Car Show 'detailers'

kompressornsc · 01-01-06, 01:44

So I went to the Indy Auto Show yesterday. They had 'detailers' running all over the place, most of them with a shirt on with the name 'Car Show Detailers' or something similar, with a phone number & all.

My observations: About 1/2 of them had microfibers, about 1/2 had terry cloth towels. The only lubricant they were using (and they were using it on everything) was a generic looking glass cleaner. I saw one guy soak the hood of a black Viper with the glass cleaner and then proceed to take his terry cloth towel and wipe left to right all the way down the hood...while leaning/laying down on the hood! I saw others scrubbing fingerprints off cars with a dry towel, others leaning on the cars they were wiping,etc. It was atrocious. I was so close to saying something to these 'detailers'-they were just destroying the cars. I don't know how long these cars have on on 'the circuit' but the majority of them looked like hell.

I have the feeling that there is a company that comes in and just hires from a temp agency for these jobs. I can't believe the manufacturers wouldn't insist on top care taking of their cars. Not even necessarily for the value of the car, but just for the presentation.

My rant is over...

ebpcivicsi · 01-01-06, 02:54

They don't know the difference (the delaers who hire them). They see "show car detailers" and think "now these guys know how to keep things clean." LOL!!

Around here they use the same glass cleaner, but also carry a small "furry duster" looking thingy in their pockets. Looks like a fan duster to me. It's horrible, let me see if I can find the pic of a volvo from last years "new car showcase"

EDIT****

Here it is:

Brand new volvo, zero miles:

Neothin · 01-01-06, 03:10

I went to SEMA 2 years ago and saw the same thing. This was before I even thought about getting into detailing. I noticed that alot of the cars had scratches in them and inquired to my dad about them. He said they were a part of the paintjob

GregCavi · 01-01-06, 03:40

this is kind of off topic but kind of on. The car show in my town every yeaer is pathetic. They take there car that has sat in a shed for a year drive it down the road 100 miles and they will park it, so its dirty has bugs all over it, not washed. I am goign to find a classic car owner this year and offer a free concours detail and I will show everyone what I real detailed car looks like!!

Greg

SpoiledMan · 01-01-06, 04:29

Yeah, I went to SEMA '04 and the majority of the cars there had horrible finishes on them. I was tempted to leave my cards on a few of them.

Pontman43 · 01-01-06, 04:44

LOL all the car shows I go to I love to see the owners ''detail'' their cars. Cant give any advice either. Most show cars have swirls everywhere and they think there is nothing to do about it. I just like to go "well with proper care you car can have no swirls" I then show them my car.

Usually that gets them interested.

Scottwax · 01-01-06, 05:34

When several of us were out at Meguiars last year, we went to the Peterson Automotive Museum and picked apart the finish on pretty much every car, even the Buttera cars that had some serious high end paint work. Every single car covered in halo swirls and absolutely no depth to the paint.

KevinA · 01-02-06, 05:24

You guys are sick!

I was watching some movie a few months ago (I think Will Smith was in it). He's getting picked up at an airport by a SUV limo. As they open the limo door, all you (well, I) could see was how bad the paint was.

Spilchy · 01-02-06, 01:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinA

As they open the limo door, all you (well, I) could see was how bad the paint was.

I saw the same condition on the President Bush's limo when he got out at the White House and all the TV camera lights were on it.

When I was at the NY Auto show, I saw those duster thingys that ebpcivicsi described on all the hackers, uh, I mean detailers.

1 Clean WS6 · 01-02-06, 02:04

I frequent the ATL Auto Show when it is in town and always notice the same thing...a hired gun "detailer" crew (about 12-20 strong) all with the mysterious "blue" liquid in spray bottles and each scrubbing everything from tires to glass with the same dirty green MF towels.

This is the very reason why I shy away from dealer work because even at high end car shows dealers are still looking to spend the least amount of money on a service they seem to think anyone with a half a brain can do. Cleaning a car is monkey work right??

It is very rare to find a dealership that appreciates (or is willing to pay for) quality detail work.

RCBuddha · 01-02-06, 02:16

At the 2005 LA Auto Show, I asked a company rep about how they prep the cars for the show. He told me that they usually get an "express detail" b/f the show, and that the "detailers" are there mostly to keep the vehicles clean of fingerprints, smudges, etc. I expect to see the same thing this year.

Mikeyc · 01-02-06, 04:43

I've been going to the New England Auto Show pretty much every year since I turned 16 and every year I see the same thing. Some guys running around dry rubbing all the cars with what look like ripped up pieces of old hotel towels. Occassionally, I see one of them with a spray bottle of something.

Also, I went to a car show this fall at the Museum of Transportation here in MA and I couldn't believe what I saw. It was a bring your own car and show it off kind of show and I saw some young kid wiping down his car with dry paper towels before the show. He couldn't have done too much damage as the car already looked like he assembled it from junk yard parts. However, he brought all his friends with him they stuffed the ballot box and he won best-in-show.