High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

[gijoe985]

Hey everyone!

I teach a high school automotive program and we are hoping to start offering detailing services. One of our neighboring schools offers it and we are hoping to offer a similar, but of course better, service.

While I have had personal experience doing detailing over the years, I m now trying to get it down to a science. I need to have procedures and protocols setup so that I can concisely teach students and so that they know what they are doing. Right now main main goal is to come up with the line of products that we'd be using. I like how Meguiars has the paint detailing procedure laid down in 5 steps. What I'd like to do is determine what product(s) we'd be using for each of those steps. As I've found on the autopia.org forum, there are a lot of Meguiars products and it can sometimes be daunting to determine which would be best for your own application. I am hoping to find 1 or 2 products from each step of the process that would cover almost all of our detailing needs.

If anyone had any suggestions I'd really appreciate it. We currently are using the Deep crystal car wash, DC carnuba wax, the clay bar kit, as well as some chrome cleaner and whatnot. Right now we are using a 3M product for the buffing. Though it is something I just had in my personal shop that I brought over.

Maybe the simplest question would be this- if you were going to have a bunch of high schoolers detailing cars, what would your setup be? (Also, know that I am very aware of the dangers of over buffing and burning through paint, I may be deciding to only have my experienced students use the power tools and let the beginners do everything by hand).

THANKS!!!!

[Shawn T.]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

I would go with the new unofficial 3-step system offered in the Ultimate Line.
Wash: I like Gold Class Car Wash but Deep Crystal isn't bad. Use microfiber wash mitts like Meguiars Microfiber Wash Mitt. Use the 2-Bucket Method (search the forum if you want specifics) with Grit Guards. Dry with microfiber waffle weave towels like Meguiars Water Magnet.

Clay: Meguiars Smooth Surface Kit is a great kit and offers more clay now for the same price.

Paint Cleaning/Compounding: Ultimate Compound

Polishing (Removing any haze from the previous step, restoring gloss and nourishing polishing oils that rejuvenate the paint)

Wax: Ultimate Wax

That's really all I can offer right now but you can always contact Mike Phillips or Mike Stoops for information on how to run very effective classes as they are awesome!

Great job on starting such a program!

[k3ith]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

For a full line of products to teach a class, Megs is certainly your best bet. I agree with Shawn and would stick with the consumer products for a 101 type class. Although the Ultimate label won't cover everything, I would still grab Meg's glass, trim, dash, rubber, plastic, leather, engine, wheel, spray wax, quick detailer and all metal from the consumer line. Also, grab something with carnauba in it like Gold Class Plus. Don't forget to teach about all the little things and using the right supplies: multiple towel types, q-tips, tooth pics, tape, pads, brushes, pad cleaner, towel cleaning, etc.

I'd make sure these kids understand the "detail" in "detailing" first and foremost!

[gijoe985]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

For a full line of products to teach a class, Megs is certainly your best bet. I agree with Shawn and would stick with the consumer products for a 101 type class. Although the Ultimate label won't cover everything, I would still grab Meg's glass, trim, dash, rubber, plastic, leather, engine, wheel, spray wax, quick detailer and all metal from the consumer line. Also, grab something with carnauba in it like Gold Class Plus. Don't forget to teach about all the little things and using the right supplies: multiple towel types, q-tips, tooth pics, tape, pads, brushes, pad cleaner, towel cleaning, etc.

I'd make sure these kids understand the "detail" in "detailing" first and foremost!

I like that! I'll have to quote it.

I do plan on eventually going through the whole line with them, but for right now we are focusing on paint. I still haven't decided yet if I want to try to have them do their best with the consumer brand, or also learn the pro stuff. I'd like to have a heavier duty compound on hand if we ever wanted to try some scratch removal stuff.

[Shawn T.]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

Ultimate Compound is derived from M105 Ultra Cut Compound and offers plenty of cut via hand or DA application. Check out any of the Open Garage pictures in those sections and you will see how well Ultimate Compound can handle even heavy swirls and oxidation.

[greg0303]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

Ultimate Compound is derived from M105 Ultra Cut Compound and offers plenty of cut via hand or DA application. Check out any of the Open Garage pictures in those sections and you will see how well Ultimate Compound can handle even heavy swirls and oxidation.

Shawn is absolutely right.

Ultimate Compound offers serious correction ability with long buffing cycle, minimal dust and it finishes LSP ready in many cases.

Good choice, Shawn, to go with Ultimate Line.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

Joe, if you'd like to borrow from the 5 Step Paint Care Cycle article and/or D/A Buffing 101 – An Introduction to the G110v2 and similar tools as part of your class curriculum, that's fine by us. The 5 Step gives some good guidance as to which products are suitable for which steps, but sticking with the consumer products for a starter class is probably a good idea.

[Murr1525]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

May need to buy in bulk for it to work out though....

I would consider something like this:

Beginner - Basic Detail:

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Cleaner/Wax - ColorX, #66.
4. Wax - Optional, but nice.

Maybe could give some UC or ScratchX by hand for a bad spot. Of course that kind of combines steps, which may take out some of the teaching.

Then more advanced could do defect removal with machines or something.

1. Wash
2. Clay
3. Clean - #205/UC, etc
4. Polish - Optional
5. Wax
6. Wax

Or having beginners do the wash, clay, wax, and advanced step in between to do swirl removal. Something like that.

What sort of machines are you looking at? A DA would probably be best starting off.

[Andrew C.]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

How many students will you have learning to properly detail? Also, do you have any idea how many cars you will be doing per week?

Depending on what your projected demand is, you may want to considering buying items in bulk (from the Detailer and Mirror Glaze Lines). You can still meet all 5 steps of the cycle with items from these lines.

What type of budget does your class allow for? If you have the necessary funds, I would suggest looking to buying a few G110V2's. You acknowledge the danger of burning through paint, but it essentially is impossible to do that with this DA buffer and you can get outstanding results with the machine! When you say you are using a 3M product for the buffing, what tool are you currently using to buff with? A rotary? If so you can still get great results, you are just going to need to take much more precaution with letting your students use a rotary and letting them use it on other people's cars.

Keep us posted. I'm glad you are getting your students into detailing.

[3Fitty]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

Maybe the fine folks at Meguiars could offer up some used V110's.

Not too much danger in allowing a 15 or 16 year old operate a DA polisher.

From Meguiar's stand point, I'd love the opportunity to get into EVERY highschool auto class. Hook'm early, hold'm for life.

[BillE]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

I'm really excited for the kids over in Ellensburg! Seeing so many 'voc' classes eliminated over the years, this is great news.

Bill

[tguil]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

Check this out:

http://guidetodetailing.com/

Make sure you follow copyright laws before you get "carried away" with duplicating stuff.

Tom (retired school principal)

[the other pc]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

Maybe I’m old school (or just old). But to me, “shop class” is vocational training. And vocational training is about teaching concepts, methods, tools and techniques that prepare a student for a professional work environment.

With that in mind, I’d definitely go with products from the Detailer and Mirror Glaze lines.

Since you’ll have a lot of people using the products on a lot of cars you’ll save money by buying higher use products in bulk. This is not just a cost saver for the classroom, but teaching the students skills like how do dilutions, use and labeling of secondary dispensers or calculating costs/use (rather than simple purchase price) are directly applicable to the workplace.

You can stick with the milder processes and save the heavy correction or highly specialized stuff for a more advanced class.

So my choices for the 5-step cycle in the classroom would be something like:

1. Wash
Hyperwash. Lowest cost per application.

2. Clean (a.k.a. surface prep)
Clay – either the consumer white clay or the professional C2000 blue clay, whichever your supplier has. If they have both, do the math and use the one that costs you the least per oz.

Defect removal – There’s no single, ones size fits all solution here. Make sure your students understand this. It’s a critical concept. You can cover most of your bases with a combination like M105 and M205. But you do need to understand what you’re trying to achieve, how much you want to cover and where you’re willing to draw the line. I would also keep M80 on hand. It’s a nearly universally useful product.

3. Polish
Be sure they understand how you’re using the term and that many other people will use it differently.

Meguiars generally uses the term to mean “pure polish” a.k.a. “glaze,” which is entirely optional. I would probably use M07.

4. Protect
For a classroom (multi-user) environment, stick with liquids. This eliminates the risk of cross-contamination. I would use M21.

Although, in a professional environment you could easily make a case to not use a dedicated wax/sealant and only use combination products like M66, M06 or D151.

5. Maintain
For a mist&wipe spray and for clay lube I would use Last Touch, diluted 1:1 with distilled or deionized water.

If I needed to share a mist&wipe product with a paint&body program, I’d use M34 Final Inspection instead (not diluted).

3. & 4. Combinations

A crucial lesson for the workplace but also useful for the enthusiast; knowing how/when to combine steps to save time and money without sacrificing quality. My faves – D151 or M66 to combine cleaning and protecting.


Anyway, that’s my $0.02, but there’s a lot of wiggle room depending on goals, expectations and personal preferences.


pc.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: High School Detailing Program needs suggestions.

I think before any product discussions take place, it would first make sense to get a better understanding of exactly what type of "shop/operation" you intend on having.

Is this intended to be a quick and easy deal like many sports teams use to raise money with car washes, just a bit more advanced?

Or are you intending on having a fully functional, full-service detailing garage to compete with anyone - including pros?

How much time are you going to have vehicles for, and how many students on each car?

Will it be a small group of students who can be well trained, or a continually changing group of students who realistically won't have much time or practice perfecting advanced technique?

Does the school plan to insure the work? Ie are you sure you want to go into scratch removal and such, or just focus on basics like washing, claying and waxing?