Automatic car wash shine?

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VincenzaV

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Hi, I drive by an "always packed" drive-through car wash. Personally, I would never use one for reasons obvious to everyone here (It is NOT touch free...)

I am amazed though at how shiny their cars come out. I know it is an artificial shine, filling scratches, swirls (maybe even squirrels too,lol)

But seriously, average joe-public loves it. WHAT type of product are the using and does AG sell it??? It is applied to every car and not a DA/Rotary in sight. I pass it every day, twice a day some days.
 
Meguiar's D156 synthetic spray wax. Yes, autogeek sells it by the gallon or Megs Ultimate quick wax in 15oz bottle. Don't waste your money on the smaller bottle. For $28/gallon you will love Megs D156

This would be an interesting comparison. D156 vs touchless bulk foam spray wax. I'm not wasting $10 on a sub par wash, when I can spend $7.50 on the self service wash and hand wash/wax. I'm about six months since my last touchless car wash. It is so easy to just wait in line. Especially when it is 25 degrees.
 
VincenzaV said:
Hi, I drive by an "always packed" drive-through car wash. Personally, I would never use one for reasons obvious to everyone here (It is NOT touch free...)

I am amazed though at how shiny their cars come out. I know it is an artificial shine, filling scratches, swirls (maybe even squirrels too,lol)

But seriously, average joe-public loves it. WHAT type of product are the using and does AG sell it??? It is applied to every car and not a DA/Rotary in sight. I pass it every day, twice a day some days.
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after a long hard week I will run my personal vehicle through there it's not that bad of a process of inflicting swirls and such.Before I enter I tell the gentlemen no prep brushes before I enter.I honestly think a sister product like hydro 2 is applied.The smell is exactly the same as a sealer.I was once a true autogeek but as you get older you wind down a little and look for simplicity and fix any promblems on the paint as you see it later on.I also have them retract the roller of death for the rims.other wise really not that bad.In south fla we have the most state of the art car washer ,I would not enter a majority of them but this one is clean and not brutal and deosnt have the big roller thing that starts from the hood over the roof and down on the trunk.upon drying it touch less dryer no laborers touching the paint.upon exiting free vac tire,shine glass cleaner and apc.I don't use there chemicals but,use the vac and spraywax provided by me.
 
Avoid the lava option on hot paint.and also that stuff is so thick it gets stuck in the jambs deosnt rinse well.
 
I drove by it today and looked closer on the assembly line. I did not see any Lava advertisement, placards, or foam being shot down. It could of been that the car was not at that stage in the process, but I would thing the Lava advertisement might stick out.

To be clear, I see the cars come OUT of the exit shiny as heck! It is some sort of wax/glossifier but still a mystery to me. There is no one standing there adding a spray way, so that is definitely not it.

Man, If I didn't love my swirl free car paint so much, I'd take it through once, but that is not an option for me. I worked (and work) too hard to keep my car looking good.
 
VincenzaV said:
I drove by it today and looked closer on the assembly line. I did not see any Lava advertisement, placards, or foam being shot down. It could of been that the car was not at that stage in the process, but I would thing the Lava advertisement might stick out.

To be clear, I see the cars come OUT of the exit shiny as heck! It is some sort of wax/glossifier but still a mystery to me. There is no one standing there adding a spray way, so that is definitely not it.

Man, If I didn't love my swirl free car paint so much, I'd take it through once, but that is not an option for me. I worked (and work) too hard to keep my car looking good.
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I'm guessing whatever it is, it's not better than a number of products here. And probably has very minimal (if any) protective qualities. Those car washes are made to provide 'shine' on the cheap and get the customer to pay extra for it. It's nearly all profit to get someone to pay $4-$5 extra for a 'wax' in the tunnel.
 
Most of it is in the drying agent applied before the blowers hit the car.

We used to use a product called "Golden Kote" (or was it "coat") by Sterling Laboratories, offered by a local Detroit car wash distributor.

I used a Stone Soap product in my car wash. I never thought of trying to use it was a spray wax.

Probably similar to most commercially available spray waxes.
 
VincenzaV said:
I drove by it today and looked closer on the assembly line. I did not see any Lava advertisement, placards, or foam being shot down. It could of been that the car was not at that stage in the process, but I would thing the Lava advertisement might stick out.

To be clear, I see the cars come OUT of the exit shiny as heck! It is some sort of wax/glossifier but still a mystery to me. There is no one standing there adding a spray way, so that is definitely not it.

Man, If I didn't love my swirl free car paint so much, I'd take it through once, but that is not an option for me. I worked (and work) too hard to keep my car looking good.
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The lava is the Presoaking when you first enter the tunnel,with the ac on it smells acidic.
 
dlc95 said:
Most of it is in the drying agent applied before the blowers hit the car.

We used to use a product called "Golden Kote" (or was it "coat") by Sterling Laboratories, offered by a local Detroit car wash distributor.

I used a Stone Soap product in my car wash. I never thought of trying to use it was a spray wax.

Probably similar to most commercially available spray waxes.
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I tried it , it's more of a water activating product.I can get that stuff and put it in my foam cannon.I was gonna try a rinse aid additive to put in my tank but never did.
 
VincenzaV said:
I drove by it today and looked closer on the assembly line. I did not see any Lava advertisement, placards, or foam being shot down. It could of been that the car was not at that stage in the process, but I would thing the Lava advertisement might stick out.

To be clear, I see the cars come OUT of the exit shiny as heck! It is some sort of wax/glossifier but still a mystery to me. There is no one standing there adding a spray way, so that is definitely not it.

Man, If I didn't love my swirl free car paint so much, I'd take it through once, but that is not an option for me. I worked (and work) too hard to keep my car looking good.
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:iagree::dblthumb2:
 
GSKR said:
I tried it , it's more of a water activating product.I can get that stuff and put it in my foam cannon.I was gonna try a rinse aid additive to put in my tank but never did.
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Oh, that would be the "foam wax".

Sometimes I miss having my car wash...
 
dlc95 said:
The winter of 2014 put me out of business. Worst winter Michigan had seen in 100 years.
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That really stinks.Is there weather insurance available for car washes?
 
I wouldn't be so impressed with that artificial shine.

In the sun those cars are filled with swirl marks from those washes.

If you want your car to get as shiny as humanly possible, autogeek offers all the products to get you there.

Like a jeweling polish, and then a premium paste wax like pinnacle Souveran, or fuzion.

If your car is swirl free.

Use a Porter cable da with a blue pad or black pad from Lake country, and a jeweling polish like menzerna sf3800

Top it with a paste wax and that car wash shine your oh so crazy about will envy you !
 
Nextleveldetail-

I get it, I do. I know its a temporary fake shine.

I just want to explore options for customers that might not want to pay for a 8hr detail. If this allows me to give customer two options and informing them thoroughly:

1. I can remove your scratches, take time and money, but paint will remain glossy and beautiful, even under dirt.

or

2. Hide your scratches, like the drive through wash, less time, less money but they are still the and will quickly come back.

I guess there isn't a equivalent product that a mobile detail can use (Unlike the drive through $$$$ machines dropping foam wax) other than spray wax that is FAST and INSANELY shiny. I have used spray wax, it doesn't even come close to what this car wash does...
 
This makes me think of one vendors glaze product. Its light filler, high shine, but the durability is about as long as the drive through car wash results.
 
Is it a spray on product? That is the only thing that could compete. This cash wash produces FAST and SHINY.

I just bought some Meg's D156. I hear great stuff about it....
 
GSKR said:
That really stinks.Is there weather insurance available for car washes?
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Not sure. I can't even recall what my policy covered, besides fire, theft, and damage claims.
 
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