Detailing - it`s not just a job.. It`s an adventure!

[Todd@RUPES]

While at the Detailer’s Party in Las Vegas - SEMA - this year, I was swapping “detailing adventures” with fellow detailers. Stored in the depths of my memory banks are several (well more than several, perhaps alarmingly so) stories. As I was telling one particular story I stopped and realized just how crazy this one was (and maybe how tame it is compared to others I have lived). I thought I would share it here and, if there is enough interest, maybe I will share some more.

David Fermani (yes that David Fermani) had driven down from frigid arctic lands they call Detroit to the warm, welcoming climate of Florida. We were to meet on the space coast and drive 4 hours south into South Beach to detail a very expensive ($2,000,000 plus) and rare (only one in the world) AC prototype.

We quickly loaded my gear into his ride, bided by car good bye, and jumped on the highway - the road and our adventure ahead of us…

“Did you book a hotel?” David asked…

“No,” I said with my usual confidence, “I’ll just do it during the ride.” I grabbed my trusty iPhone 3 and prepared to show David the wonder of the smart phone. For the next hour I used every website known to man to find and book a hotel to no avail. Everything, and I mean every was booked. Miami loomed in the distance and was growing closer. We decided to eat…

“Every hotel is booked,” I offered over some Pollo Tropical.

“You called them all?” David asked, the freshly consumed plantains clinging to this teeth.

“We could always go to the casino tonight and pull an all nighter…” I offered in an obvious burst of rational thought. Thankfully David shot that idea down.

And so the first night progressed, driving all they way down to Miami, all they up to Stuart and calling every hotel along the way. Apparently this was “the season” an NOTHING was available. Finally after nearly 5 hours of defeat we pulled into a truck stop for the night.. Seriously…

After adjusting needlessly for hours, the rhythmic sound of David snoring rocked me to sleep… At 3 AM… In the semi-reclined seat of a Ford Fusion…

Neck cramps and general uncomfortableness jolted me awake a few hours later, just in time to see the early morning sun cresting the horizon. In a few moments the interior of the car reached 73,000 degrees and we began to cook alive… Ah Florida, gotta love it, even in the early spring.

A morning breakfast of coffee and complaints preceded the hour drive to the clients house. We where early and tired… and decided to catch a 20 minute nap before knocking on the door (with the AC on).

Loaded on cold coffee and hot weather, David and I knocked on the door. The client, simply known as “The Attorney” is one of the very coolest guys I know.

“Hey guys. I forgot to tell you I bought a warehouse for my cars… I need to move the ’63 Stingray, the Ferrari BB, the Porsche GT3-RS and the AC Prototype over there. We will trailer the AC, but the rest you guys are driving.”

And like that I had the keys to a rare 1963 fuel injected, 375 solid-lifter horsepower, 4.11 posi String Ray in my hands. David grabbed the Ferrari keys and “The Attorney” the keys to the GT3-RS.

“Follow me if you can,” was the last thing I heard as the GT3-RS ripped down the street.

Getting to drive a car as magical as a solid-lifter, fuel injected Sting Ray is cool… Getting to drive one wide open through downtown Miami is down right heavenly. It burns rubber… A lot of rubber… It also likes to slide sideways around every corner, the old steering wheel requiring about 54 turns to dial in some negative lock.

I imagine it looked like a scene from a movie: The Attorney’s Porsche hustling away from the corners of downtown Miami aided by something that was an afterthought when the Ferrari and Sting Ray were created - traction. The Corvette and Ferrari took turns sliding sideways around corners, each playing a different symphony off the surrounding sky scrapers….

Ultimately we made it in one piece… Safe for now. The warehouse, only a few blocks away from the glitz of Miami, was in one of the worst neighborhoods I have ever seen. Apparently “The Attorney” paid a local homeless addict to sit outside the door and guard it. I felt bad for him and let him sleep inside.

Next it was time to load up the glorious AC Prototype… a job which David Fermani volunteered. He hopped in the right-hand drive, seven-figure plus car and drove it straight onto a flat bed trailer like he knew what he was doing. My heart started beating again.

TO BE CONTINUED…

PART TWO PREVIEW: “and thus we stood, nowhere to sleep and nowhere to bath… accept “The Attorney’s” pool, overlooking South Beach. Our hardest decision was what to use - Gold Class or Ultima Paint Wash Plus. Oh how I longed for Meguiars 62 and it’s cologne-like fragrance…

[Todd@RUPES]

Reserved for Part Two

[Todd@RUPES]

Reserved For Part Three

[ca.detailchick]

Waiting for part 2! Did you get put up in a mansion or remain homeless?

[David Fermani]

Seems like it just happened! Boy, that was a journey my friend. You still have those videos laying around?

Subscribed for parts II & III.

[David Fermani]

5 star rated this one just because.

[GettingStarted]

Ah now I can`t wait for the next part.

[Swanicyouth]

Nice story. Good to see Dave and Todd posting here.

One time I did something similar and ended up paying a small fortune to stay at a Ritz Carlton somewhere because it was the only room in town.

Of course, me being a first class only guy I got on the phone and ordered some Cheese Fries from room service.

Dude came up to my room with a silver platter with a big dome, like I was the Queen of England or something, and said: "Your cheese fries,,, Sir"

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416194834.605627.jpg

[Trouble]

Glad you are back Todd. Your stories are ALWAYS EPIC !!

[Todd@RUPES]

Glad you are back Todd. Your stories are ALWAYS EPIC !!

And true....

[Pats300zx]

Subscribed for the outcome

[Ronkh]

sub`d

[RaysWay]

Can we call this "Todd & David`s Excellent Adventure"?

Sub`d

[Paul Sparks]

Ok lets get on with the story. Enough stalling. Some of us OLD people are already on borrowed time.

[jsou]

In for more