What to look for/what to ask to get a good detail

R

ramp

New member
I am going to have to go to a "car wash place" to get my car detailed, and would like to know what to expect, what to ask w/ regard to their detail process, and how much to pay, to be sure I will get a good job--or at least to be sure they won't totally screw-up my car's finish. Should I demand AIO, if they even know what that is, or should I just accept what they offer?



Please help.
 
Before you go anywhere I would do some snooping around possible shops beforehand. Go and see how customers cars are being treated. Does the shop use filthy towels/mitts when they're washing? Are they using decent products? What do the cars look like after they come out of the shop. Basically just go and get an idea for yourself what your car is going to look like after its gone thru the shop.
 
There's a very slight chance that any of the employees would know what AIO is. Car wash places are not the place to go for a good detailing. They're just going to use the cheapest, fastest crap they can get their hands on. The employees are usually high-schoolers that work for minimum wage, and have no idea what they're doing.

And price doesn't mean anything. Car wash places charge a ton for detailing, and they'll do an awful job most of the time.





Look for a real detailing shop around your area.
 
Stay away from car wash detailing.....................PLEASE!! I know you'll be sorry spending your hard earned money there!
 
Didn't you already detail the car recently? Can't you just add a coat of wax yourself and apply some rubber/plastic protectants? It would be a lot cheaper to do it yourself, and your car would thank you in the end.
 
White95Max said:
Didn't you already detail the car recently? Can't you just add a coat of wax yourself and apply some rubber/plastic protectants? It would be a lot cheaper to do it yourself, and your car would thank you in the end.
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No. I have never detailed my car. I don't even have appropriate supplies and really wouldn't know what to do w/ them if I did.



There are NO real detailers in or around town, so I have no good options. I had a pro who was in school here and was going to help me out, but for a number of reasons will not now do it--we had bad weather and he is returning home for good tomorrow. I thought about trying to do it myself, but w/ no experience and no supplies, I am probably better off w/ the "car wash place." Frankly, I don't think I have a choice. I desperately need to get it done so I can get my summer wheels/tires off and my winters on ASAP. That is why I decided to ask you guys what to look for/what to ask/and what to pay. I don't really care about the cost. I just want to increase the chances of getting a good job. I thought about even offering to buy the right supplies for them and standing around while they do the work.



There really isn't anybody else around for me to turn to. Bummmmmmmmmmmer.
 
Well here's my opinion:



A car wash place is going to swirl up your paint because they often insist on using a polisher for everything, because it's faster. Those guys rarely have any idea what they're doing, so they'll often end up causing more harm than good. You'll be out a bunch of money and to make it worse, the car will be no better off than it was before. The waxes they use are cheap, and will not last long at all.



If I were you, I would consider two options:



1) Find a professional detailing shop. They aren't always perfect either, but IMO it's a much better alternative than going to a car wash place to have some ignorant employee swirl up your car.



2) Buy some wax/sealant and apply it to your car just to protect it through the winter. You could use a paint cleaner too for better durability. Then buy a bunch of supplies in the spring to do the whole detail.
 
ramp said:
No. I have never detailed my car. I don't even have appropriate supplies and really wouldn't know what to do w/ them if I did.



There are NO real detailers in or around town, so I have no good options. I had a pro who was in school here and was going to help me out, but for a number of reasons will not now do it--we had bad weather and he is returning home for good tomorrow. I thought about trying to do it myself, but w/ no experience and no supplies, I am probably better off w/ the "car wash place." Frankly, I don't think I have a choice. I desperately need to get it done so I can get my summer wheels/tires off and my winters on ASAP. That is why I decided to ask you guys what to look for/what to ask/and what to pay. I don't really care about the cost. I just want to increase the chances of getting a good job. I thought about even offering to buy the right supplies for them and standing around while they do the work.



There really isn't anybody else around for me to turn to. Bummmmmmmmmmmer.
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I thought that other person was going to detail your car. I chimed in when you first started looking. I live in Overland Park (about 30 miles away) and make "house calls". The only requirement I have this time of year is a garage available for detailing. I would suggest a car wash (touchless), then I can do the rest.



You can e-mail me with the specifics of what you want done.



Sorry for the delay: I thought that other person who lived in Lawrence was going to detail your car.



Totoland Mach
 
White95Max said:
Well here's my opinion:



A car wash place is going to swirl up your paint because they often insist on using a polisher for everything, because it's faster. Those guys rarely have any idea what they're doing, so they'll often end up causing more harm than good. You'll be out a bunch of money and to make it worse, the car will be no better off than it was before. The waxes they use are cheap, and will not last long at all.
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Personally, I do not agree with this opinion.
 
ramp said:
I am going to have to go to a "car wash place" to get my car detailed, and would like to know what to expect...[/B]
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A good starting point would be to check out the following link which lists the car wash places in your area who are members of the Lawrence, KS Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.lawrencechamber.com/membership/memberdirectory/?l.categories=44



The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce has been around since 1878.

Their members must be doing something right.
 
ramp said:
I desperately need to get it [a detailing] done so I can get my summer wheels/tires off and my winters on ASAP.
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I don't understand what relation detailing has to winter tire changeover; if you need to get your winter tires on, just do it.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
Personally, I do not agree with this opinion.
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With all due respect Frank, the "car wash places" being referred to here are generally just as Maxy describes them, staffed by minumum wage hacks, and bear no relation to a "professional detailing" establishment such as yours. While it may be that some "car wash places" do indeed have a professional detailer, it's unlikely. Even in new car dealers and body shops working on new/high end cars "The employees are usually high-schoolers that work for minimum wage, and have no idea what they're doing." And don't tell Maxy or some other members that's not the case, because he used to BE one of those guys.
 
mirrorfinishman said:
A good starting point would be to check out the following link which lists the car wash places in your area who are members of the Lawrence, KS Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.lawrencechamber.com/membership/memberdirectory/?l.categories=44



The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce has been around since 1878.

Their members must be doing something right.
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Thanks mirrorfinishman. I've been a Chamber member for 30 years and have been to those three places many times. Only one (Auto Plaza Car Wash) is a full-service car wash and does detail work. I even had my car detailed there once a long time ago. The owner is a friend of mine and he knows something about detailing a car, but he does not do any detailing. He has a half-dozen kids, at any given time, that work there (lots of turnover), and three or four of them do the detail work. He charges real detail prices $166.?? the last time, as I recall, but there isn't a "real" detailer w/in 50 miles, so I know it is kind of a crap-shoot when I take the car in for detail work. They haven't noticably damaged my car so far, but I would really like to find something closer. Totoland Mach is probably the closest, but I do not have a good place to work in this cold weather.



At this point, I think I have decided to just get the car washed and wait until spring. I may even get my own supplies and try to become a "detailer" myself. The problem is, detailing doesn't relax me like it does you guys. It stresses the hell out of me just thinking about it. (I prefer a good single-malt scotch when I want to relax.)



If any of you guys want to move to Lawrence, KS, you could make a hell of a good living here.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I don't understand what relation detailing has to winter tire changeover; if you need to get your winter tires on, just do it.
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My summer wheels/tires are a mess and need cleaning and waxing before I take them off and put into Tire Totes for the season, and then into my car for the trip home. I do not change them in my garage. I will wax them myself (I can probably do that myself) after the car wash and take them out to be switched.
 
Hey Ramp, in the spring let Toto do your car, and pick up a few pointers from him. IMO, detailing doesn't relax you yet because you're not comfortable with it. It's really one of those things that with a little caution, you can't make things any worst than when you started, so you can't really hurt anything.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Hey Ramp, in the spring let Toto do your car, and pick up a few pointers from him. IMO, detailing doesn't relax you yet because you're not comfortable with it. It's really one of those things that with a little caution, you can't make things any worst than when you started, so you can't really hurt anything.
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I thought Toto was a girl...



Point well taken...
 
Dr. Ramp: Toto is/was the dog LOL.....Dorothy was the girl.



Here's a black 911 I did that was terribly swirled. That's my mug taking the shot.



Sent You a PM



Totoland Mach



PorscheFinished.jpg
 
ramp said:
My summer wheels/tires are a mess and need cleaning and waxing before I take them off and put into Tire Totes for the season, and then into my car for the trip home. I do not change them in my garage. I will wax them myself (I can probably do that myself) after the car wash and take them out to be switched.
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I hope you don't expect that a car wash facility is going to bother cleaning the brake dust off of the backsides of your wheels. Will they scrub the fronts with some coarse towel? Yeah probably.
 
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