some questions from a newcomer

[Bedinabox]

I have a few questions about the professional line and consumer line. Is the professional line better then the others, or does it just not have flashy packaging because detailers commonly use it in a shop? In addition, is there a cleaner polish on the professional line?

I am looking into starting my own business, well not a big one just doing friends cars for money to pay for college and what not. Therefore, I need a list of everything that I need to start detailing cars for a little bit of income, I have enough money to invest in getting a good amount of supplies I just need to know what to buy. I am interested in doing this for a living in the future, but for right now I want to learn how and build up my phone book(1) In addition, are there any price recommendations that any of you professionals would recommend for me, or maybe I could offer different services? I was thinking of doing "packages" such as

Package A would be a wash polish and wax

Package B would be the same but with interior and tires

I was thinking something along those lines. I would appreciate any response I can get...


Sincerely

KP





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1, phone book meaning to get a big list of people that know i do good work

[Mike Phillips]

Re: some questions from a newcomer

Originally posted by Bedinabox
I have a few questions about the professional line and consumer line. Is the professional line better then the others, or does it just not have flashy packaging because detailers commonly use it in a shop? In addition, is there a cleaner polish on the professional line?

Hi KP,

To start with there is a big difference between Consumer and Professional, remember Professionals use our products and work in the industry often times 6 days a week. They have a higher skill level than the average person who washes and waxes their car on the weekend. There are a lot of products that are completely safe in the hands of a professional but would do a lot of damage fast in the hands of a weekend warrior.

As for cleaner/polishes in the Professional Line, look at,

M83 DACP
M80 Speed Glaze
M82 Swirl Free Polish
M09 Swirl Remove 2.0

Next, if you haven't read this, the start here...

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2409

[Bedinabox]

i appreciate the fast responce. So you would recomend that I use the consumer products to do peoples cars? I was just wondering because it seems like you get more product for your money if you buy itens from the professional line. BUt i will start with the consumer products. And eventualy maybe ill get into using the glaze and that stuff.

KP

[the other pc]

I like the analogy Mike uses in the Saturday classes. The professional and consumer lines are both tool kits, just like in a tool box.

The consumer line gives you the general purpose tools that most people are familiar with and can use, screwdrivers, crescent wrenches, hammers. The pro line has those but adds sockets, box ends, open ends, hex keys, slip-joint pliers, locking pliers, impact wrench, air chisel, MIG welder, framing nailer. You can do all the same stuff with the pro line as with the consumer and a lot more. You can also pick up a great tool and use it for the wrong job or use it incorrectly and get yourself into a lot of trouble.

For just starting out there's nothing wrong with using consumer products. They do their job very well and as you gain knowledge and want to tackle more complex tasks you can mix in or switch to pro products at your own pace. (Otherwise, you could also start with the general-purpose pro products.)

Yes, the pro products cost less if you buy in bulk, but material cost is not the biggest expenditure in detailing, your time and effort are. You'll be much more successful if you concentrate on tuning your technique to maximize your quality and productivity with less work.

As for specific products, I think you can go a long way on a shoestring budget by making ColorX the core of your basic routine.

I would also encourage you to consider washing wheels and dressing tires as part of the basic wash&wax package. It doesn't take much extra work (if you do a basic wheel cleaning and use a spray dressing) but it makes a dramatic improvement in the final look of most cars.


PC.

[Murr1525]

Certainly, you wouldnt want your first car detail to be a customers, doing a couple practice runs on your own first. Products like the G-100, #80, #21, will take a very short time to learn. I think #83, for heavier swirls, has a slightly longer learning curve, but not so bad.

To detail cars like your package A, here is what you would need, product wise, assuming cars in reasonable condition.

1. a G-100
2. Hyper-Wash
2a. Perhaps a wheel cleaner/degreaser.
3. #80
4. #21

Not too bad of an investment, and no real way to damage anything, as long as you dont drop the G-100 on the car.

[355614]

Mike Phillips, could you please name the products in the professional line that may do damage in the hands of a weekend warrior like myself? Is it all professional products?

I want absolutely professional results for my dark colored car so I am wondering if I should use products from the professional line instead of the consumer line.

I previously started another thread about whether I should use #7 instead of DC 2 for a more show car gloss. So far everyone said #7 is safe considering my experience level.

What's your opinion? Thanks.