Hey... newbie from Toledo, Ohio

[ali300zx]

Hows it going everyone. I'm ali from toledo, ohio. I'm in love with Z32 300zx's, i had a '95 red n/a Z that i sold in december, and i'm on the hunt for a Twin Turbo Z, black of course :wink: anyways...

I'm 18 almost 19, and i was a porter and detailer at a Jaguar and Land-Rover dealership last year. I love detailing cars and i'm thinking about doing details on the side this summer. I'm contemplating either working as a porter again this summer, or starting my own small detailing business. My dad has a small repair shop/car lot so i have access to a decent sized area to work with. What do you guys think? Is it reasonable to think people will have a 18 year old kid detail their cars? or will they just take it to a 'pro' and pay more money?

At the Jag dealership the boss would charge $200 for a complete, and i was doing all the work so i figure i would do the same quality job on my own for $100. Is that reasonable? I think i would make more money working for the dealership but i would enjoy doing details at my dads lot more.

What would you recommend?

A) Porter/detail at Jag. dealership $8.50 an hour (~40 hours a week)
B) above + do some details on the side
C) Detail and wash cars on my own at my dads lot

Any feedback is appreciated and welcomed. Thanks guys, i hope to learn more about products and techniques. :D

my old Z:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i204/ali300zx/300picswo0t062.jpg

[Bob]

Welcome to the forums! Your car looks familiar. You ever come up toward Detroit? Nice ride by the way!

I will try and answer as much as possible.
1) $100 is way way way too low for a complete detail. I don't recommend concentrating on low prices. Do good work and the people will pay for it. If you charge $300 for the detail you did one car instead of having to do 3 cars to make the same. Don't undercharge yourself.

2) It's hard for me to recommend what to have you do. Do you get insurance at the dealership? I am willing to bet that working at the dealer ship is going to hurt your ability to learn the correct detailing procedures too. Most dealers I see I would not let touch my car. i guess I am leaning toward "C". I would set up a business though and not do side work. You will look more professional and say that you are insured which is a plus to people giving you their $100,000 car for a day.

If you need anything else don't hesitate to ask. There are some very knowledgeable people on the forums.

[Lone_Star]

Welcome!
I agree $100 sounds low if you are doing a complete detail, polish, wax, engine, interior. I guess I would vote for B. Only that way, you still have your steady income, but can gain a customer base while still having a steady inflow of cash. If the detailing starts taking off and your making a lot, then i would stop working at the dealership and move to detailing. Good luck and nice looking car. Are you at UT?

[ali300zx]

Thanks guys for the welcome. I've been through detroit a few times on my way to my unlce's house in Rochester Hills. I do indeed go to UT, but like i said: i sold my Z in december so it hasnt been around. And yes the dealership prevented me from doing a great job on the cars. They were more focused on cleaning every inch of the jams, interior, windows and not really interested in working on the paint. We had 2 hours max, to do a "complete" :?

I'm still contemplating on my plans, but i'll be thinking about it more in the next few weeks. Nice weather = clean cars 8) I hope to learn more from this website, thanks for the great forum! :D