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I detail cars at a used car dealership. I love making the cars look amazing but my boss never wants to spend any money on things that would help me do a better job or do a job faster. I have a hard time getting him to buy decent microfiber towels even. (he often buys garbage towels that scratch the clear coat) I want to keep detailing cars, but I think I should do it for myself instead of working for him. I kind of feel like he's holding me back. I'd love a video about the bare minimum setup you'd recommend to get started detailing for yourself while still being able to produce professional results. (best budget starting equipment, best starter products or must have products, ways to manage time or organizational or procedure advice and such, in the $2500 range if possible) Your videos show you got skill and a good setup. I dream of having a shop setup like that, in time.

This video is insanely underrated and literally what i needed to hear right now; going into my own mobile business with 18 years as a body technician and Spray painter under my belt

Honestly people need to realize you don’t need expensive equipment. A $100 Pancake compressor will be more than enough and versatile for most people starting professional mobile/garage or enthusiast. The karcher pressure washer is a good starting point for a lot of people. Especially because you won’t be washing cars back to back and it often goes on sale. Get the ridgid shop vac it last long and performs great. This 3 things are the essential things to get you running. You don’t need an expensive foam cannon I got a 60 dollar one from black line and it works as good as the griots and Mtm hydro pf22. Or get the mckillans one it works great and it’s about 56. If you don’t like hand drying than the air duster he show is great. Just stop making excuses and make a realistic budget and shop around a lot of things go on sale and you don’t need to buy everything at once. Just the basic things.

Vid was fire. Keep it up!

Man you always make excellent points about detailing.

There are several good points made in this video. What stood out to me was changing the method based on the environment (so very true) and the bit on ceramic coatings. I wasn't sure what to offer in terms of ceramic coatings for a while but ended up with 2-3 year coatings. I chose this "level" of coating because there is no coating that fully prevents scratches, so over time, the vehicle WILL need to be polished and that will remove the coating. So if you polish the vehicle even after just 5 years, you're losing half the lifetime of the coating. So for the inevitable scratch theory, I think 2-3 year coatings seem to work the best for me.

Greetings, Excellent and realistic advice both for beginners and for those who are just planning to do this business, permanently or occasionally. Thanks for the good and honest advice..

Thank you for your video 🥹

Great video

Real Talk on this Channel, keep it up Oscar.

Did you ever make a video of a step by step process of doing paint correction outside and applying wax or ceramic coating? Personally that would be beneficial to me as wanting to offer that service in NYC. Love your content and educational tips.

Makes so much sense the way you use it

Thanks for the video. Nice advice and loved your take on the world of detailing. Would love to have you take on my two vehicles to see what you can do with them. If you ever come to New Mexico I will be your first customer.

My man speaking facts well beyond your age. Well put together.

its all good bro i have trouble saying iron too its that Mexican accent we got lmao

So sick bro. Your methods helped me nail a dealership contract!!

I swear by the Yvan Lacriox method of cut with a DA and finish with a rotary. The fear of the rotary comes from people on KZfaq who don't know what they are doing making detailing video. I love the rotary. It's safe and easy.

As always! Very much helping around

Having one flavor of coating is a really simple business model. I'm going to give that some thought because right now I do an entry level 1, then a 3 and 'stack' combo of an 8 bonded to a 3.

Great video! When starting this business, you need to start crawling, the walking and the running. You should not try and run sin e the beginning because most of the times you will fall. Baby steps is the way. Thanks for tour advice, I ove to wash my vehicles and sometimes I think why not making it a business.

I am with you on the certification thing. First, having to pay 1000s of dollars in order to sell a company's products is just insane! Second, they usually have some sort of exclusivity clause in their contract which I do not agree with or support.

9:00 i detail out of a civic hatchback and i bring a 10x10 canopy to every job. florida summers will have you dead without shade.

The branding thing was pretty good advice. I'm starting a side hustle and I was thinking about branding way too much but with it just being a side hustle I'll worry about that if it goes anywhere besides fun money on the side. I have a name and my wife is an artist and can paint a sign for the garage but even that is kind of for fun.

Thank you for talking about buy twice or buy nice, I recently got into detailing cars and I've been unsure on what to do when it comes to buying tools and products like the pressure washer, right now I use a gas powered Craftsman pressure washer and it works good but it's loud, it requires gas and it looks a bit unprofessional in my opinion, so I want to buy and electric pressure washer but I Didn't know if I should just keep using the pressure washer that I have now and save up the money to buy the $700 electric pressure washer that you own or if I should buy the $150 pressure washer. thank you again for helping me to make the decision

I'd like to hear more thoughts on certification stuff...(i.e. PPF) I'm back and forth on it within my business...and the principle of it bugs me that I need to "pay" a company for some kind of "training". Especially the rates they charge for such are aggregious

The reason more professional coating products sometimes require certification, is so that the company is sure that you are installing their coating correctly. Otherwise what happens is someone screws up the installation, then the coating either doesn't perform, underperforms, doesn't last nearly as long, or otherwise fails in some way, and now the coating company and their product get a bad name/reputation. Also becuase technically anyone can claim to be a "detailer", so that's another reason the company wants to make sure you have the necessary skills to work with their products. This is rarely the case for DIY friendly type coatings, like Shine Supply Beadlocker, CarPro C.Quartz UK 3.0, etc. However the actual multi-stage and or pro level coatings, do require a specific environment, potentially infrared baking lamps, and a certain amount of knowledge and skills to apply properly. Like CarPro C.Quartz Finest Reserve, ROAR coatings, etc. As for how long coatings last, I don't think customers care so much about the "performance" of the coating holding up on year 9. It's that they maybe just want to know it's a one and done deal at least for the time being, so they dont have to redo the process every year to 3 years, and pay the same everytime for labor.

I’m not a detailer but I like your perspective. And I would hire you

You can buy nice polishers that aren’t top of the line for a good price. I think the “buy nice or buy twice” relates to quality made things. Take Griots 21mm polisher, it’s a great polisher that’s not too expensive-versus the Rupes 21mm, also a great polisher, but costs a lot more. Now the Rupes has a supreme amount of power but you really don’t need all that. Like you said, a good/decent rotary can do all the hard cutting work. Makita for example has one of the best rotaries ever, and will last forever.

if you had to make a choice between the 2 and you had to purchase the one now to start your business which one would you.chose? which brands? You hear some brands wven some quality have alot.of.vibrsrion or whatever.So which polisher,brands and models would you recommened

Awesome advice, I'm not a detailer (yet? :) but I like to keep my car in good condition. And it all makes sense. I don't need the top notch tools for that. I think when people buy expensive stuff they feel more professional, more capable, more proud of themselves. And that goes far beyond detailing, pretty much into every part of our life. We get carried away with brands and not always appreciate what we have and/or can afford to have. Anyways, If I ever buy a $100 bottle of shampoo, I'll be happy with this purchase. But I'm happy with a $10 bottle as of right now.

A lot of people are under the false assumption that rotary polishers are faster to burn through the paint, but recent testing has proven that they are actually slower at cutting than a dual action, unless you're placing it on the same spot and not moving it, which is not how a polisher is meant to be used.

100% agreed. The phrasing of "damaging the paint" in regards to utilizing improper wash techniques is that it is EXTREMELY misleading. You'd damage the clear coat at worst in the majority of scenarios (short of being a brute/caveman by dropping your wash media on the ground and using it again right after). Swirl marks suck, but they're certainly not the end of the world in regard to your paint job as a whole. They can be corrected without paint work. To damage the paint to the point, you'd need actual paint work done to rectify it due to washing/detailing is generally unheard of.

Hey I'm trying to download your PDF how to get started ebook but the link isn't working.

Acid? Doesn't that damage the finishes? I have high polished wheels. I'd ruin the finish with any acid right?

@DetailGroove I see you rocking the Alphalete Gear; Christian Guzman helped change my life. It's excellent to see you supporting your local businesses. I appreciate you sharing your wisdom and experience in the detailing industry. I have been putting my funds aside to take the plunge on a mobile setup and will hopefully have what I need by mid-May. You have given me a ton of knowledge, and I can not thank you enough aside from sharing my journey with you as I go. Keep up the excellent work. I'm sure you are changing many people's lives with your content. Thank you again, brother.

hi love the vids.....can u tell me what acid do u use on the wheels?

@DetailGroove You said you acid to remove gunked up wheels? What type of acid do you use, and is it readily available from online detailing supply sites?

Excellent points. Especially the part about how you react towards the customer. Branded gear and a cool work truck is fine but it will mean nothing if you can't behave like a pro. You have to go the extra mile with every situation. That goes for every job. From cops to waiters.

what program do you use to make your website i am having trouble trying to find out how to make my website

But you can't use acid on certain wheels though, what to do then?

It is amazing what you can do with very little. A true artist can make a work of art with a bic pen and rings true to all aspects of life. Sure the modern tools make us faster and more efficent but they never replace skill. Love my tools but give me a hose, soap, and time I will do just fine......30years ago I had very litltle to use and thought the cheap polisher with a elastaic sock was the bee's knees....... You should do a video where you pit a skilled detailer with little to nothing and a newbie with every flashy tool under the sun.

What apc do you use?

lol…..”Hi…my social skills suck, but do you like my branded shirt?!” lol

I used to think Iron remover was crap, then I started working by a rr track in Los Angeles and man oh man was that stuff nasty. You could actually feel it after 2 months with weekly washes, it felt like sandpaper. Clay bar got so dirty that I tried the iron remover from Chemical Guys and that after 2 applications that got rid of 2/3rds of the stuff, and then the clay bar got the rest. Just remember iron remover cuts ceramic and graphene life in half. I used a ceramic spray and finished it off with Klasse sealant to help it along. 2018 640i in Mediterranean Blue Metallic.

whatever works well and gets the job done with minimal effort. there's plenty of tools and chemicals that are very affordable that perform almost as well as the most expensive things. do the best you can with what you have and work your way up if you like. I only detail from 7am to 10. then 5 to 8. if it's hot I only do interiors. it's not worth working on hot black paint just be up front and tell cuisines the paint can't be boiling well have so so that early or late af for it to be a good job I stopped using tornador unless it's a complete restoration . maintenance details only on well kept cats cleaned at least every 2 to 4 weeks. if you want a good price you're going to have to get your car cleaned often so sign up for my monthly pckg and your car will always look great 👍 💪

In LESS than 30 days I’ve made 600 and going dollars with my rusty dusty enclosed… that same wall I built.. with. 100 buck ryobi 1200 psi… no major issue at this level, won’t miss it if it breaks!

With the wheel cleaning, yeah technically if you just going for that "cleaner" appearance, usually you can get away with skipping the iron remover. However no matter how "clean" you think you got the wheels even with an acid and all purpose cleaner, the iron deposits will still be there. You can do this experiment at home, clean the wheels with an acide cleaner, followed by an all purpose cleaner, then spray them down with iron remover...and watch the purple/burgundy rivers run. Honestly if time management and efficiency is what's important to you, I'd just get either a wheel cleaner with iron remover already in it, or make your own mix, get a strong wheel cleaner like Adams Wheel and Tire, and just mix it 1:1 with a strong iron remover. Spray down at least 2 to 4 wheels at a time (depending on whether they're hot or it's hot outside), go back to the first wheel you sprayed and start cleaning that one, then move on to the next one you sprayed...this should be both efficient and give enough dwell time for the iron remover to kick in. Cause the way he explains it doesn't make much sense to me, especially since they go through two separate steps to clean the wheels anyway, first with acid cleaner followed by APC. Most quality acid cleaners are dilutable, just mix it with some iron remover AND maybe some APC...for the ultimate wheel cleaner in one step. One hit and done...

Most people are just happy having the coating on the paint for about 1-2 years and that's it cuz they'll probably change the car between that period or just thinks that the price is according to that period of time

Ayeee you got a mgm STi too? Or customer?

Cool Whivip. Can’t have pie without Cool Whivip.

I disagree with your point about ceramic coating brands and their certification programs. The point of the certifications is consistency, not all retailers are created equal, and if a customer is dissatisfied with their individual experience with a ceramic coating. I think the brand is doing what they do to give the best customer experience. You don’t have to use the certified product, but there is a great point to having it.

How do I get in contact with you? I would appreciate your time if I could ask you a few questions to help my detailing business

I was thinking you kept saying "stinking" and wondering why you kept saying that, then realized you were saying thinking. LOL

What spray bottles do you guys use for acid??? I used to use acid but i have gone through like 25 SPRAY BOTTLES. THEY ALL DIE AFTER 1 USE

99% of WORKERS DONT KNOW HOW TO ADAPT TO SUCH ELEMENTS. 1st thing they do is start complaining about what they signed up for lol.

Seems like if the amount of effort is the same and price isn’t much more you should just be offering the “9 year”.

what are some good acid wheel cleaners?

NEVER EVER put acid on the alloys, yes it’s much quicker but it corrodes and fades any plastic parts, tarnishes metals and degrades any rubber materials for example in the brake callipers. A terrible piece of advise

Agreed 👍 Protect this guy 😢

Damn, you are one fine looking fella. Thanks for the tips!

Not that it matters but the way most people pronounce iron is "eye- ern". But honestly pronounce it however 😅 everyone knew what you were talking about.

Iron removers are terrible to clear wheels. I don't use it either unless I do a paint decon. Anyways, removing iron on wheels will just have those wheels cleaner for a few minutes. The first time the customer hits the brakes, the wheels will be contaminated again. So making them iron free is kind of a waste of time. A good wheel cleaner like Brake Buster does a lot more to clean wheels than a product like Iron-X. I have never used wheel acid but in case of heavy contamination, I used Meguiars Wheel Brightener which does the same thing.

Totally agree, no reason to buy a 1,000 dollar gas pressure washer when you can get a cheap 70 dollar pressure washer that does just a good of a job, and its quiter. The only regret ive made in this business is wasting money on a extractor that i never use. Coincidently the most expensive thing i bought.

Advice

I have branded shirts and business cards… that’s it. Most important things are good service and having really good google reviews and website. As soon as I had that I was doing $6-7k per month by myself. Cesar manages it all for me.

Tbh mobil detailer should have a mobile tempo they can put up in less then 30 min lol

Anything you can just spray on pet hair and vacuum with no static holding it to carpet

Thank you for that HVAC comparison My brother is doing that and wants me to im tying my detailing dream before I go to that HVAC life All respect for the Blue collar workers 😂

It’s “advice,” not “advise.” Thought you might want to know so you could fix it since it’s the title.

Irin” Remover & Deshription” Box 😅

Great common sense advice!!

Advice*

Eye urn

Eye orn

all these points are on point 12:36

You look like Garcia concrete LLC

The Aaron remover

1) Nobody uses an iron fallout remover as a primary wheel cleaner. Wheels need to be cleaned with a wheel cleaner, and then if you are going a bit deeper, you use an iron fallout remover to dissolve the tiny flecks of iron which have burnt into the top coat of the wheels, from hot brakes. It's pronounced "eye-on" by the way (can't believe you don't even know how to say such a basic word). Personally, I have experimented with about 15 different wheel cleaning products, and the best I have found is Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel. It does have iron fallout remover properties, but it also has great cleaning chemicals too. 2) I genuinely laughed at your panic about if it rains ! Here in the UK, it rains A LOT, but that isn't a problem, especially for a mobile detailer. I prefer a bit of light rain, because of the water quality, and the fact we have quite hard water containing limescale. On hot sunny days, the car dries too quickly, and then you end up with terrible water spots. If the weather is dull or even light rain, brilliant, it gives you plenty of time to dry the car, and the rain actually helps stop the water spots. Personally I hate trying to detail on hot & sunny days. 3) Paint damage, is damage, and as long as you make the customer aware there are several levels of damage, starting with light swirls and marring, all the way up to deep scratches and clearcoat peel. With a paint depth measuring tool, you are still guessing how much clearcoat is left to work with, so you can't just one stage lightly abrasive polish the paint over and over and over, because every time you do it, you are taking a few microns of clearcoat off. It doesn't last forever and once it's gone, it's gone !

It's advice not advise

I guess I’m old school and enjoy branding. If you don’t have branding, ppl wont remember. Your brain washed as a child with brands, MCD, Walmart ,etc. you remember the logos. I won’t use a company unless they do look professional, driving around in an unmarked vehicle to do business looks very shady. Someone that’s branded, looks professional, they’ve there ducks in order. Why aren’t detailers not using pro products? Shine supply? Your a professional use professional products. Carpro, System X, are you using 3D, Sonax, Jescar or you using Walmart for your waxes? Do you use special soaps for coated vehicles such as Carpro Reset to protect that coating?

Say I Ron one more time

Eye-ern

lol. You just have to ignore the “r” sound when pronouncing “iron”. Practice saying it this way _ai-urn._

"advise" and "advice" are two different words.

What makes you be a professional detailer u have a diploma degree the amount of cars you wash the amount of videos u have on your page????

Repeat after me: Eye Yearn. That's how to pronounce iron.

Key takeaway: Learn how to pronounce "iron" to become the best detailer on planet earth.

Come on dude, at least do a spellcheck on the title of your video.

loved the video 21:03

facts 3:31