Detailing previously flooded interior

[Fation]

A customer sent me an e mail asking me to do a full detail on a non running car. The car was flooded in the recent hurricane sandy in New Jersey.
How can I go about detailing a fully dried previously flooded interior. Including getting rid of odors, and very other interior aspect.
Exterior I already know what i can do.
Thank you everyone in advance.

 

[jgibson2980]

I would take the seats and carpet out and pw them and then a good steam cleaning .

 

[rider9195]

From the sounds of it you would have to rip up the whole carpet to get it almost perfect. I know there is a thread around here about a car that water leaked through the sun roof. So I would look for that.

 

[rmagnus]

+1 remove carpet, padding, seats, door panels. Hopefully the head liner and dash is okay. Steam cleaning should kill mold that will be your enemy. If not you can add chemicals for that. Now is a good time to install sound deadening, cleaned or new carpets and seats.

Not sure you really want to take on this task because it's more of a restoration than a detail. Lots of work.

 

[Pureshine]

1 question why didn't they just claim car under insurance. If its that bad most insurance company's just total it?

 

[Fation]

+1 remove carpet, padding, seats, door panels. Hopefully the head liner and dash is okay. Steam cleaning should kill mold that will be your enemy. If not you can add chemicals for that. Now is a good time to install sound deadening, cleaned or new carpets and seats.

Not sure you really want to take on this task because it's more of a restoration than a detail. Lots of work.

I dont want to take on such a tast. Maybe its too much for me. I just e mailed the customer asking if she had any upholstery replaced. She only e mailed asking for an interior detail to a previously water damaged car. Im waiting for her response but more then likely it is too much work for me to do considering I have never done that before.

 

[A-train]

You could always quote her a a higher price that suits you since it long and nasty work. and tell her that their is no guarantee that the odor/mildew will be completely removed. I would do that before I would turn her away, unless you are covered up with other work.


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

 

[Pureshine]

Best thing todo is not quote a price till you see the interior. I learned my lesson years ago. I have a starting price for complete interior cleaning.

 

[rmagnus]

I dont want to take on such a tast. Maybe its too much for me. I just e mailed the customer asking if she had any upholstery replaced. She only e mailed asking for an interior detail to a previously water damaged car. Im waiting for her response but more then likely it is too much work for me to do considering I have never done that before.

You can always give an estimate indicating the final price can only be made after actual inspection. I'd also let the customer know financially it may not be economical to just rework the interior on a totaled car from flooding. What about the engine, transmission and electrical?

I wouldn't touch it personally but then I hate interior work.

 

[cardaddy]

Dude, DON'T do it!

Lemee guess this guy is a used car dealer perhaps? Might have bought it at a salvage auction, and the NE market is about to get SLAMMED with over a million late model, undamaged, total loss vehicles. They shouldn't be back on the road except as parts cars.

My wife is a manager, (for almost 30 years now) at one of the largest salvage pools in the nation (150 offices in all 50 states plus Canada). They have been sending people and equipment up there since a few days after Sandy hit. They are leasing property to setup temporary lots all over the area. She showed me a photo yesterday of a private airport they are leasing that is solid cars from one end to the other. The e-mail said that for a time JUST THEM had been bringing in over one car every 30 seconds, 24/7 filling up that property, some 3000 per day! (Another similar company also nation wide is leasing land at that same airport.) They have had 50,000+ per day in the call log for weeks.

The thing is these cars are total loss cars that have been not just flooded, but flooded by salt water. It is as corrosive as it gets. Nothing will ever work the same again. It's sad but true that the people that have lost so much will lose yet again by these dealers that sell those POS cars back to them.

I just checked their web auction list for NY & NJ, the max amount listed under any single catagory is 2000+. Every single mileage catagory is listed at 2000+, Catgories "flood", "salt water" are at 2000+, Start Codes "Can't Test, Won't Test, Didn't Test" all are at 2000+. Most all of them will be "parts only" or "salvage" and while it'll help the parts market trememdously, it scares the heck out of me thinking how many people are going to get royally screwed by those cars being back on the road.

OK, off the soapbox (for now) and your customer might not be one of the salvage buyers trying to unload a junker, but to everyone up that way...... PLEASE BEWARE of what is coming!

And I'll try to get that photo and post here. It's amazing!

 

[Vegas Transplant]

:bolt::hotrod2:

Gotta buy tools for seat/seatbelt anchors, door panel clips, etc...

 

[tomsteve]

I dont want to take on such a tast. Maybe its too much for me. I just e mailed the customer asking if she had any upholstery replaced. She only e mailed asking for an interior detail to a previously water damaged car. Im waiting for her response but more then likely it is too much work for me to do considering I have never done that before.

IMO, without experience in tearing down an interior, the brief descrition, and not seeing the condition it is in, it is wise to pass on this one. it is a very time consuming process to tear down, thoroughly clean, and re install an interior.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Dude, DON'T do it!

Lemee guess this guy is a used car dealer perhaps? Might have bought it at a salvage auction, and the NE market is about to get SLAMMED with over a million late model, undamaged, total loss vehicles. They shouldn't be back on the road except as parts cars.

My wife is a manager, (for almost 30 years now) at one of the largest salvage pools in the nation (150 offices in all 50 states plus Canada). They have been sending people and equipment up there since a few days after Sandy hit. They are leasing property to setup temporary lots all over the area. She showed me a photo yesterday of a private airport they are leasing that is solid cars from one end to the other. The e-mail said that for a time JUST THEM had been bringing in over one car every 30 seconds, 24/7 filling up that property, some 3000 per day! (Another similar company also nation wide is leasing land at that same airport.) They have had 50,000+ per day in the call log for weeks.

The thing is these cars are total loss cars that have been not just flooded, but flooded by salt water. It is as corrosive as it gets. Nothing will ever work the same again. It's sad but true that the people that have lost so much will lose yet again by these dealers that sell those POS cars back to them.

I just checked their web auction list for NY & NJ, the max amount listed under any single catagory is 2000+. Every single mileage catagory is listed at 2000+, Catgories "flood", "salt water" are at 2000+, Start Codes "Can't Test, Won't Test, Didn't Test" all are at 2000+. Most all of them will be "parts only" or "salvage" and while it'll help the parts market trememdously, it scares the heck out of me thinking how many people are going to get royally screwed by those cars being back on the road.

OK, off the soapbox (for now) and your customer might not be one of the salvage buyers trying to unload a junker, but to everyone up that way...... PLEASE BEWARE of what is coming!

And I'll try to get that photo and post here. It's amazing!

Thanks for taking the time to share this Tony...


Having lived on both sea coast in my life I would especially agree with this part...


The thing is these cars are total loss cars that have been not just flooded, but flooded by salt water. It is as corrosive as it gets.


Salt water and sand are the worst things to get into a car, not just the inside but anywhere. Once rust and corrosion set into places you cannot see, reach or remove stick a fork in it... it's done...



:dunno:

 

[cardaddy]

Thanks Mike.

It's just that with all my years in the towing business, and the fact that my wife's paycheck from the salvage business pays the bills around here this hits inside my wheelhouse. I've seen thousands of crooks that prey on the unknowing public, selling them JUNK like this since I started in 85. The news always blames the salvage auctions and even the insurance companies, but the root of it is the local state laws that allow titles to be "washed" and cars rebuilt that obviously have no business being back on the road again.

Here ya' go, photos as promised. The airport is on Long Island.

Keep in mind that this is just ONE of the temporary lots they have opened in the area(s) affected. IAA (my wife's company) only got the 'paved' area here. There are some other shots somewhere showing cars starting to build up on the 'grass' that was leased by CoPart (the competition). I don't know if they were allowed to continue however as the community is already up in arms about the possible ground water damage from run-off.

It's hard to tell but each row is stacked 4 deep, as is proceedure. Everything there was stacked by a loader (shown in one shot).

Closer shot

Loader shot - Taken VERY early on.

 

[Fation]

Great points. I will be passing on this job.

 

[POPPAJ]

I'm gazing into my crystal ball and see a "lady" that expects to pay much less than $100.00.

 

[cardaddy]

Great points. I will be passing on this job.

Me thinks you'll be glad you did brother!

It is staggering how much property was damaged up there. OTOH Katrina's damage to the Gulf Coast area covered an area LARGER than the entire country of Great Britian!