Your PERSONAL Detailing Supplies

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Niko Molina

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For YOUR car and not for business/production/etc. detailing.

What type of products do you spend extra $$ on for your own car? Detailers that do it for a business I see try to get the best quality products they can find for the best price they can get it for and buy in bulk (1gal-5gal) typically and that is how the game goes.

BUT, for your own car I assume you're willing to spend a bit more extra $$ for even HIGHER quality products...because simply, they are going on your car to make it look it's absolute best and not going on a 'clients' car where you're attempting to make profit.
 
My guess is that most pros want the lowest maintenance regimen they can obtain since they don't have the same amount of time to commit as the weekend warrior. They also likely use their own vehicle as the test platform for new products. Hence, I would say that the full timers use coatings and whatever is new.

For me personally (full time job plus detailing for pay on weekends) I spend more time on my own cars than I expect most pros do. Trim on my wife's car is coated with Gtech C4 or OC2.0 depending on the material. Paint on my wife's car typically gets BFWD seasonally and is then the wax/LSP test bed. My car is the test bed for everything else, so it gets lots of stuff; my car is also the durability test bed for LSP since it spends a considerable amount of time at construction and industrial sites.
 
I use the same products on my cars as I use on my customers. I do not do production work so all my products are high end.
 
I am just a hobbyist so take this with a grain of salt if you wish. But I would say if they are a good detailer they will be constantly offering and upselling the things that you spend as you put it "extra $$" on. Yes if your just starting out of course money is in a pinch so you want only a little more than the bare minimum on hand. But if you have been at it awhile, odds are you would have a variety of products on hand to get each job done as a possible upsell on anything from paint coatings, show waxes, trim coatings, wheel coatings, etc..
 
I use all the same products on my client's vehicles that I use on my own.
 
As a consumer I would be concerned if a detailer didn't use the same products on his/her car.
 
Personally I wouldn't necessarily be using a £200 wax on a £35 valet, so I can see exactly where you're going with this Niko. However, if it's a £350 detail for example then all the high end products come out, which is why it's a bit of a mixed answer. In short, I've got products I will use as long as the cost is justified, and I've got a wax collection that I won't use :xyxthumbs:
 
Same products. Actually i keep my better stuff for the clients cars and use whatever i have left over after upgrading products on mine.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AG Online
 
Niko Molina said:
$100 Pinnacle paste wax vs Collinite #845...

Personal vs Business


(Just an example)
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I haven't used Pinnacle paste wax but I do own a Fuzion sample and I can honestly say that I would prefer the #845 because of how it looks, ease to apply (same as Fuzion) and price. Speaking of that, for what I paid for the same size of Fuzion I could buy 3 bottles of #845, that would last a very, very long time! Or I could buy a bottle of #845 and a can of #915 for the same amount, just sayin'.

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
I will typically use the products on my personal vehicles first, to see how I like its workability and how it finishes down. I'll attempt different techniques with pads/work times on my own stuff that way I am more knowledgeable for customer vehicles. Typically, I just stick with what I know works on my vehicles and try not to overcomplicate things with too many products.
 
I have always used the samples or when one of the many suppliers says you have got to try this stuff or something I just wanted I always try it on my cars first and if it is good enough then I will put it in the shop
 
I also use the same products on my personal cars i use on client's. I like being familiar with product looks, durability etc. in an effort to fully explain to a querying customer an answer to a specific question. I don't get many specific questions about products used but occassionaly they pop up. I think those client's appreciate what sounds like a knowledgeable answer and then see it borne out after they leave and live with it for a while.

I use my car along with the wife's to test new items, techniques etc and will exclude or include those new items to the customer based on what i found. I like giving my customers the best i have found and use on my car. I also use it as a testament to my committment to a product by offering "it's what i use on my car". They then look over and see my car!

I should mention i am not a "pro" with a shop and a lineup of customers...i do about a car a week for a large handful of customers. I might rethink my approach if i had more volume. In that case i might consider costs but would not compromise too much, if any, on quality.

To me, there is a very good comfort level knowing what works for me and gives me the best results. Obviously i want the best for my BMW and want to extend the best to my customers. Some appreciate it and others either don't notice or even care.

But i do...

And i just said basically what zexel said earlier!
 
However, let me add...

I do many different makes, models, paints etc. and use whatever i would use on MY car in similar conditions. What i was trying to say above was that i approach every customer as if it was my personal vehicle and use products that may be different from those used on my car but if my car were needing a different set of products i would use the same products i would apply to mine on the customer if my paint was exactly like theirs.
 
I use my high end products for customers since I do not do production detailing. If a customer wants sealant or wax their first choice is blackfire all finish paint protection or ivory carnauba paste wax. I've had customers Google blackfire because I put it on the notes on my VIF and then later thank me after they research the product line.
 
Well said lakeside! The common thread is the quality of service given to the customer and that, to me, is what it's all about.

I wish i had more customers actually take the time to research the products i use. Although i have referred a few to AG when asked "where can i get X or Y product".
 
Pureshine said:
I use the same products on my cars as I use on my customers. I do not do production work so all my products are high end.
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This....:props:

Puckman said:
However, let me add...

I do many different makes, models, paints etc. and use whatever i would use on MY car in similar conditions. What i was trying to say above was that i approach every customer as if it was my personal vehicle and use products that may be different from those used on my car but if my car were needing a different set of products i would use the same products i would apply to mine on the customer if my paint was exactly like theirs.
Click to expand...

And this! :)

We also don't do "production", never have, never will. Luckily we don't have to pay the bills, (as many here do) with detailing, but that doesn't preclude us from doing the best we can, with EVERY vehicle we touch. What we *do* do, is treat every vehicle as if it were our own. It's a family business, and that's what we sell to our clients. If it's a product that we wouldn't put on our own vehicles, then it'll *never* go on a clients vehicle.

Had a guy come buy this week, (via referral) with a 5 Series and a Mazda Tribute, wants both done now (paint correction) then twice a year. Not price shopping, quality shopping! Can't do that with bargain basement supplies.

You'll always have those that go to the spray and pray, or the swirl-a-matic car wash. Those are NOT our market! Had a guy way back in 2012, (owns the local jewelry store and a gun store) that drives a pair of 2500 & 3500 Denali pickups (both solid black) ask me what we charged. When I gave him a services menu he didn't even bother to look at what we used, just what the cost was. His knee jerk reaction.... "you charge too much!". My reply was "our basic wash takes 3~4 hours, we clay everything, use premium shampoo (and a foam gun/cannon), it includes premium a sealant, and comes back better than any wash you've ever had". Didn't matter to him.... why? Because it was more than $20!!!!!

Speaking of bargain basement.
Anyone see the news in Atlanta the last couple of days? Automotive (cleaning) chemical warehouse caught fire. It was a MASSIVE fire! Took the fire department, plus a couple of foam trucks from Lockheed 10 hours to contain the fire!!!!!!
 
Weekly upkeep:

CR Spotless
DP Xtreme Foam with foam cannon. Pressure rinse(2 bucket after if needed).
Detail Plus Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Blackfire APC
Surf City Garage Hydro Seal every 3 months(pro line)
Surf City Garage Detail Spray after every wash(pro line)
Surf City Garage Quick Interior Detailer after every wash(pro line)
Finish Kare Tire Dressing
 
FivePoint.0 said:
Weekly upkeep:

CR Spotless
DP Xtreme Foam with foam cannon. Pressure rinse(2 bucket after if needed).
Detail Plus Wheel and Tire Cleaner
Blackfire APC
Surf City Garage Hydro Seal every 3 months(pro line)
Surf City Garage Detail Spray after every wash(pro line)
Surf City Garage Quick Interior Detailer after every wash(pro line)
Finish Kare Tire Dressing
Click to expand...
I was sure I'd see 4*UPP on there :)
 
We use the same products on our cars that we use for our business. They're not "high end" but they work for us. Meguiars ultimate, meguiars detailer, onr, auto magic
 
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