The solution

C

Chuckmotor

New member
I recently posted two new threads: one about getting an air compressor so I could blow things out of the tiny cracks inside, and another about getting a new vaccuum. It didn't seemed justified to get an air compressor for the sole purpose of car detailing since I don't have any pneumatic tools. I solved both those problems for under $70. I went to Home Depot and purhased a Ridgid 3.5 horsepower (plenty sufficient, I decided) 9 gallon (the absolute biggest my trunk can fit) vaccuum with a blower port. I also bought a 2 1/2 inch to 1 1/4 hose convertor and a micro set of vaccuum accessories. When I plug the hose into the blower port and add the small micro accessories with the 1 1/4 inch convertor to the 2 1/2 inch hose, I get all the blowing power I need to blow out dust and dirt from the tiny crevices in the dash, door panels, and consule. What I find works best, both with my vaccuum blower and an air compressor, is I spray a little vinyl cleaner or dressing into the cracks, then I blow it out along with all the dirt and dust with the air. I highly reccomend this over q-tips or brushes because they don't always get the deep stuff in the cracks. It works great, all at under $70 including tax ($50 vaccuum, $4 convertor piece, $10 micro accessories). Plus I get a powerful, compact vaccum with a 2 1/2 inch hose (I HIGHLY reccomend a 2 1/2 over a 1 1/4 inch!!).
 
One potential problem of this approach is that any mung that gets hung up in the hose while vacuuming could then be reapplied when you next switch to blow. Proper Autopia procedure probably demands 2 hoses :)



$0.02,

Robert
 
Sounds like a great tool. Can you use it like a leaf blower for drying the car?



I like the two hose idea.
 
I detailed two interiors today using my new vaccuum. It worked perfectly, just like it had when I used an air compressor. I reccomend this idea big time because those little cracks in the consule can make a good detail a great one. Before I tried air, my gear shift area, cracks around buttons and other areas, and other crevices made my interior look incomplete. Everything was clean, but something was clearly missing to make it look great. But after I sprayed a little vinyl cleaner and blasted it out with air, my interior looked perfect. After doing two cars today, I now know for sure that I can get those same perfect results with a vaccuum blower and a few accessories. It's amazing how much a few clean crevices can make a difference. You may not know what I'm talking about until you try it for yourself, but it's a bigger difference than you may realize. I got a $20 tip today for my "extra effort," as my customer put it. He noticed a difference and he was very pleased with his results. The blower alone on the vaccuum is well on it's way to paying itself off after only a day on the job. Air is the rotary of the interior.
 
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