My product list, can i go mobile?

T

ToyotaRKeener

New member
I dont want to go to my first paid job unprepared... Here is the list of what products I have, let me know if i am missing ANYTHING that may be useful. I dont want to learn the hard way...



Towels and Tools

60+ MF towels. Almost all are new, and passed CD test.

3 Sheepskin wash mitts.

Misc Interior brushes for brushing

Misc Exterior tire and wheel brushes.

Tire Swipes

Q-Tips

Latex Gloves

Garbage Bags

Masking Tape

6HP Craftsman Shop Vac w/ extensions



Products

Megs Gold Class Car Wash

Megs Quick Detailer

Mothers Clay Bar

Megs Deep Crystal Paint Cleanser

Megs #9 SMR

Megs #7 Glaze

Megs Scratch-X

Mothers Caranuba Cleaning Wax

S100

Armoral

Simple Green Cut 50/50 with h2o

Stoners Invisible Glass

Back 2 Black

Megs High Endurance Tire Shine

Megs 1 Step Leather Cleaner+Conditioner

Mothers Mag + Alum polish

Mothers Billet Polish

EO Nevr Dull





In the mail, arriving soon I have...

PC 7424

SSR2.5

Klasse AIO

and a reorder of S100.



I plan to learn on my household vehicles and my truck with the PC, before I even consider using it for jobs.
 
Going to need to check on some of those products for use in sunlight. You also might want to look into buying a rotary buffer also. It will cut down your times greatly verses the PC and allow you to do some things the pc isnt capable of pulling off. Also if this is going to be a buisness you might want to look into buying some products in bulk/ drums. Having those top of the line products are great but they get costly and once you start doing a good amount of cars per week it will get to you. There are some cleaners/ dressings/ polishes from smaller named companies that work just as well if not better then some of the big named guys and cost even less for more product.
 
Well just off the top of my head but I don't see and pads for the pc. The pad that it comes with is really no good.



Also depending on the types of locations you plan to service you might need to bring your own water and power. Also a good extension cord for the pc.
 
I am only going to be doing this for about 2 months before I have to start school up again, so bulk seems like it could be a waste of money. I have a craftsman rotary, but wasnt too pleased with the results while using a terry bonnet, maybe it was the products I was using. Can you refer me to a link or answer, what products will be better applied with a rotary vs the PC
 
krsjuan said:
Well just off the top of my head but I don't see and pads for the pc. The pad that it comes with is really no good.



Also depending on the types of locations you plan to service you might need to bring your own water and power. Also a good extension cord for the pc.
Click to expand...



Ahh forgot to mention, I bought the kit from autogeek that comes with the pads. I have a 150FT Cord that I would bring with me for the PC and Shop Vac.



I really have no way to supply my own water, but that was something that crossed my mind. Ideally I would have a whole trailers worth of supplies! :drool:
 
With the rotary you will want to look into a few different pads. from heavy cut to polishing pads. A lot of products like the ssr 2.5 can be applied by the rotary buffer. You should be able to do most things with the PC but the rotary saves a ton of time which is always good for a mobile detailer (less time outside). For now you should be fine without it but later down the road when you have your process set and got the hang of doing the mobile thing maybe look into using the rotary more to work on your times. Its always a good thing to make the same amount of money you were making before but in less amount of time. :)
 
krsjuan said:
I agree with Mazz. You need to start looking into buying products in bulk. I would look at



www.chemicalguys.com



They have a wide range of products and have decent prices.



Good luck!
Click to expand...



Ok i will take a look at that, but I am going to wait to see how much Clientel i will be seeing. Dont want to come out of the summer in debt!

Thanks KRSJuan and Mazz, you guys have been helpfull. Now out to go read labels refering to direct sunlight issues.
 
ToyotaRKeener said:
I am only going to be doing this for about 2 months before I have to start school up again, so bulk seems like it could be a waste of money.
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised how quickly you can go through 16oz or even 32oz of SSR 2.5. You can get a gallon of a very similar product from the chemical guys for less tan $30.
 
ToyotaRKeener said:
Ok i will take a look at that, but I am going to wait to see how much Clientel i will be seeing. Dont want to come out of the summer in debt!

Thanks KRSJuan and Mazz, you guys have been helpfull. Now out to go read labels refering to direct sunlight issues.
Click to expand...

Smart thinking. I would say that if you average a car a day it would warrant getting at least some of the products in bulk. Also I forgot to mention to check your local paint/auto body supply shop to see what they carry. All the ones near me stock a good selection of meguiars professional products.
 
krsjuan said:
You'd be surprised how quickly you can go through 16oz or even 32oz of SSR 2.5. You can get a gallon of a very similar product from the chemical guys for less tan $30.
Click to expand...



Yea i have already had a good transaction with them. I bought a dozen MF's from them, and recieved them in 3 days.
 
krsjuan said:
You'd be surprised how quickly you can go through 16oz or even 32oz of SSR 2.5. You can get a gallon of a very similar product from the chemical guys for less tan $30.
Click to expand...



Similar enough to be used in the direct sun? Saving money doesn't help if the product gums up on hot paint.



I use mostly Meguiars 80 series professional polishes which run around $25-28 a gallon but I am also willing to pay more for the SSR polishes during summer since they work well in the sun and Meguiars don't.
 
Let me put in my .02



If this is only a 2 month gig, then I wouldn't worry too much about stocking up on a lot of stuff. Honestly, it's going to be difficult to build up a big customer base in 2 months only. Start getting parents to get their friends to let you detail their cars. See which of your friend's have car who want details. All my friends have me come out to detail their cars when they first buy them and I usually end up teaching them how to detail also.



Also, when you go back to school. Do you have to give up detailing gig completely. I'd hang onto your good customers and try to set something up where you come out once or twice a month to wash and maybe put a coat of wax on their vehicle. Detailing is really good money so you will want to keep your regular customers around.



The PC is probably good enough for you now. There are professionals who don't use a rotary ever. Some people on here didn't believe in using a machine for a long time. I rarely use mine actually. I don't have a PC but a similar random orbital buffer and it's just more friendly to use. There is a lot less I have to worry about with it also. If you get a rotary and burn someone's paint, then you're going to lose a lot of money paying for them to get a repaint. If you end up with a vehicle that needs a lot of work, then just use a more aggressive compound with the PC and go at it. It'll take longer than the rotary but you can get the same results.



As you run out of your current chemicals, I'd stock up on bulk ones if you plan to keep doing this. I'd mainly get the ones you know you'll use a lot in bulk like your car soap, wheel cleaner, tire cleaner, and your dressings. You'll save money doing that. You can also consider getting your polish and wax in bulk also. But some chemicals it won't be worth getting a lot of if you don't use it often.



Honestly, don't get caught up in buying a lot of equipment and chemicals that you will hardly ever use. You won't need it for a part time gig.
 
Thanks. Well my school is out of state so keeping the same customers may be difficult. Its a 3 hr drive, but if i come back for a weekend then I will be sure to give them a call and let them know Im back. Im really looking forward to trying out the PC, I am just still really confused on the pads and polishes, ive sorted alot of it out though when searching through the hall of fame and a recent post that had a nice table!
 
I was in a similar situation to you at the start of the summer, I had no idea how much business I would go though. Fast forward 3 months, and I'm averaging 3-4 cars per week. Definetly buy from CG's, 1 300 dollar order will cover you for a month easy.
 
ToyotaRKeener said:
Thanks. Well my school is out of state so keeping the same customers may be difficult. Its a 3 hr drive, but if i come back for a weekend then I will be sure to give them a call and let them know Im back. Im really looking forward to trying out the PC, I am just still really confused on the pads and polishes, ive sorted alot of it out though when searching through the hall of fame and a recent post that had a nice table!
Click to expand...



Sounds like a good plan.



Even if you come back once every three months you'll be able to get a weekend full of people for wax packages. That's good beer money right there. :p
 
Scottwax said:
Similar enough to be used in the direct sun? Saving money doesn't help if the product gums up on hot paint.
Click to expand...



CGC-2 – Medium Duty Compound –formulated using mild and medium abrasives

formulated for optimal results in or out of the sun
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top