How you end up being in the Auto Detail industry?

ExoticAutoDetai

ExoticAutoDetai

New member
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
935
Reaction score
0
I dont know if this has been started before but I am sure it would be good since we get new members now and then. I was just curious to see how everyone else end up being in this industry and for those who took it to the next level decided to turn it in to a business instead of just a hobby.



Well the reason why I end up liking this type of work at first I didnt like it. It was more like a job a kid at the age of 14+ could get at a local hand car wash or car wash. I was having a hard time looking for a job when I was teen and the main reason was because I am a hard of hearing person. I use hearing aids to be able to hear well in both ears. I honeslty dont know how the BEEP I end up like this lol but there are times I hate it and enjoy it. If I was fine from my ears I would have been right now in the Marines.

So my first job was at a local car wash from there I move to a local hand car wash and thats where I found out about detailing cars. I realized how much money can be made in this industry and decided to keep pursuing it.

I am glad I found this site is really helpful and I wish this site many more years.
:xyxthumbs:
 
During a tough time of my life I was doing a lot of prayer and meditation and realized that when I was cleaning and waxing my cars, I was getting some sort of mental clarity...Getting guidance as to what to do with my life if you will. It was seemingly the only time that I could really relax and feel comfortable within myself so I kept on doing it. With practice I kept getting better and better at it.

Here's a little something that I wrote, looking back at that time of my life.. http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/27192-serving-masses.html
I'd like to say that there are a lot of kind people in this world and that through continued practice and asking for the help of others, I've been able to do an about face both in my spiritual life and my life as a detailer. It just keeps getting better and better. Thanks AG.
 
I think this might be a similar thread to the "How did you get into detailing" but I'll post here anyway! As you said there are new members now.

I got into detailing as a kid from my old man. I use to always help him wash the family minivan every weekend. As soon as I got my own car I always kept it clean and waxed using OTC products. A couple years ago my friends started asking me to do their cars etc. Same as Dave, I find detailing therapeutic. It enables me to relax (which is very rare for me) and it's soothing. So, after doing some friends cars, then their family members asking me to do their cars. I figured at the beginning of last year why not try to see how far I can take it. So, I found AG and a couple other detailing forums. Absorbed as much info as I can (and still absorbing info). I decided that this is something that I really love doing and wanted to take it to the next level, so I got my LLC this year.

I am an extremely motivated person and have a hard time sitting still. So, this helps me keep busy.
 
I hear ya Jason and copied some of that over here and added more.

I could blame it on my Father and Mother for my birth but that might be taking it a bit too far! :laughing:

My fascination with cars began like most others at a young age. As early as 9 or 10 I enjoyed taking care of the family car and would wash, vacuum, and clean the glass and chrome weekly. I spent hours fussing over every detail.

I bought my very first "real" car in 1968. It was a 1956 Chevy Belair and I could not be more excited about buying it.

I'd washed my prized possession every other day and wax it once a week, usually on weekends. I vacuumed the interior once a week and cleaned the windows at the same time. This is where I first learned that cleaning the interior first made the most sense. Once it was clean shut the doors and concentrate on the outside.

I tried different polishes and waxes and have to admit at the time didn't know there was a true difference between them. Apply the polish, wait until it dried and buff with a bath towel or something similar.

I started to do autobody work in the early 70's and dabbled in custom paint work and did some pretty interesting paint jobs on both cars and motorcycles. I sprayed lacquer's enamels, and urethanes. I also sprayed allot of paint made by Metalflake Paint Company which includes:


  • MetalFlake®
  • Glowble®
  • Eerie-Dess®
  • Spindrift®
  • StarPearl®
  • Flip Flop®
  • MicroGlow®
I really enjoyed some of the custom jobs. Laying down a nice Pearlescent Finish with contrasting webbing picking up various major colors on the car products some dazzling results! The "aroma" of these products made me "feel" pretty good while applying them. There was little protection for the body-man in those days unlike now.

Detailing was sort of a side component of painting but you had to know what to do and when. Wet sanding with the proper grit of paper and what products to use to bring the finish to the desired glow was a real challenge and all had to be performed using a rotary polisher.

If I told you I never screwed up a paint job with a rotary I'd be BSing you. Several times I did learn the hard way and because of this took my time and proceed cautiously learning the required skills as I went along.

As life's journey continued I got my Engineering degree and dropped my spray-gun and polisher professionally, about 1980, but maintained both my skills and obsessive desire for detailing.

I do 15 to 20 cars a year and in New england that's more like 6 months. I do only family and friends but don't charge them. I find detailing very relaxing and rewarding. To me there's noting better that stepping back and looking at what skill and hard work can accomplish............now where the heck did I put that new buffer?? :laughing:
 
I bought a car and didn't like the way the local detailer did it. I learned from here and it's been downhill ever since.
 
Don't know that I'm "in the industry" since I'll only be doing my cars and friends, tho' I will charge friends so I guess that counts. Anyway, I got here because I grew less and less satisfied with the OTC products over the years. IMO, they've cheapened then to the point of being near worthless. So, I did some web searches and found AG, and others. Liked AG the best because of the volume of info, the deep product lineup and they don't concentrate on a single brand.
 
I am not going to lie but I also find it very relaxing when working with a car one on one. I guess since is just you and the car nobody telling you what to do. I personally like to work listening to music it doesn't get better than that. :D
 
I think a lot of people find it relaxing. I definitely do, repetitive actions relax me such as detailing (on my own) and swimming, etc.

I started (and I barely have a side business) by keeping my car clean. Then obsession just kind of spawned from that. Keeping it suuuper clean and learning more and more until others started wanting me to do their cars.

When my friends started telling me that their parents and whatnot wanted me to do their car is when I started getting legitimate with paperwork and forms.
 
ExoticAutoDetai said:
I am not going to lie but I also find it very relaxing when working with a car one on one. I guess since is just you and the car nobody telling you what to do. I personally like to work listening to music it doesn't get better than that. :D
Click to expand...

+1 :whs:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top