Essential Tools for mobile Buisness??

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EvoMRtunerIX

New member
Hey guys, just starting up a small mobile detailing business called Finishline Visions. I was just wondering if I have the right gear. I know that I have the right chemicals and stuff, but do i really need a carpet extractor, and a high speed buffer??
 
To me, having a carpet extractor is what allows me to charge premium prices -it is an item that is not available to everyone. I like knowing i provide something that not everone has access to.

You can have a detail business with minimum equipment & Over the counter products but then why would they choose your service when they can do it themselves for less?



Having said that, if you can get good results with less then who cares how you got there?!
 
EvoMRtunerIX said:
Full detail, Exterior and interior. Wash Wax. the whole nine
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Start by telling us what you have already. If you want to be good, you need the right stuff. A detailer can only be as good as his products allow him to be.



Asking if you need a high speed buffer? What were you planning on using? I would be prepared to spend maybe 1.2-2 grand to get started at the very least. Give us a list on what you have, what you plan on getting and we can help you go from there.
 
Well I have



Meguiar's - deep crystal wash, gold class wax, all wheel cleaner, leather cleaner, swirl remover, ultimate compound, trim shine, tire dressing.



Turtle Wax - shell paste, Upholstry Cleaner, bug and tar remover.



Mirage - drying towels, terry cloths, buffing pads.



Zep - non streak window cleaner



Oxy Clean Carpet Cleaner



Mothers - Chrome Polish, Wheel Polish mag/alum



Quixx scratch remover



Shop Vac, Tire brush, wash hand pad, ****** buffer lol i have to get a new one.. What about the Meguiars buffer thats like $150 ?



Thats pretty much it.. Ive have some customers, and they have liked the finish but i want to attract more of course..
 
If you want to provide what most people on hear would call full details (what some detailers call full details doesn't match what most on here call full details), a Meguiars G110 or a Porter Cable 7424 would pretty much be mandatory. You will also need several finishing, polishing and cutting pads in 6/6.5 inch and 4 inch sizes.



You will also want plent of micro fiber towels such as the Orange Vroom towles which can be purchased at Target.
 
Maybe just stick with that and not offer paint correction. If you want to offer paint correction and do a good job, you're gonna need to buy all different pads, all different polishes, because if you skimp out on anything when it comes to correction you have the possibility of holograms, strike-through, inducing more marring, etc.



I think when I started up, I spend about 500-700 on a buffer, polishes, and pads alone. It adds up.
 
You might want to look into a steamer rather than a carpet extractor. They are more versatile to use. If your going to offer paint correction you should learn the rotary buffer, if your not at least get a DA
 
Now if i purchsed the buffing kit, i would need those pads as well. in what order would i perform a correct exterior attack. like what would you do for an exterior detail so that everytime the paint comes out sharp and shiny?? what steps?
 
EvoMRtunerIX said:
Now if i purchsed the buffing kit, i would need those pads as well. in what order would i perform a correct exterior attack. like what would you do for an exterior detail so that everytime the paint comes out sharp and shiny?? what steps?
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Wash

Clay

Re-Wash



Makita 9227C w 3M Perfect-It backing plate

PFW/M105

DD Green/P203S

DD Blue/PO85RD



Wash if there is a lot of dust

Wax or sealent.



Looking at at least 15-20 hours of paint correction only.
 
EvoMRtunerIX said:
Now if i purchsed the buffing kit, i would need those pads as well. in what order would i perform a correct exterior attack. like what would you do for an exterior detail so that everytime the paint comes out sharp and shiny?? what steps?
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Well, it is different for every car. That is why you pick a test spot and start experimenting with different polish and pad combos. When you first approach the car, you want to gauge now much correction the paint needs. Does the paint have heavy swirls, light swirls, no swirls? Are there any scratches that need to be wet sanded? Is the paint oxidized? Is the paint fine and just needs to be polished up a bit for better gloss, depth and reflectivity? The answer to those questions will determine where you start and go from there which is why it is important to have a variety of polishes and pads at your disposal.



Based on your posts it sounds like you don't have alot of experience polishing. I would continue reading posts on this site (the click and brag section is a good place, pay attention to their methods, what they use and why they use them) and practicing on your own car before you decide to try to polish for money. The last thing you want to do is be working on a car you are being paid to detail and realize you don't know where to go next.



Unfortunately it is not as simple as start with X polish and pad, then go to Y polish and pad, then finish up with Z polish and pad. In many cases, a detailer will start off light using the least aggressive method, work their way up in aggressiveness of polishes and pads till they are able to correct all the paint issues (swirling and other marring) and then will start working their way down in aggressiveness to clean up compounding haze, holograms and lastly to put a nice burnish on the paint for the optimum look of the paint. The combos the detailer will use during this trip up in aggressiveness and back down will be completely dependent on the results he/she has along the way rather than following a set of instructions telling them what combos to use on each car.



I hope this post didn't overwhelm you but the fact of the matter is, knowledge and experience is the key when detailing for money. Keep reading on here, keep asking questions (just don't forget the search function for general questions) and practice on your own. I have three car hoods I bought from a junk yard that I practiced on just so I would have a variety of paints to learn from.
 
So since im interested in continuing this business.. What are people doing for mobile service?? How long is it taking them to do a car?? Pretty much what im looking for is what i would need to make a car shine and look nice.. It sounds like its taking all day to do a car.. And i know quality is better.. And i dont want to focus too much on body work cause that is a different trade.. What do you think i could get away with in order to have some good business.. I know im just starting out too. Ive had some experience in dealerships but i know i need more.. i want to pick up that buffer kit for $125. how many pads and polishes would be good to start with?? and at what step do you clay a car. i have experience in that too.



Thanks
 
EvoMRtunerIX said:
So since im interested in continuing this business.. What are people doing for mobile service??
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Basically whatever their customers want. Whether that be a maintenance wash, interior vacuum and wipe down, a wash and wax, interior vacuum and carpet cleaning with with interior cleaning and protectant, a semi detail that includes wash, claying paint cleaner/All in One/or Glaze, and LSP, or full details with multi stage polishing etc.. Starting out I am guessing detailers offered more simple services and got more complicated as they gained experience.



EvoMRtunerIX said:
How long is it taking them to do a car??
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Really depends on what the customer needs done to the car. A simple wash, glass cleaning, tire dressing, vacuum and interior wipe done may be done in an hour. A car with paint and interior in terrible shape may take 12 plus hours due to needing 3 or more stages of polishing and extensive interior cleaning.



EvoMRtunerIX said:
Pretty much what im looking for is what i would need to make a car shine and look nice.. It sounds like its taking all day to do a car.. And i know quality is better..
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You will need atleast a dual action orbital polisher such as a Porter Cable 7424, a UDM or G110 along with a variety of pads and polishes.



EvoMRtunerIX said:
And i dont want to focus too much on body work cause that is a different trade.. What do you think i could get away with in order to have some good business.. I know im just starting out too. Ive had some experience in dealerships but i know i need more.. i want to pick up that buffer kit for $125. how many pads and polishes would be good to start with?? and at what step do you clay a car. i have experience in that too.



Thanks
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At a bare minimum you will need a DA with atleast one cutting pad, one polishing pad and one finishing pad and a compound and a milder polish. Then you need to take this and practice on your own car, family members' cars, friends' cars and learn the ins and outs of proper polishing before taking money from strangers to do their cars. Again, the last thing you want is to be working the car of someone you don't know and then get in a position where you don't know what to do because you don't have much polishing experience. If that happens when you are working on your own car or a friends' of faimily members' car it is not as big of a deal. I can't emphasize enough that detailing isn't as simple as picking up a polisher a pad and some polishing going to at it with out learning the proper techniques and practicing.
 
Thank you again for the info. I will do that and tell you how it goes... what do you think of meguiars ultimate compound?? what are the steps. like wash-wax-compound- polish??? what right order is followed??



Thanks
 
EvoMRtunerIX said:
Thank you again for the info. I will do that and tell you how it goes... what do you think of meguiars ultimate compound?? what are the steps. like wash-wax-compound- polish??? what right order is followed??



Thanks
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I don't mean this to sound harsh, so please take this in the spirit intended.



You need to slow WAY down, and develop some experience before opening a business. If you told us you were going into business as a car mechanic and started asking on a professional forum what wrenches to buy, everyone would be very suspicious.



I won't say that you can't get good results using over the counter tools, but there is a vast difference (usually) in professional tools and OTC tools and products. Megs Ultimate Compound, when used by someone with experience, is a wonderful compound. I have been very pleased with it. But used the wrong way, it can cause some heartache.



I am going to guess that you aren't doing rinseless washing, or using the two bucket method to wash. If I am wrong, please correct me. If true, then I'd suggest you spend some time here learning to actually clean cars before you head into the world of paint correction. Because if you actually do correct the paint, and you don't wash it properly the next time you see that car, you'll have to polish it again.



Spend a bit of time building up your experience and tool arsenal before taking money from strangers. Start with proper washing, get yourself a GOOD vacuum cleaner (Metro or similar), a good Wet/Dry vac, and some good basic tools like mitts, brushes for wheels, etc. Learn how to properly use clay, and learn how to dry the car without water spots. Once you get there, then start having a look at polishing paint.



Again, not trying to come down on you, but I guarantee you, the first time you polish someone's car down to primer by mistake is going to be a day you remember well. I remember that it made a LASTING impression on me when I did it to my car! Trying to wetsand for the first time. What a quick learning experience THAT was!
 
Darkstar752 said:
Wash

Clay

Re-Wash



Makita 9227C w 3M Perfect-It backing plate

PFW/M105

DD Green/P203S

DD Blue/PO85RD



Wash if there is a lot of dust

Wax or sealent.



Looking at at least 15-20 hours of paint correction only.
Click to expand...



15-20 hours paint correction? How bad of a job are you talking about?
 
EvoMRtunerIX said:
Thank you again for the info. I will do that and tell you how it goes... what do you think of meguiars ultimate compound?? what are the steps. like wash-wax-compound- polish??? what right order is followed??



Thanks
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I highly recommend a Cyclo. I am also fairly new to the paint correction process and the Cyclo has turned my business into a highly profitable outfit! Get a Cyclo, several sets of orange pads, a few sets of Green, some good compound, and a good wax.. That would be a great start. It cant burn paint, doesnt swirl, can use it in 100 degree heat without a problem. It is an amazing machine and I really think that should be your next purchase. Just my opinion tho..

Here is what I did to an old beat up Land Rover in 5 minutes on a 85 degree sunny day! Didnt even have to wash it. Just a little windex and a Microfiber, taped off a section, and ran with it. Lands a customer EVERY time! How can they say no! ha.

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Yes, I know this was far from perfect. It was just one pass with Alpha grit and Orange pads (2 minutes). Then 1 pass with polish and green pads (2 minutes). And it turns out the guy also owns this vehicle (scheduled for saturday).

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