Detailers that hang out on discussion forums know more than detailers that don't...

[Custom Detail]

Turns out Mr. Phillips and I share some other related interests as well.

Sometime ago, before I ever heard of an online "auto" forum I had heard the term pushing away from the keyboard. I also heard something else that I'll share.

I met a retired teacher at a seminar in 2003. He and I were discussing one of our shared internet forums and some of the personalities there. He told me that he reached a point on forums that he placed a yellow post-it note on the side of his monitor that reads, "Is this really necessary?" This was to remind him to "take the high road" that Mr. Phillips eludes to so often.

While I never have actually placed a post-it note on my monitor there's a stark image of that post-it note burned into my mind that always serves as a reminder.

The internet serves as this great multi-media and networking tool that can help you tremendously, or it can hurt you. I prefer to help and be helped.

I've always liked the quote

"An intelligent person has something to say, A fool always has to say something"

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

It sometimes surprises me that there are folks who don't use any kind of forums; they're all over, about everything and anything.

It's so cool finding, hanging and learning with like minded people, I really dig it.

So yes Mike I agree.

I agree... with everything you wrote...

I couldn't agree more!

I've been detailing for several years but feel like I've opened a whole new book on the detailing world when I joined AGO in September! I was fortunate to get in on the Evansville GTG, and meet Mike Phillips, Dennis Gage, Scott Molden, PorsheGuy999, FlawlessJ, Hoytman, 2Old2Change, and more, and have learned so much in such a short time!

And it was a pleasure meeting you! That was a fun night and it was really nice of Dennis to hang out...


:xyxthumbs:

 

[Dave Medvic]

Without this forum I would be about 6 months behind in my Detailing growth, gleaning info from everyone else's experience seriously cuts down on "Game day mistakes" and increases our skill level without getting a sore back getting there. We all want to get the job done right the 1st time and I share that inner perfectionist with all of you.

 

[Dougw4355]

I would NOT be where i am today,,without this forum and its vast knowledge and great people willing to share.
This site has allowed me to take my detailing passion to a much higher level and even allowed me to make money doing what i love.
Thanks AG forum !!

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Everyone on here is so helpful and friendly, you could never put a price on what you can learn from this form....it's priceless as are most of the helpful people on here, you will only run into trouble when you think you have learned all there is to know, a big thank you to all that help out other people. Shine on.

 

[miamijd7]

First of all let me say how much I appreciate your leadership, knowledge, and passion in this discipline of vehicle maintenance.

Thanks for all that you do...and the way that you do it!

I've learned much here and have even altered my less than desired practices thanks to the forums and one on one guidance in pm's and phone calls.

rops: x2 well said Vegas Transplant !

 

[PiPUK]

I would agree that the forums are fantastic and it is basically through this medium that I have learned more about detailing. There are problems with it however. Admittedly this is generally not on AG, but as a chemist/formulator/manufacturer I encounter a lot of utter rubbish online. Worse still, without a grasp of the basics, those spreading the misinformation cannot be reasoned with.

Specific to the UK (I do not know the US domestic market) we have an increasingly common issue where new brands appear, driven by detailers (not unreasonably) seeking additional income by selling products with their own label. The problem comes because many are no more knowledgeable than the common. Unfortunately, with marketing proclamations of their expertise and specialty manufacturing facilities, the average reader tends to accept what they say. Thus we end up with people accepted as being reliable sources who give out scientific information which is often misleading and (not infrequently) totally wrong.

The answer? If you come up with one, let me know!

 

[57BORNTORUN]

Allow me if you will to give my perspective of why I hang out on this site.I am not a pro detailer nor do I care to be at mt age.I am a car guy from the age of 9 when my very good looking neighbor in here early 20`s offered to teach me how to drive her Volks-bug with a 4 speed.I was hooked.I fell in love with the 1957 Chevy Bel-Aire at the age of 12(1971).By the age of 15 I had saved enough money to buy my first 57.My Father did not know as I parked it in a local cemetery where I could drive it without the threat of the COPS.So as to not bore you further, fast forward to 8 months ago when my buddy Louie starts talking about AGO and how his PORSCHE is going to be in a TV show.Still does`nt sink in.Then Mike wants to detail Louie`s new FIAT.I attend the live show and find myself hooked.All these years I have worked on the mechanical, interior ECT. and always left the paint to someone else.I own 6 cars, some done(they are never truly done) and some in the process.I have met several great guys on the Thursday night "Show Car Makeover"(Robert-Impressions and Paul-Sailfish)that I think could be friends for life.(I speak for myself by the way.No pressure, HA HA.)Mike,Yancy, Nick, and Ray are simply quality people that share the passion for the Automobile(and motorcycles)I figure if I learn from the best it`s just another notch in the belt for this car lover to be more well rounded.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Without this forum I would be about 6 months behind in my Detailing growth, gleaning info from everyone else's experience seriously cuts down on "Game day mistakes" and increases our skill level without getting a sore back getting there.

We all want to get the job done right the 1st time and I share that inner perfectionist with all of you.

Well said, thanks for chiming in...

I would NOT be where i am today,,without this forum and its vast knowledge and great people willing to share.

This site has allowed me to take my detailing passion to a much higher level and even allowed me to make money doing what i love.

Thanks AG forum !!

I love reading posts like the above...

Everyone on here is so helpful and friendly, you could never put a price on what you can learn from this form....it's priceless as are most of the helpful people on here, you will only run into trouble when you think you have learned all there is to know, a big thank you to all that help out other people. Shine on.

Well said... a helpful and friendly forum is all it's about, anything else and why even join and post. Thank you for chiming in, I appreciate your comments.

So as to not bore you further, fast forward to 8 months ago when my buddy Louie starts talking about AGO and how his PORSCHE is going to be in a TV show. Still does`nt sink in. Then Mike wants to detail Louie`s new FIAT.I attend the live show and find myself hooked.

And that's the power of both our forum, walking the walk and networking...

Well said Tim...



:dblthumb2:

 

[vet]

This is the only forum I look at, and I'm glad I found it first. I'm no pro, so I try not to give advice on things that I'm not sure of.

I have learned a lot from the forum and Mike's book, and I get a lot of compliments on the appearance of my vehicles. I've purchased a few things from AG, not as much as many of the other forumites, but AG makes me feel welcome and appreciated. That goes for the rest of the people on the forum too.

 

[Jaretr1]

First off, Mike Phillips is one of the most eloquent, professional, personable, well written, and knowledgeable persons I have come across on any forum, maybe even the entire internet! And, he is the same way in person!

With that said, this forum is also the friendliest forum I have ever visited. Not only are the contributors full of knowledge and experience, but also extremely respectful of differing opinions. Our politicians could learn a lot from us!

I can say I thought I knew how to make a car look good before I found this forum. Now I can say I KNOW i know how to make a car look good, and keep it looking good!

 

[CM8 6MT]

I LOVE AGO. They have a great selection of products and an even better group of people on their forum.

I came from Autopia, I noticed the guys there only care about the next big detail on an Exotic like Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Here, people seem to be more passionate about great looking paint, products and techniques regardless of the year or make of the car.

Signed up on AGO and never looked back.

 

[dad07]

First of all let me say how much I appreciate your leadership, knowledge, and passion in this discipline of vehicle maintenance.

Thanks for all that you do...and the way that you do it!

I've learned much here and have even altered my less than desired practices thanks to the forums and one on one guidance in pm's and phone calls.

One issue that has always caught my attention is the political correctness and restraint when questionable alternatives are posted. I realize that one has to cinsider the source, and that post count doesn't matter, but some responses to a dilema are highly objectionable.

There are those here that walk the walk, Setec, IID, oldmodman, Funx725, silverfox, and too many others to list...and when they talk the talk, I listen and compare my method/products to theirs. The fact that an old hand (50) like me can still learn and progress is a positive attribute that only forums can provide in this modern area of every jo blo having a soapbox to stand on.

Edit: as a matter of fact, I'll be ringing dad07's phone soon to get a little guidance in his technique for megs mf system, as I'm all about the Optimum Line.

well said VT and hey buddy I'm not that far behind you(age)!
You got my # call me anytime!

Also,I will say that Vegas has brought some great tips and knowledge into this forum, just to name one,brightwork.

I will also say that I have learned a ton on this forum.....put that knowledge into action and found some things that worked better and some that didn't,experimentation is something I love to do.

The contributions of all the forum members are what makes this site I call Home.

I will say that there is one forum member that I have learned the most from....sorry Mike P(you are very close to the top of the list) but Tuscaora Dave, is at the top of my list!

Dave has a passion for detailing,a great heart and passion for helping his fellow man, in and out of the detailing arena.

Just some of my thoughts.......

 

[cardaddy]

First off, I never have, and never will pretend to be a ‘professional’ detailer. No, just a cardaddy that has been pampering my cars, trucks, even work trucks since my very first one. Methods, materials, and machines have changed tremendously since I first started.

That being said; the on-line world as I first knew it was nothing more than a dial-up 1200 baud BBS service hosted on Prodigy. (Remember Prodigy guys?) Back then we hoped and prayed for 2400, then 4800 and finally were able to pay $3.65 a MINUTE for 9600 using a BBS reader to ‘get on’ and ‘get off’ then do all our work off line. Can you imagine a world where we can surf this new “Internet” at speeds so fast that 9600 baud is so painfully slow that you would throw your computer across the room?

Hmmmmmm….

Next big thing that hit the wire was AOL and OMG was it something. They had a slogan “AOL The more windows you open the cooler it gets” and I’ve still got the T-shirt to prove it. We were a flyin’ then, as 9600 dial-up was all the rage.
Finally CompuServe came to be and Prodigy had to go.

Keeping up with not one, but paying bills for TWO services at once meant you were one cool cat. By the time CompuServe came along Internet etiquette had come a long way. It was a way to share your hobbies and passions with not just your neighbors, but people all over the country and eventually around the world. Wow the world is a small place!

CompuServe did to AOL what AOL did to Prodigy and by that time the forum managers were really getting a grip on how to make this new thing work. They paid attention to what was happening, who was posting, and if you happened to actually know of what you spoke…. (In my instance, Audio forum as well as Home Theater & Surround forum, and dabbled in Photography as well) Well then…. You might just get an offer to be a “paid” version of what is now called a “moderator”.


This I know, because I was one of the several hundred members that forum owners paid from $10 to $50 per week to keep things going for them while they courted advertisers to keep paying the bills.

While they were paying the bills, I was working on my typing skills if nothing else. No seriously, there have been people along the way that we all get to know. People from all walks of life that share the same interests and through a shared pool of knowledge all expand their enjoyment of their passions.

In the Prodigy age I remember, (in a Barbie Doll BBS of all things) a lady my wife and I met from Mississippi that was a jewel. Her daughter was expecting, and not financially able to provide as she would like to so one day we packed up a HUGE box of baby clothes from newborn to 12 months and sent it off to her, (without her knowledge). Come about a month later I get a hand written letter with tear stains on it thanking us. The electronic age had transcended to something real, something tactile.


Years pass and the same stories are told time and time again. Talk Barbie Dolls enough and you might just find a complete set of something hard to find that made a perfect anniversary present for your wife. RC Cars and Trucks anyone? You can guess what that leads to, and that is not just a TON of fun, but a ton-o-money as well. Talk about surround sound enough and you’ll end up sitting in some other members house with a bunch of guys that have schlepped their favorite subwoofers from their own systems to his favorite acoustical perfect room for a “subwoofer shootout”. BTW I brought the winner that day!


Next thing you know you’re doing theater design and installations and you’re a regular attendee at CES, and that my friends… make’s for one heck of a party! Cars, who has cars? Oh that’s right, we ALL have cars. How many forums are car related ya’ think? Oooooooohhh that might just be fun.
The common denominators are and always have been quest of knowledge and passion for our hobbies. One need not be a ‘pro’ but more of a rookie that wants to grow up one day and be a well respected ‘pro’. Throughout this growing age of learning and sharing we all do one thing in common, we GROW.

I for one appreciate the hard work that has been done here on AGO. The staff that seems to delight in working overtime to provide everyone with more deals than we know what to do with. The membership new and especially old that go out of their way to help us “old rookies” looking for new ways to perform old tricks. Or is that old ways to do new tricks?


I pray that I never get to old to grow. That I always have the thirst for knowledge and that I have the good sense to use that knowledge and pass what I can on to the next guy that comes along.

Just think, one day our children or their children will not need a keyboard to exchange information. They likely will just speak out loud perhaps and the answer to their questions will be displayed instantaneously on their walls, or in their halls, instantly displayed on their portable screens, shown as a heads up display inside their glasses or even their contacts. Of course it’ll be in their cars, and if they are lucky enough to stop in on the way home…. in their bars.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

This is the only forum I look at, and I'm glad I found it first. I'm no pro, so I try not to give advice on things that I'm not sure of.

I have learned a lot from the forum and Mike's book, and I get a lot of compliments on the appearance of my vehicles. I've purchased a few things from AG, not as much as many of the other forumites,

but AG makes me feel welcome and appreciated. That goes for the rest of the people on the forum too.

Hi Vet,

Just now found these posts and I'd like to say that I always appreciate reading your posts. They are always polite, positive and helpful and part of what makes this the best forum around is lots of members like you.

First off, Mike Phillips is one of the most eloquent, professional, personable, well written, and knowledgeable persons I have come across on any forum, maybe even the entire Internet! And, he is the same way in person!

With that said, this forum is also the friendliest forum I have ever visited. Not only are the contributors full of knowledge and experience, but also extremely respectful of differing opinions. Our politicians could learn a lot from us!

I can say I thought I knew how to make a car look good before I found this forum. Now I can say I KNOW i know how to make a car look good, and keep it looking good!

Hi Jaret,

Thank you for the kind words and I'll never forget the first time we met when you drove to AG Headquarters and helped us to,

Take a diamond in the rough and turn it into a glistening gemstone!


Jaret moving around to the back of the truck...

For anyone reading this that has not seen the amazing transformation we did to a black SSR you need to check it out. Plus there are some really funny pictures as well as a lot of shots of real teamwork taking place.

2004 Chevy SSR - Extreme Makeover by Blackfire - Modeled by Tasha

I LOVE AGO. They have a great selection of products and an even better group of people on their forum.

I came from Autopia, I noticed the guys there only care about the next big detail on an Exotic like Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Here, people seem to be more passionate about great looking paint, products and techniques regardless of the year or make of the car.

Signed up on AGO and never looked back.

When I was younger I used to say,

"I'll polish the paint of a Ferrari or a Ford, doesn't matter to me as paint is paint"





I think this is a picture of I "think" a 1972 Dino Ferrari I hand wetsanded, cut and buff back in the early 1990's. I was the third guy to get the job because the first two guys sanded and buffed through in too many places to try to fix.

I started early in the morning and finished it that evening. Note all the red paint on the ground surrounding the car? This was done in a single stage urethane. I used garbage bags on the wheels and tires to keep sanding and compounding spatter off them.

Did the sanding with Nikken Finishing papers...

I think I was like 31 or 32 in the above picture...


I actually don't really like working on exotics but I usually don't have a lift and since these things tend to be low slung body styles that means bending over a lot. Or getting down on the ground...

But yeah, Ford or Ferrari, it's all paint to me...

I will say that there is one forum member that I have learned the most from....sorry Mike P(you are very close to the top of the list) but Tuscaora Dave, is at the top of my list!

Dave has a passion for detailing,a great heart and passion for helping his fellow man, in and out of the detailing arena.

Just some of my thoughts.......

No apologies needed... I like and appreciate Dave too!

He's what you call real-world and besdies great advice he always conducts himself in a professional manner and that's a characterist I appreciate more than anything else in these online forums.

The common denominators are and always have been quest of knowledge and passion for our hobbies.

I pray that I never get to old to grow. That I always have the thirst for knowledge and that I have the good sense to use that knowledge and pass what I can on to the next guy that comes along.

Hey Tony, lots of good stuff about the old Internet days I removed that when I quoted you and filtered what you wrote to just the above and I agree and feel the same way.

 

[KS_Detailing]

This forum is really great. I knew of Autogeek for a while now but just as a store. When I came on here a few months ago I decided to check out the forums. I had checked out the forums on autopia and they seemed slowed to me. This forum has amazed me and I've been hooked since. My wallet has not been the same since I joined but its okay. There is so much information here and so many people willing to help.

What really amazed me was how often Mike Phillips is on here posting information and answering forum member's questions personally. That has made me really confident in giving my $ to a company like Autogeek because you can tell they care about their customers. I've read his books and watched his videos and have learned a lot of new things I just didn't think of before. I really want to learn about everything; new products, equipment, techniques etc.. I always enjoyed learning in school and now I have extended that into becoming more knowledgeable in detailing. Although there are also some conflicting info on the forums too. There is always more to know and I realized how little I knew before this place.

Autogeek:dblthumb2::dblthumb2::dblthumb2:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

This forum is really great. I knew of Autogeek for a while now but just as a store. When I came on here a few months ago I decided to check out the forums. I had checked out the forums on autopia and they seemed slowed to me. This forum has amazed me and I've been hooked since. My wallet has not been the same since I joined but its okay. There is so much information here and so many people willing to help.

Thank you for sharing the above...

What really amazed me was how often Mike Phillips is on here posting information and answering forum member's questions personally. That has made me really confident in giving my $ to a company like Autogeek because you can tell they care about their customers.

I've read his books and watched his videos and have learned a lot of new things I just didn't think of before. I really want to learn about everything; new products, equipment, techniques etc.. I always enjoyed learning in school and now I have extended that into becoming more knowledgeable in detailing.

Although there are also some conflicting info on the forums too. There is always more to know and I realized how little I knew before this place.

Autogeek:dblthumb2::dblthumb2::dblthumb2:

And thanks for sharing the above too...


Something I always post to the forum goes like this, it's about my passion for the industry, in fact I shared this last Saturday here,


It goes like this,

I have two passions for the car hobby...

• I personally love to make cars shiny and I don't mean waxing them I mean taking a diamond in the rough and turning it into a glistening gemstone.

• I also like to show others how to to this the right way the first time.

I'd be posting how-to information and answering questions on a forum like this whether I worked for Autogeek or not, it's in my blood. I did before I worked for Autogeek and I did this before I worked for Meguiar's. I can track my posting to the Internet back to 1994, before forum software was even invented and before the Internet came a long I did this stuff in person, both detailing cars and showing others how to detail cars.

Once it's in the blood I don't think it ever gets out...

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

First off, Mike Phillips is one of the most eloquent, professional, personable, well written, and knowledgeable persons I have come across on any forum, maybe even the entire Internet! And, he is the same way in person!

With that said, this forum is also the friendliest forum I have ever visited. Not only are the contributors full of knowledge and experience, but also extremely respectful of differing opinions. Our politicians could learn a lot from us!

I can say I thought I knew how to make a car look good before I found this forum. Now I can say I KNOW i know how to make a car look good, and keep it looking good!

Thanks Jaret, that's really nice of you to say and I appreciate that more than you can know. I've been posting to the net since 1994 and while I've made a few mistakes over the years I try to stay focused on the main thing and that's simply helping other people get what they want.

I LOVE AGO. They have a great selection of products and an even better group of people on their forum.

I came from Autopia, I noticed the guys there only care about the next big detail on an Exotic like Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Here, people seem to be more passionate about great looking paint, products and techniques regardless of the year or make of the car.

Signed up on AGO and never looked back.

Good story....


:dblthumb2:

 

[swanicyouth]

Just wondering... Do any pros ever worry disseminating detailing information on a forum and making it easily accessible could eventually impact their business?

I'm thinking, maybe if a car guy wants a paint correction, instead of paying you to do it - he goes on a forum and learns how to do it himself. Of course, this benefits the financial situation of retailers like AG and their employees in more products sold to more people.

Years ago when I didn't really know how to correct paint - but knew the difference between a "swirl and a squirrel" I probably would have paid someone hundreds of dollars to correct my car. In fact, this is what brought me to AG. Without the forums, I probably wouldn't know how to do it, as I'm pretty much completely self taught with the help of the forums.

I'm not saying there is no difference between a DIY'er and a pro - but, I'm wondering if anyone worries the forum phenomena could impact their business in the long run? Of course, there will always be people who just don't want / don't care to do it themselves.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I'm not saying there is no difference between a DIY'er and a pro - but, I'm wondering if anyone worries the forum phenomena could impact their business in the long run? Of course, there will always be people who just don't want / don't care to do it themselves.

I think that's kind of like asking if (the parts business of) Pep Boys, AutoZone, and Advance Auto are going to impact the business of auto repair shops...the answer is no--there will always be people that will be DIY'ers and always be people that won't.

What is see is forums upping the quality level of what the DIY'ers do.