New Car Preps...Looking for opinions.....

[AutoWashCorp.]

Hi Fellow DC Members!

I was looking for some feedback on something I think my shop can improve our profitability on without giving up quality of course! My situation is this:

I have three wholesale accounts that I currently do an average of 150-200 New Car Preps per month. We are currently charging $30 per prep. Our NCP process goes as follows:
1. Remove any window/body protectants/stickers
2. Vacuum/Wash/Dry Vehicle
3. 1 Coat Hand Applied Wax
4. Dress applicable trim/insert new mats
***Time Required 30-45 Minutes***
2 Employess per car to accomplish this...

I think our price is fair and we are able to get the cars delivered for between $15-$17 total costs(head to toe, products,labor,ins.) so it is leaving room for us to consistantly pull a profit and we have never had anything but compliments on the quality of our work. My goal would try to be able to cut our costs down to the $12-$15 range without cutting quality at all. One major concern of mine is that waxing the car is taking too much time and therefore keeping our costs steady at the high range($16-$17 per car). Would it be possible to keep the same look(remember these are all 2009`s now or better) with using just a sealant? I`m leaning towards using a sealant instead of paste wax but only if it could help get our costs where I would like them to be...PS Sorry for being all over the place, I never said I was an english major!

[CharlesW]

It would be quite a different process, but using a rinseless wash with a spray wax included in the drying process might work for you. The vehicles you are doing are probably not terribly dirty and should lend themselves well to a rinseless wash.

I make a first drying pass leaving a little moisture on the paint, spray on the Duragloss Aquawax and make a finish drying pass. Washed and waxed in a very short time.

[RANDAL]

Heres my opinion on products that I have that could be used. For wax I have Nattys Red, Whit, and Blue, Rad and White and avaailable in 32oz jars, should do 50 -75 vehicles/jar. EASE of use and removal is whats great about this product. (it doesnt take much product either). Next option would be purchasing sealants in gallons or larger, Ive got agallon thats 3 years old from MALCO, takes a long time to use that much. Finally what I do use mostly is an AIO (ALL IN ONE), Poorboys POLISH WITH SEALANT. Nice product with some polishing properties. All Poorboys products are available from Poorboys world who is a sponsor here, and very helpful to me, also available from Troy and Sheila at DETAILCITY.COM, as well as Autogeek who is also a sponsor here. Most here have used Poorboys world products, they are economical and easy to use, and come with REAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT from Poorboys own Steve the owner. Enough rambling, youll do what you want to, but give some of Poorboys Products a try, you might be surprized at what you see!!!!!! (NO THIS ISNT HEAVEN ITS IOWA!!!) haha. Thats one of the states unofficial sayings, its from Feild of Dreams, filmes near Dryersville, IOWA. No I dont live any where ner there.

[cheapshot]

You are doing a nice amount of work in the 30-45 minutes. If you charge the customers 15-17 bucks, what do you pay the two workers for the hour? I would leave the stickers alone unless someone asks, and for that price just use a wash and wax, and maybe a quick spray wax. I would charge about 25 bucks just for a wax alone.

If this is being done by hand, you should charge a lil` more, especially for SUV`s and wax.

Your prices should be prob somewhere between say 25 to 60, depending on what your doing.

[JaredPointer]

Rinseless wash and Aquawax.

[Bunky]

Your prices should be prob somewhere between say 25 to 60, depending on what your doing.

I think he said his price is $30 but his total cost with everything is $17 so he makes $13/car.

This seems to indicate he is using 2 employees getting roughly $10 or less per hour (so that is around $10) and the rest is materials. The idea is you do not use people who think they have to make $20/hr. actual labor vs say a $30-50 priced rate.

[njcarting1]

My take, Try a quick detailer product that will be applied by hand and has a cleaner built in to it. I think you could use a product from poorboy`s call QUICK WAX PLUS. It is an easy on liquid product that can be applied by hand in sun or shade. The stuff will clean transport stains, water spots, light oxidation, bugs, tar and such and protect with carnauba wax. It is great on chrome, clear coats, polished aluminum, and also glass. It can be sprayed on also.

After these cars are completed `BY YOUR CO." they are not getting washed and wiped down "AT THE DEALER" I take it, just sitting on the dealer lot right ? If this is true this product will shine and have the ability to protect the vehicles very well under these conditions. So therefore the QW-P will last like a "paste wax" and providing you cleaning ability and wax/UV protection all in one step.

THE TEST -

Just dump some QW-PLUS out on your driveway 1/2 CUP and let it dry out.
Then spray water on it and see what it does, beads like a sealed driveway and lasts for months. That will be the best protected spot on your driveway for sure !

Time is money, its easy on and off and looks great.


That`s my take on saving some effort and cash.

[Larry A]

Forget the hand wax. use a good spray wax, like Aquawax, Optinum or Poorboys . I work part time for a Toyota dealer and thats what they do, and the cars look great. No scratches, swirls, or buff marks.

[black bart]

Rinseless wash and Aquawax.

+2 Would be much faster than applying any wax.
Why remove the stickers in my state it is illegal to remove them until after the car is sold.