Detailing a rental car

**BoxsterCharlie** · 09-14-2003, 02:48 PM

Ok this is pretty sick, but hear me out.

I`m going to California and I have lots of cool road trips planned for the week. I just can`t drive a car that much without doing something!

Here is the small kit I`m thinking about taking:

- RainX (to me this is a safety item)

- 4 microfiber towels

- Klasse AIO

- 303 Protectant

Hope I get the Mazda 6 rather than the Toyota Corolla. I can`t believe Hertz puts them in the same class! (But at least it will be better than the horrible Cavalier I had last time)

**MnRiverman** · 09-14-2003, 03:14 PM

I think you need to pick up another hobby.

**Pats300zx** · 09-14-2003, 03:54 PM

Hey its a great way to try out new products. I actually practice with my PC on my work car. It gets washed at the drive through car washes so it give me a chance to practice getting out swirls with diff products.

**DaGonz** · 09-14-2003, 04:18 PM

I wouldn`t detail a rental car unless they were willing to give a free day or two with unlimited mileage!

PS: get that it writing!

**LouisanaJeeper** · 09-14-2003, 05:07 PM

I think it would be a waste of your good wax products and time. I would detail it with the swirl brush and spray on wax at the self-service booth and give that a shot... or should I say swirl

**MnRiverman** · 09-14-2003, 06:09 PM

I`d practice my wetsanding on a rental car....

**kompressornsc** · 09-14-2003, 06:13 PM

I detailed a loaner car one time. It was just so horrible to look at I couldn`t help myself! I`m sure the dealership thought I was crazy, but I wasn`t going to drive around in a car that has so much brake dust it looked like the wheels had been powercoated black.

**johnnygee3** · 09-14-2003, 07:28 PM

You detail your rental cars? Are you serious?

**imported_Larry A** · 09-14-2003, 08:25 PM

Originally posted by johnnygee3

You detail your rental cars? Are you serious?

Why not! If you are going to use the car for a week or so. Thats what cleaner-wax is for. It gives you a chance to try products you wouldnt use on your car.

**BoxsterCharlie** · 09-14-2003, 08:29 PM

Originally posted by kompressornsc

I detailed a loaner car one time. It was just so horrible to look at I couldn`t help myself! I`m sure the dealership thought I was crazy, but I wasn`t going to drive around in a car that has so much brake dust it looked like the wheels had been powercoated black.

Yeah, that`s what I`m talking about! :up

It`s not that I`m going to spend more than an hour on it...just that if it annoys me, I want my good stuff on hand and not have to buy $20 worth of Turtle crap at the car parts store!

Where do you draw the line? C`mon guys, you can`t say you`ve never cleaned the windshield on a rental! :p

**Accumulator** · 09-15-2003, 12:28 PM

Sure, I`ve detailed rentals and loaners. When Accumulatorette`s S4 got totaled we got a new Caddy DTS rental to drive while they sorted it out. NO WAY were we gonna drive around for weeks in a nice car that was so obviously neglected/abused. One afternoon made a world of difference. And detailing service loaners ("hey, this is a cool car/color..what if I hit it with some 1Z?") has REALLY paid off in goodwill with the shops I patronize.

BUT..spend your vacation detailing a car? I DO take window cleaning supplies (I wouldn`t RainX someone else`s car though, some people hate the stuff). I`ve even pulled off the track at driving schools and cleaned the windshield on the school`s racecar. But when we`re on vacation, it`s just an appliance that gets us around. I`ll run it through a carwash, don`t want to get dirty if I brush against it, but that`s it. Not gonna give MY *TIME* to a rental company. I somehow doubt you`ll stop after an hour

Now if I were renting something REALLY special, that would be different...maybe. I probably value my time as much as anything in life, so I`m pretty particular how I spend it.

BUT#2...If doing a quick detail on the rental will enhance your vacation, do it! It`s all about enjoying yourself.

**69-912** · 09-17-2003, 12:58 PM

I don`t see anything at all wrong with detailing a rental car. Remember detailing relaxes some people I know it does me and it is somthing to take pride in driving around in a clean car. Just because the car doesn`t belong to you doesn`t mean you should drive it around dirty if you have time to clean it.

**brokentelephone** · 09-17-2003, 01:30 PM

i think it is even more fulfilling detailing both a neglected car, and a car that doens`t belong to me. i get bored sometimes detailing my own car b/c its so familiar.

**imported_Tony** · 09-17-2003, 01:54 PM

What ever makes you happy!!!!

**blackntan** · 09-17-2003, 05:11 PM

I`ve detailed one, when I knew I was gonna have it for a week. It really is a fun tool to experiment on.. I scratched mine up on purpose so I could use some of the more abrasive products and see how they worked...

You know, doing 1/2 of a panel, using 2 different products on different panels, that sort of thing...