Tunnel wash rant - Free speech thread

[Don M]

The problem is that the "normal" 99% of the population that don't have a detailer's eye, is that they honestly CAN'T SEE the wet-sanding-like-results of brush washes.

I did a major correction on a friend's 2013 BLACK Dodge Challenger last fall. It took me over 17 hours just compounding and polishing for it to reach 70% correction, which included using a rotary and heavy-cut wool pad - NOTHING else would make a dent in the damage! It should be noted that the car had never been waxed, let alone received a correction or even enhancement before.

To ME, there was a clearly defined difference between my black Camaro and the Challenger, but my friend simply couldn't see, or wrap his head around the fact that there was still a lot of room for improvement on his car (If I only had another 4 - 6 hours, I could have gotten to 85 - 90% correction).

Even with the HUGE difference in the "Before Don and After Don" correcting session, he STILL thought tunnel, brush washes would be OK

[JDGolden]

People just don’t care. As Don said, they see dirt or they see clean paint. That’s it.


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[chilly]

The problem is that the "normal" 99% of the population that don't have a detailer's eye, is that they honestly CAN'T SEE the wet-sanding-like-results of brush washes.

I did a major correction on a friend's 2013 BLACK Dodge Challenger last fall. It took me over 17 hours just compounding and polishing for it to reach 70% correction, which included using a rotary and heavy-cut wool pad - NOTHING else would make a dent in the damage! It should be noted that the car had never been waxed, let alone received a correction or even enhancement before.

To ME, there was a clearly defined difference between my black Camaro and the Challenger, but my friend simply couldn't see, or wrap his head around the fact that there was still a lot of room for improvement on his car (If I only had another 4 - 6 hours, I could have gotten to 85 - 90% correction).

Even with the HUGE difference in the "Before Don and After Don" correcting session, he STILL thought tunnel, brush washes would be OK

This is why I almost completely quit doing work for co-workers before I retired

They wanted their car to look like mine and even saw their's and mine side by side and couldn't "SEE" what they were asking me to start with and why I needed the car for an entire weekend and why it would cost so much

They thought the difference in our cars was a coat of wax that I could somehow magically apply to their car during my lunch hour

For the few people that "got it" I was usually happy to do the work for them

[Eric7810]

Whenever someone comes to me with a completely destroyed gloss black GM truck and wants ceramic coating, first I gauge by way of conversation how fussy this person is. Then I will assure them it will look amazing, but tell them to keep a ‘ten foot perspective’ on the results.

I did an all day correction on an obliterated black suburban last month and the customer was blown away by the result. She then told me how bummed she was that it won’t last, knowing she will be going back to the car wash.

I got paid. The rest doesn’t matter. I can’t worry about how people maintain their vehicles, I’d go insane.


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[Bill D]

She’s a fool to blow all that money and to expect the results to not last too long. IMO she should’ve inquired about you doing maintenance washes, it would be win-win,she’d be happier longer and you’d get paid more.

[opie]

Whenever someone comes to me with a completely destroyed gloss black GM truck and wants ceramic coating, first I gauge by way of conversation how fussy this person is. Then I will assure them it will look amazing, but tell them to keep a ‘ten foot perspective’ on the results.

I did an all day correction on an obliterated black suburban last month and the customer was blown away by the result. She then told me how bummed she was that it won’t last, knowing she will be going back to the car wash.

I got paid. The rest doesn’t matter. I can’t worry about how people maintain their vehicles, I’d go insane.


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This is fact, and hard to get over. Ive had a couple people i know that had inquired about a ceramic coating. Decide against a coating after I told them flat out that, "hey ill take your money but if you are not going to maintain it and hand wash it on a somewhat regular basis, then its not going to last and will be in the end a waste of your money". They appriciated the honesty. I could have taken the money but its just not me.

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[Optimus Grime]

It’s a frame of mind. I remember growing up seeing my dad always working with his hands. He was cutting the grass, changing the brakes on our cars, reloading his bullets or working with his garage full of man tools. I don’t see that anymore.

I live in one of the most affluent areas of my city. With current house prices, thank God I bought my house before this current pricing boom, you can’t get anything around me for less than half a million. I’ll see my neighbors buy these overpriced homes and let the exterior go to hell, just like they do with cars. They’ll pay thousands to have someone build these brick retaining walls around their flower and tree beds and it looks great, for a month. Then they totally neglect their lawns, let the grass grow for weeks on end and are full of weeds. It’s the same mentality with their cars. They’ll buy a luxury car and never dream of hand washing it. They’ll complain about how automatic washes never get their cars truly clean but keep going back because it’s cheap and convenient. I’ve even offered to show people how to do a quick rinseless wash and it’s like there’s some kind of aversion to doing manual labor. And the worst part is when they realize something needs correcting, the want to haggle on price because they don’t value their property and in return don’t value your time or expertise.

[Bill D]

OMG. I could never live there. I simply can’t stand a neglected lawn and I truly thank God those who live on my cul-de-sac maintain their’s because just around the corner from me, they go to hell quickly. I do my exterior maintenance myself. Mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and very soon,laying down mulch. Now no one, far and wide, washes or vacuums their cars,except me. No one knows the extent I go to doing it because I do it in the garage. All of this is a lot of work, but it’s good for you. No sitting around getting obese like too many people do these days. I’m proud of my work,wouldn’t have it any other way.

[Optimus Grime]

OMG. I could never live there. I simply can’t stand a neglected lawn and I truly thank God those who live on my cul-de-sac maintain their’s because just around the corner from me, they go to hell quickly. I do my exterior maintenance myself. Mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, and very soon,laying down mulch. Now no one, far and wide, washes or vacuums their cars,except me. No one knows the extent I go to doing it because I do it in the garage. All of this is a lot of work, but it’s good for you. No sitting around getting obese like too many people do these days. I’m proud of my work,wouldn’t have it any other way.

Amen brother. One of the reasons I like to do all of the manual labor within my capability is my desire to not get fatter as I get older.

A guy just started renting a house down the street from me. He stopped by and wanted to know how to detail his truck since he sees me working on cars all the time. While we were talking it shifted to lawn care and his lawn looks like crap. He mentioned it to the owner, mind you this is a 500k+ house, and offered to cover half the cost or resurrecting the lawn and the owner passed on the offer. If it cost money or labor, they just won’t do it.

I grew up poor and maybe that’s why I maintain what buy, be it my house or my cars. Let me get away from this keyboard and get back to getting my lawn ready for the big spring green up.

[Bill D]

This morning I used 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner on my patio again with satisfying results. This time of year concrete surfaces can get green if not attended to but all you have to do is spray and scrub and then hose down. Surfaces look good again. Household chores are starting up again.