Detailing cars a good job?

[Northstar]

The local Chevy-Cadillac-MB-Volvo dealership posted an ad in the paper for 2 people to detail cars. It says it's full time, so I'll have to investigate that (I would rather work 4 days a week and have 2 days off - something like Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat) but I think it might be a pretty good job for the summer. I think I'd get to clean up the new vehicles and take them to the gas station to fuel them up, which might be fun.

It's certainly better than a burger-flipping job, and I think I'm going to get really bored if I don't get a job for the summer, but I don't want to work full time either. What does everyone think about this as a possible summer job?

[pow]

Check out www.detailersclub.com for pretty much everything you need to know about detailing.

[76ChevyTrucker]

It can be a pretty fair job, but you have to enjoy doing all the manual labor involved with it (which I do, which is why my car always is hand washed, hand detailed, and hand waxed at least two coats)... if you can dig all that, then you can.

[FAPTurbo]

Go for it. Get yourself a job you'll enjoy. I don't know many people who enjoy flippin' burgers... Unless you enjoy zit ridden skin and greasy hair...

[Croc]

heh I'm back at Qdoba, which is a pretty awesome job. Pay is slightly above average for "fast food" and my managers are awesome. Just to give you an idea, two of my managers are my myspace friends and the other manager is named Ernie...so it's gonna be an awesome summer

EDIT: as far as detailing, I had a friend do it for a summer at a Chrysler/Jeep dealership and he loved it, though he always came home soaking wet from the washing.

Edited May 23, 2006 by Croc

[Cory Wolfe]

Well, FYI, this is the sort of job I'm looking for here in Brookville. My cousin did it... he got paid... generously and enjoyed it. I hope for the same.

[Satty]

BV your problem might be that to do the work (mainly to drive the cars around) you have to be 18, that is unless the employer wants to pay under the table, which isn't a good idea when you're talking about having someone drive a car on a public street, no matter how far, to the gas station and back. Any sort of accident and the dealership is f'd in the a so to speak.

I interviewed twice to be a lot porter at a VW dealership a couple years ago, the guy was going to offer me the job (pretty sure I'm the only applicant who passed the drug test) and told me I'd be working from 6am until 3pm Fri, Sat, Mon,Tue and Wed, which wasn't worth it, since I'd only be making like $6.50/hr to get up really early.

[regfootball]

bad question to ask! I just spent the WEEKEND doing a ZAINO job on my 500.

SAY NO TO ZAINO.

long story short.......not worth the $$$, if you ask me. I finally had a chance after 3 years to use the Zaino kit I bought for 100 bucks right before my kid was born. Kid came early, so, no buff job on the car until now.

anyways

wash car with dawn (to strip wax)

clay bar

wash car. AGAIN.

first coat of polish

strip first coat of polish

gloss enhancer

second coat of polish

strip polish

gloss enhancer

third coat

strip

gloss enhancer

and then i gave in.

was gonna do 2 more rounds of polish but i couldn't last. WHAT A PAIN.

one coat of Zymol cleaner wax or another good carnauba like Mothers would have been fine. The Zaino job is nice, and i filled in some scratches (it did excellent at covering up a nasty door ding and a few long scratches left by the trash can). And, its glossy and stuff, but its only incrementally better over a one pass wax job.

point is i guess, its not easy work. Of course i did it by hand and didn't use a buffer. i was told to never use a buffer. Shops need to to make money.

my arms and shoulder still hurt. I can't imagine making a job out of it.

I'm gonna clay bar the aztek and then do a one pass with the zymol. the less work the better!

Edited May 23, 2006 by regfootball

[scharmer05]

I just got a job detailing cars for the local chrysler dealer (I know....but its a job) I have been doing it for a couple weeks now and i've been enjoying it so far, but it is a lot of manual labor. Great deal about it is that I get to use all of their stuff to shine up my car at the end of the day. I'd say go for it if you enjoy cleaning your own car.

[knightfan26917]

I'd say "go for it" ... and see what they tell ya.

I, personally, love to detail cars ... but, I take my time ... I don't like being "rushed" through a job.

Good luck!

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html

"Everything is so messed up" ... Puddle of Mud ... 'Blurry'

[pow]

bad question to ask!  I just spent the WEEKEND doing a ZAINO job on my 500.

SAY NO TO ZAINO.

long story short.......not worth the $$$, if you ask me.  I finally had a chance after 3 years to use the Zaino kit I bought for 100 bucks right before my kid was born.  Kid came early, so, no buff job on the car until now.

anyways

wash car with dawn (to strip wax)

clay bar

wash car.  AGAIN.

first coat of polish

strip first coat of polish

gloss enhancer

second coat of polish

strip polish

gloss enhancer

third coat

strip

gloss enhancer

and then i gave in.

was gonna do 2 more rounds of polish but i couldn't last.  WHAT A PAIN.

one coat of Zymol cleaner wax or another good carnauba like Mothers would have been fine.  The Zaino job is nice, and i filled in some scratches (it  did excellent at covering up a nasty door ding and a few long scratches left by the trash can).  And, its glossy and stuff, but its only incrementally better over a one pass wax job.

point is i guess, its not easy work.  Of course i did it by hand and didn't use a buffer.  i was told to never use a buffer.  Shops need to to make money.

my arms and shoulder still hurt.  I can't imagine making a job out of it.

I'm gonna clay bar the aztek and then do a one pass with the zymol.  the less work the better!

The best thing about Zaino is that it friggin LASTS. I applied two layers four months ago and water still beads ferociously and the surface still feels slick. It's essentially a "sealant"-type product so it doesn't do much to oxidation, deep swirls, and so on... you'll need a polish for that.

[Flybrian]

Doesn't Caddycrusier do detailing as a business of some sort?

In any case, Zaino works. Just look at our 2000 Bonneville for proof. Polished and pampered since day one and it looks better than it did when we picked it up, as if six years of harsh Florida sun didn't exist.

[Cory Wolfe]

BV your problem might be that to do the work (mainly to drive the cars around) you have to be 18, that is unless the employer wants to pay under the table, which isn't a good idea when you're talking about having someone drive a car on a public street, no matter how far, to the gas station and back.  Any sort of accident and the dealership is f'd in the a so to speak. 

Well... my cousin started detailing at 16.

[Satty]

Non-dealerships will let you detail but wont let you drive the cars. I was reffering to dealerships. Honestly, if you want to make the most money at it, start your own car detailing service. I did it my first year in college, I'd charge people $60 or so, then they'd go with me to a local car wash, I'd go over the car until it was spotless, inside and out, with my own cleaning supplies, which is probably why I pissed off the dude who ran one of the car washes, the only things there I would use were the vacuum and the sprayer for the water, since both were hard to come by in a dorm.

[Cory Wolfe]

Non-dealerships will let you detail but wont let you drive the cars.  I was reffering to dealerships.  Honestly, if you want to make the most money at it, start your own car detailing service.  I did it my first year in college, I'd charge people $60 or so, then they'd go with me to a local car wash, I'd go over the car until it was spotless, inside and out, with my own cleaning supplies, which is probably why I pissed off the dude who ran one of the car washes, the only things there I would use were the vacuum and the sprayer for the water, since both were hard to come by in a dorm.

He worked at Wasko Jeep-Chrysler-Dodge.

[The O.C.]

It can be a pretty fair job, but you have to enjoy doing all the manual labor involved with it (which I do, which is why my car always is hand washed, hand detailed, and hand waxed at least two coats)... if you can dig all that, then you can.

I would actually LOVE that job.

I too love detailing my own car. I'm so obsessed, I even detail my COMPANY CAR that I don't pay for...

LOL

That would be the job I'd probably do IF I suddenly became independently wealthy....and just needed a job to keep me active and busy.

Maybe I'd buy my own detailing operation and actually do SOME of the work myself....!

[regfootball]

The best thing about Zaino is that it friggin LASTS. I applied two layers four months ago and water still beads ferociously and the surface still feels slick. It's essentially a "sealant"-type product so it doesn't do much to oxidation, deep swirls, and so on... you'll need a polish for that.

so dumb question, but can i apply the xymol wax over the zaino? I've got like 3 layers of the zaino 2 and 5 on there, i just want the wax on there to protect it better from the elements.

Edited May 28, 2006 by regfootball

[pow]

so dumb question, but can i apply the xymol wax over the zaino?  I've got like 3 layers of the zaino 2 and 5 on there, i just want the wax on there to protect it better from the elements.

If it's the zymol Target-special you're talking about, no, because it's a cleaner/wax. The zymol will strip off anything underneath, and plus, Zaino is a lot more durable and offers more protection.

[Northstar]

Well I spoke with the owner today, he used to live on my street and I talk to him from time to time when I see him at the dealership. Anyways he said that it would have to be full time because they never know when they're going to have a good day or a slow day, so they can't really hire just for certain days.

I'm still not sure if I want to do it full time, what does everyone think?

[Camino LS6]

Well I spoke with the owner today, he used to live on my street and I talk to him from time to time when I see him at the dealership. Anyways he said that it would have to be full time because they never know when they're going to have a good day or a slow day, so they can't really hire just for certain days.

I'm still not sure if I want to do it full time, what does everyone think?

Well, you have to get used to full time eventually, so why not?

[Northstar]

Well, you have to get used to full time eventually, so why not?

Yeah, but I don't know if I want to work the whole summer. I think I would like to have a little more free time and work 4 days a week, but I still haven't decided what to do.

[Northstar]

Well, I decided I'd go ahead and tell them I'd take the job (if they pick me). We'll see how it goes.

[Northstar]

Well I filled out the application today, we'll see what happens.