Starting out Again

**willowcat11** · 12-02-2015, 12:41 AM

Howdy everyone,

My landscaping job is done for the year, so I am getting into some winter detailing, as I have access to a heated garage.

I have done a lot of detailing in the past for a lot of family members and church members, and also people that they know.

Only every once and a while do I get a really nice sports car or something like that. So generally I am detailing daily drivers for winter protection and just keeping them clean and nice. There are a couple things that I have a really hard time at, and that is Pricing out my work for the customers. I am Ocd and do a REALLY good job at all the detailing. And I have done cars for years so I am not a beginner. So I figure I can charge a decent pay. But I just don't know how to price everything out so it's a fair rate to where it's lower than the detail shops around, but where I can still make money doing this.

I pretty much do the same detail for very car(these are NOT in order) and that is:

1. Inside and outside of windows
2. Vacuum all interior including trunk
3. Detail all interior instraments and Vinyl(Clean and Protect)
4. Clean Floormats, and if needed, Protect them also.
5. Clean Door Jams, and Trunk Jams
6. Clean and protect Tires and rims
7. Clean and protect all exterior Trim
8. Wash and dry car exterior
9. Remove light tar and bugs
10. Wax exterior of car

As for products, I want to give my customers a SOLID, QUALITY job, so they are getting exactly what they wanted for the price. But I don't want to have to pay for products that are too much for the drivers I'm detailing. It wouldn't be smart or cost effective of me to use Pinnacle Black Label Synergy on a daily driver unless they wanted that.

Some products I have consistently used in the past are:

1. Stoners Invisible Glass for windows
2. Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax
3. Mequiars Ultimate Tire Spray(Not sure I liked it, and I'm starting to favor less shiny and even matte tire protectants)
4. Meguiars Ultimate Interior Protectant for dashboards and vinyl.
5. Meguiars Ultimate Compound for light paint cleaning and swirl removing.
6. Mequiars Ultimate BLACK for exterior trim( I had a lot of problems with this stuff. I don't know if I was applying wrong or what. Not sure I like it at all.)

Not sure if these Items are of Solid Quality(I actually thought a lot of them did pretty good). I'm also not sure if they are cost effective. I know some guys by in bulk, but I don't know a lot about that.

Because of my ocd, I can Really overwhelm myself with all this stuff, and end up shutting down and not doing any cars. I just need to teach myself to KEEP IT SIMPLE and do the best I can.

Sorry, I know this was very long, but I just wanted to let you know a little of my detailing backround so that you would know where I am coming from.

Thanks all, and have an awesome Christmas Season!

Ray

**RFrommann** · 12-02-2015, 01:04 AM

Look into chemical guys vrp dressing. Little goes a long way, smells great, fairly priced too!

So you don't do any machine polishing?

What have you charged in the past for that?

Personally I'd want to be at about 160 for that. Or 220 if doing an AIO machine polish. (all in one)

Most of my work is friends of friends, people from Facebook. I usually do cars owned by enthusiasts and show cars. I typically get 225 for exterior only or 350 with interior. They are not full correction either.

Prices vary all over the country though.

**Setec Astronomy** · 12-02-2015, 08:13 AM

In your process, you don't mention any polishing, but on your product list you have Ultimate Compound--under what circumstances do you use that?

The Ultimate Tire Spray is the coating?

**A2D Signature** · 12-02-2015, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

In your process, you don't mention any polishing, but on your product list you have Ultimate Compound--under what circumstances do you use that?

The Ultimate Tire Spray is the coating?

I didn't see a mention of clay. If compounding, you should clay first so you are working with a completely clean surface.

**Setec Astronomy** · 12-02-2015, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by A2D Signature

I didn't see a mention of clay. If compounding, you should clay first so you are working with a completely clean surface.

I was waiting for his answer on the UC before I went there with the suggestion that some sort of mild clay or clay substitute might be a good idea.

**A2D Signature** · 12-02-2015, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

I was waiting for his answer on the UC before I went there with the suggestion that some sort of mild clay or clay substitute might be a good idea.

Ah! Sorry I took some of your thunder

At least I didn't say clay substitute so we can share the glory!!!

**Setec Astronomy** · 12-02-2015, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by A2D Signature

Ah! Sorry I took some of your thunder

At least I didn't say clay substitute so we can share the glory!!!

No biggie, you can never tell when an OP will be back, sometimes it's two minutes, sometimes it's two months (or never).

**willowcat11** · 12-02-2015, 05:36 PM

Sorry guys, I had been pretty busy today. Thank you for your responses. Well the last price I was charging everyone was $100 no matter how dirty the vehicle it was, or how big the vehicle was, including conversion vans and Denali sized cars. I just used that flat rate all the time. I was clueless, and it would drive me crazy putting in that much time and products to come out with basically nothing left. I was way to worried about people thinking I charged too much.

So that was a huge problem! Now as for the paint cleaning steps with Claying, Compounding, and Polishing. I currently don't own a polisher machine. I would like to get a basic one for a good price. Maybe the old Meguiars DA Polisher.

As for those cleaning steps, I would love to do, because I really liked the results I at times got when doing the claying, Megs Compound, and Megs Polish. Ionly did it a couple of times on my own car.

But it is much more work and product, I'm wondering if the daily drivers I do will really notice or appreciate what's been done. So I'm thinking about offering that as an additional price, but don't know how to figure that out. Thanks all for your continued help, hopefully I can start turning over some cars!

**Souldetailer** · 12-02-2015, 06:04 PM

Hey Ray,

Start out with a Griot's Garage 6 (GG6). I did. Lifetime warranty and a versatile machine. Read all you can about your desires.
Ask as many question as you wish, we're all here to help each other. Good luck & take care.

Peace,

Darrin

**top189h** · 12-02-2015, 06:14 PM

I would recommend looking into either 3d or meguiars detailers line. You could get the Meg's super degreaser, apc and glass cleaner and hyper dressing all of which are dilutable and that basically covers everything except polish and wax. I would highly recommend the gg6 polisher and if you want something other than liquid wax look into 156 or even Meg's da finishing wax (two of my personal favorites)