OVER 9000!

Hi guys,
I am rather inexperienced with detailing (I normally only wax/wash/dry) and I am looking for recommendations on what types of products I should buy (clay, quick detailer, polishes, waxes, sealants, etc.) for detailing my 02 S and later on my sister's TL and hopefully other people's cars. I am looking to learn from firsthand experience on my car and eventually moving on to do my sister's car. She also says she has friends who are interested as well, which means it could be a good opportunity for me to make good money and acquire some clients. So basically I am looking to pick up a Porter Cable 7424 orbital polisher, but I am lost on what pads I should get and what assortment of products I should get. Any advice and product recommendations are welcome, so please let me know what I should pick up! Links to good prices are greatly appreciated, but not a requirement. Also if you have any pointers for my first in depth detail, feel free to share! Thanks in advance!

BobbyC

Pads, get one of everything if youre trying to do this as a side business.
the bare min should be a heavy cut, med, fine, and polish

polishes, you can get a variety too. the standard for most detailers seem to be M105/205 combo. reasonably priced and covers most correction.

youre gonna want a good pressure washer + foam cannon as well.

Car wash mitt. i like either MF or wool.

wheel cleaner. sonax seems to be the standard.

wheel brush

IronX

a All purpose cleaner

leather cleaner

leather conditioner

window cleaner

masking tape.

few different types of sealants and waxes.

i prefer purple haze wax for dark cars and prima epic sealant for everything else

a decent vacuum unless you plan on taking the car to a gas station to do that.

a vinyl/plastic treatment like 303 or opticlean

probably a few different types of spray air fresheners

and a assortment of MF towels.

all in all, this isnt gonna be a "cheap" side business so i hope youre ready to spend some dough.
autogeek sells pretty nice kits.

i have been thinking of doing a couple customer cars just to have extra money to spend on detailing products. lol

i would highly reccomend getting lots of experience before doing a paying customers car and potentially doing it wrong.

good luck

S2KRAY

I retired to the beach 5 years ago and got bored so I started a detailing business. I detailed over 50 vehicles this year and plan to do more next year. I use products from Detailed Image and their product descriptions, videos, how to use their products, ask a pro, etc are a great source of information and has made me a better detailer. I work alone and love the flexibility of scheduling around my schedule. I am competitive in pricing as I use my garage and have little overhead. My business has grown mostly by word of mouth as I do a professional job compared to some of the mediocre detail shops down here and I do not do more than one vehicle per day. I also perform personal services like pick up and delivery of customers cars, fix small items as I see them during the detail, follow up with a call, and explain the process and products I use. I do very well and make 3 to 4X more per hour compared to working at Lowes or Home Depot which is a no-brainer as I love the work I do. The reply above is a good one to get you started. I just wanted to give you an insight on my experience. Good Luck.

OVER 9000!

Thanks for the replies guys! BobbyC, thanks for the list. I'll be sure to look up all the products and read some reviews to decide which ones I want to buy! I know it's going to be expensive, but I see it as an investment that will likely pay itself off in the future. What is the process you guys normally go through to detail a car? Like wash, dry, clay, wax, etc etc.

dwight

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/221...-step-by-step/

BobbyC

yea.. ive thought the same.
i might do a car or 2 on the weekends if i can.
i have quite the detailing product addiction and id like the hobby to be able to fund itself. lol

as for a process i wash using the 2 bucket method.
getting a pressure washer and a foam canon soon. that will help a lot.

currently, i use optiumum no rinse wash since i live in a town house.
its the only way i can wash.

i dry using a MF drying towel. (pat down and pick the towel up. dont wipe with the towel. it can cause some marring if your finish wasnt completely clean so its better to be cautious).

depending on the condition, i Clay down the entire car.

Wipe down using a quick detailer.

Polish with which ever Pad + Polish combo works.
always test on a small spot before doing the entire car and always try to use the least agressive combo.

after polishing, i do a wipe down with 50/50 alcohol/water solution

apply sealant and wipe off.

apply wax.

clean the interior while the wax cures.

interior:

vacuum and clean mats using diluted woolite and a rag.
same with my lux suede seats.

wipe down the plastic bits with prima nero and treat clean the leather using leather cleaner and apply leather conditioner.

Clean windows (polish if needed using a light pad + compound)

wipe off wax, light a cigarette and admire.

on my car (2012 TSX SE), this usually takes about 6-8 hours. depending on how much polishing needs to be done.


i do this once a year, or if something has happened like landscapers BLOWING DIRT ALL OVER MY CAR.

the rest of the times, i just wash, dry. apply another coat of wax if the finish seems kinda dull.
purple haze is pretty long lasting. esp paired with prima epic underneath.

OVER 9000!

Thanks! Your list makes it sound easy! Easier read than done though lol. I just have a few questions:
1. What is the purpose of the 50/50 alcohol treatment?
2. Do you clay/wax/seal the windows as well?
3. Would you recommend the Griots random orbital polisher? I think I would like the handle positioning more than the Porter Cable's, but I'm not sure how the performance would compare.

BobbyC

the alcohol wash gets rid of left over polish and preps a nice clean surface for sealant or wax.
you dont HAVE to do it but its the easiest way i know of to get rid of polish residue.
some polishes leave hardly any residue but some leave a lot. depends on which polish i guess.

stuff like optiseal requires a Alc wash before applying. ..

2.. yes i do. i also polish them

3. ive never used the griots but ive heard nothing but great things about them. im told the power in the griots is much better than the PC but the PC is constructed better where as the Griots feels cheap and plastic-ey. im also told the power button on the griots is in a bad place and people mod it to put it on top.

i use the PC but never use the handle. it comes in handy when you need to lay it down for a bit but for use, it kinda makes your technique difficult because your pressure isnt being centered. i just push down on top of the PC itseld.

Autogeek is running a special on a griots combo pack. i would def buy that if i didnt already have a PC.

BobbyC

here you go.

http://www.autogeek.net/griots-rando...-polisher.html

griots DA + 6 free pads


thats a good deal

dwight

50% seems to be too strong.
http://youtu.be/4TRVI5kbvXI?t=34m20s

I have a hard time believing that OptiSeal requires an IPA wipedown. OptiCoat doesn't.
http://youtu.be/4TRVI5kbvXI?t=54m1s

I agree about the handle on the Porter Cable. Just leave the handle in the box and use the polisher without it.