startin off good

[95mark8newyork]

Yesterday i started detailing cars like i do every year but since it's been nice here i started in march as opposed to july. I've learned that if i lower the prices i get a lot of people and make a ton of $$. Prices for family members and friends is 70, everyone else is 100 for car and 125 for truck. Figure 2-4 hours of work and making between 70-125(not including any tip i may get) i'm making atleast 3 times the amount of minimum wage I started detailing cars and taking an interest in cleaning them when i was like 10. I'm not bragging but i'm very good at what i do and take pride in my work, plus i love doing it so it's not boring to me. The greatest thing is to get a car that looks rough and then give it back looking new and seeing the look on someone's face. Here's a list of a bunch of cars i did in the past (not all)
2006 ford mustang
2011 mercedes e350 4matic
2008 mercedes e350 4matic
2011 acura tsx
2000 acura RL
2007 ford explorer
2003 mercedes c class
2003 mercedes ML 500
1997 buick le sabre
and of course my mark lol.
those were a bunch off the top of my head that i could think of, i've done a lot more. by the end of this year i hope to have atleast a grand saved up from doing this.

Anyone else do anything like this when they were 16? i'm curious because a lot of my friends have no clue how to detail a car lol. long post but i felt like sharing

 

[fastmark1993]

When I was 16 I was ripping my mark apart in every aspect, then attempting to put it all back together!

 

[k9t8m]

how far do you go with the detail? you need a steamer and a carpet extractor if your serious about cleaning cars.

 

[95mark8newyork]

how far do you go with the detail? you need a steamer and a carpet extractor if your serious about cleaning cars.

i go pretty far but i don't have a steamer or carpet extractor. ill give you a list of what i do.

wash outside
vacuum inside
armor all everything (dash, seats if leather)
use rug cleaner to clean any stains on the carpet
buff any wood
invisible glass all windows
armor all tires
polish any chrome on outside
cutting cream (used to remove oxidaton and other crap on paint)
1 coat of hand wax
1 coat of wax applied with buffing wheel(not a pep boys buffing wheel, its a $350 flex buffing wheel)
then i use a speed wax on top just to get that extra shine
rain-x on windows

that's pretty much it, there might be other things but usually i just add something as i go

 

[keatonsdad]

I don't even let armorall near my house let alone my cars. There is much better stuff out there for the same porpous. Try some aerospace 303

 

[95mark8newyork]

I don't even let armorall near my house let alone my cars. There is much better stuff out there for the same porpous. Try some aerospace 303

I never use the brand armor all, i meant i armor all the tires and dash and everything but hell no i never use the actual brand armor all, i use a cleaner and than a protectant on top

 

[NoLimit95]

I did have a 3 bay car wash and I also detailed cars when I was 18 and had a good amount of regulars. I didn't shut down for the winter either. I used one bay for my work and the other two bays for for my money making for the people that just wanted to spray their own car off. I had high pressure bays with hot water during the wash cycle and then warm water for the rinse. I done this for about two years and made some good money and then fukked up and got married.

I was just about to get a tint guy and do windows and close down one of the two bays but honestly, cleaning cars day in, day out started getting old but there is money there if you stay with it and do a good job. Get you a box of business cards made up. I had mine all over the place at convenience stores and other various places. Word of mouth is where your business comes from. Never forget that.