Last Friday morning I plowed 4 driveways before packing my bags for Detail Fest 2007.
I had a late flight out of Syracuse, New York and arrived at the Suburban Lodge in Stuart at midnight.
The weather on Saturday was perfect and got a little better as the day went on. Made my way to the Auto Geek shop by 9, signed in and got a very nice t-shirt. All the Auto Geek emloyee's had blue t-shirt so you new who they were and their were alot of them.
Talked to Justin for a few minutes as he was getting started for the day, he was wound a little tight but as soon as he got going he was fine.
By 10 it looked like it was going to be getting crowded as cars and people were rolling in.
Buffers were flying and cars were getting washed at a rapid rate and people were talking to each other. Car people are great, they will talk each other any time any place.
Arron and John from Edge were showing people pads and buffing on a rental Mustang and showing how the Edge system attached to your buffer.
Eric Dunn had the new Lake Country CCS pads on display and was explaining how they worked.
By this time I had run into Max just as he was starting to give a tour of the shop. How many time's do you get a tour by the owner ??????
As he took us up and down the isle's all I could thing of was that if I had a shopping cart it would be over flowing for sure. The tour was great to see all the products AG carries but the best part by far was how Max explained why products were in a certian area to make it easier for his people to fill orders. He even has a area to make up kit's of products that the manfactures don't even make up.
I can't say enough of how impressed I was with Max and how he run's his operation. This did not happen overnight he has put much time and effort into this to make it look so easy.
The shop is very clean, well organized and every person look's very happy to be working at AG.
Back outside and it was buzzing, more people, more cars, action all over the place.
Justin was rolling by this time, his quick detail was dragging due to the fact that when someone would ask a question he might give a yes or no answer but you would also get the full fact filled explanation, it was GREAT. Many people were asking question's and Justin answered every one, Justin you need to write your Detailing Book soooooooooooooon.
I talked to all the other Pro detailers and all were very good to talk to and willing to share any information with you, very good group of people.
Free Lunch
I look over and see a group of guys sitting on a curb and all of then have black t-shirts on that say Metro on them. I ask if they are here to pick up the race cars on display and they say all they have to do to get the cars back is open the overhead door and push them back into the shop. We talk a little more about racing and the Shop Foreman say's "Do you want to see the shop" I think the first time I went to a race was in the late 50's and have been going ever since so I'm "All In"
Great race shop, most of the cars were sports cars but as we make our way to the back of the shop he say's to me "We just got this in to work on"
The car is a 1993 Ferrari that Gerhart Berger drove, I just about fell over. Some cars are rare but Farrari's F1 car's are very hard to own if you have no direct link to Ferrari.
Nice guy's and I think were having dinner at Mr. Chicken in Watkins Glen later this fall.
Back outside and things were still going strong.
They start giving out the free boxes for signing up and they are heavy, which is good because that means we are getting alot of stuff. I'm right and the box is full and everyone has a big grin, life is good.
Talk to more people and pick up a few more tip's and by now it's 3 and the crowd is thinning.
I get the second call from my wife and she want's to know if I placed a order yet, I tell her it's next on the list.
By the time I make it to the laptops I'm the last one, I have some brain fade and start talking ot Jason from AG. I ask him a question about a micro fiber towel and the next thing I know he brings over one of every micro fiber they carry and explains each of them. This type of thing went on all day, if you asked a question to anyone from AG if they didn't have a answer they would RUN and get someone that did have the correct answer. Just a great group of people. I also had to other AG people sitting with me while placing my order.
I myself had a great time, talked to many people and learned more that a few new trick's of the Detailing Trade.
My trip back was on Monday and had to clean 4" of snow off my car.
Tuesday morning I plowed 4 driveways "The Circle Of Life" in my little world.
Thanks to Ryan for showing me how to add a picture to a post.
Thanks to all the people I talked to.
Thanks to all the Auto Geek employee's for all the extra work they did with a smile.
Thanks to Max for being able to figure this crazy detailing business out and what make's it tick.
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