# a bit of a surprise!



## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

hi guys. recently i really got into vehicle detailing which led me to do a friends car which i now do on a regular basis. the owner was really shocked what i had acheived in depth and gloss on his car and so he recommended me to a friend of his who buys and sells cars. i recieved a phonecall yesterday asking if i could go down toay as he said he had a fleet of cars (40) plus for me to detail for him and to take him through the steps i take in order to achieve the finish which he described as 'stunning' that i undertake. went down to his office today and just expected an ordinary lot of cars to do...was i wrong. classic mercedes slk's a handfull of ferrari f430s, lamborghini murcielago, gallardos, aston martins, mustangs and a whole lot more. i have got a rolls royce phantom to do on thursday so i plan to take some photos and share them with you all. a bit of a shock to me as ive just turned 21, a student, and detailing was just a hobby!
ill do my best to do a write up for you guys and feedback and tips would be great. cheers guys and i look forward to sharing the pics of these beauties with you lot!

ian


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Hay hay thats fantastic..:thumb:
So go on tell us what your routine is please?:wave:


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2011)

sound's good to me bud,some very nice and expensive motors there hope you have insurance. look forward to some pictures and enjoy wish i had a fleet like that to look after :thumb:


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## A.B (Feb 8, 2010)

Thats good:thumb:, take some goooood photos, this could be the start of something amazing for you.


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

All the best with it! Sounds like your luck is in. :thumb:


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

Hope you've got insurance and not bitten off more than you can chew, I by no means a pro and would love to have a go at some exoctica but am competent enough to know I've not got enough experience yet.


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## Jamie-O (Jan 28, 2010)

And so it begins


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## andytvcams (Aug 31, 2010)

Well done, not bad for someone who has just turned twenty.


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## cotter (Aug 31, 2008)

Nice one! Good luck, I'd be looking to take out insurance before going near a fleet like that tho!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Congratulations but take great care on such expensive cars! 

Alan W


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## ajmanby (Jan 12, 2010)

just out of interest whats the deal when it comes to insurance for detailers?


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## Dohnut (Feb 4, 2011)

As far as I know it's liability insurance so that if you create damage or someone alleges you caused damage and it potentially reaches legal proceedings, then the insurance would pay for any damage once verified and agreed with all parties before it reached the legal stage.

However, I believe that while some insurance companies will happily take your premium, should you need to make a claim then as per the usual wriggly creatures slopy shoulders technique, they will find a way not to pay out. And the big one is for it to be valid you need to have a legit and fully registered limited company otherwise the insurance is void. This is what I have heard and have a friend in the insurance game (and he assures me it is very much a game!) and this is his take on it.

edit: But yes, fantastic bet you can't stop grinning! This could really be the start of something big, just be extremely careful and make sure you are making a nice profit from it cos I hope you are going to use decent products but not in name and pseudo-reputation only. I'll pass you the cloths and brushes if you want, would be great to work on thos motors


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

thanks for all the comments guys. was really surprised when i turned up at the unit and the cars were just there in the garage! like i said it was just a hobby for me which seems to have turned into something a bit more really! im definiteley no better than most of the members on here at detailing although i take good car and time in what i do. at the moment for me. its just the usual routine most of the members do on here. degrease lower half, snowfoam and dwell get the hard to reach areas with the brushes and then blast off. then onto the arches (g101) with my new montanna boarshair brush, brilliant btw! wheels (billberry or starjnagloss hjul) with the detailing brushes (ez, wheel woolies ect) two bucket method, (tardis if needed and wipe with microfibres) starjnagloss glassparla to aid drying, blast off then open hose to sheet the water. claybar, re wash then dried again, dry wheels...ect ect ect interior ect ect ect feed the seals on doors and trim, dress tyres, seal alloys, finishing touches...zaino z8 :lol: then dependant on colour ect i have a few choices of sealants and waxes. most of my stuff is a mix of zaino, poorboys, chem guys, euro towels- gotta love them there brill, 303, and a few more. i think i have the detailing bug haha.

i just need to practice machine polishing on my car to get to a high standard before i start machining others cars and i feel comfortable. was looking at the 3m stuff and just wondering if their 3 step system is any good although paul dalton uses it so i assume it cant be bad?! im just doing everything by hand atm guys and i feel 100% comfortable doing it that way although i cant get out major swirls and defects out yet. just out of curiosity what would you guys charge for a service like this? abovethanks for all the comments and hwlp guys, appreciate it alot and glad i found the forum

regards

ian


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## ajmanby (Jan 12, 2010)

if you are going to machine polish the cars then make sure you get a paint depth gauge :thumb:


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

thats exactly why i dont want to attempt machine polishing yet!:thumb: i dont want to have clearcote failure on my car...nevermind a supercar :doublesho what prices do you think seem suitable guys? obviously would be spending a fair few hours on each car! and the products arent exactly off the shelf from halfrauds im glad the owner was impressed with my first detail today, im absolutley nackerd now!


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## fizzle86 (Apr 1, 2010)

ajmanby said:


> if you are going to machine polish the cars then make sure you get a paint depth gauge :thumb:


+1 to that it will help your confidence and ease any worry


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

:thumb: definiteley mate possibly a must have product for machine polishing!


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## rorz_vts (Sep 8, 2010)

ian 1 said:


> :thumb: definiteley mate possibly a must have product for machine polishing!


its defintley a must have mate it gives you alot more confidence on what you have to work with


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## Rust.Bucket (Feb 11, 2011)

Well done, bet you're chuffed. If it's guaranteed work, then probably look at some sort of insurance as it's now not just a bit of a hobby, and they are very expensive cars!


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## mk2jon (Mar 10, 2009)

Hope it goes well for you :thumb:


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

out of curiosity are all the paint depth gauges symilar? im guessing theres ones out there that give clearcoat readings too as for example if there are 300 microns of paint to play with you may think thats loads, do a set of passes and then removed 10 microns sureley it 'Could' be the case that a possible few more passes could lead to a strike through if you didnt know how thin the clearcoat was? i may have confused myself here!:wall:!! also i was thinking How do you know the car has not been machined 3 times in the past and the clear is now mega thin but there are 12 various colour/primer coats underneath which are giving you a high reading? hmmm its getting complicated haha. guys, what would you charge for a detail bar machine poishing? or is that a daft question?

regards

ian


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## UberCool1 (Feb 13, 2011)

Re PTG, I would recommend devices to measure both metal (ferrous and non-ferrous) and also non metals such as plastic and fibreglass. Also insurance for PL and working on cars is a must.
Good luck:thumb:


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## Lovescars (Dec 17, 2010)

well done i thought you were going machine polish these cars is it still detailing when you don't do paint correction with machine?


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## toomanycitroens (Jan 14, 2011)

ajmanby said:


> just out of interest whats the deal when it comes to insurance for detailers?


Just check with the Dealer to see if you will be covered on his insurance.
Just a thought, well done anyway.:wave:


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

ian 1 said:


> out of curiosity are all the paint depth gauges symilar? im guessing theres ones out there that give clearcoat readings too as for example if there are 300 microns of paint to play with you may think thats loads, do a set of passes and then removed 10 microns sureley it 'Could' be the case that a possible few more passes could lead to a strike through if you didnt know how thin the clearcoat was? i may have confused myself here!:wall:!! also i was thinking How do you know the car has not been machined 3 times in the past and the clear is now mega thin but there are 12 various colour/primer coats underneath which are giving you a high reading? hmmm its getting complicated haha. guys, what would you charge for a detail bar machine poishing? or is that a daft question?
> 
> regards
> 
> ian


To be blunt if you're asking these types of questions you're not ready to take on such a job. You need to KNOW what you're doing, not think you know how to machine polish/correct potentially £100,000+ motors.


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## Planet Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Thought you might be tired if you were not detailing fit

Hope it works well for you.:thumb:

Just remember to get paid for the work you do.

I know a couple of Valeter's that have been burnt working for car traders in the past


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## rittz (Mar 1, 2011)

well done now the hard work starts.. just be carefull


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## David (Apr 6, 2006)

please learn to press enter in between sentances, i've not read all of what you've typed purely because its one long sentance


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## Dave Sewell (Mar 16, 2011)

good look fella as above be carefull take your time there is only so much you can read and learn your doing it the best way hands on but defo get all gear needed and dont just jump in to anything and as far as traders go get everything in writeing pall


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

bit of an update guys. i just finished a bmw m3 cs in carbon black today, very very pleased with the results, and so is the owner so im over the moon!
just as i finished, the owner of the business askd me to meet his brother in law who is into cars himself. so we drove to a nearby unit as i was told his cars needed some tlc too! the owner turned up in an rs6 as a daily driver so i knew there would be something special in the unit.
there were 5 cars under covers. 3 ferraris a bmw and a porsche. yep i did get a bit excited! took the first cover off and it was a bmw m3 e30, everything origional, and in IMACULATE condition really amazing hidden behind that under a ferrari cover was an f40, simply an amazing peice of machinery. to the right of it under a porsche cover was a carrera gt! the interior is amazingggggg and just to top it off in front of that there was a ferrari 328 gts and also another classic... an amazing ferrari daytona in stunning condition. all the ferraris were in red and the carrera gt was silver. i was in car heaven, and have been asked to keep these in top condition for the owner.simply blown away! i just cant believe i seen these cars in the same place all at once. ive just taken pictures on my phone guys so i will put them on my ipad and share them all with you when i get the chance. i hope you enjoy them as much as i did! i look forward to taking more photos as these arent exactly cars what you see everyday!

regards and thankyou for all your comments 

ian


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Bailes ... ... ... is that you?


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

bailes? as in surname? lol?


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

DW58 said:


> Bailes ... ... ... is that you?


Was thinking that myself, hmmm.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

The level of BS together with the general lack of literacy fits.

Sorry, but this story just doesn't ring true to me.


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## Leodhasach (Sep 15, 2008)

DW58 said:


> The level of BS together with the general lack of literacy fits.
> 
> Sorry, but this story just doesn't ring true to me.


I think a request for photos is only fair


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Mondeo ST200 perhaps?


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## Leodhasach (Sep 15, 2008)

DW58 said:


> Mondeo ST200 perhaps?


:lol:

Oh, the memories...


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## rich1880 (May 26, 2010)

If it isn't Bailes then well done mate, nice to see someone getting some good work out there, I agree with the way your approaching this and not jumping into the machine polishing. If this is something you want to do I found the course held in Liverpool fantastic and worthwhile. Good luck and enjoy it !!


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

@ dw 58- would i waste my time writing bul**** on detailingworld for the DECENT people on here? dont think so mate. im 21 years old, couldnt believe what i saw today and you dont even know me, im a genuine person so dont go judging a book by its cover. like i said, ill post the pictures up and i hope it dosent upset you that im telling the truth:wave:. and btw im not bailes. 

@rich1880-one of those courses is definiteley on the agender as the paint on these seemed pretty close to swirl free so happy days!


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

If you're not "Bailes" then I apologise, but your posting is awfully like his. I'm sure if you post photos of the masses of supercars you've got to detail then all will become clear, but in the meantime pardon me if I'm not entirely convinced.


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

currently trying to connect my blackberry to the ipad so i can get the photos on here. ive got some of a bmw m6 i did a few days ago. shouldnt be too long...


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Look forward to the pics..:thumb:
as for machining 10 microns is a lot to take off.
There are ways to get general idea of lacquer depth especially as the machines that tell you the base coat depth and colour and lacquer are around the grand mark.


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

the grand mark... ill have 2...NOT haha. pics in 5 mins mate ill get some in detail ones next weekend when i start on them!


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

Ian if you are interested in learning to machine polish then have a look at the day me and James are holding soon. Link is under my sig 

Well done btw


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

heres the bmw m6 i detailed a few days ago...









zaino z2 then z8 grand finale









and the interior was vacd with the henry, leather cleaned and places that needed to be dressed done with 303









a nice reflection shot









and another one except in the paint of a rolls royce phantom i have to detail next week... the m3 cs next to the m6 :thumb:









and again...after playing around with the umbrella in the doors! a very finiky grill to detail, the quality in general is amazing on this thing...









and now for these beasts...say no more









amazing noise from idle. you can just see the m3 with the cover on and the rear end of the ferrari 328 gts and just outside the ferrari daytona.



























http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd510/ianmg1
/IMG00239-20110318-13181.jpg

more pics to come, enjoy


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Well Ian, those pix look genuine enough - my apologies. Just one point however, you really ought not to be showing those registration plates unless you have express permission from the owners of the cars.


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

:thumb: oh in the reflections?!? :doublesho completeley missed that mate. thanks for the reminder.

regards

ian


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

Awesome!!!!!!


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## Jason123 (Feb 11, 2011)

wrong post correction


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## HARPO (Feb 14, 2011)

DW58 said:


> Well Ian, those pix look genuine enough - my apologies. Just one point however, you really ought not to be showing those registration plates unless you have express permission from the owners of the cars.


I've noticed that people obliterate or swirl the regs of cars that are photographed.....................whats the point? I'm probably missing something obvious but I dont understand the reason for that


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## Razzzle (Jul 3, 2010)

HARPO said:


> I've noticed that people obliterate or swirl the regs of cars that are photographed.....................whats the point? I'm probably missing something obvious but I dont understand the reason for that


Can I borrow your registration to put on my car of the same type and colour while I go burn round all the local speed cameras??

Thanks in advance.

Dazza.


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

i think its to do with cloning ect ect mate... and if theyv got ur reg they know where u live ect... so just to be on the safe side people just blank them out! apologies if im wrong!:thumb:


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

yeah thats the one dazza lol


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

you are one lucky boy mate. well done.

be careful with that f40 though, i wouldnt even think of machining it without being very very skilled.
they are notorious for having extremely thin paint and being mostly carbon fibre/fibreglass it heats up fast when machining.. 

i know i dont have the skill to machine these cars, would love to work on them and im very jealous of you. :thumb: well done mate.


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## tonz (Sep 21, 2008)

Nice to hear some good news , the best of luck


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

HARPO said:


> I've noticed that people obliterate or swirl the regs of cars that are photographed.....................whats the point? I'm probably missing something obvious but I dont understand the reason for that


No point at all imho unless they usually also remove their plates when it's parked up.


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## ian 1 (Dec 8, 2010)

i am not even touching the f40 with the machine polisher mate. it only has minor swirls in the paint anyway so im thinking going for poorboys blackhole toppped with petes 53 or zaino z2 with the zfx with z8 over the top which would look lovely also and give great protection as well as shine. ive got red moose glaze aswell which is also another one to consider. right as you are the body is carbon fibre and as the owner said... extremeley thin paint! the gtb is going to kill me though with those multispoked wheels...out with the britemax twins and a fair few microfibres! really looking forward to doing these and like you said craig...i am an extremeley lucky boy. i think these are something that most if not all of the people on dw would like to see never mind work on!


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

sounds good mate. look forward to hearing more about these...

good luck with your venture :thumb:


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