I have read and occasionally posted here for a few months, and I've learned a lot. I've done *extensive* detailing to my truck (a black 2004 F150 Heritage) based on advice and information provided by everyone here. I do not own a polisher yet, so this has been my routine, all by hand:

Wash with Meguiar's Gold Class
Scratch-X water spots, light scratches, etc.
Wax (to clean) with Meguiar's cleaner/wax
Coat of NXT
wait 12 hours
2nd coat of NXT
top with Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer

simple green for wheel wells, wheels...stoner's invisible glass for windows, armor all gel for tires, and voila!

I haven't clayed yet, and I haven't polished yet, but I plan to in the very near future.

In any case, what I have done has made my truck look amazing (if I say so myself) and people are complimenting me on it increasingly often now. So finally a couple days ago, my boss (I'm a college student and work at the university's computer lab) asked me to do her tan Tahoe. As a side-note, I picked up the Meguiar's kit from Wal-Mart and used the NXT 2.0 on her vehicle. Hope that works out, but anyway here's how it went. First of all I gave her a deal and only charged $50 (which, WOW, that was some deal after all was said and done) but it was really difficult because it's so light and I couldn't tell easily where I had waxed. Also, wheel wells were filthy, so I burnt up at least an hour doing those. Also, I couldn't really get to the top of it. I have three other Tahoe's lined up, all light-colored, and I'd like any advice some of you professionals can give me on the specifics of doing these types of BIG, light-colored vehicles that haven't been touched by cleaning supplies in a number of years, and also any tips you could give for starting out in this business. I am charging everyone else $75. Much-appreciated guys!

--steve

 

Doing all that work by hand really sucks; also, without a DA you can't get full potential out of products.

Also, you're doing it for WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY to cheap (if the results are any good.

JMHO.

Jim

 

yeah man, that is a very, very cheap price for the job. One thing I could say is maybe get yourself a good tripod halogen light to really see the paint. Then you can see the wax on there.

I went and re read your post, are you doing the interiors?

 

My advise would be to get some experience with clay and modify your process a bit.
Wash, clay, nxt, Ultimate QD. For the average person the results will be amazing in the way the paint looks, feels and repels water. The benefit to working on light color vehicles is they are more difficult to see the swirl marks that are undoubtedly in the paint you will not be able to get out by hand. Use the few vehicles you have lined up for $75 to buy a standing halogen light and a DA polisher.
Do the best possible job you can even if you feel like $75 is too cheap. A few more jobs at $75 will get you all the tools you need to improve your results and decrease your time required.
Good luck!

 

Wow, that sounds like a good deal to me. Problem is that I don't have any time to wash other people's vehicles. My truck is filty as crap but Wendy's schedule is leaving me no washing time.

 

Is Wendy your girlfriend or are you a FryGuy?

Ackms421 - Dang man, 75 bucks for a full detail?? Those people are practically stealing from you! I'd definitely pick up a DA, you'll save yourself hours of labor and your arm won't be nearly as sore I think I got my Porter Cable DA on sale at Lowe's for like 70 bucks.

- NCSU

 

Yeah, I know it's cheap, but I figure supplies at about $10.00 or less per vehicle, and everyone else in town is charging 150.00, so just as a side thing, I am getting a lot of business already. It took me about 4 hours to do the tahoe..I DEFINITELY plan on springing for the buffer though. The halogen light may not be feasible because I am kind of working wherever I can right now-it'd be under a carport, but not indoors, so not sure if the light would be helpful. Would it still?

 

Man, I know your situation... only I typically dont have the time to do any vehicles. Anyway, I was in your shoes once, and occasionally find myself there again... Moral to the story: Make your selling points the increased shine, the "smooth as glass" treatment, and the water beading.

The shine will come with the NXT.
The smooth as glass will come with clay. I will advise you to have the customer feel the paint before you start so that they will be able to notice a difference.
The water will come from the UQD and the NXT. Easy point.

As for the S-X, I think you are going to make your arms fall off doing many more entire vehicles with that, but until you can afford a DA, it may be your best bet. This will obviously help out the shine, too.


Also, use big fancy terminology to describe what you are doing-- it makes you look moreprofessional, thus you get more $$$. For instance, for claying, say something like "I plan on using an advanced non-chemical and safe abrasive method to remove driven in contaminants from the paint such as rail dust, etc. This method will restore your paint's finish to brand new feeling." Be sure to point out to your customers the scratches you can remove, and key in on the idea that you are using " a highly advanced product optimized towards this situation-- the diminishing abrasives create a safe and efficient method for removing the micromarrign in your paint."For wax, this needs a bit of enhancement: "I plan on using a synthetic sealant that will literally seal out moisture, dirt, etc and will repel everything away for around 3-4 months." And this is furthered by the UQD: "I then plan to add a top coat of a revolutionary hydrophobic detailing spray for added depth and water repellency. You should notice that the water literally falls off the paint after this."

get what I mean? Simple things, really, but if you make it sound like you have been studying this for all your life, people will trust you and be more willing to pay you more.

BTW-- for your services, I would go between $100 and $125 to start, but $75 may be where you have to start off at to build a clientele. This is VERY dependant on how much people in your part of town are willing to pay, though...

Anyway, I am tired, so I will stop. Good luck! Remember to take lots pf pictures for us!!!

 

I am not going to post what I would charge b/c you all would think i was totally crazy. But know this. In the area I live and would work, I wouldn't be working on VW's and Vovlo's. but collector cars and exotics.

I kicked around the idea with my brother to buy a business in this area, and we had it narrowed down to 2 businesses. We picked the Home Theater route. Its paid off. Happy with the decision.

One of these days, I'll buy another business but the problem is, I don't want to do all the work. I need good people and they are hard to find.

I think 75 or 150 is WAY too cheap but then again, I don't know your work or what it entails. Doing really deep cleaning and detailing takes many hours. There are mobile guys that get 400 per car in my hood. That's for basic washes and details. I have seen up to 2K for detail jobs around here.

 

Well, he did say it would be Wash, clay, S-X, NXT, UQD (I think that was all he was doing...)...

But anyway, then there are places like here, and although I am only 15 or so miles away from you, the prices here cap out at $200 or so for mobile detailers and about $250 for the detailing shop here. IMO, their work isnt that great, but I guess if you are only getting $200-250 out of it, that may be all you can/should do...

For those of you who want to know what RR would charge, it would be at LEAST 5 Franklins. Plus a tip.

 

If I were to pay 5 Bens for a detail,which I never will,my tip would be to do as many details at that price per week to get rich!