Car Washing Horror Stories

[RIDDLE]

i guess the one that comes to mind is my brothers detail job. he just got his impreza 2.5i and decided to wax it. i would have helped him but i didnt know he was doing it. he took a brand new jar of kitt car wax (which he got me for Christmas (and was never used by me)) and proceeded to slather on wax to his brand new car. he used the entire can- and for those who dont know what kitt wax is, its a cheap otc wax that has a mashed potatoes consistency. literally about an inch of wax on every surface of the car. then he let it dry- rock hard. i was impressed b/c he got the wax into every single nook and cranny of the car. you can still see wax in places to this day.

[imported_advs1]

ok this one, i didnt know the guy but... my wife and i were out shopping, we see a brand new escalde ext thing parked right next to us. i looked over and it was nice and shiny, with a bunch of holograms. i was about to leave a card on the window when the owner walks up, so we start talking about his paint finish, mind you this thing has dealer plates on it. he proceeds to tell me the dealer threw in a free detail, which included a buff job. i proceed to try and explain that holograms are not good. he says "but it looks so shiny in those spots". i said ok, put my business card away and left.

[imported_Devilsown]

Back in the day when I worked at the car wash, tunnel type, we put a little mark on the windshield to say what wash it was like a G was for the Greatest, P was plus, T was for extra wheel and tire care and so on, anyways so I just got done washing a brand (bought it 2 days prior) new Mercedes 500 something (really expensive one) it was black FYI, so I was told to go to the back and dry it off also as I was one of the better ones to work with nicer cars and more of a people person than others. SO it was me and some other guy back there and I greated the gent and gave him a rag to dust if he felt he needed to ( I think it was just to keep them busy while we dried the cars off) so we dried it and the other dude saw a small bit of bird poo that didnt come off so he pulled out the steel wool we used to take the grease pen marks of the window and scrubed it off!!!!!!! as soon as he started he relised what he did... his jaw dropped and I just looked at him and called the manager over via radio... good thing the guy was chill as chill can be cause I would have fliped! Long story short not only did we have a tunnel car wash, oil center, and self serve, but a Full detail shop, we sent him over there and got him squared away, disater avoided... and that was how I was introduced to detailing. I also got to see the tunnel rip off a few mirrors, ant`s, and other odds and ends.

[imported_dazzerjp]

I have to go in when I hear the metal screech from the mop and wheels making contact.

LOL



............

[SpecC]

This thread is awesome! Let me share my stories while I was evolving as a detailer.



First wash ever, on my mom`s BMW E90 330i. It got dirty so I though this is too nice to let it stay dirty. I wash it with some car shampoo given to me by my cousin and with a "soft sponge." At least I had the right mindset and didn`t use the rough side hahahaha



Okay, upgrading now. One bucket. Car Shampoo. One mitt. I had also read that some people like to start with the wheels, so I did. Mind you, I still have one mitt.



Upgrading some more. Mr Clean autodry system. Still have one mitt.



Then, two mitts!



Now, a two bucket system user with grit guard. Sometimes, I get annoyed at myself hahahah



edit: have you guys been approached at gas stations by people with this waterless wash and wax yet? while i was getting gas one time, this lady comes up to me with a spray wash and wax and i`m thinking, the second they ask me to try it, i`m going to say no.



so i`m getting gas she approaches me and tells me about the product, and sprays it on my car while i`m putting in my zip code and stuff. I see her about to wipe my paint with her dirty *** microfiber towel and i just yell STOP! then i went to my trunk, pulled out my QD, and sprayed whatever she had sprayed off my car. My car was extremely dirty too so i was really careful with the wiping. She sprayed a bit of my wheels, window, and paint :hairpull

[Jek Hawkins]

not really a horror story, but the aftermath of one



i would guess the typical scotch-bright pad story, but i and my friend saw the result of years of it...



the car was a black BMW 7-series...at least it USED to be...it was nothing darker than satin, and i would be willing to bet that there wasn`t a hint of clearcoat to be found on the car...



my neighbor across the street uses a pressure-washer, but not on too high...



our brand-new Infiniti G35 sedan is BRILLIANT...ly swirly from a wash mitt that has been in use since 1996 w/o a single wash and w/o 2 buckets...(stepfather`s doing, now he is asking me to detail the car)

[Jek Hawkins]

This is an expensive hobby for me right now, but i am always trying to get a job when I can. Thought I had a job in hand a while ago, but I turned out to be wrong. This is a basic idea of how the days went...



So I`m doing my car and a guy in the neighborhood strolls up to see what I`m doing.



Guy: car looks nice



Me: thanks, I`m trying



Guy: what did you do?



I proceed to show him all the stuff i had that I used at the time: FCRC, SSR2.5, FP, VM, and #16



Guy: how long it took to do all that?



Now, I think I see an oppurtunity to get a new client...



Me: took about 3-4 hrs, but on customer cars, I`m a bit more anal about making the car look good



Guy starts to shake his head in amazement



Guy: about how long on a customer car?



Me: depends on the severity of the work. It could range anywhere from just 20.00 to 180.00. Interested in getting something done?



I guess the "price quote" was too much cause he backed up in disbelief



Guy: Naw, I do my own stuff, thanks.



Guy walks away, but gives me another compliment on the work. Later on that week, I happened to see him working on his car. I figured I would return the favor of a visit and check out his work. As if to imply that I worked too hard, he smiles at me, and heads towards the trunk, and pulls out a can of Pledge, and some paper towels..



Guy: check this out...



He sprays the Pledge on a panel, lets it sit for a bit, and then washes it off with a sponge (the kind with the scuff pad on the backside). He then takes the paper towel and wipes off the water.



Guy: when you do it like this, it cleans off the car, and leaves behind a nice shine cause of the wax.



Me: really, I always though Pledge had no wax in it?



Guy: Trust me, it has wax in it, otherwise it would not give off the nice shine. Been doing this for years on all the cars I work on.



Me: You detail for a living?



Guy: it`s a sided gig, but my "peeps" always come back. Takes about an hour, I`m done, "peeps are happy, I get paid, and keep it movin` , know what I`m saying?



I just nodded my head and continued to watch him work. At some level, I REALLY wanted to stop him, but in all reality, I don`t think he would`ve paid me any mind.



Me: so how much you charge, if you don`t mind me asking



Guy: 50.00 wash n wax, and 50,00 for the inside.



He had this look on his face as if he realized he should not have told me what he charges, but i guess then he realized that I would never be able to match his work. I just nodded my head again, and told him I had to go.



Guy: next time you`re free, I`ll show you some other tricks.



Last time I saw him, he was doing a late model lexus, and he had the owner watching him work. Guy gave me a whats-up look, and kept on working. I REALLY wanted to put an end to it once and for all, but I couldn`t do it. iI knew if i did, he would accuse me trying to steal his customers.

i have to tell you the darnedest thing...my friend`s family has a "electric blue" camry and a silver Mercedes E350, and i noticed, seeing the camry for the first time in a long time, and having just discovered the wonderful world of detailing here on autopia, that there were NO swirls whatsoever on the most prominent places...and i was like what the...



now the cars ARE garaged, but i was shocked to find out that all they have ever done on any of the cars was wash w/ Meg`s Gold and then Pledge!!!



??????

[NCZ13]

its probably because the camrys paint has a ton of flake in it, not to mention its an extremely bright color. which would be hard to see the defects in direct sunlight.

[boho]

hey now just loved the windex wash lol lol

[langod]

Just this morning I saw a guy "detailing" his pickup in the Gas Station parking lot. He had some Mother`s Spray Waxh, a rag and a washing mitt. He`d spray a panel, pick the mitt up off the PAVEMENT, wipe the panel a bit, and then "polish" it with the old rag.

It was a pretty new truck.

But it wasn`t shiny.

[Mopar]

Not really a car wash story...



A guy I worked with used a razor blade to remove a painted pinstripe......... Made sure he dug in real deep to be sure to remove it all. Stoping him was out of the question because I have stoped him before and I am wrong..."Ive been doing this for 10years" I then realized I should learn nothing from this "detailer" Then watched them sell the car that day. Unreal

[FRJR]

This is a great thread. A guy in my neighborhood (16 yrs. old - my age) just got a `99 black silverado from his dad (dad just got a ram mega cab), sure its work truck, but I bet that silverado has never been washed by hand, but in its 9 year, 190,000 mile life it might have been put through some swirl-o-matics a few times. I`m willing to bet serious money it has never been waxed. It is scratched up from God knows what, has the word "trash" scratched into the side deep (down to the base metal - at least the scratcher was honest lol). Let`s not even comment on the interior.



Anyway, this guy is a bit dim, can`t tell him anything, just won`t listen and just argues with about every Autopian tip I gave him in good spirit. He thinks it would be cool to paint it urban camo of all colors, lift it five inches etc., and argues with me every time I tell him he would have to shell out 10 - 15k to make his wishes come true. He likes to use household products to wash the truck with. Process:

Dish washer detergent - yes the granules mixed in water no joke

Jet Dry dish drying aid mixed in - "helps it dry" - 1/4 bottle in his 1 bucket

California Car Duster to scrub with - seen him drop it in the gravel by the driveway

t-shirt with left over Armor-all on parts of it to dry

Armor-all on the drying towel for plastic trim



It`s quite entertaining to see him wonder why there are so many scratches, but it would be painful if it were his dad`s new Dodge Ram Mega Cab or a nice car.

[nooboob]

^ jesus... I`m just starting out, and that to me even sounds foolish.

[bwalker25]

saw a guy at work removing tree sap and bird crap with steel wool from his prius....yes steel wool....got in my car and laughed till i cried.

[DownFlyer]

When I was a teenager in the high school band, we ran these car wash fund raisers at a local gas station. The teacher told us all to bring rags and stuff from home to use. So I and everyone else brought all kinds of old cut up shirts, terry cloths, old bath towels, etc. At least we were hanging them on pipes at the gas station so they would not touch the ground.



We got everything from ancient Pontiacs to an occasional Audi(!!) I look back at it and laugh, but damn, from reading this forum I know better than to take my car to such a car wash!