Starting to detail for neighbors?

JBknights10

JBknights10

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I'm 15 and a half, have my permit, and really am interested in cars. I'm kind of a "perfectionist" when it comes to nice stuff and things I like. I don't have a job, and when I get my license i'm going to have to start paying for alot more stuff and it's always good to have money saved. I have enough to get a Porter Cable and pad kit, saw a few for around $260, do those kits have all the pads needed to start detailing? I was thinking of starting off with my car and one of our family cars for practice I guess. Then do some friends for more practice, and then do a few of my parents friends cars for cheap, see how I do. If it turns out good, people will recommend it to others. Is something like this reasonable to bring a car in one day on the weekend in the garage and get it all done? What all do I need to get started? Thanks for the help, sorry for the long post.
 
I started doing the same thing recently. Helped a coworker fix his truck paint. That impressed another coworker so much she had me detail her car. Then, as I worked on her car my neighbor came over and asked me to do his. If you pay attention to detail and take your time, people will take notice of your work!

You can expect to get an entire car done in one long day, say 6-10 hours. You'll definitely have to work to earn your money, but go for it! Just be prepared to do a little extra on the first few cars to practice and go that extra mile to get people to notice your skills.
 
Thanks for the tips, on the "quick reference links" i looked under i think "detailing tips" and watched a video on Light swirl removal. I wrote down all the products used, would that be all i need? Also am I better off ordering sperate or do the kits come with all the stuff needed?
 
JBknights10 said:
Thanks for the tips, on the "quick reference links" i looked under i think "detailing tips" and watched a video on Light swirl removal. I wrote down all the products used, would that be all i need? Also am I better off ordering sperate or do the kits come with all the stuff needed?
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I would get the intermediate swirl removal kit (comes with XMT 3) and some XMT 360. That way, you will have the XMT 1 and 3 for tougher jobs, and the XMT 360 for light swirl removal that you can do all in one step. The swirl removal kits also come with finishing glaze, pad conditioner and cleaner, and some MF towels. Just add some sort of wax/sealant of your choice and you will be all set for the majority of the paint you will come across. S100 works well, and is inexpensive for a nice wax.
 
Pauly6401 said:
I would get the intermediate swirl removal kit (comes with XMT 3) and some XMT 360. That way, you will have the XMT 1 and 3 for tougher jobs, and the XMT 360 for light swirl removal that you can do all in one step. The swirl removal kits also come with finishing glaze, pad conditioner and cleaner, and some MF towels. Just add some sort of wax/sealant of your choice and you will be all set for the majority of the paint you will come across. S100 works well, and is inexpensive for a nice wax.
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Ok thanks for that, it also contains all of the pads right? Whats a link to that actual kit if you know?
 
Pauly6401 said:
XMT Pad Maintenance Kit by Pinnacle For your dual action or rotary polisher.

You will have to get the XMT 360 separately. But the kit comes with a white, orange, and 2 gray pads and 2 MF towels. We used the heavy swirl removal kit (the same thing, but the XMT 4 instead of XMT 3) on a truck and it had everything we need to correct the paint and top it with some finishing glaze.
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Allright so thats all the stuff from the video. I'll also need to get 360, and wheel stuff and any other stuff I want. Now, how often do those pads need to be replaced? And whats a usual car number that all the formulas last?
 
I've used the orange pads on 4 cars now and they are still holding up great. One is a little more worn than the others, but it should be good for another half-dozen cars, I imagine. The pads don't get super worn because I have 4 to switch between, so your mileage may vary a bit from mine.

The XMT itself should last you through at least 4-5 cars, depending on how much you use. There has been some discussion as to how much polish to use, it seems to vary a bit but most agree that you don't need as much as the bottle says to use (it recommends a quarter-sized amount). The 360 goes a little bit quicker because it doesn't seem to spread as much (to me).

I'd imagine that if you were just using one orange pad and a bottle of a given XMT you could do at least 5 or 6 cars before you ran out of polish or the pad started to get a little tired. I haven't had either happen yet, so someone else will have to chime in with their experiences.
 
Pauly6401 said:
I started doing the same thing recently. Helped a coworker fix his truck paint. That impressed another coworker so much she had me detail her car. Then, as I worked on her car my neighbor came over and asked me to do his. If you pay attention to detail and take your time, people will take notice of your work!

You can expect to get an entire car done in one long day, say 6-10 hours. You'll definitely have to work to earn your money, but go for it! Just be prepared to do a little extra on the first few cars to practice and go that extra mile to get people to notice your skills.
Click to expand...
My neighbors don't ask me to detail their cars, they think I'm nuts, that I need to see a doctor, and start taking medication...:o:mad:
 
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