One thing you learned early/Still true today

tommygee

tommygee

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What's the one you learned when you started detailing that still true today? I'll go first. I just started my serious detailing hobby this year. I started with the Klasse twins and 845. So the first thing I learned that's still true today: Spread my products THIN!
 
But the good stuff the first time. Don't mess around with cheap stuff.
 
How important a test spot is and how it makes detailing a car easier
 
If you have time to do it twice, you have time to do it right the first time through.
 
First: What you do going in will be what you get coming out. In other words, don't cut corners! Whether for pleasure or profit it doesn't matter. Same as when you're prepping a car for paint. You can buy the most expensive paint on the planet, but if the prep work isn't great going in then the paint will reflect EXACTLY what is underneath.

Second: Expensive doesn't mean it's good.

This certainly holds true for products. Check the most regretted thread for that one. :rolleyes: Duragloss for instance is one that most guys that know it will swear is great product, yet if you're shopping just on price you'd think "It just can't be that good." Oh but it IS!

The third thing: Is that it that the most expensive shop doesn't mean it's the best shop, whether detailing, repairing, even house painting for that matter. Price alone isn't a bellwether as to if one guy is *that much* better, (if any) than another. Doesn't have to apply ONLY to detailers. Plenty of GREAT detailers and qualified techs can be found that are not charging $100 an hour, or $75 for that matter. It's about the guys passion for his work. Bet in a matter of minutes here and say on another closely linked forum you can find two guys, doing the same job, and one charges twice what the other does. Both I'm willing to bet can give you excellent work, and likely if you didn't know which one was doing what you'd never know the difference. Just as one or another may throw in little extras just because that's the way he does things. You do what you have to do to pay the bills. Yet even Mike says he doesn't do this for the money anymore. What's the old saying about doing something you love? Jus' sayin'..... :dunno:
 
cardaddy said:
First: What you do going in will be what you get coming out. In other words, don't cut corners! Whether for pleasure or profit it doesn't matter. Same as when you're prepping a car for paint. You can buy the most expensive paint on the planet, but if the prep work isn't great going in then the paint will reflect EXACTLY what is underneath.

Second: Expensive doesn't mean it's good.

This certainly holds true for products. Check the most regretted thread for that one. :rolleyes: Duragloss for instance is one that most guys that know it will swear is great product, yet if you're shopping just on price you'd think "It just can't be that good." Oh but it IS!

The third thing: Is that it that the most expensive shop doesn't mean it's the best shop, whether detailing, repairing, even house painting for that matter. Price alone isn't a bellwether as to if one guy is *that much* better, (if any) than another. Doesn't have to apply ONLY to detailers. Plenty of GREAT detailers and qualified techs can be found that are not charging $100 an hour, or $75 for that matter. It's about the guys passion for his work. Bet in a matter of minutes here and say on another closely linked forum you can find two guys, doing the same job, and one charges twice what the other does. Both I'm willing to bet can give you excellent work, and likely if you didn't know which one was doing what you'd never know the difference. Just as one or another may throw in little extras just because that's the way he does things. You do what you have to do to pay the bills. Yet even Mike says he doesn't do this for the money anymore. What's the old saying about doing something you love? Jus' sayin'..... :dunno:
Click to expand...
Just used Duragloss AW for the first time today. Awesome product! :iagree:
 
cardaddy said:
First: What you do going in will be what you get coming out. In other words, don't cut corners! Whether for pleasure or profit it doesn't matter. Same as when you're prepping a car for paint. You can buy the most expensive paint on the planet, but if the prep work isn't great going in then the paint will reflect EXACTLY what is underneath.

Second: Expensive doesn't mean it's good.

This certainly holds true for products. Check the most regretted thread for that one. :rolleyes: Duragloss for instance is one that most guys that know it will swear is great product, yet if you're shopping just on price you'd think "It just can't be that good." Oh but it IS!

The third thing: Is that it that the most expensive shop doesn't mean it's the best shop, whether detailing, repairing, even house painting for that matter. Price alone isn't a bellwether as to if one guy is *that much* better, (if any) than another. Doesn't have to apply ONLY to detailers. Plenty of GREAT detailers and qualified techs can be found that are not charging $100 an hour, or $75 for that matter. It's about the guys passion for his work. Bet in a matter of minutes here and say on another closely linked forum you can find two guys, doing the same job, and one charges twice what the other does. Both I'm willing to bet can give you excellent work, and likely if you didn't know which one was doing what you'd never know the difference. Just as one or another may throw in little extras just because that's the way he does things. You do what you have to do to pay the bills. Yet even Mike says he doesn't do this for the money anymore. What's the old saying about doing something you love? Jus' sayin'..... :dunno:
Click to expand...

:iagree:

Learn what not to do.......was handed a rotary polisher many, many moons ago and told to polish the hood of a car(barley could see over it) and I went to it like I saw my Uncle do it.........boy did I make a mess! ( I laugh about it today) He told me now you know what not to do sooooooo lets fix your mess and make it right and I did with his help.

He had a saying " boy if you don't mess up sometimes you're not doing anything"
 
Well I'm new. But here's what I've learned;

1) You never have enough MF towels. I always add MF towels to my order whenever I order from AGO. Even if it's just one $9 towel!

2) Don't cheap out on stuff. It won't save you a dime.

3) AGO will absolutely ruin you, and when you are out in the bitter cold hand-washing your car you will curse Ivan, the smug little convertible-driving, sunglass-wearing jerk, because if you still didn't know any better you'd just go through the auto car wash and step back and think "Gee, my car looks great".
 
Watch the edges when using a rotary and heavy compound.
Still the same today as 30 years ago.
It can still get you if you start thinking about taking a break at Starbucks with the buffer on the paint. Lol
 
Detailing is still not an easy job very time consuming. I wouldn't trade it for any other job :)
 
Can't remember exactly from whom, or where, I was taught the ability to:
Inquire...Ask Questions.

The Lesson Being:
Sometimes in the process of inquiry, the search is more significant than the answers...That answers come
from a host of other people from varied backgrounds; from the entire Universe of knowledge...and history;
and even from the intuition and wisdom that lies within a person themselves.

Carrying this forward:
Everything in Life is a Lesson.


:)

Bob
 
If you already know all the answers, you will soon find out you don't.
It's easier to admit you don't know something and try to learn than to fix a stupid mistake. But above all, LEARN from your mistakes.

Like others have said, expensive doesn't mean better, and cheapest doesn't mean the best deal. This applies to things other than detailing.
 
Wash from the top and work your way to the bottom.

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
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