Car wash at coin op and polish at home?

[BillE]

Kinda OT...But I've wondered for a loooong time if it is possible for the 'coin ops' to install some sort of total bottom washer. In the road salt using areas, I think that could/would be not only a super idea, but also a pretty good money maker.

Point of asking...when I lived in Port Angeles, WA, one of the paper mills (Crown Z) was located at the end of a street/road the was constantly gettin' clobbered with salt water. Hence, one would just drive up and thru their bottom blaster. When you drove up it engerized the system and you just keep creeping along. When you left, turned itself off.

Their system was much better than ANY so called bottom blaster I've seen from commercial car washers. No charge, just a NICE community offer.

Bill

[Hermes1]

Kinda OT...But I've wondered for a loooong time if it is possible for the 'coin ops' to install some sort of total bottom washer. In the road salt using areas, I think that could/would be not only a super idea, but also a pretty good money maker.

Point of asking...when I lived in Port Angeles, WA, one of the paper mills (Crown Z) was located at the end of a street/road the was constantly gettin' clobbered with salt water. Hence, one would just drive up and thru their bottom blaster. When you drove up it engerized the system and you just keep creeping along. When you left, turned itself off.

Their system was much better than ANY so called bottom blaster I've seen from commercial car washers. No charge, just a NICE community offer.

Bill

Owning a dually where most car washes are not able to handle the wide hips, I would love to find one able to blast the under side. Certainly if travelling salted roads, but for general underside cleaning.

[gregpack]

I know at least one car wash equipment manufacturer that makes such a undercarriage device for self serves (coin ops). Its basically a set of nozzles on wheels pointing upwards. I could see that being a popular option in the snow belt during winter months. One of the problems we have is limited space on our rotary dial (I have ten positions)and we have to decide what is overall the most popular selections for our customers. As far as the undercarriage cleaners that drive over nozzles, those usually have huge pumps and motors driving them. My automatic car wash machine pumps are powered by a 25 horsepower motor on a three phase 100 amp breaker. Its quite expensive for that machine to turn on. They do work well over time though. My work truck is a 2001 F250. I usually use the automatic wash with the undercarriage option. The underside is extremely clean and virtually rust free. I'm in Alabama though and we dont have significant snow

[Submariner]

I hear you. I’m in LA and when I lived in an apartment I was using coin ops.

You’d definitely need to do some washing back at home. What I would do is go to the coin op, use their pressure washer for initial rinse, wheels, and anything tough, and then come home and do a rinseless wash. You could probably do that then start claying, etc, at home. Good luck!

Ha brings back memories.
Lived in a flat in Hampstead (London) ... unusually I had a double garage but no water for 3 months!
There was a double wall from the flat to the garage ... eventuslly got through with a 40” drill bit!

Until then went to a coin op with a Jet wash. Did the car there to get it clean , came home and 10 buckets of water later I had a clean car.

7 minute drive ... lots of dust grit etc.
Imo too much to polish on.