TOGWT!!! Wanna see your collection!

Over the five and a half decades I've been involved with detailing I had a garage that specialized in the preparation of Concours d’élégance vehicle preparation and have mentored two or three likeminded detailer’s. This as some of you are aware was not my full-time occupation, I have always been interested in detailing, and I have been doing it on a part-time basis since I was fourteen.

But my career in Chemical Engineering was always a priority, and as I became older I realized I could no longer keep up with the physical demands of wielding a six pound polisher around, nor the long hours involved, or juggling family time and a career, just some of the reasons I have such admiration for professional detailer’s.

So I sold the business to three of these detailer’s but have always been around to mentor them and in return they detail my cars for me. I remember one of them said to me once “we get paid for what we do, whereas you get paid for what you know” and I’ve always thought that you should share your knowledge with others, otherwise its experience wasted

[each one - teach one] Anon

 

niceee

 

As this thread has progressed what I have to say more than anything is that I'm glad that togwt is here, and that he shares his wealth of knowledge for free.

 

Jaguar E Type cont-

After I filed a vandalism police report and notified my insurance company I got the go ahead to have the Jag repaired (more like restored). The ex girlfriends Father (who was also my Father’s friend, otherwise I would have retaliated (shaving her head was a thought at one time) was a Concours judge so she knew by doing what she did to the car I would no longer be a viable contestant.

The catch 22 was that I could no longer enter it into Concours d’élégance events as it was no longer ‘original’. So once the repairs were completed I sold it as a BOS Concours winner and purchased a British racing green Jag XK150 (the one with the spoke wheels, now there's a detailing challenge) after three months it was ready for show season.

But I must admit it would never mean as much to me as the E Type

 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...In this instance however I would pick Jon's many thousands of words he has shared with us over any pics of products sitting on a shelf...But thats just me :thumb:

 

kind of makes me want to take a trip to FL or UK or where ever Jon is and buy the guy lunch for a week and listen to stories.

 

Great thread, let's keep it going!

 

How it all began -

I began detailing Mercedes-Benz / BMW helping out at my Father’s dealership as well as his Jag collection back in the late 50's, he enters them into Concours d’élégance events (detailing to another level) and as such I’m used to a large number of high-end new and used cars. The one thing I learned (and still have that last 98% to learn, mind you) way back then still holds true today “ It’s the surface preparation that makes the difference, not the product”.

I detailed my first car when I was fourteen (a mere five and a half decades ago) it was a 1929 Bentley (cost today £2M) that belonged to my Fathers friend Brigadier John Dix of Kensington, London. If, as they say, "God is in the details," then a 1929 Bentley is truly a religious experience. I knew then that detailing would become a passion and my metier

It has always been a relaxing past time for me and while at college I had a part-time business detailing classic vintage cars. From there to Concours d’élégance entrant then judge, and then on to writing car care articles /instructions, then writing a book and a 100+ technical article series on my favourite subject. I have tried virtually every top product on the market ever since using the arm-breaking Simonize as well as T-Cut polish and Chelsea leather cleaners

 

Grandfathers are good for that too. :thumb:

 

They are both beautiful vehicles. Excellent taste. I am partial to the xk150. What year? Convertible?

 

1958 Jaguar XK150 DHC BRG