June 29, 2020 Chris Woolman

Setting the Bar at the Right Level

Show-car detailing, concours-level detailing, supercars, hyper-cars, rare muscle cars, and the finest luxury vehicles in the world are your goal. Reality check: Are you nuts? Work up to that level, don’t set yourself up for steep challenges, start with lower-end vehicles with some serious challenges. I’m talking about cars that have scratches from head to toe, interior gunk up to the headliner, and smell like a dead sewer rat.

Plus, few markets in the world have the supercars so widely available that you’ll be able to make a living working on that level of car. If you live in an area that will support super high-end detailing, pay your dues on the challenges daily drivers offer and build-up your skills.

Most pro-level detailers work on daily drivers and therefore make a great living detailing these types of cars. Working on high-end cars is a fun goal, but hone your skills on Honda Odysseys, Toyota Camrys and Ford F-150s before you move up to Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens.

At this point, your quality and skill building is top priority, and as those priorities take form, start working on your timing and efficiency. This is where your detailing systems and processes come into play.