Wills from Gilbert,Az

Wills.WindowsAndWheels

Wills.WindowsAndWheels

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Hey everyone. Well i thought id finally formally introduce myself...i kind of got carried away reading different threads :).

My name is Wills from Gilbert,Az...I'm 24 and have been slowly feeding my growing interest in detailing since i was about 19.

My main passion is music...but that therefore makes me an artist...and im sure many of you can see how the two can be tied together. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and if i cant get something perfect i'm always working to try to get it at least closer to perfect:).

So back to the detailing part...when i was 19 my sister and myself started a business 'Windows and Wheels'. To make a long story short...over the past few years we have done mobile wash and wax's for people and thou it hasnt been that lucrative (started out doing only $30-$40 for full wash/wax/interior vac,wipe down and dressing/tire cleaning gloss) it did give me a lot of time to build more of a rutine of how to go about a job.

One good thing about it is ive been able to make a little spare change and invested in a PC w/pads...and recently upgraded to some good starter products (M105 & 205).
Granted most of our work was for retired people who mostly just own daily driver kind of vehicles, but we've always done the absolute best work we possibly could even thou we're really not making any money.

Well now I'm starting to work on honing my skills with the PC. I figure once i get pretty good with it, do a few cheap details or even some freebies and hope to be able to build a clientel aimed more towards actual full detailing rather than what we've been doing.

I guess the main thing I'm wondering is...can I realy be able to up my income doing work with a PC...working with compounds/polishes and wax's or do i really need to eventually move up to a rotary to really make some $. I'd really like to take it to the next level past a good wash and wax ya know? Any help/suggestions would be appreciated...and you can bet i'll be reading all the posts/threads that my eyes can stand to be able to get more ideas.

Appreciate the forum and the people who contribute to it...keep it up everyone!

Wills
Windows and Wheels:buffing:
 
Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome:



MrWillsi3 said:
I guess the main thing I'm wondering is...can I really be able to up my income doing work with a PC...working with compounds/polishes and wax's or do i really need to eventually move up to a rotary to really make some $.
Click to expand...

There's a larger market doing just the basics, like wash, wax, clean windows and clean and dress interior. This kind of detailing is generically referred to as production work, that is simply cleaning up daily drivers. The good news is there are a lot more people that want their daily drivers washed and waxed at good price than their are people that own special interest cars that will

A. Let you touch their car
B. Pay you well for a multiple step, all day long process.


You can turn out much nicer looking finishes using an electric polisher but doing a multiple step process requires more time, so unless you can get your prices really high it won't be any more profitable than production work.


If you're working by yourself on a car and doing show car work then anything besides the paint polishing should be another day and a separate charge. You can't be compounding the paint and cleaning the interior at the same time.

Sounds like you're off to a great start though with a great work ethic. Building a good name for yourself will go a long way to getting referrals.

Be sure to check out this forum ...



How to make money detailing cars



:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Welcome to Autogeek Online! :welcome:





There's a larger market doing just the basics, like wash, wax, clean windows and clean and dress interior. This kind of detailing is generically referred to as production work, that is simply cleaning up daily drivers. The good news is there are a lot more people that want their daily drivers washed and waxed at good price than their are people that own special interest cars that will

A. Let you touch their car
B. Pay you well for a multiple step, all day long process.


You can turn out much nicer looking finishes using an electric polisher but doing a multiple step process requires more time, so unless you can get your prices really high it won't be any more profitable than production work.


If you're working by yourself on a car and doing show car work then anything besides the paint polishing should be another day and a separate charge. You can't be compounding the paint and cleaning the interior at the same time.

Sounds like you're off to a great start though with a great work ethic. Building a good name for yourself will go a long way to getting referrals.

Be sure to check out this forum ...



How to make money detailing cars



:)
Click to expand...

Hey Mike,

thanks for the welcome! As far as that forum, trust me I've read ALMOST every thread on there lol. Very good info.

I dont mind doing the type of work I do now but I really would prefer more high end stuff. Right now as i said I'm only using a PC...and i really don't know how much high end type of work...or even highER end work I could get using just a PC...and how much extra profit I could make.

The one nice thing about what we do now (when i say we i mean my sister and myself, we do every car together...i handle the outside she handles the inside) is that a LOT of our work...say 99% is in a retirement community, so we're able to give some elderly people good work for a price that wont kill them....and honestly for those who have stuck with us thru the years I would still do even if i were to start getting higher end jobs that have greater profit.

I think I still have some more practicing to do...I want to get an idea of exactly HOW BAD of defects in paint I can get out with my PC and then move up to a rotary.

How steep is the learning curve with a rotary...I hear some people talk about it almost as thou they're trying to scare you off from even looking at one! Then others who admit that it is work in learning it but it is doable. I'm rather lucky cause my mom has a 96' Taurus that I can basically use to practice on. What Rotary would you advise as a good investment? I'll basically be teaching myself, but so far I've done pretty good going at it that way and the help of forums like this greatly assist the speed at which I'm learning. A couple of years ago I really didnt know the difference between a DA and a Rotary lol!

Appreciate the help, the forum and the advice...and I hope to join some of you guys as one of the higher end detailers sometime soon...
 
MrWillsi3 said:
How steep is the learning curve with a rotary...I hear some people talk about it almost as thou they're trying to scare you off from even looking at one!
Click to expand...


Here's the good news... learning to use and master a rotary buffer is a lot easier today than it ever was due to huge improvements in pad and chemical technology. If you're interested in being able to do more correction work faster, then by all means get a rotary buffer.

All the rotary buffers we offer are quality products with stellar reputations, the RB with the feature I think you would like is the Makita because it offers a low of 600 RPM, it's the lowest of all 4 rotary buffers we offer and it's real nice for slow polishing for your finishing passes.

I'm not a big fan of D Handles or Hoop Handles but you can switch the Makita over to a Stick handle if you like or use no handle at all.

The Flex 3403 is nice because it's small and lightweight, it works best with small pads for small or thin panels. The body and head of the 34-3 can get quite hot if you use a large pad and/or buff out an entire car with it so if you're going to buff out entire cars definitely get a full size rotary buffer.

Then practice on cars that are not important to anyone, like the Ford Taurus.

It helps to be in physically good shape as out of all the tools, the rotary buffer requires the most upper body strength to control.

Sounds like your a good candidate for a rotary buffer if you truly have a passion for this craft and plan on sticking with it for a while.

As for doing special interest cars for high dollars, you're on the path, you need to get one or two to do and then take before and after pictures and learn how to post them to forums like this and create what we call, "Write-ups" that showcase your work.

Here are a few recent write-ups that do a great job of showing before, process and after photos, excellent write-ups...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ull-wet-sand-buff-rasky-s-auto-detailing.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ston-tx-bmw-328i-horror-story-fairy-tale.html


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...troporte-sport-gt-nero-carbonio-metallic.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/25315-2010-mazdaspeed3-new-york.html

These are just a few, you can find more here,

Show N' Shine

You need to get experience and build a good name and get your prices up higher. Also, in order to get $300.00, $400.00, $500.00 and $600.00 to buff out ONLY the paint on a special interest car you usually need,

  • A good reputation
  • Educate your customer

Sad to say but a lot of people with really cool cars don't know the difference between a hack detailer and a true Pro detailer they can trust their baby with, even sadder is most don't know The difference between a swirl and squirrel. So you have to educate yourself like you're doing now and then educate your customer as to why it's in their best interest to hire you at your price point rather than the other guy at his price point.



Also, learn how to work with photos on forums, attaching a picture which shows up as a thumbnail that people have to click on in order to see the picture is kind of... well lets just say it's not that hard to figure out how to put an appropriate sized picture in a linear message on a forum.


How-to work with pictures on discussion forums





:)
 
Mike.Phillips@Autogeek said:
Here's the good news... learning to use and master a rotary buffer is a lot easier today than it ever was due to huge improvements in pad and chemical technology. If you're interested in being able to do more correction work faster, then by all means get a rotary buffer.

All the rotary buffers we offer are quality products with stellar reputations, the RB with the feature I think you would like is the Makita because it offers a low of 600 RPM, it's the lowest of all 4 rotary buffers we offer and it's real nice for slow polishing for your finishing passes.

I'm not a big fan of D Handles or Hoop Handles but you can switch the Makita over to a Stick handle if you like or use no handle at all.

The Flex 3403 is nice because it's small and lightweight, it works best with small pads for small or thin panels. The body and head of the 34-3 can get quite hot if you use a large pad and/or buff out an entire car with it so if you're going to buff out entire cars definitely get a full size rotary buffer.

Then practice on cars that are not important to anyone, like the Ford Taurus.

It helps to be in physically good shape as out of all the tools, the rotary buffer requires the most upper body strength to control.

Sounds like your a good candidate for a rotary buffer if you truly have a passion for this craft and plan on sticking with it for a while.

As for doing special interest cars for high dollars, you're on the path, you need to get one or two to do and then take before and after pictures and learn how to post them to forums like this and create what we call, "Write-ups" that showcase your work.

Here are a few recent write-ups that do a great job of showing before, process and after photos, excellent write-ups...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ull-wet-sand-buff-rasky-s-auto-detailing.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ston-tx-bmw-328i-horror-story-fairy-tale.html


http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...troporte-sport-gt-nero-carbonio-metallic.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/25315-2010-mazdaspeed3-new-york.html

These are just a few, you can find more here,

Show N' Shine

You need to get experience and build a good name and get your prices up higher. Also, in order to get $300.00, $400.00, $500.00 and $600.00 to buff out ONLY the paint on a special interest car you usually need,

  • A good reputation
  • Educate your customer
Sad to say but a lot of people with really cool cars don't know the difference between a hack detailer and a true Pro detailer they can trust their baby with, even sadder is most don't know The difference between a swirl and squirrel. So you have to educate yourself like you're doing now and then educate your customer as to why it's in their best interest to hire you at your price point rather than the other guy at his price point.



Also, learn how to work with photos on forums, attaching a picture which shows up as a thumbnail that people have to click on in order to see the picture is kind of... well lets just say it's not that hard to figure out how to put an appropriate sized picture in a linear message on a forum.


How-to work with pictures on discussion forums





:)
Click to expand...

Thanks again Mike for the feedback...ill check out those links you attached. I think the same is true of getting my Rotary as was true when i bought my first keyboard for music...its better to buy something that has more features than you currently need and grow into it...rather than buy something that is going to soon be insufficient and you will quickly out grow....

That being said...i think i'll lean towards the Makita...I've heard lots of people brag about not just the buffer but their tools in general so their name alone stands pretty strong.

As far as being in shape...I'm not really a work out guy...I'm more of just an out right WORK guy...so i dont have a lot of show muscles (I'm 6'3 and pretty thin) but i do have work muscles that have served me pretty well :)...Having to carry 60+ lbs of weight up n down a ladder and shoveling 24 tons of rock and just being around my God father who is basically a non stop kinda guy has helped me stay in pretty good shape lol...so i think i can handle it....:buffing:<<just like him

I'll read up on the links now and if I have any more questions I'll be sure to post em! Thanks again...and thanks for the welcome Rohn!
 
Well i read em all...that first write up on the list was an excellent one, not only a great job but great step by step :).

Also the squirrel & swirl post was a good quick read too. I've been pretty curious about an All In One for a while now, never really tried one. I've heard a lot of good things about Klasse's...Are there any others that would be recommended...and would they usually go on with an orange pad or a white?
 
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