The short story…
Where did we come from? Having a passion for people, cars, technology, music, & problem solving, our founder Tim Manning set out to build a family of companies. The goal? Servicing clients with a reliable, knowledgeable, and friendly team of people who love what they do.
Car Tech Details is an organically grown car long term paint care, protection, and customization small business. Our team is focused on providing the absolute best customer experience in the industry. We combine cutting edge services to enhance the overall vehicle experience of every one of our clients.
The longer story…
This version of the story begins in the early ’90s. As a teenager, Tim modified home electronics, developed a deep passion for car audio, and picked up his first bass guitar. Over the next several years, he performed in bands, installed car sound systems for friends, and repaired home electronics for family and coworkers. Eventually, he decided to focus on a career path.
Around 1997, he began his professional journey into car and consumer electronics. That year, he earned his certification in car electronics and landed his first industry job. He installed car sound systems, alarm systems, and more at a large corporate store. Within six months, he took on the role of lead technician, running the garage. At the same time, he started building custom sound systems for show cars. He was eighteen years old.
In 1998, a small car detail shop was opening on East Henry Street in Basking Ridge (a bit of foreshadowing here…). Seeing an opportunity, Tim stepped in as the shop aimed to expand into a full line of electronics. This move became the next major stepping stone in his journey.
For the next several years, he managed the shop, built strong relationships within the community, and installed custom electronic systems for high-end vehicles. Additionally, he took on the role of training personnel and eventually played a key part in expanding the business into home electronics. Through this experience, he realized that his true passion lay in building strong relationships—with his team, clients, and the community—while delivering high-quality work.
In 2002 he stepped away from the shop for a year. During that time he wrote an advanced training course at a private car audio installation school in Kenilworth, NJ. The course consisted of interior customization and advanced audio. It entailed designing and building custom speaker and subwoofer enclosures, building fiberglass panels, basic upholstery techniques, working with plexiglass, ABS plastic forming, and acoustical theory. While teaching at the school he also rewrote the basic installation course. He also updated it to the newest products and standards of that particular year.
During this time, he also studied audio engineering for live sound reinforcement and recording. In addition to his studies, he actively provided these services for bands, local venues, towns, and schools.
By 2005, he was ready for a new phase. With a clear vision in mind, he launched his first company, SDC Studios. The vision was aiming to record bands in their practice spaces. Also it offered live sound systems for shows. Initially, the business was running smoothly, and for the first year, everything seemed to be on track. However, he never anticipated what would come next.
As word spread, a surge of clients who had previously relied on his expertise in home and car installations began reaching out. Before he knew it, studio work had to take a backseat. At that moment, it became evident—there was a significant demand for a reliable, honest, and approachable tech company capable of handling both home and car electronics with the same level of care and expertise.
To be continued …
For now, learn about how we roll or start exploring services here.