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  1. #1

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    Funny Detailing Story

    Just read a story on the forum about dirty wheel and tires that reminded me of a funny story I thought I`d share:

    When I was about 17 years old (26 years ago)I washed and waxed cars as a summer job and after school for extra money. I had been trained by working at the local Dodge dealer along side the new car prep guy. I though I was getting pretty good so I went out on my own the following summer.

    All I ever used was Turtle paste wax, bug and tar remover, Zip wax car wash, Armorall, windex, an old electrolux canister vac and polishing compound. I made great money, learned about customer service and had alot of fun.

    I had a few regular customers who used to see me doing my parents cars. Never advetised and had plenty of work just form word of mouth. I had a great regular customer who had a mint 924 Porsche. Cranbury Red and he loved it. He hired me to wash and prep the car every Friday so it was ready for the country club for the weekend. I would ring the bell on Friday, his wife would pull it out of the garage and I would go to work. She would tell me things like, "My husband loves this car too much..it`s clean and yet he wants you to wash it..unbeleavable?" I would wash it and prep it, ring the bell, get paid and she would circle the car and pull it back into the garage. I would wipe down any water that leaked out of the seams and leave.

    Husband would always be very complimentary and refered friends and many people from his club to me.

    One faithful Friday I showed up and to my surprise, his wife told me, you are going to earn it today..you are going to clean a car that needs to be cleaned..mine! I said just yours or both? She said mine today and his either later or tomorrow. Her car was a 3 series BWM that was garaged but was so dirty, I have not seem wheels that black unless why were painted black (remeber this, it`s important later). I decide to tackle his car first as it was a peice of cake campared to hers and I did not have any wheel cleaner with me. She agrees and after I explain I will need more time for her car she is OK with my comming back Saturday AM to finish. I show up Saturday loaded for bear. The car is outside in the middle of the drive way and I begin with the interior. Next I move to the exterior. I still have nightmares 26 years later on those rims. I used the harshest weslie? wheel acid from Autobarn and I must have cleaned each wheel 4-7 times. Got them really good but not perfect, but a 95% improvement. I had black under my nails for days!I compounded the whole car and waxed it twice. Car cleaned up really well. I was happy. This took me from 9AM until 2PM or so in the afternoon.

    Rang the bell and my nightmare begins. She acuses me of switching her wheels? She thinks her wheels were black! Not silver. She is freaking out and tells me I am not getting paid and I need to come back when her husband is home to see him. I said-are you kidding? I don`t even have the keys to the car, the car never left your driveway. I live around the block do you really think I would steal your wheels? I told her that these are stock wheels from BMW and they had tons of brake dust but under the dirt they are silver. She goes on to tell me that this is a sport package (IS on the back and the wheels are BLACK). I am not winning this so I leave, knowing full well the husband knows the deal.

    He comes back form playing golf and stops at my house. I am a little up tight even though I know I did nothing wrong. He is laughing his ass off. He tells me that he bought that car used for his wife and the wheels were so dirty he never attempted to clean them. His wife never took the car to a car wash so they stayed filthy. He knew they were not black wheels but it never occurred to him that his wife did not know! I charged $ 75.00 bucks back in the day for a wash and wax. Never occurred to me to charge more for those that were compunded because I thought I was making crazy money anyway. He gave me $ 100.00 for the car and appologized. He told me it came out great and that his wife is very happy. He said, your still comming back Friday right? I told him absolutly.

    I kept him as a customer until I went to college and my brother took over and continued. We both worked it summers and had a ball, made great money and had alot of fun. Of all the things that happened this was the story that sticks in my mind 26 year later!

  2. #2
    COME AT ME BRO JaredPointer's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Cool story bro.
    I still don`t believe in grit guards.

  3. #3
    "Luck" Residue of design tuscarora dave's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    That is a great story! Thanks for sharing it with us..

  4. #4
    shuddleston's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Good story that`s hillarious!!
    Hudd`s Mobile Auto Detailing
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  5. #5
    mrclean81's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    That`s a good story. That`s the first time I`ve ever heard of someone not knowing what color their wheels were lmao

  6. #6
    Acrylic Paint Conditioner Gus-Gus's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Quote Originally Posted by JaredPointer View Post
    Cool story bro.
    "One day you will have to stop being a Muppet...So take the hand out of yer butt and walk for yourself."

    Claying does not mean "High end". It means quality/caring. So would actually learning a trade instead of "Hey I can wash and wax a car, so I`ma gonna be a detailer."

  7. #7
    COME AT ME BRO JaredPointer's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Quote Originally Posted by Gus-Gus View Post

    Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eah.

    And on an unrelated note - if you want a good laugh, check out his rap album "Be a Man." A+
    I still don`t believe in grit guards.

  8. #8
    Wax Waster Ronkh's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Cool
    I might have stayed away......
    Formerly the "Best Detailer", now just Super Wax Waster Man. Not necessarily tactful, but normally right. It`s good to be da King !!!

  9. #9
    Reddwarf's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Great story! LOL!

    2015 Nissan Pathfinder, Platinum
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    "Life`ll Kill Ya" - Warren Zevon

  10. #10
    Paint Ph.D OCDinPDX's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    The way people around here treat their BMWs, I can totally see that happening. Great story!
    2010 Hyundai Santa Fe - Harbor Gray

    Even sometimes I, in a moment of what could only be described as pure sanity, question the rationality of this obsession.

  11. #11

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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Great story. Thanks for putting a smile on this old mans face.

  12. #12

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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    No doubt, This is really great and interesting story.

  13. #13
    Just a regular guy Todd@RUPES's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    Jeff, just read this story. Thanks for sharing.

  14. #14
    BobbyG's Avatar
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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    That was one great read and I actually could picture everything you described!!


    BobbyG

  15. #15

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    Re: Funny Detailing Story

    So for anyone who originally read this, I was out for dinner with my Wife over Labor Day Weekend and I ran into the husband in this story. He and his wife have since divorced and we had a great laugh at recounting the whole event. He had traded the Porsche in for a Benz and still lives locally.

    He tells me that as he has gotten older, he is not so critical of his paint finish and admits to using the swirl a matic as his main mode of "detailing". He also told me that he re-tells this story a few times every few years and gets a good laugh each time.

    It really takes me back and makes you smile!

 

 
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