What do car washes normally charge...

Ok so I've been thinking about getting a second job... again.. I don't really want one, but the extra couple dollars do help a bit.

When I was in college I use to detail for the dealership I worked at, and as it turned out, I was really good at it. So instead of getting a second job, I've really been contemplating detailing cars on the weekends... kinda like a mobile car wash type deal.

But as of right now, I'm thinking that I'll just stick with the exterior and mainly offer the polish/buff/wax since most people either don't know how, or are just too lazy. That and I don't have a carpet extractor yet to give a full interior detail. But I will still offer an exterior wash and interior cleaning if they want it.

I've made a list of the equipment, cleaners, and consumables I would need to start a full detail business, and to get started it would cost me well under $1k (not including a pressure washer and carpet extractor). And if I start off by just offering the exterior services (buff, clay, wash... etc...) only for now, it would cost me next to nothing to start.

But one of my main concerns is pricing. I know for a full detail (wash, shampoo, buff, wax, engine) can be ~$150+ but how about just a buff and wax?

Installed new alternator

I need some help guys..

Pasted from my other forum..

Ok, so I just swapped in a new alternator.. but am now having starting issues

Install went fine, here is what the sequence of events were..

-Removed fan
-Removed belt
-Removed alternator
-Installed new alternator
-Installed belt
-Installed fan

The first time I tried to turn the car on, it just cranked and that was it. Then I gave it a second, tried it again, and it fired right up. I let the car come up to temperature, rev'd it a few times (checking for other issues), then I disconnected the negative side of the battery to see if the new alternator was working.. and it was.

Afterwards, I moved the car and parked it in the street on the curb. Later that day I tried starting the car again but it wouldn't fire up. It cranks fine, but does not turn over.

I've checked and rechecked everything I touched, and did not see anything. The only thing I saw out of place was an unplugged vaccum line going to the EGR...but I was nowhere near that side when I was installing the alternator.

-I was hoping I just had a low battery so I connected a jump box, but that was a no go
-To eliminate it being the alternator, I took off the belt, and tried to start the car, that was also a no go
-I've checked the fuses, with no multimeter (to check continuity), they look fine to my naked eye
-When I was removing/installing the belt, I remembered that I was leaning on the distributor, so I thought I might have nudged it if the adjustment bolt was loose... I tried clocking the distributor slightly, but it was locked down tight.
-I've checked all electrical connectors in the general alternator area.... Distributor, MAF, both alternator plugs.


Anyone ever experience this? Or am I totally missing something?

Test your awareness

Test your awareness...

[PLEASE DO NOT SPOIL THE VIDEO!!! Just reply if you were "aware" or not... haha...


I was not...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

Random observation

Ok so... I'm on my 14th car in 12 years. What I've noticed is that all of my cars have been either red or white with the exception of 2. And it almost seems as though it needs to be this way or the world will stop spinning. Several times when I'm about to buy a car and it's not white or red, the deal always falls through. But when I find the same car but in red or white, I get it.... it's weird.

Here is a list of my cars in chronological order since I was 16:

1. 1991 Ford Festiva - Red: I hated this car, and was so embarrassed by it. I would deliberately leave it at home and still ride the bus to school.

2. 1998 Hyundai Accent - White: I abused the shit out of this car, but it never gave up on me.

3. 2001 Acura Integra GSR - Red: I went to the dealership trying to buy a silver LS, but there was a smoking deal on a red GSR that I couldn't pass up.

4. 1992 Honda Civic hatch - White: Someone traded this in at my dealership, and I was able to buy it dirt cheap. Riced it out, and sold it.

5. 1998 Honda Civic hatch - Red: Do you see a pattern yet?

6. 1999 Honda Civic Si - Red: 250whp of FWD awesomeness...

7. 1993 Toyota MR2 - Red: This car was a total mess. The motor itself was great... but all of peripherals that belong to the motor were junk

8. 1998 Honda Civic EX - Green.... then White: WTF!!! Actually when I bought this, the ricey stuff was in, so the first thing I did was buy a body kit and repainted the car a color called Isotope Green. It's the highlighter green color from the VW Beetles.. but after a few months of it I got really tired of it then repainted the car white.

9. 1993 Nissan 240sx - Red: I had had all kinds of suspension done to this, wheels, and racing seats. I had an almost complete turbo kit (missing the intercooler), and a Greddy E-manage waiting to go in... then I let my sister borrow the car, and she ran it into a telephone pole...

10. 2002 Subaru WRX - Silver: Yep.. the car that brought me to this site. I actually had it for a very short time, cause a friend of mine had a RED Evo at his dealership I was going to buy really cheap. But because of lousy timing, I ended up selling the WRX and missed out on the Evo.

11. 1998 Lexus GS300 - Silver: First automatic car I ever owned... Super hard getting use to not having to use my left foot while driving. Many many withdrawals of not hearing a BOV and not being able to shift manually

12. 2004 Mazda RX-8 - Red: I was actually trying to buy a silver one first, but another customer that wanted it offered a little more than I did, so they got it.

13. 1988 Toyota Cressida - White: The first Cressida I looked at and was waiting for the weekend to pick up was a sand color. I was the only person to look at the car and told the guy that I would be back on Saturday to pick it up, this was on a Thursday. That night the owner calls me and says someone is on there way to buy it. Well, I ended up meeting the guy who bought it from under me... it ended up going to better hands.

14. 1993 Lexus SC300 - White: When I was shopping around for a Cressida, I was actually looking at SC's first. The first one I was trying to buy was a black one.. It wasn't for sale, but I never saw it move, and it was parked on the side of the owners house. The day I finally got a hold of someone to buy it, I was told someone bought it the day before. The second one I was about to buy was also black. I was literally there about to buy the car, and someone showed up 2 minutes before I did. He drove the car around the block, and told the owner he would buy it... I was standing right there when it all went down. I was so bummed.


So yeah.. technically I've had 3 cars that weren't white/red, but I ended up painting it white...

I really wish I still had the WRX though... by far the funnest car I've owned so far.

Street Fighter Legacy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ZXSzaUIBQ