hey guys, today i was outside washin my truck and my neighbor stopped by. He was complimenting how good my truck was washed. He's a dodge guy and has a 05 ram 2500 lifted on 35's. Not sure how much lift or anything but anyway, he told me how later on he was goin to do some serious muddin and said if i detailed his truck when he got back he would give me 200 bucks plus all the detailing stuff like his buffer and all that. So i took him up on the offer because that would be some easy mod money for the truck and i don't mind washing cars/trucks. But to get to the point,anyone have some detailing tips or anything for me? I'm working with my 2000psi pressure washer,armoral tire shine and turtle wax. And also if anyone has any suggestions for what small mod to spend the money on?
thanks guys

 

No offense, but if somebody pays $200 to get their car blasted with a pressure washer, "waxed" with Turtle Wax and Armor All tire shine they are getting ripped off.

A $200 job (for me, anyway) would include a full interior and exterior detail, mild paint correction, a good wax plus all the other stuff like good interior dressing, tire dressing, engine bay, wheel wells etc. with GOOD products. Wash/clay/#80/PoorBoys Polish/Gold Class or Natty's on the paint and Megs dressing on the tires, wheel wells, interior, engine bay etc. I also do Black Wow trim restore, etc. (that stuff is like $25 for 4 oz.) I could go on (see my "detailing minivans sucks" thread, I'm sort of a noob too but I am doing things the right way) It's not cheap stuff but it's high quality and it makes a big difference. I do all the above for around $100-$150.

Do not touch the paint with that buffer if you don't know what you are doing and have the right products. You will only do more harm than good.

I would recommend blasting all the mud off with the pressure washer then washing it properly with a hose and real car wash (Megs gold class or the like). If you don't have access to good products at least do a Megs 3 step-system, you should be able to get it at Wal Mart, and some decent microfiber towels. Ditch the Armor All and get something better for the interior and tires. Of course vacuum the inside etc.

Even if you do all that you're not really earning your $200 IMO. But if you can pull that off more power to you I guess...

 

an ADS D/A package.

Or, if you havent caught the bug yet, get a grillguard or something like that... I dunno...Lets see a pic of your truck.


Oh... just re-read... okay, detailing tips:
a) read the sticky.
b) invest in better chemicals
c) if none of the above, take your time in making sure you get everything done right-- the little things make or break you.

I once turned over a car with some #26 residue left on it. Thank god I noticed it before the customer drove away-- there was QD spray getting used at the last second. They asked me why, and I had to tell a white lie: "To get the last little bit of shine"... Later, one of their friends told me that had they seen it, I would never touch that car again. Its been in my driveway about 3 times in the past 2 years... I'd say I'm doin' good, then...

Okay... hijack and rambling... sorry.

 

+1
Congrats on getting the opportunity to do that.
I will tell you I had to take my truck mudding to pull a friend out that was mudding and it was the worst clean up I have ever had to do. You will pretty much want to get it off as soon as you can mud will be packed into everything. I spent $35 at a local powerwash to get the mud off and I am still a long ways from having it all off. I do wish you good luck and for $200 it wont be so bad either. But you will not want to take your truck out mudding after having to clean this one.

 

thanks guys, and octane i know sorry i didin't really include everything since i wanted it to be a quik thread. But i do know what im doing sorry i posted it like i've never done it before but this is what i have been doing latley for money and i get it all,interior,exterior,engine bay, if their bad off i even get under it with a putty knife to get caked on mud and all,and take the tires off 1 by 1 to get up under the wheel tub good,but in this case he probly don't want me to take his tires off or anything. and the pressure washer is only for under the truck to get thick dirt,mud and grime. Wouldn't want to risk messin up the paint. Anyway,sorry i posted it like i was a first time detailer but i was just looking to step my game up oops and i almost forgot, i wouldn't normally just use tire shine and stuff but its what he gave me to use so hes obviously okay with it.

 

no worries its all cool, but in all seriousness, I am a decent detailer (or so I thought), and I would say read that sticky it has so much information in it f150sport03 spent a lot of time on it and it shows in that sticky, several guru's helped him write it and its the best place to start your look for tips and things you may be doing wrong because it is a very detailed thread.

 

alright ill go take a look at that, thanks for the help guys

 

Wow, I guess I have been under bidding myself by alot. I normally do all of that (minus the Black Wow "cost") for about $60 if that sometimes. For me it is therapeutic *if I even spelled that right*.

Later,
Devildog101

 

I tell people to pay me when I am done what they think is fair. I don't give them a number at all. That's what I seem to be getting consistently The BlackWow isn't really a cost because you can do a whole car with like 4 drops of it but I was trying to emphasize that you need good stuff for a professional finish.

 

Sounds like a great opportunity to get some extra cash. Just clean his truck as good as you cleaned yours and I'm sure he will appreciate paying you for doing such a great job.

 

Agreed...
If all else fails, clean it like its your own.

pay attention to the details!

 

Some people may think 200 is alot for a detail but you also have to keep in mind location. Certain areas pay a lot more for a car detail and another thing too is removing the mud. Removing mud is a royal pain in the a$$. That can take probably up to 2 hours alone. I say good job on trying to bring some extra cash in and just treat it like you would treat yours (what they said up above me)

 

I'd seriously consider taking it down to the quarter wash to get rid of most of the mud first - do you really want to deal with that mess in your or his driveway?

 

Hey i got it done sorry I didn't get to post on here before i did it. But I did think of the driveway situation and i ended up parkin it furthur back on our land at the barn and it was like a mudslide when i was done. I ended up askin him if he's sure he wanted me to use that low end stuff on his truck for 200 bucks, he said all hes worried about is the mud mainly but a wax would be nice. I'll try to get some pics if i get my phone fixed but it's probly already muddy again.
thanks guys