What got you started in serious detailing?

This happened almost 3 years ago.

For me it was a local hack who swirled up my wifes car.

The BMW 740il that I had bought used for the wife had a finish that I was never happy with. So I called this detailer and had him come down to detail the car. I asked instead of doing the interior (it was pretty nice already) if he could "buff out" the paint. He agreed.

So he came down. Washed and clayed the car. Ran the rotary over it, I have no idea what he used. Then applied 1 coat of zaino on the thick (IMO) side. That was it. I thought it was looking pretty good. A few week later, after some washes, I was seeing swirls or something in the paint out in the sun. So finally after a few calls and emails, it seemed like I was getting blown off. So I set him up with one of my friends cars to do at my house (no buffing), then asked him if he could "re-polish" the BMW. He agreed.

He came down and ran the buffer over the BMW again. I again have no idea what he used. I then asked if he was going to apply another coat of zaino, he said no it does not need it. (remember at the time I am pretty clueless)

After a month or so, I have the car sitting outside in the sun after a wash and this is what I find:







So I figured if you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself.

I purchased a PC/pads some IP and FPII. I took about 15 hours over the next few days to properly polish the car.

This is what I started with:



Looked much better after alot of polishing on the roof:







This is what the car looked like the last time I polished it back in Jan:



I'd personally like to thank the hack who did such a poor job on my wifes car back then. If it was not for him, I might of never enjoyed polishing out a car like I do now. :applause::applause2::thumb:

 

Nice thread gmblack3 :thumb:

As to what started the detailing bug for me, well it's always been that search for perfection, flawless apperance of my vehicles. I enjoy taking good care of my vehicles and it all started with my dad. We would spend Sundays washing the family vehicles. I remember when I got my first vehicle every weekend I would be out there cleaning it...now as to the products I used to use well let's just say I would never consider my self a detailer then but now...I've seen the light and well it's hard to go back to what I used to do. Oh that and one day i was searching online just looking for something to read and I came accross a bug that FloridaNative detailed, for those that don't knw FloridaNative she's a member of AG and man she did such a gorgeous job on that black bug that well it bit me and it bit me hard and it was all down here from there. After seeing that bug I joined AG read, read some more and just kept on reading...started ordering products and well haven't stoped since.

But what keeps me going that I that I always aim for perfection, I mean detailing is not easy, it's hard work...harder the my regular day job lol....but it's so rewarding finishin the vehicle off and having it looking almost perfect...I say alsmost beucase there is always room to improve. Even now, having all the products I own I keep re-setting my goals and just keep aiming higher and higher...but that's just me.

 

after seeing the results of my detailing work, I was hooked.

I think this is for anyone. Seeing results is contagious. It just makes you want to detail.

 

I bought my GTO. That's when things got out of hand (or in hand) real quickly. I'm known in my club for having one of the cleanest GTO's. Why is that impressive? It's black and it's my DD.

 

I have always been a freak when it comes to clean cars. My brother and I always had to wash the cars on the weekends, rain or shine.

What got me really into serious machine polishing and what I do now is when my truck got covered in industrial overspray a few years ago and it was full of metallic paint concrete bits. I didn't want to have a hack do it, so I received compensation to buy the products myself. And that's where it started!

 

well for me im not gonna say im very serious about detailing but i find it fun and somthing to occupie me u know i got the whole detailing craze from my brother so i thought to my self this could be interesting i don't detail as much as my brother but i really do enjoy it esspically when the job is done

 

For me it started a few years ago mainly to keep my own cars in tip top condition and grew from there....You learn something new on a daily basis, confusing and also uplifting at times ;-)

 

It started for me actually about a month or two ago. I cleaned my car (Calypso 525i FTW) and saw all the imperfections in a 16 year old car. Now I like washing my car and I don't at the same time, because it brings out the imperfections. So I decided to get rid of those imperfections, and while doing that I realized this is something I enjoy doing. All of a sudden every dirty car I saw frustrated me haha so I decided to detail cars.

 

always been into modding cars I started with a civic then eclipse and finally G35. I was entering car shows and weekend cruises and always wanted my cars to look clean. Now granted I do not know what I know now but I still was out there cleaning. My thing is someone new sees my car/truck I want them to know I take pride in its looks, and a wow your truck/car is nice always makes my day

I bought my Mdx in 07 and paid 40,000 for it so I wanted to look the best it could. Went on mdxforums and a guy told me about autopia and that was history. Benn here and there ever since still learning and perfecting my craft.

I detail for products, what ever money I make I buy more stuff, hence the reason I have about 15 waxes

 

lol i found that thread and bumped it, hahahah funny thing I remember that thread WOW did that thing look good

 

I'm just a car nut who likes his cars to look good. I always try to get better at the things I do and detailing cars is no exception. Besides that I really enjoy detailing cars.

 

When I was younger, my father taught me how to wash the car and wax it 2 times a year. Spring and before winter. We'd use Mother Paint Cleaner, then go straight to a wax, which wax Liquid Glass. My father always swore by this. Beside staining trims and plastics, this product was still way better then OCT waxes. Even back in the days, I was smart enough to tape the trims with 3M tape

Then 4 years ago, my uncle bought a black Acura TL which the dealer hacked up with buffer trails. Told him I would research online and fix his car. Did some research and bought a PC, some Megs polishes (don't remember which one), some MF, and Megs Medallion wax (for 52$ lol). The car looked awesome and I was very impressed with it and so was my uncle.

Then I started started doing relatives and friends car and it went from there I guess. Researching and trying new products, techniques etc.

When I started reading / joining forums about 2 years ago, that really fueled my obsession with detailing I guess

 

I've always enjoyed detailing cars. I guess I didn't realize that was what I was doing. I never considered it as something serious. I just liked cleaning and polishing cars for a few bucks. I enjoyed taking the seats out to clean the interior, and waxing under the hood and trunk lid. All of this was by hand, of course. This was back in the early 80's, way before the internet became mainstream, so any information I had was from the back of the bottle on the product I was using.
Later I came upon the forums that discussed detailing, and saw what I was missing. I'm always obsessed with making things as close to perfect as I can. When I saw what the PC could do, it was too late. I was hooked. Now there is so much information, it's hard to make a decision! In fact I am so hooked that I've started an online organization for detailers that offers free web sites and business services.

 

I started quite young. My father collected and restored antique and classic cars. I would get them ready for car shows and parades, etc. When I was 16, he would have me do 2 of them and then I got to drive one!! What a buzz for a 16 year old! That got me hooked. When I was 21, I bought a 1970 Lamborghini Miura S which I was fanatical about keeping it looking fantastic. I used to use Meguiars #7 on it back then (1985). I did all my work by hand back then. I was later trained on how to wet sand and use a rotary by RM restoration in Chatham, Ont which is a world-class restoration shop. I always kept my own drivers meticulous and then started doing the odd job for others. Last year I kicked it off aggressively looking for business and the word of mouth spread very quickly for me. I'm hoping this summer will be as busy if not more.

 

For as long as I can remember, I've been a car nut. Started for me b/c of my older brother who, before he got his driver's license, would draw cars. Of course, I started to do the same and when he started driving, I'd help him wash his car.

It wasn't until I bought my Mazdaspeed3 last year that I got serious. Having my own house helped fuel the obsession also.

 

I was always into keeping my cars nice since I was 16 but it really started for me back in the early 80 when I bought my first black Corvette Stingray. I enjoyed keeping it looking its best. I also would work part time at my buddies detail shop back in the day. As I started to restore my vette and got into showing it my passion for detailing grew. I was also a Liquid Glass distributor back before you could buy it in Pep Boys. So I guess 28 years of owning a black car taught me what I know today. I just sold that vette last year so that I could buy my Viper. I will miss that car.

 

My detailing experience started when I purchased myblack Silverado. I did not need the truck but wanted it very badly for some reason so I made myself a promise that I would do what ever it took to keep the truck neat and shiny as long as I owned the truck. I started out with a cleaner wax then it was to the forums and found out that I did not know much.

It became a challenge to get better and in the process I learned that not only was I getting better I was enjoying it as well. Now my seven year old Little Detailer and I do detailing together. I hope it becomes engrained in him and he continues to enjoy helping me as he grows older.

 

I have always been nuts about taking care of my car. When I was young my father use to laugh at me for taking my plates off when waxing it. :shrug: I bought a new car and began a search for better products than what I could find OTC. That it when I started to learn so much from all of these guys! :thumb:

 

When I got this car, it was six months old:



It was my pride and joy and I wanted to make it looks as good as I possibly could... I settled on Autoglym products from my local motorfactor and was delighted with the results.

But one day I went in and saw Meguiars Gold Class Wax, and fancied trying it out just as something new. Saw the MeguiarsUK website on the back, visitied, signed up to the forum there and the rest is history... I got more and more hooked on chasing the ultimate finish, found myself at the door of machine polishing and started honing my techniques and methods on my, and my friend's and family's cars.

From that point on, and posting my results and thoughts and progress on forums, I started to become part of a growing UK community and as I developped my techniques I shared them with others and continued to enhance my skill base. I focussed on rotary polishing, a task I find very relaxing and very enjoyable, especially when seeing the clarity and depth a well machined finish can produce - its very rewarding!

Now, I attend many meets across the UK, demoing techniques and helping others get started so they too can get the finishes they want on their cars. I also detail other cars here and there too, spend hours experimenting with new products and basically just enjoying my hobby as an enthusiast.

 

i got started detailing about 2 years ago. because i got tired of bringing my trucks to detailers by me . and all they would do is use glazes to cover up the swirls!!!! i kept going back to them and saying please remove them ill even pay extra. and well more glaze!! :shakehead::shakehead: i finnaly gave up and learned how to do it my self........:support: