# Gaz vs Filthy Mini



## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Afternoon Chaps,

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for the kind comments posted in the thread invloving the discussion of me, some of the comments posted are fantastic, thanks to everybody for being supportive.

To liven the spirits of the not so nice comments, I thought i'd post up one my my details seems as I havn't in a while.

Today, had this rather neglected 2002, Red Mini One to detail, the owner is a work mate of my mums, and she asked for a Bronze Service. She said "it isn't to bad"...:doublesho

*Process..*


*Interior*

Interior was revolting, dirt in places where I didn't know you could get dirt, little spot stains, rubbish, mouldy fanta cans, parking tickets, was horrible. Took me well over 2 hours, half way through I very nearly lost my patience, the first time EVER i've come close to being defeated by an interior, but, my patience paid off.


Large rubbish items removed
Plastics Cleaned, APC 10:1, Megs Detail Brush + Micofibre Towels
Thoroughly Vacuumed
Seats Mildly Cleaned, APC 4:1
Leather Cleaned, Enziett Leather Care + Microfibre Pad
Door Rubbers, Enziett Gummi Plfedge
Glass, CG Streak Free
Air Freshner, CG New Car Smell

Interior Before...




























Interior During...



















Interior After...





































*Wheels, Tyres and Arches*

The wheels were black, the tyres were starting to brown, and the arches were full of mud.


High Pressure Rinse
Wheels Cleaned, P21s Wheel Cleaner + AB Tar and Glue
Assortment of Brushes 
Arches and Tyres APC 10:1
Thorough Rinse

*Exterior*

Exterior was just as bad, a thick layer of surface dirt and grime, wheels that were quite literally black, and it just generally looked horrible, not particularly pleasing to the eye.


High Pressure Rinse
Foamed with DW Snowstorm, Detergent Tank in Pressure Washer
Rinsed
Washed, 2 Bucket Method, Schmitts and CG Citrus Wash
Rinsed
Dried with Sonus Towels, CG Quik Detailer
Paintwork, 2 Coats of CG Wet Mirror Finish
1 Coat of CG XXX Paste Wax
Wipe Down with CG Quik Detailer

*Extras*

Plastics Dressed with Swissvax Pneu
Rubbers Dressed, Enziett Gummi Plfedge
Tyres Dressed, CG New Look Gel, 2 Coats
Glass Cleaned, CG Streak Free

Before...




























During...




























*Results...*































































































































Thanks for Looking.

Gaz


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## raider56 (May 3, 2007)

Looks absolutely awsome!!


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## AshD (Apr 27, 2006)

nice turnaround, looks loads better, especially the wheels


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## 106daz (Jun 17, 2007)

that interior:doublesho 

nice work:thumb:


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## mr v6 (Jun 29, 2007)

Nice and shiny now.:thumb: 

I found the plastics and mirror housings on the new minis a pain to make black again, generally a cloudy dull colour (had to do my sisters last Monday).

Didn't you clay the car?


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## Mark J (May 10, 2007)

nice job :thumb:


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## Slick 77 (Jun 19, 2007)

Nice work, looking good & nice attention to detail :thumb:


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## ash_xt (Apr 22, 2007)

looks awsome gaz, i think its the first show it off i've seen of your and very impressed


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## dominic84 (Jan 27, 2007)

Excellent transformation - particularly like the wheels, they look like brand new :thumb:


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## dodger (May 20, 2006)

excellant work Gaz, looking very nice


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## streaky (Dec 2, 2006)

Better than the showroom :thumb:


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## SDP (Oct 17, 2006)

Stunning results - although I hope that you didn't do all that as part of your Bronze detail at £30-50!


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## hutchingsp (Apr 15, 2006)

That is nice work. Sod your age for a moment, that interior was ridiculous - you did that for £30?!


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## Trist (Jun 23, 2006)

Top work Gaz, that mini was filthy :thumb:


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

Great turnaround Gaz :thumb:


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## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

A superb turnaround on a truly neglected car.
Great work and fantastic finish :thumb:


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## Silver (Aug 23, 2006)

Great turn around....all for £30...?!?...


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

That's *almost* as good as my detailing.

Seriously though Gaz - that is an outrageously good detail. You have worked some magic on that Mini but please tell me you charged more than £50 for that workmanship.

Did you do any paint correction via PC or rotary or was it just hand polished. Either way, the results are stunning and the women should be offering her hand in marriage for what you have done to the inside of that car for her.

Cheers - Hotwaxxx:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Lads.

£30 *- £50 *


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

hotwaxxx2007 said:


> That's *almost* as good as my detailing.
> 
> Seriously though Gaz - that is an outrageously good detail. You have worked some magic on that Mini but please tell me you charged more than £50 for that workmanship.
> 
> ...


What detailing?

I didn't know you did detailing? You don't get much business then do you?



Beat You, stay off ma patch


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## 190Evoluzione (Jun 27, 2007)

Superb work fella, what is it with f**king women and letting cars get sooo 
hideously scummy?
Reminds me of my old boss's wife's 1979 Mercedes 450SLC, it was rancid.
I've told this story before, it ends with a Hand Car Wash employee uttering the words "you wanna try treating this like an f'ing Mercedes".
My GF's old boss, the interior of her 3-series is a health hazard.
My mate's wife's mate, her 911 is full of dog hair and old Starbucks.

...grrrr it makes me mad!


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## SimonW (Jun 3, 2007)

> She said "it isn't to bad"


Why do people always say that! Do they dont see how bad it is. I had a guy (had a BMW 3 Series, Swirled like i have never seen) and he said "its just been cleaned"

:doublesho YOU WHAT!!!! WHO THE HELL DID THAT!

They have a blindfold on and dont see it lol


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## Skodaw (Mar 19, 2006)

That's a really good transformation, if that's a bronze service I'd like to see a gold....


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Skodaw said:


> That's a really good transformation, if that's a bronze service I'd like to see a gold....


Take a look back through my threads and find a thread titled. Mmmm....***** (was z ymol until it was banned, thats a gold service)


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## Mr OCD (Apr 18, 2006)

Lovely job Gaz... you have done a cracking job 

I am loving the look of the Swissvaux PNEU on the exterior plastics!


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Engine_Swap said:


> Lovely job Gaz... you have done a cracking job
> 
> I am loving the look of the Swissvaux PNEU on the exterior plastics!


Its my favourite product for plastics, no gel dressing comes close. Its also fantastic on tyres, but certain cars don't look right with matt black tyres, this was one of them!


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## Benny Boy (May 9, 2007)

great work.


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## Nica (Jul 4, 2007)

Very nice results, the interior was terrible but you sure made it look good at the end.

I like the way the paint seems to glow...very nice :thumb:

Thank you for sharing.


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## Epoch (Jul 30, 2006)

Great job Gaz, Come up really nice

Notice the Swissvax wheel brush has a split in the casing are they the same as the Z ones?


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Swissvax Wheel Brush are AWESOME compared to the ***** ones.

I've had it since christmas, has been used rigerously since, and despite me managing to tread on it a week ago, it still working perfectly, hasn't lost a single bristle (touch wood, yet).

Best £4.70 i've ever spent!!


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## Thomas-182 (Mar 5, 2006)

Nice work dude, that's looking lovely now mate.

Great job!


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

Top job that Gaz :thumb:


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## Fat Audi 80 (Nov 8, 2006)

Very nice detail and great value too.

Cheers,

Steve.


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## pcc (Oct 11, 2006)

Nice work Gaz:thumb:


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## matt (Jun 29, 2006)

Well done Gaz, top job there, the interior was really bad and you sorted it proper!! :thumb: 

Matt :wave:


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## d6dph (Mar 6, 2007)

Very very impressive fella, I'd personally have charged more than £50 for that. The interior is an utter disgrace!

Certainly goes to show a 13yo nuisance can really do a cracking job. Should shut up some of the haters :thumb:


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## Wozza (Mar 3, 2007)

Well done Gaz, nice job :thumb: (dirty woman  ), how long did you spend doing it ?


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Wozza said:


> Well done Gaz, nice job :thumb: (dirty woman  ), how long did you spend doing it ?


Was around 4.5 hours. (including 15 minute lunch break)


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

nice turnaround fella!:thumb: 

looks like your Megs wheel brush has seen better days!


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Chris_330Ci said:


> nice turnaround fella!:thumb:
> 
> looks like your Megs wheel brush has seen better days!


LOL. Its getting on a bit now, still works so no point in buying a new one :lol:


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## *MAGIC* (Feb 22, 2007)

great detail there gaz you sure did turn it around


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

13yearoldetailer said:


> LOL. Its getting on a bit now, still works so no point in buying a new one :lol:


couldn't agree more!...you wanna try the EZ wheel brush as/when you replace it!...great bit of kit


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## vindaloo (Jan 5, 2006)

Great job, young Gaz


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## Paul-T (Nov 2, 2006)

Good job Gaz, looked great at the end, really vibrant.

Watch how far the tyre dressing is going onto the tread though, just as a safety thing.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2007)

Absolutely first class job there Gaz :thumb: You certainly offer value for money! I hope your Mum's collegue was over-the-moon.

Cheers,
Phil


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## Versoman (Jan 6, 2006)

nice afters Gaz


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## BIG BAVARIAN (May 7, 2006)

nice work gaz,with regards to pricing i got a recommendation for a full detail on a brand new audi A8 the gentleman wanted change from 50 quid !!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: (turned out he was a director for a world famous bank and millionaire to boot,another thrifty yorkshire man   )


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## Rasher (Mar 6, 2006)

cracking job Gaz
do you have your own business set up now mate??


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Rasher said:


> cracking job Gaz
> do you have your own business set up now mate??


Well, its been going for a 6 months or so now behind closed doors


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## Deanoecosse (Mar 15, 2007)

Gaz, just hope she doesn't go back and tell all her workmates "look what young Gaz does for just £40, it's very reasonable isn't it" or they'll all be banging your door down! It's usually just the Kosovan gritty sponge mob who operate for that price.
As others have said, the job was well under priced but that appears to have been your mums fault in this case. Your doing a professional job which needs to be reflected in the price. 
Note to mum:consult Gaz first before giving out quotes!


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## dw0510 (Oct 22, 2006)

Nice job Gaz!


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

I have mate, maybe in trade for you know what you could have the works on your interior by yours truly


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## L200 Steve (Oct 25, 2005)

Awesome job little fella.

I wish my Mini looked half as nice as what you've just turned out. That really does look a quality job.

Well done:thumb:


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

13yearoldetailer said:


> I have mate, maybe in trade for you know what you could have the works on your interior by yours truly


Lol, as you can imagine, my interior and exterior are pretty much perfect, but thank you for the offer :thumb: 
I tried a steam cleaner but I still feel there 'could' be an improvement on the driver's mat.

Were you able to get to CostCo? :thumb:

Mike


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## SURFERROSA (Feb 7, 2007)

Awesome interior as usual Gaz.

I particularly like that technique you have of picking up the rubbish from the back seat, think I'll try it like that Nice photo that. There's not many women's cars you would have to wear rubber gloves in, but this one obviously necessitated it. 

I'm sure as you get older and unwiser, you may be found in many women's cars wearing rubber gloves, but I'm also sure you won't be postng up the photos!

Well Done Big Chap.

JOHN


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## ryanuk (Jun 22, 2007)

nice work gaz,

so what did she say when she picked the car up?

i meen she has got to have been shocked! as you did a great job!

most 13 year olds are only good for making swirl marks lol


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## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

Stunning job!

I agree about the women and cars too, total tips most of them, much worse than most blokes. Blooming sweet wrappers, crisps, shoes, trashy magazines/books, tickets and receipts all over the place, and make up down round the handbrake where they regrout their laughter lines in the mirror. Top job Gaz and all done in a good time too :thumb:


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

I wear latex gloves on any interior, exterior, whilst detailing. Prevents my hands being damaged by nasty chemicals


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## MARKETMAN (Aug 22, 2006)

mike_wall15 said:


> The post about pricing too 'low' is just stupid!! :wall:
> 
> Gaz is only young and won't be able to charge what a full time pro would charge. The money he picked up for this is an excellent wage for a 13yr old!
> 
> Mike


Absolutely right Mike, people will not pay £70 or £80 to a 13 year old - when my work mates ask me if Gaz will clean their cars they just think its a vac, a wash and a quick chamois over! They have absolutely no idea what detailing is if I try to explain. £40 for 4 hours work is good money at his age and its more than I get an hour. I am not saying his work isn't worthy of more and I know that Gaz thinks of it as a business but other people will not always see it that way. Anyway she was very pleased with the results and I think her husbands car will be booked in very soon.

Good work Gaz

Mom :thumb:


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

Good money I'd say, I remember doing a paper round for £6 a week at 13!


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

13yearoldetailer said:


> I wear latex gloves on any interior, exterior, whilst detailing. Prevents my hands being damaged by nasty chemicals


Good idea Gaz, best to use gloves all the time I say.


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

Good words Mummy Gaz! :thumb: 

And lol at the paperound, that was pretty much what I was on too! :lol: 
Even worse though was my summer job at JJB Sports, £2.60 an hour at 16yrs old  :lol: 

Mike


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## Liverpool-Lad (Jun 27, 2006)

Neil_S said:


> Good idea Gaz, best to use gloves all the time I say.


My hands sweat like a pig in them so I never bother


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## TriBorG (Feb 14, 2007)

Gaz that was a fantastic turn around

Charge what you feel your time is worth 

If you are happy with charging £40.00 then charge £40.00 

In any industry there is always someone willing to do a job cheaper but cheaper does not necessary mean better 

I work on computers I did a job last week charged the guy £90.00 labour when I gave him the bill he was like "Is that all” I said yes as you are a new customer you get a discount here are 10 business cards if you think I did a good job then please give them out" he told me to go back to the car and get me 10 more cards as he would be passing them out to his friends on the golf course.

Do a good job price it well and you will be busy word of mouth is the Best form of marketing"

Forget your age….. yes it would be difficult sometimes to justify why you should be able to charge £20.00 or £30.00 per hr I say let the quality of your work do the talking !


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

Great work there Gaz, she definitely got her money's worth on that one........... and it'll only lead to more recommendations so don't worry if you didn't get as much as you hoped. :thumb:


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## MickCTR (Mar 4, 2006)

Superb Gaz, top drawer mate! :thumb:


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## Ruth M (Feb 27, 2006)

credit where credit is due, superb turnaround there. Keep up the good work Gaz! 

Ps, I too have noticed that girls' cars are generally minging inside!! Much worse than blokes. Although I hope mine is excluded from that!


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## Rasher (Mar 6, 2006)

> Well, its been going for a 6 months or so now behind closed doors


nice one:thumb:


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

excellent stuff! noticed your cracked swissvax wheel brush lol


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## SDP (Oct 17, 2006)

mike_wall15 said:


> The post about pricing too 'low' is just stupid!! :wall:
> 
> Gaz is only young and won't be able to charge what a full time pro would charge. The money he picked up for this is an excellent wage for a 13yr old!
> 
> ...


Not really stupid. In the market place a job is worth what it is worth. Should I charge more because I am 50 vs someone who is 20?


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

Very nice job


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## SDP (Oct 17, 2006)

MARKETMAN said:


> Absolutely right Mike, people will not pay £70 or £80 to a 13 year old - when my work mates ask me if Gaz will clean their cars they just think its a vac, a wash and a quick chamois over! They have absolutely no idea what detailing is if I try to explain. £40 for 4 hours work is good money at his age and its more than I get an hour. I am not saying his work isn't worthy of more and I know that Gaz thinks of it as a business but other people will not always see it that way. Anyway she was very pleased with the results and I think her husbands car will be booked in very soon.
> 
> Good work Gaz
> 
> Mom :thumb:


But it's not £40 for the work - it also funds all the background costs - and a lot of the products Gaz is using are not cheap as you know.


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## ads2k (Jul 12, 2006)

Looking good there Gaz....

Nice turn round, bet the owner was surprised by the difference.


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## bigsyd (Jul 2, 2006)

13yearoldetailer said:


> Its my favourite product for plastics, no gel dressing comes close. Its also fantastic on tyres, but certain cars don't look right with matt black tyres, this was one of them!


top job once again gaz:thumb: just a question, i have just orderd some Swissvaux PNEU (b4 i seen this post) how did you apply it to the plastic m8..cheers


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## hotwaxxx (Jul 12, 2007)

Gaz - personally I would have charged a little more considering the cost of the products you are using. Lets say you spent £10 on products alone on that job and you have made £30 as profit for 4 hours work. Not bad but you could have charged around £60 and you would have made £50 as profit which is far near the figure you should be looking at as a minimum.

Oh - and please take those latex gloves off when you use Nattys Paste Wax Blue (I could sniff a pot of that all day long). Hubba bubba.:lol: 

Cheers - Hotwaxxx:thumb:


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## point blank (Dec 4, 2006)

Excellent work there Gaz, the quality speaks for itself and is far better than a lot of peoples work.
Regarding the price, charge what you are happy with and what the market will stand. The big problem that you obviously have is your age, by that I mean people who are prepared to spend a lot of money on a detail usually have a nice/expensive, pampered car and wouldn't trust a typical 13year old to look after it and do a top notch job on their pride and joy. By charging what you are charging now you will be getting free advertising of the best kind, i.e. word of mouth from satisfied customers. This should hopefully build your customer base from both repeat and new customers, upto a level where you can gradually increase your price level up to the industry standard as you get older and the age bias disappears.

At the end of the day Gaz do what *you* enjoy doing and charge what *you* are happy charging, at your age it's all about having a bit of fun and making a few bob while you are doing it. :thumb:


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## V8burble (Jul 3, 2007)

I'm with you there Reg. If I were Gaz I'd be :thumb: you for this one. Can we not put his age etc to one side and comment on his work, products and results.

That's me up for possible chewing too I guess, but we both have his interests at heart, as well as our own.


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## ToLearn (Jan 6, 2007)

great turn around on the detail 

and to me gaz is a brilliant lad so many 13 years olds would rather sit behind a ps2 all day long 

good on you gaz for getting of your xxxx and doing someing


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Gaz nice work, when u said i have a mini today i thought...pff you will breeze that in 2hrs... Good grief was it bad :doublesho

The finish both interior and exterior is awesome. i particuarly like the factory look exterior plastics and those wheels  simply amazing mate :thumb:



R6TH M said:


> I hope mine is excluded from that!


Last time i heard it was really rank.. No offence or that

:lol:



Neil_S said:


> Good money I'd say, I remember doing a paper round for £6 a week at 13!


Yeh but that was like 1970 Neil :wave:


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Thank You all for the kind comments.

Reg, couldn't have put it better myself mate, at the end of the day. I am 13, I can't be charging super prices that full time pro's charge, it just won't happen, I feel if my prices are too high, I will rapidly loose business.

Put it this way. 1 Bronze @ £80? or 3 at £40? Work it out and I actually earn more charging less if you get me.

As it is, my prices are staying the same, I feel that i'm not rapidly underpricing, or rapidly overpricing. 

Thank you again for the kind comments.

Gaz


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## Deano (Jul 7, 2006)

wow how manky were those wheels? is the swissvax pneu worth the money gaz?


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## Glossmax (May 9, 2007)

Nice job Gaz, great finish.
Did you seal the wheels?

As for pricing you mentioned you should have charged more even adding surcharges earlier in the thread. Would it not be a good idea to let the woman know how much it should have cost so others will come to you knowing your true cost. Maybe your mum could have a word with her.


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

detailer of panama said:


> wow how manky were those wheels? is the swissvax pneu worth the money gaz?


In 2 short words. **** Yes.

Its awesome, spray it on, brush it on with the Swissvax Pneu Brush (basically a soft paintbrush), rub in rigerously, leave for 5 mins, then buff. Perfect natural look everytime, no streaks, no runny white marks on paintwork. Perfect.


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## ayrshireteggy (Dec 13, 2006)

Well done Gaz - that's an excellent job you've done! Customer satisfaction and all that. :thumb: 

Regarding the length of this thread - at the end of the day a forum gives it's members the chance to voice their opinions. If that means someone's post is 2 pages long or 20 pages long, what does it matter. Nobody is being forced to post in them, or even read them. Friendly banter and genuine advice is what makes DW the great site it is!


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## ChuckH (Nov 23, 2006)

Nice proffesional job !!! :thumb: :thumb:


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## wd40 (Jun 20, 2007)

:doublesho Beautiful job mate !!!!:thumb:


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## mally (Jul 15, 2006)

Nice work Gaz. Forgive me if i'm wrong, but you didn't mention what type of vacuum you used. I'm considering a new one after i almost reached that 'stuff it' point when cleaning the wifes car yesterday.


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

Grizzle said:


> Yeh but that was like 1970 Neil :wave:


How dare you! I'm a spritely 28 don't you know.

No I do not use that detailing hat to cover my receding hairline!:lol:


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

can we keep on the topic please


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## StevenC (May 19, 2007)

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but I just had to post something...

Gaz, for a 13 year old you are unbelievably good at what you do. Don't underestimate what you are doing. You are doing a hell of a good job, just make sure you don't get taken advantage of at the prices you are charging.

Can I guess you want to do this full time when you grow up? By the time you're 20, you'll already have 8 years experience with products. You'll be MILES ahead of anyone else. I do think that on the DW forums, we could well be looking at the very best there is in 8 years time...


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## Guest (Aug 24, 2007)

great work looks loads better


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## mouthyman (May 1, 2006)

nice work gaz, looks nice


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## barber (May 8, 2006)

i think i must have been on holiday for this one,

but i just found it, and wow - hat off to you gaz


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## Glossmax (May 9, 2007)

StevenC said:


> we could well be looking at the very best there is in 8 years time...


Oh hell, don't encourage him :devil:


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## m500dpp (Feb 17, 2006)

She will be a repeat customer, looks fantastic, well done.........and she will introduce her friends, way to go Gaz.............


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## Luxige (Mar 25, 2007)

just as expected Gaz.......fantastic work as usual, always a pleasure to see your detail photos........

Keep up the good work


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## dirk (Jun 2, 2007)

looking good now mate


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## Sportspack Mark (May 24, 2007)

lovely work, always come back to look at this thread, im after a MINI you see and have always wanted a chilli red one!

does that one have the panoramic sunroof?


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## bud man (Mar 30, 2007)

exellent turnaround there gaz , you've done a stunning job there :thumb:


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