high school student and wanted to start detailing cars

[jd car care]

i know alot about detailing from my dad he used to detail cars for alot of the people in the community. but my dad has recently fell ill and is in hospital so i was wondering if could get a few tips from pros and a checklist on what you do ? like i said know quite a bit about the basics like wash wax claying and conditioning

[V3AutoDetailing]

Read, search, read, practice, practice, practice

[LegacyGT]

There is a TON of really great information here ... start reading through the 101, show & shine, and the ask the expert thread, go back a few months, read everything you can, then ask some questions to fill in the blanks.
Best of luck!

[jd car care]

There is a TON of really great information here ... start reading through the 101, show & shine, and the ask the expert thread, go back a few months, read everything you can, then ask some questions to fill in the blanks.
Best of luck!

thank you been reading alot found a book called car detailing bible and it has told alot if you could could you give me a list of what you do to a car so i could get a idea

[Njohc]

Im in high school also, and learned a lot from just reading around here. You could know exactly how to do everything, but practice was the major help for me.
It helps when you do your own car first, so your not messing anybody else's up. When you pay attention to the extreme detail is what really impresses people. Don't rush it and just take your time. Its pretty rewarding in the end, especially if your into cars as much as I am.

[jd car care]

[rider9195]

Spend time reading how to threads and even some show and shine threads to see others processes. Just when you think you know it all, you learn something new here! Good luck.

[jbrown287]

Most that post the great show and shine threads put a list of everything they do and use at the beginning.

[vet]

Pay attention to the little things. Do your own stuff first, that gives you the practice, and showcases what you can do. People who want their daily drivers to look good aren't as particular about the car show finish, but do expect to get value for what they pay.

[BobbyG]

This is "the" place to learn some of the finest ways to detail your car. There is a wealth of knowledge here for the beginner to the most advanced. A simple question is all that's needed to initiate helpful responses from members here and also Autogeek Professional Staff.

This is something I've posed several times and it covers many areas at a high level but give you an idea of what's available and some of the prices.

Everyone starts off as a beginner but with some reading, questions, and trial, error, and practice you'll be amazed how much you'll be able to do. After reading and understanding some of the basics, the more hands on your are the quicker you'll build your knowledge and gain experience.

This link contains articles written by Mike Phillips and has allot of great reading within.

Articles by Mike Phillips

Basic steps in order are:

• Wash
• Clay
• Paint Correction & Polish
• Seal
• Wax

Make detailing enjoyable and practice. Take your time and do not become overwhelmed. Just because there are a thousand product doesn't mean you have to use them all.

Pick one product from each category from the steps above. You already have some great waxes so you're that far ahead of the game..

Autogeek has a kit section that contains everything you need to get started. For starting off I recommend a dual action polisher. These come on a variety of flavors and Autogeek carries most of them so take your time and educate yourself.

The kit pages below will give you an idea of what's available but if you do decide to purchase a Porter Cable 7424 style polisher opt for the 5 1/2" flat pads right off. The 6 1'2" are just too large and this has been confirmed many time over.


Kit Page

Car Care Kits, Car Care Cleaning Kits, Complete Detailing Kits

Decent kit

Pinnacle Twins & Meguiar's G110v2 Dual Action Polisher Kit FREE BONUS

Much better kit

Menzerna Porter Cable XP Maximum Shine Kit FREE BONUS

Flex Kit

If I were in the market for a kit this would be the one I'd choose.
Pinnacle Flex XC3401 Polishing & Swirl Remover kit, Pinnacle polishes, swirl removers, finishing polish, flex buffer

Don't overlook a one step product

One Step Product

Klasse

Klasse ALL-IN-ONE Auto Polish, Klasse All In One, klasse aio, Acrylic polish

Menzerna Sealing Wax

Menzerna Sealing Wax APO 60, Menzerna APO 60, Menzerna wax

Meguiar's D151

Meguiars Paint Reconditioning Cream D151

Pinnacle XMT

Pinnacle XMT Clean & Shine Bundle

Forum Favorite

Klasse All-In-One, Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, Pinnacle Souveran, Pinnacle Crystal Mist Spray Wax come together to create a forum favorite kit.

Sealants

Paint Sealants like Klasse, Wolfang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant

Menzerna Power Lock Paint Sealant

Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Paint Sealant, Menzerna auto sealant, car sealant, paint sealant protectant

Other quality sealants

• Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
  
  • Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant delivers a deep, wet, liquid shimmer unlike anything you can imagine.
• Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze
  
  • Klasse High Gloss Sealant Glaze, klasse SG sealant, klasse sealant glase,klasse sealant
• DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant
  
  • DP Poli-Coat Paint Sealant, polymer paint sealant, auto paint sealant, DP Policoat paint sealant, paint sealer
• Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection
  
  • Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection, Four Star UPP, paint sealant
• Prima Hydro Sealant
  
  • Prima Hydro Seal Paint Sealant, auto paint sealant

Wax

Car Wax - Carnauba Waxes- Pinnacle Carnauba Car waxes, P21s Concours Carnauba car wax

Collinite 845 - One of my favorites

Collinite Liquid Insulator Wax #845, liquid wax, heat-resistant wax, car wax