So what got you into detailing?

Ok, Im new so im still learning peoples names here.......hopefully this will help me understand where everyone is coming from.

My question is what draws you to detailing? Is it a full time job for you? Is is it a hobby? How did you get here? I think this is a pretty diverse group of people but with the same passion.....

Ive been a hobbist for as long as ive been driving, 1992.

I recently quit my job to stay home with my kids due to my wife being getting promoted to a managment postion at the hospital where she works. One thing led to another and my hobby has turned into a part time gig, Im doing two cars a week when I have time. Most of the cars Im doing are doctors and nurses and other people who work with or for my wife. I can say its relaxing for me and I love it. Ive decided to move forward and hopefully make it into a career.......

Plus I need something constructive to do with my time, and sad to say im addicted to buying products to try them out on my car, or customers.

Anyway, I would love to hear what everyone one has to say.

Thanks.

Karl

 

Started because I got a hand me down car from my dad. Start doing the wax thing and realized it made no difference. Then got into claying, then polishes. That was 4 years ago.

I just bought a polisher in October, have a million towels and bottles of random stuff.

Its so far been a hobby for me, and most likely will end up still being a hobby cause I don't think I'll make a career out of it. I'll help out my friends here and there, but nothing big.

 

After receiving my first car I was desperate to keep my baby nice and clean, my friend whom worked at a GMC dealership as a complimentary car wash attendant told me to come over to his house where he will wash my car for me. After we were done trying my car with big bath towels he gave me my first microfiber towel to take care of any hazing from his spray aerosol wax, probably the eurow ones from Costco.. My friend progressed and started to have better techniques and used better products like Zaino then my OCD kicked in and I was determined to 1up him with the comparisons of paint slickness, which I learned the many factors of slickiness including the many processes to having swirl-free beautiful paint. So far it has been no stop to this money pit hobby :headbang:

 

Well I got into detailing from a good friend of mine back in high school he basically showed me what he knew. He had good techniques and his truck was always the cleanest. He showed me how to wash and wax a car the way he did it, what products he used and how to properly apply them to keep. Everything he owned was over the counter items but they worked well because he would weakly maintain it. He kept his towels and applicator pads clean and in a closet in his parents garage. I had a red 94 3000GT in high school. Well I was in love with my car and would alway wash it every week using Meguiars gold class or Mothers gold car wash. Yet I didn't like how I would have water spots after drying my car, and after going for a drive the water would come out of the crevices. I wanted it to look its best like my friends truck. So I started experimenting with different quick detailers to follow up after my wash. I was happy but then I wanted to make it shine better. So I started trying out the otc cleaner waxes and I was happy with the results for the time being. It was a little later that I decided to buy a orbital buffer and some microfiber bonnets. I was in high school and didn't have alot of money so this $50 investment was big for me. I got older and sold the 3000GT and bought the 04 Mustang GT that I have now. During college I would try to keep it up as best as I could buy doing all the maintenance to it. I used a wash and wax as much as I could and an occasional cleaner wax. I would even park the car 15 minutes walking distance from campus just so no one would dent it or scratch it. I graduated last year and started working. It was then when I realized that I was spending alot of $$ on the mustang but the exterior could use some freshening up. I wanted it to look its best as well. I joined Modded Mustangs and started seeing what some of guys used to detail over there. I then bought a ton of quality product to correct and detail the mustang. I have enjoyed it seeing my GT transform so much that I haven't stopped and am always searching for better product, tools, and techniques to use on my black 2004 Mustang GT and black 2010 Mercedes ML 350. Well I pretty much told my entire detail life and ranted long enough Ill stop now.

 

Welcome to DB Kilo6_one

I began detailing Mercedes-Benz / BMW helping out at my Father’s dealership as well as his Jag collection back in the late 50's, he enters them into Concours d’élégance events (detailing to another level) and as such I’m used to a large number of high-end new and used cars. The one thing I learned (and still have that last 98% to learn, mind you) way back then still holds true today “ It’s the surface preparation that makes the difference, not the product”.

I detailed my first car when I was fourteen (a mere five and a half decades ago) it was a 1929 Bentley that belong to my Fathers friend Brigadier John Dix of Kensington, London. If, as they say, "God is in the details," then a 1929 Bentley is truly a religious experience. I knew then that detailing would become a passion and my méetier.
It has always been a relaxing past time for me and while at college I had a part-time business detailing classic vintage cars. From there to Concours d’élégance entrant then judge, and then on to writing car care articles and How-to: instructions, then writing a series of books on my favourite subject.

 

We had some neighbors over for a barbecue. One of my neighbors said "Dave you got a summer job yet" I said "um, no" he said you should get into car detailing, I think you would be good at it.

That night I joined 4 some forums and ordered $994 worth of product including a flex 3401.


And yea that's how that went.....

 

Me i've always had this thing about driving a clean car.... One day i brought my car in for a $100 detail and the job was not so hot... did some research and now am totally hooked. It will be a hobby for me but i may finance someone who has the desire to run a detailing shop as a hobby.. hang out and have some fun....

 

Just used to wash cars in all the wrong ways then started reading and educating myself on the art of detailing and it became a passion from there. I would say it started from watching my dad too and always wanting to do more.

And damn Dave, talk about hitting the ground running.

 

I really liked STi's especially like the 06 model. So i joined WSTI.com which was one of the coolest forums i knew haha.
And i looked into the detailing section and i saw Detailers Domain and Dave posting in there these dirty A55 cars lol. and they turned them into diamonds.

I kinda fell in love with turning something dirty into something clean. So every week i started spending about 60 dollars, well that turned into me not having a place to put stuff anymore, all my shelves are full of products.
Now im finding more websites to order from and just learning about new products, and trying to get more customers.
Its freaking awesome.

And before i used to just do details for fun and for free. But recently got a few paying customers...and boy its a lot different haha.
Still fun though.

 

I've been washing cars the wrong way since I was 7-8 years old. I got interested in real detailing back in '07 when a bodyshop hacked my black car. One thing let to another and I ended up with a lot of detailing gear.

I have done a few cars for neighbors and co-workers, but I haven't had time to fully pursue this hobby as a second source of income. I'm still a noob when it comes to polishing vehicles. I can clean exteriors/interiors really good, but I need more paint correction experience. I haven't been able to practice a whole lot because my wife works banking hours and I take care of my daughter during the weekends. I'm moving into a house with a decent 2-car garage this week, so I'll be able to detail at night.

 

the back stories sound great........

I have to agree IWSTI is a great forum, i think i started perfecting what I do when I got my Sti , the paint is really soft and prone to scratching, kids, dogs debris etc. Ive always had a passion for a clean detailed car but working the STI paint has taken it to whole new level for me....

If i can keep my trend of a few cars, keep it small it should keep me out of trouble LOL

 

For as long as I can remember, my dad always tried to take good care of our cars. We always used incorrect washing technique and just some Meguiar's wax when we waxed them once a year, but regardless our cars always looked nice. I got an '09 GTI on my 16th birthday and of course continued to take care of it with the same techniques. Last year around this time I decided that I needed a summer job, but I hated the idea of working at a restaurant or other such place. I decided on detailing instead, and was suggested to visit this site. I've already started up a small collection of stuff, although I have not moved into polishing or anything of that nature yet.

I don't think this will ever be a career, but it will always be a hobby/source of a little extra income. Eventually I want to upgrade and get a steamer/extractor and start paint correction, but for now I'm having a blast detailing with what I've got now.

 

Money pit is right, like my other passion of firearms it is a unending cycle of buying and trying...... I recently kicked my Zaino habit so now I have all sort of Zaino products sitting around which I still use, but not on customers cars. I find that Zaino is a very maintance intense process. Its great on a personal car where you can layer it up every week, but most people cant afford to come back, or dont have the time to. So Powerlock has become my new best friend for cars that im paid to do.

 

My first new cars was hit in a parking lot and scuffed the back quarter and door a bit. I received a quote from a body shop that blew my mind. I figured I can try and fix for a lot cheaper and that's how I started. I had some help along the way from one of the better detailers in my area a number of years ago and that's how I started. Its bee 13 yrs since the accident.

 

i used to get my truck detailed for years .160 details. and i got tired of the swirls coming back after it rained. all they used were glazes. i didnt know this back then of course. i wanted the swirls removed. but just couldnt have them do this. i gave up. and learned myself..

 

Hey Champ

Just thought I'd let you know I kind of got into this the same way.
I also work from home. Is it relaxing ?? My back says it isn't but I know where
your coming from. Doing Car Detailing as a job and enjoying it at the same time
is not really working now is it. It is still more of a hobby
but you get payed for it. I love it, however I get more into the paint correction procedure
of this hobby of mine so you can imagine what your back feels like
by the time your finished. I still love it though.

Cheers
Peter

 

About 3 years ago, I worked at a Porsche and Mercedes dealership in the detailing department; unlike most dealerships, we did 100% hand washes.

There were two lead detailers that worked there doing paint correction. They often asked for my assistance for some interior work and to lend a helping hand.

At that point, I started to get more interested in the art of detailing. It wasn't until I purchased a black VW Rabbit a couple years ago that I got more obsessed with cleanliness. I was washing my car about every week.

I've always been intersted in learning to do paint correction myself, but haven't had the funds to buy the necessary tools. That all changed when a friend was selling his PC, pads, and some other junk at the end of this summer that got the opportunity to learn correction processes.

Since October, I did my car, my dad's 335i, and a friend's B5 A4. I plan to do many more this spring/summer.

 

i got into detailing after my friend linked me to phil's site with a PC7427XP set. I then kept on looking for better stuff for my car (moving from off the shelf products), was about to jump on zaino THEN i went back to phil's site and bought the PC lulz.

 

I got into detailing last year. I had no idea what was proper detailing. I join many forums before DB, I picked up a few tips here and there. I watched many videos, then I try it out myself. I went all out and brought whatevers out there. I went to my body shop, pick up some panels to practice. n now im here still learning......

 

I think its more mentally relaxing, physically........ At the end of the day i feel like i was playing in a play yard at mc donalds all day. Nothing motrin cant fix.