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  1. #1
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    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    First of all, I'd like to apologize in advance if a post like this already exists out there (I looked but couldn't find one)

    We are all passionate about detailing cars here on this forum and it got me thinking about what it was that got me hooked on detailing cars as a hobby.

    For me, it was a bottle of Meguiars Deep Crystal paint cleaner 11 years ago. I purchased a bottle to try on my mother's 1992 Mazda Protégé. After applying it by hand and seeing how much it made the paint pop, I went back to the store and picked up step 2 and 3 (polish and wax).

    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?-screenshot_20200905-185149_samsung-internet-jpg

    After almost having my fall off after step 1, I went back to the store and picked up a super cheap 10in polisher similar to the one below.

    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?-screenshot_20200905-184950_samsung-internet-jpg

    With a new polisher in hand and some cool new product, I was able to achieve these results. (sorry about the bad quality pics, I lost the originals so I had to get screen shots)

    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?-screenshot_20200905-185735_samsung-internet-jpg

    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?-screenshot_20200905-185640_samsung-internet-jpg

    As a 16 year old, these results blew my mind and I was hooked; little did I know that I was only dipping my toes in the deep end.

    That's my story. How did you guys get into car detailing?

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  3. #2
    Super Member TTQ B4U's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    37 years ago I worked at my family's car dealership as a lot attendant prepping cars for delivery. Been keeping them clean ever since. Moved back into detailing as a strong hobby/side gig not because I have to but because I enjoy it.
    2019 Pearl White Accord 2.0T Touring (mine)
    2023
    Snowflake Pearl White CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus(wife)
    2010 Urban Platinum Metallic CRV EX-L & 2014 Mica Black Metallic Toyota Corolla S (kids)

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  5. #3
    Super Member Craig Encinitas's Avatar
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    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    COVID-19

    And beach closures

    I need to have a hobby to keep my sanity. Plus, I kept telling myself that learning how to properly detail a car, one needs to actually get off his couch and get to it. And I’m talking OCD levels of detailing.

    Since I don’t offer packages to anyone, I just do a 100% thorough job… My buddy asked me, “what do you offer?”

    My response: “show me one part of this car that looks dirty”.

    … Not chasing perfection levels of paint correction, but… Sending the customer off and knowing I could have done more, that really eats me up. So guess what, it takes me 12 hours or more to detail a car sometimes. So be it!
    It’s a fun hobby for me and I like doing it.

    One of my friends has been in the detailing business for 30 years, he did my car and he missed quite a lot of spots. But I get it, he hast to do multiple cars a day, and earn a living at it. In fact I can’t even talk to him about Auto Detailing because we’re really speaking two different languages.

    I don’t have 30 years of experience, but I definitely have the patience to do high end detailing, which is a whole different discussion that we should have. What is high end detailing considered?

    It took me 30 hours to do my own car over a period of five days. I would consider that high end, because there was nothing done improperly or rushed. And I don’t think it’s exclusive to expensive automobiles...it just means like, “make this car better than show room new.”

    Hold my soda...




    *Sent by Siri, who has horrible voice to text conversion

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  7. #4
    Super Member Eldorado2k's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    I got into detailing 23yrs. ago when I bought my 1st Cadillac.




    It had been sitting for a couple years so it was pretty much a complete mess when I bought it. The 1st thing I did was pick up a bottle of Meguiars Gold Class and that was the 1st detailing product I fell in love with. I also fell in love with washing my car every Friday to make sure it always looked good for the weekend.

    Another product I constantly used for many years were the Meguiars Leather Wipes. I loved the way they smelled and just thinking about that makes me miss them because I haven’t tried them is so long.

    I remember when I 1st found this forum way back, must’ve been 15yrs. ago [I lurked for many years] I would see a bunch of people talk so much crap about those leather wipes and how only complete noobs who don’t know jack would use them... It’s funny now, but back then they nearly motivated me to create an account just so I could defend my use of those wipes and declare that they weren’t crappy at all. Lol.

  8. #5
    Super Member Coatingsarecrack's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    My 1st car a 90 accord i got in 91. My pride and joy. 15” prime 5 stars 195/50 tires chrome fender trim and lowered on eibachs with a rockford fosgate system.

    I always washed and wax (alot) and then i found this amazing new product that would wash your car with out water (dri wash, i believe its still around as dri wash n gaurd).


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  10. #6
    Super Member LEDetailing's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    Quote Originally Posted by TTQ B4U View Post
    37 years ago I worked at my family's car dealership as a lot attendant prepping cars for delivery. Been keeping them clean ever since. Moved back into detailing as a strong hobby/side gig not because I have to but because I enjoy it.
    Same exact story here. I think I started in 94-95. Started in 8th or 9th grade as my first job.

    My mom and dad told me a story about when I was 3-4 years old I was picking rocks out of tire treads in the showroom.

    Relaxing, rewarding, and just a productive hobby.

  11. #7
    Super Member Eldorado2k's Avatar
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    What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    Quote Originally Posted by Coatingsarecrack View Post

    I always washed and wax (alot) and then i found this amazing new product that would wash your car with out water (dri wash, i believe its still around as dri wash n gaurd).
    My brother introduced me to drywash about 15yrs. ago... He used to detail airplanes and said they would use it on the planes and that it worked sort of like wax when used as a lsp.

    So the very 1st time I did the whole 5 step Meguiars system [the maroon bottles] Wash, claybar, paint cleaner, deep crystal polish, wax... Instead of wax [Meguiars NXT was the big craze back then] I used drywash as my form of protection.

    I didn’t know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel back then, but my car sure looked good.What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

  12. #8
    Super Member FUNX650's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    •In the Spring of 1958, my Dad proposed that
    if I would wash and wax his 1950 Chevy 2-Door
    Sedan on a regular basis, he would “help” me get
    a new bicycle from our local Western Auto Store.

    {Note: Not only was this my initial detailing gig,
    it was also my first (and last!) foray into the wild
    and wacky world of revolving credit.}


    •Looking back: Fair trade?
    -At the time (and in my young and, evidently,
    easily malleable mind): Having two paper routes
    necessitated such an arrangement.
    -Also: “Honor thy father...” ~Exodus 20:12

    Lessons learned.


    Bob
    "Be wary of the man who urges an action in which he himself incurs no risk."
    ~Joaquin de Setanti

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  14. #9
    Super Member Coatingsarecrack's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldorado2k View Post
    My brother introduced me to drywash about 15yrs. ago... He used to detail airplanes and said they would use it on the planes and that it worked sort of like wax when used as a lsp.

    So the very 1st time I did the whole 5 step Meguiars system [the maroon bottles] Wash, claybar, paint cleaner, deep crystal polish, wax... Instead of wax [Meguiars NXT was the big craze back then] I used drywash as my form of protection.

    I didn’t know the difference between a swirl and a squirrel back then, but my car sure looked good.What Got You Into Detailing Cars?
    Yeah, car was shiny and swirled up as all sin! Remember my car had about 2 months of winter crud on it and i pulled it out to show a friend how it work. Boss was a distributor and sold it for $20 id carry a couple bottles around and get $5 if i sold one. Back then $5 was 1/3 of a tank of gas.

    I’m sure i swirled the bejeezus out of her but spring and summer she stayed clean and shiny


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  16. #10
    Super Member Eldorado2k's Avatar
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    Re: What Got You Into Detailing Cars?

    Quote Originally Posted by Coatingsarecrack View Post
    Yeah, car was shiny and swirled up as all sin! Remember my car had about 2 months of winter crud on it and i pulled it out to show a friend how it work. Boss was a distributor and sold it for $20 id carry a couple bottles around and get $5 if i sold one. Back then $5 was 1/3 of a tank of gas.

    I’m sure i swirled the bejeezus out of her but spring and summer she stayed clean and shiny


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    My 92’ Cadillac Eldorado was pearl white, so an unknowing noob trying to spot swirls had a slim chance of actually happening. Lol.

    I do remember the time I scratched the hell out of my hood with the brush at the coin op 1 day... The scratches were so bad even I could immediately tell. Doh!

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