Amazing Cars

There is a debate brewing amongst professional auto detailing which now has expanded into several sub sectors. The debate is over; what is the definition of "detailing?" It is hard to define as fixed site car washes offer "Express Detailing," Professional Detailing Shops offer; "Complete" or "Full Detailing" and mobile auto detailers offer "Mini-Detailing."

A few mobile detailers have used the term 'express detailing,' which adds even more confusion to the issue. "What is an Express Detail anyway?" Most of the new mobile detailers eventually go out of business or raise prices due to environmental reclaim issues, competition, seasonal weather, lack proper image, inferior learn as you go training or complete lack of industry knowledge. Although the smart ones last as they learn quickly through trial and error or seek professional training. Many of the new professional detailers in our industry come from the mobile sector, especially mobile car washes tend to price and deliver whatever they can sell to the customer, using the word detail whenever they think it will command a higher price. They will use the word detailing loosely to sell the job.

I think it would be fair to say that the word 'detail' has been over used for marketing purposes at fixed site car washes and has caused problems with the definition and mystique of professional automobile detailing. It has caused havoc for those true professionals who have worked hard and sacrificed to keep the word sacred for many years and have prided themselves in the most excellent service.

Many Old Time Detailing Professionals have been forced to address this express detailing issue by adding express services to their menu of services. This appeases the customer's desire for quick and affordable service between quarterly of semi-annual full detailing appointments. Sometimes this cannibalizes full detailing services but if done correctly it can attract new customers to your business ho will eventually try the real thing. Once they do they will be hooked forever. By letting your customer's experience a full detailing service you will build your complete detailing customer base.

If a professional detailer will simply look past customer perception that "a detail is a detail" and educate them on the differences, then that professional will get the best of all worlds. By letting car washes introduce the idea and market to the consumers of the world, you will get free advertising. By car washes using the term detailing, even if it is out of context and even if they lower the once high standards in the minds of consumers, they still have opened the market ten fold. Now that this market is wide open and almost everyone has become in their own minds a detailing customer; it is up to the professional detailers to show them 'a real detail'. It is up to us to expand our retail market mix, to expand that percentage of our business' total sales.

Once the customer experiences the difference, they will see our point and know that an 'express detail' is merely a glorified wash with a hand wax, some extra dressings, and perhaps some carpet cleaning thrown in for good measure. It is hardly what professional detailers call a 'complete and full detail'. Once your customer has become accustomed to a real detail and received a service which has exceeded their wildest expectations, that person will be a walking, talking one-person sales army for you and every other professional detailer in our industry. So press on! Let's make believer out of our retail clients one customer at a time. Think about it and thanks for reading all my articles on auto detailing.

For many people classic cars are luxury. Hence it is only a dream for most of us. If you can't afford to buy a new one due to its cost, be assured it is going to be a costlier affair to restore one as well. There are many questions to answer before you buy a classic car. Your budget situation as well as your willingness to spend on it to restore it are some the most important.

Spending the saving on a vintage vehicle is also done by many people. It is seen as an investment for many. After you restore a vehicle, the market value of it would be better than you imagined. Depending on its model and condition, classic cars can be a great potential profit maker. Car auctions are the place to look for classics. There are many classic auto enthusiasts out there willing to spend a fortune on these cars. However, before buying such a car you should consider the following:

Remember that what you want to buy would be described as a collector car. Decide what vehicle fits your budget.

This will probably eliminate those vintages you drool about in major car shows, unless you are very rich. Just one of those cars you see in major car shows can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Researching on where to buy classic cars is not easy though.

You need to spend a lot of time and effort just by searching one of these cars. Keep in mind that these cars are not manufactured anymore and you do not often see these on your regular used car dealership. You can even be lucky and find one on junk yards or on old people's houses. They do sell or throw these classic cars away. You can even get such vehicles with a bargain price. Cars covered with rust with engines in bad shape are not new to people who look for the vintage ones. Vehicle auctions are a place to look for classics and you can even travel to get one in the auctions. Here you will get a chance to offer a bargain for it.

If you want to spend less in restoration you have to look for a classic vehicle that is in good condition. Comparison of the models should absolutely be done before you decide to buy the one you like. If you are a amateur mechanic you can probably do the comparison yourself. Otherwise you can take a professional mechanic along to help you decide which one to buy. Always remember that the less vehicle restoration required the better.

Next step after you purchase your classic vehicle is restoring it. Be prepared to spend a lot of time as well as some money on this phase, since good car parts for classic cars are hard to come by and are usually very expensive to manufacture. During restoration getting the parts for the old car can be a tedious task. You should be prepared to make many calls to the auto parts shop to get all you want. One way of easily obtaining classic car parts though, is by searching on the Internet.

Finding the hard to find parts for your classic automobile is made easy through a web search. If you can't find it online, you can always ask a manufacturer to produce one for your classic. To do so, they may need to have the old part for reference. It is very smart not to do those repairs yourself unless you absolutely know what you do. There are great auto mechanics for this purpose and you can avail their service almost anytime. That is the absolutely best way to do it. Restoration of cars is a costly affair in the mechanic shops and hence it is avoided. If you purchase your classic for investment purpose then it is wise not to go for restoration since restored cars are valued less in the future. Also notice that the cost of restoration would be higher than the value of the car at the time of restoration. However, restored cars can be used and enjoyed for many years to come.

Offer A Free Detail For Best Testimonial

If you run an auto detail business then you need to have a professional website. On this website Testimonials are important as they elevate you to the expert you are and also add credibility for the new customers. Most of your business is word of mouth, but often the new potential customer will look up your website to see if you are legitimate. How do you get the best testimonials?

Carry a tape recorder and ask your favorite customers to tape a testimonial to your business. Encourage them to be creative, enthusiastic, and energetic. Then take the tape to another good customer and say 'can you beat this?' Give them the same 100% encouragement. Print the best testimonial on the back of your flyers and put them all on your website. Ask permission of the best testimonials and then tell who the person is, and that they received a free detail for their effort. Print a copy of their business card along with the testimonial. They will get calls from appearing on your flyer and this will help their business. You can even print a testimonial of the month in the newspaper. If you run an ad, just be sure to get permission from the customer. This same technique can be used in the on the website.

After you've selected fifteen or twenty really good testimonials, you'll have built up a great portfolio of recommendations for yourself and they will be dynamite for your website as well. You can show these testimonials to potential car wash, auto detailing and fleet customers. The customer who gave the testimonial will feel that much more a special part of your business and this while embolden them to give you further referrals. Think about it.

Did you ever go to jumpstart your car, and notice that you can barely see your battery underneath all the gunk? This 'gunk' is actually battery corrosion, which is formed by acid condensation. Since this is formed by acid, a basic chemical solution will do the cleaning trick. Battery acid is actually very easy to clean away with a common household item- baking soda! But still, precautions must be followed. This article will inform you step by step how to clean the battery while keeping safe.

First, you will need to gather supplies for this project. Most of these items you may already have in your home.

Safety glasses or goggles

Box of baking soda

Adjustable pliers with insulated handles

Screwdrivers with insulated handles

A small, stiff-bristled brush (an old toothbrush will work just fine!)

Assorted small open-end and box wrenches

Small metal or plastic scraper

Special battery tools, including a cable puller and cable

terminal cleaning brushes

A turkey baster or small funnel

All-purpose household cleaner in a spray bottle

Sponges or clean cloths

A source of ample clean water such as a garden hose or a large

bucket and sponge

Rubber gloves for protecting your hands

There are a few safety tips to keep in mind when getting ready to clean the battery. First of all, you safety glasses and gloves must be worn to protect your eyes and skin from sulfuric acid that can linger in the corrosion deposits. Also, this material can eat away at your car's paint, so keep it away from that as well.

Because the amount of dirt and corrosion on batteries may differ from one another, battery cleaning will vary, so some of the steps below may or may not need to be performed. Sometimes, to thoroughly remove severe corrosion and dirt, you may even need to remove the battery from the vehicle.

First, scrape off any white or greenish corrosion deposits with the stiff-bristled brush or small metal or plastic scraper. Next, use the solution of baking soda mixed with water, approximately one heaping tablespoon to each pint of water. Carefully apply it to the outside of the battery and its cable connections with the turkey baster or small funnel. Then, you can use your brush to work the baking soda solution into the heavily corroded areas. If you find that the cable clamps or terminals are badly corroded at the battery, you can disconnect them for easier cleaning. For this, you may need to use pliers, assorted wrenches and a small battery cable puller to disconnect them. You should disconnect the negative first, followed by the positive.

Then, use your battery cable scrapers or brush to remove the corrosion from the terminals, battery posts and hold down clamps and brackets. Flush these parts with your baking soda solution to rid them of any trace of corrosion. After this, wash the outside of the battery, the cable ends and the hold down parts with a liquid cleaner in a spray bottle. After that, use a sponge or rag to get off any remaining dirt or grease. After everything is clean, dry off the battery and all its parts with a dry rag or cloth.

The final step is just reinstalling any part that was removed and tightening everything so it is secure. Reconnect the battery, positive cable first. You're done! You're battery is now safe and clean.

It is recommended that you use a variable rotary buffer/polisher. Four ply buffing pads from Buff and Shine or 3M Company are the easiest to use in corner and angled surfaces. You may also use foam pads if you find those preferable and easier to use for yourself. After the boat has been thoroughly washed, properly tape off with a very high quality masking tape, the striping, the rub strip that runs along the hull of the boat, and any areas you feel may get hit by the polisher and make a blemish or mark. It actually saves time and you'll be happy that you did it. It takes a few extra minutes but it is the proper way to buff a boat.

To begin the buffing on a cool clean surface, lay down a strip of compound and run buffer at a fairly high rate of speed between (1800 to 2500 rpm) to break the abrasives down and get a brilliant shine. As you finish the section that you are buffing, back off on the pressure as you start to see the compound disappear. You'll get a higher gloss when you perform this properly. Imagine a grid pattern as you buff the hull, side to side, then top to bottom. This helps to ensure you don't miss a spot. To get the product to work a little longer you can mist, distilled water only, on the product itself as you're buffing. It will work a little bit longer and you can actually a little more gloss out of it. It will make the abrasives in it work just a touch longer. You can get some really nice results by doing this.

Be very careful when working near exposed antennas, lines, horns, and as mentioned before, especially striping. Slow the speed down when buffing on stripes and use less pressure on the buffer. Remove as much of the product as possible, then wipe residual by hand. It is also recommended that you tape off areas, tops, exposed seats, etc. that may be in the path of flying compound. You can do this using towels, old sheets. There are also different areas you may want to cover up like the dash if it's an exposed top boat. It just saves time on cleanup later.

Optional Second Step

If you follow the buffing step with Blue Magnum Carnuba from Monsters, you will achieve a brilliant reflective shine and long lasting protection. In the buffing process an optional second step is to add Meguiar's #45 polish by hand or orbital polisher to the area just buffed. This will help feed the pores of the gel coat and add an additional amount of gloss to the surface. With this you have to use the product as directed and do one section at a time. It does not work well as a wax to just let it sit on there, haze, and then try to remove it. It's something that you put on and remove almost immediately. As mentioned, it is an optional step to use in this process. This also is a product that you'll want to keep away from the anti-skid portions of the boat, usually the side railings or the top deck where the anti-skid is mostly found. It just does not work well with anti-skid.