Opening a detail shop!!!!

[Dunatic]

The owner of the dealership I work for is so impressed with my truck and some of the cars I have done for them, he has decided to open a detail shop, and he wants me to run it. We will also be doing undercoatings and bedliners, he has purchased a 5 bay shop, and one of the bays has a lift in it, I have been looking at the rhino liners and the reflex liner, anyone have any experience with either of these? as far as supplies go I would like to use Meguiars stuff, but that all depends on pricing. I am going to get a couple Makita buffers, and a couple G100's, I need to get a shop vac, an air compressor, carpet extractor, (been looking at the Mytee Hp100) anyone have any experience with the Mytee? or any other brands?

The dealer already has a contract with Perma Plate for undercoating, I've never done any undercoating, but I hear it is pretty messy. I'll probably hire someone to do that stuff.

I am pretty excited about opening this shop, he wants to have it open within a month or so, I'll have to take some before and after pics of the shop for ya.

edit, I'm gonna need a pressure washer to, any reccomends? don't need a mobile one, but I would like a heated one.

Any other stuff you guys can think of that I will need to get this thing going?

[Jimmy Buffit]

Certainly sounds like a geat opportunity!
Before you start stocking up, wait for details on Meg's "Detailer" line, which is coming within the next two weeks or so... it comes in 1, 5, and 55 gallon containers.

Do a Google search for Hotsy pressure washers. I'm not sure you need hot water... find the local distributor, heck, call em direct... tell them what your needs are, and they'll give you realistic suggestions. Remember, if you are using it IN the shop, you'll probably want an electric; you don't need no stinkin' exhaust fumes!

I've had GREAT success with the Century 400 Sensei extractor (about $1300 w/heater). Service for the Mytee line is quite sporadic... that's the kind of thing I'd buy locally (not online) for service and support.

Just an aside about extractors, apply an APC by spraying directly to the carpet, do not run it thru the machine. Let the hot water (maybe with a odor terminator solution) do the work. Otherwise, you'll clog the extractor quickly.

You've got alot of work ahead of you in the next month! Let us know how we can help!

Jim

[scrub]

Congrats. Good luck with the opportunity!

[4.6GT]

Nice going -- congrats and good luck.

[George G.]

Why wouldn't you start the business and reap all the benefits rather than just run it for him?

Sounds like a good deal no matter what but if you do all the work, why should he get all the $$$$$?

[Vandelete]

good luck and keep us informed about everything

[Duckman]

this post is 3 months old... any news on the shop?

[Dunatic]

Detail shop update......

Holy Cow!! this has been a ton of work to get this going, we have been open for a month or so, 90% of my work is from the dealership, I have 2 guys working for me and will probably hire another guy in a week or so, we can't keep up with what the dealership is sending me, I really wanted to use Meguiars products, but a local company stepped up and said if I bought their product they would supply all my equipment, hot water pressure washer, hot water extractor, buffers, etc.... it kinda wasn't my decision when they came forward with that offer, they went straight to the owner, they did supply me with some nice equipment, BEXT 150H extractor (very sweet machine), $3600.00 Hotsy pressure washer, 2 Makita 9227 buffers, and 2 G100 polishers(by my request) the company is called autowash, www.skyblueindustries.com sorry Meguiars I really wanted to use your products, it wasn't my decision, I still do on my own vehicles, always will . I am averaging 3-4 full details a day, most of the time I can't be as thorough as I want to be, I have to try and keep up with what the dealership is sending me, I think that has been one of the toughest thing for me, trying not to be so perfect on every car, can't treat it like it was my own I was doing, it's kinda hard to do that. haven't had one complaint yet, so I guess we are doing a good job.

I went with the Reflex spray in bedliner, really cool stuff!! The Reflex equipment was $5000 plus the compressor and refridgerated air dryer, was another $4000 you have to have a completly dry air system for this stuff, just like if you was painting cars. I got to spend a few days in Vegas for training on the Dealership, saw David Copperfield at the MGM, sat front row center!! How he did some of the stuff he did right in front of me is beyond me, he must be an alien or something.

I am averaging at least 2 bedliners a day, I've got a nearby Chevy and Dodge dealership sending trucks to me, the local Rhino dealer has really gone downhill, yesterday I had a guy drive 2 hours to get his done, his neighbor bought a truck at our Ford dealership and he really liked the Reflex liner, so he had to get his done.

I didn't realize how much work goes into prepping a bed to get sprayed, 2 hours prep, and about 20 min spray time.

The second week I was open one of my guys decided to spray a bed with a brand new 45 Grand King Ranch F350 sitting in the next bay, it was just sold and we just sprayed a liner in it a few hours earlier, he oversprayed the entire truck with bedliner and left it sitting overnight, I came in the next morning and just about died when I saw it, needless to say 2 gallons of laquer thinner later it was cleaned off, you should have seen the paint, I came home grabbed my DACP and my NXT, she looked brand new a few hours later.

My only horror story so far.......... hopefully my only one for a long time

Perma plate products are pretty easy to do, and not as messy as it used to be, I do sound guard (undercoating), rust guard, fabric guard, leather guard and paint guard, I don't think it is worth the money a customer pays for it, around 900.00 for the full package, but we make a ton of cash from it. The dealership buys all the equipment and product for that, I am just payed to apply it.

I have always wanted to open my own shop but I have never had the funds to do it, maybe one day...... I do get a percent of what the shop makes, on top of my salary, can't complain, besides I am doing something I enjoy, and that is just icing on the cake

[Jimmy Buffit]

Thanks for the update!
Sounds like a BIG operation!
Not my cup of tea, but...

[George G.]

definitly sounds cool.

[scrub]

Thanks for the update. Congrats to you. I think the equipment deal is awesome. I wish something like that would happen to me.

[Beercan31]

The owner of the dealership I work for is so impressed with my truck and some of the cars I have done for them, he has decided to open a detail shop,

Well don't seem like your detailing any more.
I guess there's all sorts of compromises just to put food on the table,

Good luck.

[foris2]

The update is appreciated, and you have been blessed.