what's necessary to get our first few jobs done. What equipment do you think is a must-have for basic interior/exterior detailing if you're charging $170-$320 (compact cars to large SUVs) in the midwest?



Thanks guys!



-Evan
 
You need:



A shop vac (do your homework, otherwise you'll be buying 3 or 4 before you figure out that going cheap and small won't work).

Some sort of compressed air setup if you're doing interiors that are less than pristine.

A heated extractor (some people will disagree with me on this one, but I personally think it's a must-have, you can get a small one like a Durrmaid if you don't plan on using it much and want to keep it very portable).

Your assortment of towels for everything from interior to exterior.

You'd have to figure out how you're going to wash vehicles, whether it's in a fixed location or otherwise, and get whatever associated equipment you need for that.
 
Find yourself a decent priced EZ-up (at least 12x12) if you will be working outdoors at all...it is invaluable.



Depending on how thorough your interior detailing will be starting off you won't need compressed air or an extractor. You can get away with just a decent wet/dry vac in the beginning and just offer basic interior detailing.



Get LOTS of microfibers and plenty of pads for your PC; 3-4 orange pads for a car and at least 2 white pads is what I normally need with my PC.



You can also get yourself an inexpensive 1000 watt halogen worklight which is VERY important to take before/after pictures to gain future customers and allows you to easily see the quality of correction that is being put into the paint while you work and if you need a little rework anywhere before moving on. I don't know how I would work without one.
 
FinalTouchAuto said:
Depending on how thorough your interior detailing will be starting off you won't need compressed air or an extractor. You can get away with just a decent wet/dry vac in the beginning and just offer basic interior detailing.
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I don't mean to get off-topic at all, but how do you work-around needing compressed air ? I *could* understand not having a heated extractor if interiors aren't something you really do, but I don't see how one could detail an interior to any degree without compressed air ?



Agreed if you're working outside, you need to have a pop-up tent / canopy. Weather can play a huge issue if you're a mobile detailer, and you don't want to be out of commission for days or possibly weeks on end because of something you can't control.
 
Honestly it has just been my experience that the majority of the owners you get when you are first starting out are more concerned with their exteriors and are generally pleased with the results of a decent vacuum job and cleaning/dressing all interior surfaces.



Compressed air is a fantastic tool to have though, I just dont believe it's necessary for startup.
 
FinalTouchAuto said:
Honestly it has just been my experience that the majority of the owners you get when you are first starting out are more concerned with their exteriors and are generally pleased with the results of a decent vacuum job and cleaning/dressing all interior surfaces.



Compressed air is a fantastic tool to have though, I just dont believe it's necessary for startup.
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Interesting. Mind you, I suppose you also live in an area where you don't really get any snow / mud / slush / dirt for half the year at a time, which would make a big difference.
 
David Fermani said:
Definate must haves for sure. I think an extractor & steamer would be really far (like at the end) on my list of must haves. I and the other large volume shops near me seemed to do quite well w/o them while detailing crap gheto cars back in Detroit. Way too many people think it takes several 10's of thousands to open up a nice detail shop. Yeah, you could easily dump $100K into a start up, but you won't make any more than you would if you spent 1/10th of that. You'd actually make more w/o having to pay back that initial investment. (KISS)









.....experience & out of the box thinking too.
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Agreed on not needing tens of thousands to startup a detail shop. Mine was done on a budget, and anyone who's seen pictures of my shop knows that it's far from ideal, but gets the job done none the less.
 
Awesome input guys. I'm putting together a process document that includes products and tools I plan to use. Should have that up later today, if not then by tomorrow. I would love your opinion and review on it - and any further advice you have in the meantime!



-Evan
 
Barry Theal said:
shop vac, aircompressor, pressure washer
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Definate must haves for sure. I think an extractor & steamer would be really far (like at the end) on my list of must haves. I and the other large volume shops near me seemed to do quite well w/o them while detailing crap gheto cars back in Detroit. Way too many people think it takes several 10's of thousands to open up a nice detail shop. Yeah, you could easily dump $100K into a start up, but you won't make any more than you would if you spent 1/10th of that. You'd actually make more w/o having to pay back that initial investment. (KISS)





Deep Gloss Auto Salon said:
Skill, talent, knowledge
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.....experience & out of the box thinking too.
 
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