Inside Dirty Harry's Prestigious Career in the Detailing Industry

Here is an inside look at Dirty Harry's long career in detailing and the projects that earned him induction into the Detailing Hall of Fame.

Dirty Harry's military and law enforcement background, mixed with his deep involvement in what has become his second successful career move in detailing, has opened many doors not common to the average blue-collar detailer.

It has exposed him to opportunities he never dreamed he would have like detailing historic aircraft at Seattle's Museum of Flight, attending high-end automotive exhibitions as a celebrity detailer at SEMA and being invited to detail cars and motorcycles at the former McCalls Motorworks Revival at Monterey Car Week where he met Keanu Reeves.

Furthermore, it has given him a platform to not only improve the reputation of the detailing industry, but it has also afforded him opportunities to use his time and skills to help military and law enforcement families and organizations.

Inside Dirty Harry's Prestigious Career in the Detailing Industry

Creation of the Detail Mafia

The organization known as The Detail Mafia was created by a handful of detailers having drinks and smoking cigars after a full day at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas known worldwide as SEMA.

The group consisted of Dirty Harry Sandwith; Master detailer, trainer & "The Detailer of Air Force One", Renny Doyle; Andrew Swenson of Wolfeboro Carwash & Executive Detail; Jim Goguen of Jim's Auto Installations & Detailing; Doug Cunningham of Absolute Shine Auto Spa; Doug Parfitt of Eye For Detail; Bill Quinn of Bill the Buffman Auto Detailing; and Craig MacKay, formerly of Clean Planet Carwash; had just a few weeks prior, returned from helping the Seattle Museum of Flight restore and preserve the first presidential jet Air Force One. The plane had recently been acquired by the museum but was in terrible condition.

(Read more about the Air Force One Detailing Team's mission below).

All of the detailers around that table were exceptional detailers who had embraced technology and transcended the commonly held view that detailers were just expensive car washers.

These men and later, women, were taking detailing to a higher level utilizing meticulous "paint correction" and enhancement methods, new equipment and methods in terms of buffers, and at the time, the use of powerful new ceramic coatings that were set to replace the need for short-term waxes and sealants.

While all the original members of the Detail Mafia were members of the new Air Force One Detailing Team, it was decided that as the team grew, anyone selected for the team had to earn their way into the Detail Mafia through pro bono and charity work, attending monthly meetings, and participating in quarterly "detail challenge" events where they perfected their skills.

They then had to be nominated by a Detail Mafia member and pass a vote to become "Made Men" of the Detail Mafia.

The Detail Mafia would represent the best of the best in the automotive appearance industry and their demonstrations and results of their work would help raise the standards for detailers across the globe.

One of them sketched out a Mafia don logo in an ash tray full of cigar ash that was later used for printed materials and swag.

Today they are known as the most accomplished and technologically advanced team of automotive detailers in the country.

Air Force One Detailing Team

It began in 2003 when a Bush-administration official contacted Harry's mentor, Master Detailer Renny Doyle about saving the deteriorating paint and brightwork on the first presidential jet, Air Force One, recently acquired by Seattle's Museum of Flight.

The plane was in a distressed state when Doyle first saw it in 2003, and it was made worse because the museum did not have a permanent exhibit for it. At the time, it resided on a tarmac at the museum, fully exposed to Seattle's brutal climate.

Doyle took a small team of staff members that first year to the museum, unsure they could save it. The museum asked them to try.

There was new technology, new equipment, and innovative products coming onto the market for professional detailers nearly 25 years ago, the team had been field testing.

They gave it a shot and was able to make such a significant difference in the plane's shine, they began returning every two years at first, and eventually annually, with a growing team of Doyle-trained detailers from around the United States. Harry was on one of the very first teams and has returned several times, to not only help maintain the plane, but to lead teams of younger detailers in doing so.

As the team grew, so did the number of planes they cleaned and restored including several historic WWII planes including a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress and a Boeing B-29 Superfortress; as well as one of the Concordes and the first 747 super passenger jet and others.

Today, the iconic Air Force One jet resides in the museum's Aviation Pavilion, an open air but covered section of the museum housing all their large historic aircraft.

Air Force One still requires annual restoration and preservation and the Air Force One Detailing Team have become the caretakers of all the prestigious planes.

McCalls Motorworks Revival (Motorlux) at Monterey Car Week

Beginning in 2015, Renny Doyle, the Detailer of Air Force One, led a team of Detail Mafia members, including Dirty Harry Sandwith, to Monterey Car Week.

There they prepped and pampered dozens of exotic and vintage cars and motorcycles at the McCall's Motorworks Revival (now known as Motorlux).

The event officially kicks off the 7-day car show event along the Monterey Peninsula leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Over 3,500 of the most influential automotive collectors, enthusiasts and automotive professionals in the world attend the event.

That is where Harry met actor Keanu Reeves and detailed one of his ARCH Motorcycles, a brand Reeves owns.

The Detail Mafia cleans an entire fleet of rare collectables, preparing them for the annual event.

The McCalls team then moved down the peninsula to the Carmel Valley and its Quail Lodge - an event known as The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering.

Located on a lush golf course nestled against the Santa Lucia mountain range, the team acted as caretakers of the dozens of vintage sporting automobiles that appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Since 2015, the Motorlux and The Quail have become annual events for the Detail Mafia.

Pro Bono Military & Law Enforcement Detailing Projects

Dirty Harry Sandwith has been involved in supporting military and law enforcement causes for many years, going back to the night he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle crash while delivering Toys For Tots for the Marines.

  • Annual Operation Sleigh Shine helped the families of active duty Armed Forces members either struggling financially or who need help due to overseas deployment during the Christmas Holidays. The pro bono effort involves reviving a military family's vehicle and providing gifts for those families' children.
  • Ft Lee Police Vehicle Sanitation during COVID 19 - Harry led a team to help disinfect and sanitize radio cars for the Ft. Lee, NJ Police Department.
  • Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom Featuring Gold Star Mom's Trike Harry invited 15 members of Detail Mafia to the NJ location of The Hogfather Motorcycle Detailing for a two-day East Coast Motorcycle Detailers Weekend in which they spruced up a 2010 Harley Ultra Classic Trike for the Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom event. The customized Trike belongs to the parents of LCpl Michael Schwarz, who died in the line of fire during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.
  • Annual Wounded Veterans Memorial Bike Ride & Party - Harry detailed cars in honor of the late Billy Brockett, a popular Marine veteran from the Poconos, killed in a car accident in 2011.
  • Union Beach Police Department Vehicles in Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy - Harry led a team to refurbish 11 damaged emergency vehicles and equipment from three of the four fire stations in the Union Beach, NJ community, hit hard during Hurricane Sandy.
  • Vintage firetrucks from the New Jersey Fire Engine & Equipment Museum at Allaire State Park in preparation for the annual Tri-Counties Fire Apparatus Show and Parade- They cleaned four vintage fire apparatus trucks for future display at the museum and for show in the parade.
Induction Into Detailing Hall of Fame

Harry Sandwith has spent the past three years both recovering from his own physical health issues and supporting both his wife Debbie and daughter Gina, as they recovered from breast cancer.

With his doctor recommending a warmer, more temperate climate in which to convalesce after multiple surgeries, Harry and Debbie built a house in Cape Coral on the southwest coast of Florida.

Now fully recovered, Harry is back detailing fulltime and building his Dirty Harry's and Hogfather Detailing businesses on the Florida coast while his son and daughter run the New Jersey operations.

Due to his more than 25 years of commitment to the Detail Mafia and their mission, his service in training detailers, his commitment to charitable and pro bono industry events targeting military and law enforcement causes, and his work to improve the detailing industry overall - Harry was shocked when he was inducted into the Detailing Success Network Hall of Fame by mentor Renny & Diane Doyle.

He was presented with the award by his fellow New Jersey detailer, co-founder of the Detail Mafia, and friend, Bobby Wiener, during the Annual Detail Mafia Meeting at SEMA!

(L-R) Renny Doyle, founder of Detailing Success and Attention to Details; retired Long Branch, New Jersey detailer, retired police officer, co-founder of the Detail Mafia, and owner of Finer Details, Bobby Wiener; Dirty Harry Sandwith & Diane Doyle of Detailing Success & Attention to Details in Big Bear, CA.

Celebrity Detailing Demonstrations & Endorsements

Celebrity Detailer Harry appeared in the Flex North America exhibition to demonstrate his highly specialized motorcycle detailing techniques, and to help promote Flex equipment during several SEMA shows in Las Vegas

Ridgefield’s 125th Anniversary Celebration - Dirty Harry held a special Motorcycle Detail Challenge Weekend at his NJ shop and brought in his son Joey and three additional East Coast Detail Mafia bike detailers to help revitalize three classic police-issue Harley motorcycles and a 1975 MCI Harley FLH for the Ridgefield, NJ Police Department. The bikes were used in a Memorial Day parade and put on exhibit throughout the Ridgefield community.

News & Media Stories & Events

Dirty Harry has been featured in magazines, newspapers and was even interviewed by FOX News' Jesse Watters during the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association show in Atlantic City where he was demonstrating bike detailing.

He has had write-ups in the formerDetailer's Digest; Auto Laundry News; Professional Car Wash & Detailing Magazine; CarwashMag.com and Carwash.com. He has also been written up in several New Jersey and Southwest Florida newspapers and business publications.