SteveW
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Registered: 15th Jul 02
Location: Up in the clouds
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probably been asked a thousand times..
how does one become a professional car detailer ??
not one of those Polish "hand car wash" places..
i assume you need to go on training courses and stuff like that.
Seems like a pretty cool job really. especially if you get good enough to have people trust you with Lambo, Veyron and other exotics.
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fazza
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Registered: 7th Feb 08
Location: Plymouth
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quote:
Originally posted by SteveW
probably been asked a thousand times..
how does one become a professional car detailer ??
not one of those Polish "hand car wash" places..
i assume you need to go on training courses and stuff like that.
Seems like a pretty cool job really. especially if you get good enough to have people trust you with Lambo, Veyron and other exotics.
im unsure but the local polish car wash place is actually pretty darn good
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
User status: Offline
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RichH (I think that's his username) just set up his own business doing it. Might be worth a u2u 
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Ben G
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Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
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you'd need insurance cover for a start and papers to prove you have it.
then all the different products needed.
go on a training course to learn about different techniques.
theres a guy on here with a blue corsa c that does detailing i think? he said something about having cheap rates that under cut the competitors to get some business in, then show them his work is great. that way, he has customers ''for life''.
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Ben G
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Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
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oh and IMO, the market is saturated with detailers now, so many out there.
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ben G
theres a guy on here with a blue corsa c that does detailing i think? he said something about having cheap rates that under cut the competitors to get some business in, then show them his work is great. that way, he has customers ''for life''.
RichH I think not sure 
EDIT: Rich H http://www.corsasport.co.uk/board/member.php?action=viewpro&member=Rich%20H
[Edited on 29-07-2008 by deano87]
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Ben G
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Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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yup 
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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All you need is some old body panels to practice with a machine polisher.
Other than the machine polishing and scratch removal its just washing the car the same as anybody else would do.
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Corsa_Sport21
Member
Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
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TBH detailing is for gheys.Ok doing it if ur making good money but its hard going and i certainly wouldnt pay for some1 to wash and polish my car.
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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quote:
Originally posted by Ben G
oh and IMO, the market is saturated with detailers now, so many out there.
Yeah that's what I was just thinking.
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JinThaMC
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Registered: 5th Aug 07
Location: P1 is 4db louder
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Professional car detailers?
You don't need qualifications or education to be a car cleaner 
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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I doubt you would get anywhere going on a course. It takes skill and knowledge - obviously you need to know how to use the equipment properly, but I think that the people who are skilled at it have learned through research and practice.
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Ben G
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Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sport21
TBH detailing is for gheys.Ok doing it if ur making good money but its hard going and i certainly wouldnt pay for some1 to wash and polish my car.
typical reply by someone who hasn't got a clue.
wash and polish is not what these guys do.
it involves a much more in depth technique PAINT CORRECTION which can take hours/days.
it's not about washing it with halfords mega buy wash and wax and then polish it with autoglym 
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Corsa_Sport21
Member
Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ben G
quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sport21
TBH detailing is for gheys.Ok doing it if ur making good money but its hard going and i certainly wouldnt pay for some1 to wash and polish my car.
typical reply by someone who hasn't got a clue.
wash and polish is not what these guys do.
it involves a much more in depth technique PAINT CORRECTION which can take hours/days.
it's not about washing it with halfords mega buy wash and wax and then polish it with autoglym
Your spot on i dont have a clue about detailing,however i do know that any1 who pays for some1 to "detail" their car is insane.Its not asif its gonna stop it from getting dirty again or even fading in the sunlight.Detailing is just a delaying process thats all.
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Pete_vxl
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Registered: 24th Nov 06
Location: Lochgelly, Fife
User status: Offline
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i would do it if i had a photoshoot the following day or whatever but not for the sake of cleaning my car, i think im capable of doing it.
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Ben G
Member
Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sport21
quote:
Originally posted by Ben G
quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sport21
TBH detailing is for gheys.Ok doing it if ur making good money but its hard going and i certainly wouldnt pay for some1 to wash and polish my car.
typical reply by someone who hasn't got a clue.
wash and polish is not what these guys do.
it involves a much more in depth technique PAINT CORRECTION which can take hours/days.
it's not about washing it with halfords mega buy wash and wax and then polish it with autoglym
Your spot on i dont have a clue about detailing,however i do know that any1 who pays for some1 to "detail" their car is insane.Its not asif its gonna stop it from getting dirty again or even fading in the sunlight.Detailing is just a delaying process thats all.
fair enough you admit it mate, and i have never paid someone to detail my car either, but it's not just about stopping it getting dirty.
the next time you wash it after it's had a detail, providing you take care of the paintwork, you won't have any swirl marks or scratches to be sad at.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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You'll find that if you use a high quality wax on your car it will stop it from getting dirty and will make it easier to clean in the future. It will protect the paint from fading and it will also give some protection from minor scratching.
You are failing to notice that you wouldn't detail your car every weekend. You would get paint correction done every few months/years when you want your car to have a bit of a tidy up. I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't prefer a nice shiney car with smooth paint and no scratches over a shitter covered in mud and scratches.
Sure, maybe the pocket money your parents give you doesn't quite cover the cost of having such work done, but that in no means makes it pointless.
[Edited on 29-07-2008 by ed]
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Corsa_Sport21
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Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
User status: Offline
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Tbh i could go out and buy a £10k car,get a tiny scratch on it and it wouldnt put me up nor down.Serioulsy.If it happens it happens.Same with swirl marks and the likes.
In the 7years ive been driving(minus the 6mth ive been banned)ive never once had some1 come up to me and say "omg look at all the swirl marks" or "look at all those scratches" etc.If they did id just shrug my shoulders and say "so,who gives a fuck"
Cant be doing with all this detailing etc.
When i was at the T.V Show at Crail,it was full of die-hard detailers.They were all out in the pissing rain washing and chamois-ing(sp) their cars and i was like WTF,get a life.
Now i dont mind spending an hour giving the car a quick polish/wax every 3-4 mths but thats as far as id go.
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Ben G
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Registered: 12th Jan 07
Location: Essex
User status: Offline
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a car is usually a persons second most expensive asset after a house though, why would you not want to keep it in good condition?
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Corsa_Sport21
Member
Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
User status: Offline
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I do try to keep it in good condition but to a certain extent.I dont go out of my way to damage it,its the carelessness of others that do the damage.
A car is either dirty or clean to me.I like to wash it every 2nd to 3rd day and polish it every 3 to 4 mth but thats it.And in my eyes and other "normal" peoples,it looks good.
[Edited on 29-07-2008 by Corsa_Sport21]
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
User status: Offline
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You'll get shot for saying diehard detailers are using a chamois.
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Baskey
Member
Registered: 31st May 06
User status: Offline
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Why do they test the paint depth on new cars? can never understand this. From the posts iv seen its not like there taking it right back with G10 or anything. Just an observation, mabee im wrong
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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Some cars have very poor paint jobs on them, which might not be visable with just your eyes. On any car it's far cheaper to do a test of the paint thickness then choosing a correction method over jumping straight in and ruining the paint work.
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Ian W
Member
Registered: 8th Nov 03
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sport21
Tbh i could go out and buy a £10k car,get a tiny scratch on it and it wouldnt put me up nor down.Serioulsy.If it happens it happens.Same with swirl marks and the likes.
In the 7years ive been driving(minus the 6mth ive been banned)ive never once had some1 come up to me and say "omg look at all the swirl marks" or "look at all those scratches" etc.If they did id just shrug my shoulders and say "so,who gives a fuck"
Cant be doing with all this detailing etc.
When i was at the T.V Show at Crail,it was full of die-hard detailers.They were all out in the pissing rain washing and chamois-ing(sp) their cars and i was like WTF,get a life.
Now i dont mind spending an hour giving the car a quick polish/wax every 3-4 mths but thats as far as id go.
You could say the same for people who go out and buy 10 year old vauxhall supermini's and spend thousands making them different, whats wrong with them standard?
End of the day its a choice, I used to enjoy modding my corsa but as I don't mod my current car I enjoy getting it looking mint.
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Rich H
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Registered: 26th Oct 05
Location: West Sussex Drives: E46 M3
User status: Offline
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Right, I haven't done any courses etc, just worked my backside off doing research etc for the past couple of years and building up my knowledge of techniques, products etc etc etc.
I spent around a year or so doing a lot of free and dirt cheap work to build up skills and attract attention to myself.
Last 7 months have been in business with my prices being very very low for the products I use and the time I spend on each car, average profit from each job is between 5 - 10%... All work has been geneterated by flyers and forums which have then lead to word of mouth recommendations too.
I spent around £12k (inc. van) to set up, of which around £3.5k was spent on insurance policies 
Prices will be going up after a year though as I am well above the prices I charge (ie. my detailing prices are on par with the Polish car washes top valet  ) also diesel etc is going up lol.
Have recently attracted attention of a couple of main dealers for BMW etc to correct their valeters cock ups, so I think that should also speak for the quality of the work I do.
Check out my site: www.refineddetail.co.uk - in the portfolio: The MR2 is meant to be featured in a magazine soon, and the Ibiza won cleanest car at a recent VAG show and was invited to another Show and Shine event which you only get invited to if your car is mint.
Thats my little piece, feel free to ask me questions if you want or slate me
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