Tipping Point vis-a-vis Detailing

**Route246** · 10-20-2017, 08:48 PM

What was your tipping point with respect to detailing? What aspect enabled you to cross over from casual car care enthusiast to casual detailer and beyond?

Definition: The tipping point is the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible development. The term is said to have originated in the field of epidemiology when an infectious disease reaches a point beyond any local ability to control it from spreading more widely. A tipping point is often considered to be a turning point.

For me it was clay. Simple decontamination using clay caused every sealer/wax to be so much more effective. It separated a nice finish from a finish that jumped out at me.

Honorable mention goes to the DA polisher coupled with world-class products from McKee's, Wolfgang and Meguiars.

Both of these things are not normally known or widely available to the casual enthusiast.

What product, technique or aspect provided separation for you to where you never looked back?

**PaulMys** · 10-20-2017, 09:36 PM

Very interesting and well-worded question. (Probably could have done without the infectious disease reference, but I digress.....) Lol

My tipping point was the purchase of my new Ram in 2012.

First "brand new" vehicle I have ever purchased. I had bought trucks a few years old, but this one was a "clean canvas".

I was aware not to use dish soap and an old T shirt to wash, but never really knew any proper process.

Got tipped off to AutoGeek from a Ram forum, and never looked back........

**Route246** · 10-20-2017, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by PaulMys

Very interesting and well-worded question. (Probably could have done without the infectious disease reference, but I digress.....) Lol

My tipping point was the purchase of my new Ram in 2012.

First "brand new" vehicle I have ever purchased. I had bought trucks a few years old, but this one was a "clean canvas".

I was aware not to use dish soap and an old T shirt to wash, but never really knew any proper process.

Got tipped off to AutoGeek from a Ram forum, and never looked back........

I didn't think about getting a new vehicle. That is very appropriate and makes a lot of sense. I should have also mentioned this forum and other forums plus YouTube.

I copied the definition and did not provide an attribution. Mea culpa.

Attribution here: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/tipping-point

**BudgetPlan1** · 10-20-2017, 11:27 PM

I bought a black Subaru.

**DBAILEY** · 10-21-2017, 02:33 AM

For me, I got serious about detailing when I bought a used black Volvo V70 sport wagon back in 2000. It was sound mechanically but neglected on the outward appearance. Trying to make it look better is what started me down this road. Then when I finally figured out how to polish and about high quality sealants/waxes people started asking me to work on their cars based on how my car finally ended up looking. Now its a hobby that turned me into a weekend warrior hopefully working on 2-3 cars a month. Pretty cool that a hobby can actually end up paying for itself and provide me some extra spending money. The people at my main job don't get why I do it, but its something that is 180 degrees opposite from the type of work at my main job. So it allows me to empty my mind and escape into my little world for 2-3 days at a time.

**Patman22** · 10-21-2017, 03:36 AM

I had a black 98 Corvette and I hired a mobile detailer to buff out the scratches and he did a great job but he worked outside on a cloudy day and whatever products he used must have used some fillers because after I did the first wash and saw it in bright sun I could see some minor buffer trails. So I decided to buy my own DA polisher (the original UDM which I still have) and I spent at least 40-50 hours perfecting that black paint. I haven't spent nearly that much time on my current Corvette (a LeMans blue 05) but when I first got it I was glad I had experience with the DA since it had a lot of swirls in it. I kind of fell out of the detailing bug for a couple of years, up until recently I had not put any sealant on my Corvette for over two years. It doesn't see much rain so I didn't even need to wash it much, I just used detailing spray to keep it clean. In September I placed my order for a new 2018 Corvette and while I'm waiting for it to be built (target week for the build is Dec 4) I have caught the detailing bug big time and have been testing out stuff on my current Corvette and buying things to use on the new one (like the Chemical Guys super fine clay mitt) This 2018 is my fourth Corvette but the first brand new one so it will be much easier to keep it looking perfect when I'm starting out with a clean slate. This new found zest for detailing has benefitted my wife's car and my daily driver, both of which had not seen any wax/sealant for a long time but both are now sporting fresh coats of Meguiars UFF (I love this stuff!)

**Paul A.** · 10-21-2017, 07:05 AM

I was always anal about maintaining both the mechanical reliability and the appearance of whatever I was driving over the years. I would wash my car at least every 2 weeks and it always had a layer of "wax" and some ArmorAll on the tires! I can't say I experienced a tipping point and was more like an egg waiting to hatch.

I believe it was the internet and the explosion of information that finally caused me to crack the shell and emerge into searching for and learning all the particulars of detailing. Up until that point I was doing everything by hand. After I started to read a bunch about machine polishing, pads, compounds and polishes I was in mental Heaven and wanted it all! My earliest memory of that was a couple of message boards online. My favorite was a BMW board that was all things BMW with a sub forum/board titled "Detailing and Car Care".

The closest thing I can relate to as a tipping point was when a neighbor asked me to do his black Mercedes "like you do your car". That was my very last "by hand" job (no joke intended).

Alll that was probably 20-22 years ago...

**RTexasF** · 10-21-2017, 07:11 AM

For me it was money pure & simple. Clean car, get $$$.

**TTQ B4U** · 10-21-2017, 07:15 AM

My tipping point was after the very first detail for money. It's no where near my day-job of course but the fact that I could do something I really really enjoy doing while providing someone a service they see enough value in to pay me for my work was all that was needed. After that I put a plan in place both inventory and process wise and then started gathering up my referrals and business. Thus far in 2017 I've average about 1-2 cars per weekend and have more than enough fun-money to keep me doing it again both through winter and into next year.