So... Does this stuff make sense?

jrock645

jrock645

New member
I work with a guy that has been detailing for a really long time. Like 25 years. Only uses a rotary, super old school. Literally doesn't know what a DA is.

Hes is giving me tips about how to use my new 3403 and says always hold the pad at an angle against the paint, never hold it flat.

He will buff out and doa full interior detail with qtips in the vents and whatnot for our coworkers for like $60. Takes him like 7 hours.

One step polishes all cars with the rotary.

Swears up and down that the best thing to wash a car with is just warm water- no soap.

It all seems ludicrous to me. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get a few paid details and I can't because this guy is doing them basically for free. For a mid size car, I won't do a one step with HD speed, wheels, windows and basic interior wipe for less than $100. I work plenty and while I like detailing and enjoy it, it's not easy work and I won't do it unless it's worth my while.
 
It all sounded interesting until I read: " Swears up and down that the best thing to wash a car with is just warm water- no soap." I wonder if this guy applies the same logic to his showering and laundering?
 
Lol. Poor guy. I would love to see what his work looked like. But tell him to keep it up. He is keeping a bunch of us in business.

I won't EVER polish a car for $60. Nope, no way. That just makes me sore thinking about it.
 
He said buff at angle never flat....


Last time I checked we all want the most direct contact an coverage possible when polishing. The only time I angle aka feather is with a da to help avoid stalls. A 3403 an 3401 are both force driven so this logic is just, well... You get it.

See if he uses clay bar, an how hologrammed are the paints when he's done destroying them. Also the fact he doesn't know what a DA is, an he's been doing this 25 years is quite alarming.

I won't do a one stepper for less then 350. Not worth my time, trust me cheap you pay twice.
 
So these are co-workers? So you see their cars on a daily basis in your parking lot? What I would do is start looking for holograms on these guys cars a week or so after this guys detail. Then point it out and tell them what it causing it. Then let them know if they truly want the paint corrected so that stuff doesn't reappear after a couple weeks, then they need to let you fix it. Start with the ones you know well, not the strangers. You might end up working yourself up a decent business as word gets around.
 
The Driver said:
He said buff at angle never flat....


Last time I checked we all want the most direct contact an coverage possible when polishing. The only time I angle aka feather is with a da to help avoid stalls. A 3403 an 3401 are both force driven so this logic is just, well... You get it.

See if he uses clay bar, an how hologrammed are the paints when he's done destroying them. Also the fact he doesn't know what a DA is, an he's been doing this 25 years is quite alarming.

I won't do a one stepper for less then 350. Not worth my time, trust me cheap you pay twice.
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He he says crazy things about clay, too. He says it takes at least 2 hours to clay a car. I get maybe a car in really bad shape but as the norm, at least 2 hours? I was like huh...

Then get this... He says you can't clay a whole car and then go back and wash it. Says the clay will leave some residue that you'll never get off- "you'll have to sandblast it off."
 
jrock645 said:
I work with a guy that has been detailing for a really long time.

He will... detail ... for our coworkers for like $60.
Click to expand...

Question for you, jrock: Since you work with him, and the coworkers, how do those cars turn out?

I can see how people would easily pay 60$ for a detail if they are happy with the outcome.
 
Well the problem is their cars look better... And these people dont have a reference point or an understanding that just because its better doesnt mean it looks good by real detailing standards. The ones ive seen look ok but not impressive. He gets people with all the interior cleaning.
 
As painful as all this is to read I am sadly not surprised. I was at Walmart not too long ago picking up some Mothers Foaming Wheel and Tire Cleaner when a lady employee came up to me on the aisle and said "there was an expert car guy in here a few days ago and told me all this car wash soap is junk and expensive and to use laundry detergent instead".
 
jrock645 said:
Well the problem is their cars look better...
Click to expand...
Yeah, that seems about right then. The cars look better at a price they are willing to pay, and just as important, a price HE is willing to accept. You and I won't be willing to do *that* much work for 60$, but he is. So we would lose business to him, and that's okay. We just need to focus and market ourselves to those willing to pay for what *we* offer!

mnehls86 said:
I was at Walmart and [the lady] said "there was an expert car guy in here a few days ago and told me all this car wash soap is junk and expensive..."
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That's surprising! I consider those car wash soaps (Megs, Mothers, Armor All (especially)) to be VERY inexpensive. 64 oz of Armor All Wash & Wax for under 5 bucks!!
 
EXPDetailing said:
This video is hard to watch. When I saw her clean the wheel well lip and mud flap area and then wipe her door, I cringed.
Click to expand...

But if you notice, the car isn't really dirty...maybe just a little dusty (e.g. California Duster), so I can see how she might think it was okay. A little grit and it would be a big mistake!.... but hey, ignorance is bliss!

I love youtube - I've gotten a lot of good info from there. BUT one has to be very careful because there are a lot (too many) perhaps well meaning people that make video's about things they know nothing about...but pretend to be experts.
 
I dont see how its possible to do a complete end to end Detail in 7 hours..
Unless you miss a lot of stuff...

If you want to speed buff, yes you can use the edge which is moving faster to speed up the work but the result will be less than near perfect...
And then you will probably be installing lots of extra things into the paint that someone else will have to remove, if the owner cares a hoot about the car..

Claybar an entire vehicle in 2 hours ??? Is he taking 1+ hour off for lunch ???

Never had an issue with Claybars - good ones - and never had them leave anything on the surface either.. Used them since the 80's, and never any issues...

If everyone is happy to just spend $60 for a "detail" (?), then this is NOT the Client base you should be seeking if you are serious about wanting to do this for a LIVING...

There are people out there who own nice cars and care enough about them to want them really clean, smelling clean, looking as perfect as possible; who see their nice cars as investments, and are willing to pay a good Detailer a fair price much higher than this guy for really good work..
And they will come back every year or every 6 months, or for anything that happens to their baby, like they spilled a starbucks latte on the floor, etc...

And they will tell all their friends, family, and co-workers...

I got a lot of referrals from the great people at the Costco Headquarters in Issaquah, WA., when I started Detailing a few of their employees nice Audi, Mercedes, and BMW cars...
You can do this too, just get the years of experience in first so you can confidently handle anything, and go up from there..

There are higher level Detailers out there and trust me no one, no one, not one of them would ever consider charging so little and finishing a Complete Detail so quickly, working alone...

Hope this helps..
Dan F
 
Thanks Dan, thats pretty much what i thought. I just looked at a coworkers car that he did... Swirled all over the place. Im guessing he uses cheap otc products with fillers.

I require $20/hr for my work. I can one step a small car in 5 hours, but thats with no actual correction work- just 4 passes per section with hd speed. I tell people thats a deal but they balk. Oh well.
 
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