One thing you learned early/Still true today

[tommygee]

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!

[swanicyouth]

But the good stuff the first time. Don't mess around with cheap stuff.

[Evan.J]

How important a test spot is and how it makes detailing a car easier

[scottdevine]

Have lots of MF towels around

[KS_Detailing]

taping off a car is an important step

[Cosmin]

stay away from cheapos

:dblthumb2:

[njarmstrong81]

If you have time to do it twice, you have time to do it right the first time through.

[cardaddy]

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:

[tommygee]

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:Just used Duragloss AW for the first time today. Awesome product! :iagree:

[dad07]

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:

: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"

[Romans5.8]

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".

[silverfox]

It's all about technique.


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[ski2]

Proper detailing takes time!!

[HateSwirls]

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

[Pureshine]

Detailing is still not an easy job very time consuming. I wouldn't trade it for any other job :)