Earliest memory detailing a car

LEDetailing

LEDetailing

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My mom and dad tell me a story about me being 4-5 years old and picking rocks out of the tire treads of cars in my dad's used car showroom. I was told I started doing this on my own.

Best part, I was using one of those miny pocket clip screwdrivers. I wouldn't let my 4 year old within 30 ft of my cars with a screwdriver. I vaguely remember the indoor showroom, he moved locations when I was 5-6. If that doesn't scream destined for auto detailing I don't know what does.

I also remember washing my aunt and uncles diesel Oldsmobile with dawn and wash clothes. Two buckets of course:) One with rocks in the bottom, the other with less rocks from the clothes being dropped.
 
At the age of 6 on Saturday mornings it was wash day with dad, then once a month we spent the day with Simonize wax and a lot of words I did not understand!
 
When I was probably 6, I got a "Lock Up Key Car" for easter. It came with a little packet of Turtle Wax. After my Dad explained what it was for, and how to use it, I fell in love with the idea of a car's paint being protected. A couple years later I remember helping my Dad wash our white 1986 Buick Century. Mom, Dad, sis, and I all went to my grandma, and grandpa's house in Pontiac, and that's where we washed the car. My grandpa had some Turtle Wax in a glass bottle, and that is what Dad and I used to wax the car.

Ten years after that I bought the Megs Deep Crystal system, and Gold Class. I bought a Black & Decker 6" orbital (like the one pictured) to help me with the labor. Those were some good times.
 
A 1960's era Olds Delmont 88 (Rocket V8) with a hood the size of Montana, a bucket a sponge and whatever soap was laying around. Followed later by some incredibly hard to apply Blue Coral product. Oh, and always in direct sunlight.
 
I vaguely remember helping my dad wash his car (1960s). I do remember when I got my first car, washing and waxing all the time. My mom said I was going to wash the paint off.
 
My earliest recollection is helping my father rub off the crusted, old school wax at the time (maybe Simonize) of our '65 Chevy. I remember using baby diapers and it was like removing concrete!
 
Helping my dad clean his car....

....using paper towels and windex on the paint....

:)
 
I remember using 3 n 1 oil on our 59 chevy before going on vacation :)
 
I remember washing cars with various family members whether it was in the rain or the hot sun then let them air dry or blow dry as we took a spin around town
 
I was about 10 years old when my older brother showed me how to detail. Began with a rotary and old school single stage paints.
 
parshooter said:
I vaguely remember helping my dad wash his car (1960s). I do remember when I got my first car, washing and waxing all the time. My mom said I was going to wash the paint off.
Click to expand...

:dblthumb2: +1 here too! My 1st car I helped wash was in the 60's MY 1st ride was a 1975 Chevy Luv Pickup!
 
Weren't any cars around the homestead when
I was young and growing up on the farm.
Does watering-down mules and hinnies count?


Bob
 
I always helped my Dad wash his cars but when I was about 14 he had friends who wanted their cars washed and waxed so I would consider that my beginning in the detailing world.That would have been around 1968. Get the Turtle wax out and go to it. They actually gave me money to it it also. Then I bought some "Blue Coral" with the bottle that was the cleaner and the little blue jar that was the wax. How many used that stuff. One panel at a time or you had a heck of a time getting it off. I bought my first rotary in 1977 and stiil have it a Black and Decker. Man how times have changed.
 
Great stories everyone. I remember loving to vacuum the house with my mom as a little kid too (5-6). I didn't like dusting, but once I got started "watch out". Residential detailing if you will.

I would totally buy some Meguiar's furniture polish if it was still in production.

Maybe Mike can lend me some 100 year old furniture polish out of the collection to try out:)
 
dlc95 said:
When I was probably 6, I got a "Lock Up Key Car" for easter. It came with a little packet of Turtle Wax. After my Dad explained what it was for, and how to use it, I fell in love with the idea of a car's paint being protected. A couple years later I remember helping my Dad wash our white 1986 Buick Century. Mom, Dad, sis, and I all went to my grandma, and grandpa's house in Pontiac, and that's where we washed the car. My grandpa had some Turtle Wax in a glass bottle, and that is what Dad and I used to wax the car.

Ten years after that I bought the Megs Deep Crystal system, and Gold Class. I bought a Black & Decker 6" orbital (like the one pictured) to help me with the labor. Those were some good times.
Click to expand...

You wanna know what's sad?

Is special moments like that in our life when we were younger we didn't think they were so special.

Looking back at my childhood stuff that I thought was normal or boring, turns out to be some of my best memories.

It's really odd what age does to you.
 
Cleaning my Mother's brand new 1960 Chevy Belair. Detailing? No, not by any definition. Wash & wax was it.....and done incorrectly at that by current day standards. I was 11 years old and that was one of my jobs along with washing dishes and other chores. My allowance was 25¢ a week.

I forget the name of the paste wax but I think it started with a P. It was a MOFO to get off since I slathered it on.
 
This was in the early 60s or late 50s...you used Simoniz wax as I helped my father and you did one panel at a time and it took hours just for one panel..not sure how long it lasted but from the work involved it should have lasted for one lifetime.
For windows we used glasswax which is still the best and easiest method for clean streak free windows.
 
My earliest memory of detailing is scrubbing my parents first ever brand new car.

Be 5.
Love shiny new red car.
Want to help mom.
Scrub new car with wire brush.
Just trying to help.jpg


She is still mad at me about that :D
 
I remember washing and waxing my mom's '58 Edsel Bermuda wagon. It took several hours to wax and also apply chrome polish as there was a ton of chrome on that horse-collar grill and bumper. It was 1969 when we bought that and I remember it well . . . Turtle wax . . . Good times they were .
 
craigdt said:
My earliest memory of detailing is scrubbing my parents first ever brand new car.

Be 5.
Love shiny new red car.
Want to help mom.
Scrub new car with wire brush.
Just trying to help.jpg


She is still mad at me about that :D
Click to expand...

Similar story for me, totally off topic. I was probably the same age or younger and watched mom removing wallpaper all day at grandma's house. Got back to our home, found a rigid spatula from the kitchen and came into the kitchen showing my mom a big chunk of wallpaper from the dining room. Guess I was paying attention.
 
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