Car Washing Horror Stories
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imported_Intermezzo
New member
Scottwax said:
True, but you've proven to be the exception to the rule Scott!
My dad works is a manager of the reconditioning/detailing section of a dealership. Ive worked with him there before and still I occasionally go work a day or two when Im not in school if he is backed up. Before, I thought nothing about it, but after reading these boards and this site lately, I am horrored by some things that go on there. All of the vehicles, including Corvettes, are washed using a brush. I guess I can understand that for time reasons. The same bucket of water is used for several cars without changing, and they use Ajax liquid dish soap instead of car soap. I can also remember a couple years ago, one worker would wash a vehicle with water that had been sitting overnight without doing ANYTHING to it other than stirring it up with the brush. I used to wash my vehicles with dish soap because dad would say "Its just as good as long as you only use a little bit", but now I refuse to wash my car with anything other than car soap unless I will be waxing it immediately after.
Also, once our church had a fund raiser car wash and neither me nor my dad could make that one. Our church almost got sued when some of the ladies decided to clean a guy's either chrome or aluminum truck wheels with a SOS pad......
Also, once our church had a fund raiser car wash and neither me nor my dad could make that one. Our church almost got sued when some of the ladies decided to clean a guy's either chrome or aluminum truck wheels with a SOS pad......
GoodnClean
New member
Somedevil said:
My wife thinks we should go to an exotic car place and rent a Ferrari for a week just to see if he'd go and buy one.
Like this one?
http://www.bhrentacar.com/one_vehicle.php?vid=6551&
I think we should start an Autopia fund to help Somedevil come up with the $15,000 to rent that Ferrari for the week
Come on...it'd be worth it!
Neighbor: How you like my new Ferrari, its the best one they make, cost me $350,000. I'm going to wash it with this toilet brush now because I'm the coolest guy in town!
Somdevil: Wow...thats nice
Neighbor: Hey, where's that Ferrari you bought last week?
Somedevil: Oh that? That was just a rental. I wouldn't be dumb enough to buy something like that.
Then laugh when they come to reposess it lol. Guys like that seldom have the resources to back up their "lifestyle"
Too funny lol
acovington
New member
A post above mentions a church car wash; I have a "church car wash" story of my own. Several years ago, at the request of a friend, I took my wife's NEW car to a local church car wash fundraiser. While they, um, "washed" the car (you really have to stretch the meaning of "wash"), I chatted with my friend. After a couple of minutes I look over at the car and see a guy using a stiff-wire brush to "clean" the (painted) front bumper! The brush he was using was the type used to remove peeling house paint! My bumper was ruined, scratched to the primer. I was mad, but being young and stupid I just left like nothing happened.
That was 1992 - no one but ME has ever cleaned my cars since!
That was 1992 - no one but ME has ever cleaned my cars since!
imported_speedingpenguin
New member
thats hillarious
my church (The confirmation class i was in) had a fundraiser carwash.....one of the people asked if i would do it since they knew i was big into the cars and stuff, and i said sorry but i couldnt......Anyway, a few minutes later they were asking people to bring old sponges and rags......
In a way i felt bad not helping out cause i dont wanna be a ***** or whatever, but at the same time i'd probably wanna kill myself after seeing what went on...haha
Same with the schools around here.....
my church (The confirmation class i was in) had a fundraiser carwash.....one of the people asked if i would do it since they knew i was big into the cars and stuff, and i said sorry but i couldnt......Anyway, a few minutes later they were asking people to bring old sponges and rags......
In a way i felt bad not helping out cause i dont wanna be a ***** or whatever, but at the same time i'd probably wanna kill myself after seeing what went on...haha
Same with the schools around here.....
imported_10degreesbtdc
New member
My neighbor's son (13-ish) was doing his weekly carwash chore yesterday on his dad's dark green Mustang. He was diligently scrubbing/washing with the foam side of a window squeegee. Drying, of course, with the blade side.
Meanwhile, my 3 yr old daughter and I were washing the G in our driveway. We went through a ton of towels and MF's, since she has butterfingers and drops them -- but she knows not to use them if they've touched the ground, and I think I spent more time fetching "clean one, please, Daddy" than actually washing the car
"Scratch and swirl free at 3" LOL.
Meanwhile, my 3 yr old daughter and I were washing the G in our driveway. We went through a ton of towels and MF's, since she has butterfingers and drops them -- but she knows not to use them if they've touched the ground, and I think I spent more time fetching "clean one, please, Daddy" than actually washing the car
"Scratch and swirl free at 3" LOL.
imported_eggroll
New member
Ah..a young autopian in the making ...
speedingpenguin said:
Whenever I am roped into a churc or charity car wash and my recovering-catholic guilt gets the best of me I will usually nicely explain that I am beyond anal about the finish of my car and make a donation for them NOT to wash it...only excpetiopn was once years ago when I let the Hooters girls loose on my hog
and the wasked it myself (corectly) when I got home (who can say no to a soakign wet hooters girl?AdvonspaanDC5
New member
kevmo327 said:Whenever I am roped into a churc or charity car wash and my recovering-catholic guilt gets the best of me I will usually nicely explain that I am beyond anal about the finish of my car and make a donation for them NOT to wash it...only excpetiopn was once years ago when I let the Hooters girls loose on my hog
i won't say no to a soaking wet hooters girl as long as she gets so wet and lubricated that she doesn't scratch the paint.
andriver
Detailing Hobbyist
LOL!
OneCleanCL
New member
I manage a car wash, and i more than my share of horror stories. This one always sticks out in my mind though...
This guy had just bought a brand new black Lexus. Apparently, it had sat under a tree for a week while he was gone on business, and sap had gotten all over the hood and hardened. So he comes to me and wants to get the sap out. I examine the car, and give him a price of $60 to remove the sap, polish the hood, and re-wax it. He looks at me like i've lost my mind and said "no way, im' going to AutoZone and buy some stuff to do it myself". As i had seen numerous DIY jobs go wrong, i advised him to make sure he knew was he was doing.
A day later, he pulls in again. The hood is scratched beyond belief. He thought gasoline and a S.O.S. pad would do the trick. I wound up charging him $400 to re-do the hood.
$250 to wet sand, buff, polish and wax the hood.
$150 for him being a complete moron who should've listened to me in the first place.
This guy had just bought a brand new black Lexus. Apparently, it had sat under a tree for a week while he was gone on business, and sap had gotten all over the hood and hardened. So he comes to me and wants to get the sap out. I examine the car, and give him a price of $60 to remove the sap, polish the hood, and re-wax it. He looks at me like i've lost my mind and said "no way, im' going to AutoZone and buy some stuff to do it myself". As i had seen numerous DIY jobs go wrong, i advised him to make sure he knew was he was doing.
A day later, he pulls in again. The hood is scratched beyond belief. He thought gasoline and a S.O.S. pad would do the trick. I wound up charging him $400 to re-do the hood.
$250 to wet sand, buff, polish and wax the hood.
$150 for him being a complete moron who should've listened to me in the first place.
rockstar_style
New member
MongooseGA said:
Yeah...I think I've done that once or twice back in the day. I'm ashamed of my auto detailing past...and I thought I knew a little something about it back then!
accordmaniac
New member
- in the begining of this year my mom went to a local toyota dealer for a car, and backed then i didn't know about autopia, we were there negotiating with the salesman and right out of the window i saw a man using a brush to wash the cars and he used one of those yellow mop buckets with the wheels to hold his water and he went around washing the cars in the front lot like this, and after we made the purchase we were stupid enough to let the dealer wash the car.
- one day my dad took a 80 mile trip to Tampa, Fl and when he came back a ton of bugs got killed on the front of his van from bumper to moonroof deflector and that afternoon i had to go somewhere and my dad decided to wash his car and i guess he thought scrubbing the bugs with a scotchbrite pad would easily take them out so when i came back he showed me what he did, and boy he must have scrubbed it good cause the hood looked like someone went over it with rough sandpaper, and just this last week i decided to wash his car for him and when i got to the top of the car i found out he used the scotchbrite pad on the moonroof deflector and the front of the ceiling before the deflector.
- one day my dad took a 80 mile trip to Tampa, Fl and when he came back a ton of bugs got killed on the front of his van from bumper to moonroof deflector and that afternoon i had to go somewhere and my dad decided to wash his car and i guess he thought scrubbing the bugs with a scotchbrite pad would easily take them out so when i came back he showed me what he did, and boy he must have scrubbed it good cause the hood looked like someone went over it with rough sandpaper, and just this last week i decided to wash his car for him and when i got to the top of the car i found out he used the scotchbrite pad on the moonroof deflector and the front of the ceiling before the deflector.
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.
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.
Wow this is the best thread ever 
My story- Ive been reciently detailing a few of the neighbors cars charging about 100-175 depending on the condition and size of the vehicle, which is fair for the time i invest in doing them. My nextdoor neighbor comes over interested in me doing their expedition so i explain what i do and what i use , (pc, rotary, etc) , and gave him a price of 175- wash, clay,polish,seal, interrior. Well i guess he wasent to thrilled with the price and decided to "invest" that money in some products and do it himself..About a week later i was going outside to do my daily QD and noticed my neighbor outside with a bunch of products layed out on his driveway, the claymagic kit some kind of dishwashing liquid and a kitchensponge and a box of SOS pads. I needed some entertainment so i decided to wash my car and observe my neighbor. Gives it a good rinse than breaks out the clay bar.. before washing! He clayed for about 25 mintues, big long strokes with almost no lube around the whole car. his next step was washing his chrome rims with a fresh sos pad, next was a nice washdown with the kitchensponge, He let it airdry since it was white.. i guess waterspots dont happen to white cars
I thought he was done.. but he was breaking out the orbital with a brandnew wool bonnet and some turtlewax compound paste! I decided i would do my interior so i could continue with my observations. His next step in his detailing process was to get a big chunk of compound and spread it on the hood and buff it around with his wool bonnet on the orbital.. this process took about an hour or so. After he was done he gave it a wipe down and threw on a coat of what looked like some old simoniz wax. buffed off with same towel he used for his "compounding" and called it a day. What a sight to behold the paint was a very dull white with little, if no reflection, sitting on some nice scuffed up dull chromies On a lighter note my leather seats were the softest they have ever been, i think i must have condtioned them 4 or 5 times while trying to make myself look busy while observing my neighbors first detail. Sorry about such a long story, but it was the funniest thing ive seen in awhile. I would have offered to assist him but hes one of those "I know everything " neighbors. :nixweiss
My story- Ive been reciently detailing a few of the neighbors cars charging about 100-175 depending on the condition and size of the vehicle, which is fair for the time i invest in doing them. My nextdoor neighbor comes over interested in me doing their expedition so i explain what i do and what i use , (pc, rotary, etc) , and gave him a price of 175- wash, clay,polish,seal, interrior. Well i guess he wasent to thrilled with the price and decided to "invest" that money in some products and do it himself..About a week later i was going outside to do my daily QD and noticed my neighbor outside with a bunch of products layed out on his driveway, the claymagic kit some kind of dishwashing liquid and a kitchensponge and a box of SOS pads. I needed some entertainment so i decided to wash my car and observe my neighbor. Gives it a good rinse than breaks out the clay bar.. before washing! He clayed for about 25 mintues, big long strokes with almost no lube around the whole car. his next step was washing his chrome rims with a fresh sos pad, next was a nice washdown with the kitchensponge, He let it airdry since it was white.. i guess waterspots dont happen to white cars
I thought he was done.. but he was breaking out the orbital with a brandnew wool bonnet and some turtlewax compound paste! I decided i would do my interior so i could continue with my observations. His next step in his detailing process was to get a big chunk of compound and spread it on the hood and buff it around with his wool bonnet on the orbital.. this process took about an hour or so. After he was done he gave it a wipe down and threw on a coat of what looked like some old simoniz wax. buffed off with same towel he used for his "compounding" and called it a day. What a sight to behold the paint was a very dull white with little, if no reflection, sitting on some nice scuffed up dull chromies On a lighter note my leather seats were the softest they have ever been, i think i must have condtioned them 4 or 5 times while trying to make myself look busy while observing my neighbors first detail. Sorry about such a long story, but it was the funniest thing ive seen in awhile. I would have offered to assist him but hes one of those "I know everything " neighbors. :nixweiss
mtodde
Silver Car Fan
thanks to all for making my day...I needed a good laugh.
It sure does seem like common sense is sorely lacking these days.
It sure does seem like common sense is sorely lacking these days.