Good link for learning how to detail
 

Here is a thread from another forum that gives a great NO BS breakdown on how to detail your car:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=28788&page=1&pp=20

My neighbors have asked my how much I charge to detail their cars and most everything I know about detailing this guy encapsulated. Good luck! If you have any further questions PM me. :D

good write up!

Why does everyone say to wash your wheels first? Seems if I do it last I can use the same bucket of soapy water I used for the body, no?

Well, I wash my wheels first but with wheel cleaner and wheel brush ...then rinse off the solution. I am not really sure "why" they should be first...I just do it that way. Mostly, because if any of the corrosive cleaners get on the body I get them off in the next step.

I have often wondered why several people recommend doing that as well. I would think that doing the wheels and wells first that all the junk and dirty water is going to drip down onto it after you wash the body? No?

Maybe I should try it

I do agree with using the Meguirs #9 and show car glaze and yellow wax with great results. I usually spend a whole day (8 hours or so) in the spring and once in the fall going over the car top to bottom inside and out. That is a long day.....and boy do you get dirty.

But it is worth it.

As a matter of fact that weekend will be next.

Brian

Yeah when I did the 911 for the first time it actually took a week. Of course, there was really only two days of hard labor...most of the time I was letting the wax cure so I could layer it.

If you are detailing your neighbors cars, you might want to step up to a Porter Cable orbital polisher. It is a huge time saver and does a few things that are next to impossible by hand. I was able to do my daily driver VW Jetta with a five step process in about 3 hours. By hand it would have taken all day.

My latest detailing revelations are:

microfiber!!! I bought a bunch of towels and applicators. They are awesome.

Porter Cable Random Orbital Buffer - can get all those hours I've spent detailing back?

microfiber glass towel - I bought a special towel that advertised as being for glass. Now, I do windex and scrub with a paper towel and then polish with the mircofiber glass towel and the glass is perfect.

Klasse - for my daily driver. It goes on so easy and the shine is great.

All that work was done with a PC 7424!!! Check out the blog. The car was really bad off. Yes, the PC orbital is an incredible tool. I also agree with your statement about Klasse. I love the stuff.