What got you into detailing?

[SL1CK]

Re: What got you into detailing?

Gotta love that pic!!! What kinda tire dressing did you use back then???

Tikes Endurance Gel

[Hemin8r]

Re: What got you into detailing?

Yeah no kidding. I probably had some water spots afterwards because I don't think I dried it properly. Can I say " Detailing since 1974" ? or 33 years of experience?

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: What got you into detailing?

In high school I got the bug. Like others a clean car was a babe magnet,lol. Then I thought I would skip the middle man and I got a job at a local car wash. One of the benefits was you could run your vehicle thru the wash at the end of the work day. If it was slow you could run it thru earlier and put a coat of "Vista" wax on your car. Well needless to say your car became swirl city. So you start to learn how to do it the correct way and it quickly becomes a passion and your calling card so to speak. You always have the nicest looking ride on the block.

[SL1CK]

Re: What got you into detailing?

Well, I use to be an avid member of the Cadillac forums, and I frequented the Detailing section often. Then I went to my friends house one day and he told me how he liked to wash cars and all. He said, look at this, these are called swirls. And then he said, do you run your car through the car wash? Unfortunately I said yes. I shudder to think that I actually did that. He showed me scratches on my car caused by the car wash and he said to try to "polish them out" with Meguiars. Ever since then, I've been hooked!!!

[chessplayer]

Re: What got you into detailing?

i got into detailing my car and truck by hanging out at my good friend John's detail shop. Since then i have caught the Meguiars Detail Bug....With that said thanks Big John........ "IN MEMORY OF BIG JOHN"

[buckshot333]

Re: What got you into detailing?

I love this thread....it's so cool hearing about how everyone got into detailing!!

Well here goes my history with detailing....I grew up helping my dad wash and wax our family's cars for as long as I can remember. Then when I turned 16 I began to start paying more attention to taking care of my ride because I really enjoyed riding in a car that was clean and shiny. I felt like I was on top of the world cruising to the beach in a freshly waxed car (still do, too!). Ever since I turned 16 I just got more and more into detailing my own car and eventually stumbled across MOL which took me even further into detailing.

When I am detailing I can think very clearly about stuff so I love it! I am a very detail-oriented and patient person so detailing fits my personality really well, I love it!!

[Nappers]

Re: What got you into detailing?

I got into detailing to keep my rigs nice. I don't have much but I like them to be shiny. Except now, I notice every swirl mark in other peoples car that I drive my wife crazy. Can't wait to get a PC to work on my cars, the ScratchX is working but a long process.

L8R

Aaron

[Lookinforlunkers]

Re: What got you into detailing?

My father always had Oldsmobiles and kept them real nice. I can remember him taking the spoked hub caps completely apart and cleaning each spoke individually, like a whole afternoon for each hubcap. Back then I just thought he was nuts. Then when I turned 19 I started detailing cars at the local GM dealership. I did it for 4 years before moving on to become a tech. The day they moved me into the shop I swore I would never clean another car as long as I lived. After a few years of driving less than prestine cars I bought a 2000 Grand Prix GT loaded with every option available. So at that point I started to care a little more, and before I new it I was back cleaning my car on a regular basis. Now I look at it as hobby that relaxes me and not the job it used to be. I also don't think the old boy is so crazy anymore.

[stealth]

Re: What got you into detailing?

Started way back in my Sr. year of High School. Learning the trade from the owner & his son @ their business. I started out washing & progressed thru every step of the business including supplies, equipment maintenance & sales. I often reflect on how good they were to me & thank them.

[Renny Doyle]

Re: What got you into detailing?

I started out by simply loving airplanes. I rode my bike to an airport where a guy was flying a bi-plane and doing all kinds of crazy stuff! After a couple weekends of searching for the airport via our bikes, three of us found the airport about eight miles from our homes.

I made that trip on my bike almost every weekend. Within a few weeks one of the pilots offered to take me for a ride if I washed his airplane...

I worked nearly every weekend at that airport and after a long weekend of washing airplanes, I would get some instruction on flying! Within a few months we started to ride our bikes to the Orange Show Race Track in San Bernardino Calif and offered to wipe down race cars between heat races and four or five of us would walk away with about five bucks each and in 1979 that was a ton of cash for us!

That was when I was thirteen, I sold that little detail business in the 80's but kept detailing show cars and my own cars until 1998 when I once again decided to follow my passion and detail both cars and aircraft.

My highlight thus far has been working on the Air Force One fleet but I still enjoy cleaning my own rides on the weekends best and now my kids are in on it with me!

Great thread and many great stories everyone...I have enjoyed reading so many great histories!

[kellyinkc]

Re: What got you into detailing?

I got into detailing to relax and focus my mind. Having a black car helped too.