Miscellaneous
New West | The Urban Strategist
Kiss Me, I'm Polished
Say goodbye to the automatic car wash and its whirligig machinery that destroys paint, dismembers aerials and dislocates windshield wipers as it dislodges dirt. Forget about the pulleys and cables that tear off your tailpipe, and the blast of air that dries one part of the car and drenches another. Meet an ingenious invention that promises to revolutionize car-cleansing technology: the human hand.
Yes, the human hand—with fingers and thumbs and tissues and tendons and bones and joints that bend and extend and lift and shift. “The hand can see better than a machine,” says Jack Thomas, mind and muscle behind the T & T (“It’’s dynamite”) Hand Wash at the corner of Bryant and 6th streets in San Francisco. His is one of nearly three dozen enterprises in the Bay Area—nine in San Francisco alone—giving the finger to the mechanized monsters.
Granted, the personal touch can be costly. Most hand car washes cost between $4 and $10 for a standard-size car, and as much as $5O for trucks. Waxing brings the price up to $25 to $100 and up, and the extras—engine steam-cleaning, upholstery shampooing, minor body work—all cost more. (Some car washes, though, offer package prices.)
The advantages? If you’re getting ready to sell your car, a custom cleaning will show it to its best advantage. Even if you plan to keep your vehicle, the hand wash is a good investment for owners too busy to perform the ritual themselves. T & T’s Thomas, who says most of his customers are pressed by “the time factor,” points to a white Cadillac Seville that was dropped off by a customer on his way to work. “He’ll pick it up when he gets off work, and the car will be clean. If he waited till he got home, it would be too dark out to wash it.” He adds: “You figure it takes one-and-a-half hours for one person to clean a car. Put two people on it and the time is cut in half. It’s a convenience.”
Ron Varni, a scavenger bringing in a Dodge van for a wax job, agrees: “Some of us don’t have the time and don’t want to be bothered with it. I want my van waxed. The wax in an automatic car wash gets all over your windows and then all of it comes off in the first rain. These guys are professionals.”
THE DETAILS
San Francisco
Bayview Hand Car Wash, 5201 3rd Street at Thomas Avenue, 822-6868; open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: cars $6.50; trucks $8.50, vans $8.50 to $10.50.
Wax: $18.50 and up.
Other Services: carpets and upholstery shampooed ($15.50 and up); vinyl top shampooed ($15.50 and up).
Comments: Disco music at no charge.
Mark IV Auto Polish, 6201 3rd Street at Gilman Avenue, 822-9494: open seven days 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: cars $6; station wagons and vans $8.
Wax: $27 and up (includes wash).
Other Services: vinyl top reconditioning and dying; interior shampooing ($16.95 and up); engine steam-cleaning ($14).
Comments: Master Charge and Visa accepted. Free pick-up and delivery.
Roscoe’s Body Shop and Car Wash, 1360 Eddy Street near Webster Street, 346-8792; open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: $6 flat rate.
Wax: $37.50 to $65.
Other Services: body work.
Comments: Washing is done to woo customers to body shop, but the approach is low-key and the wash is low-priced.
T & T Hand Car Wash, 800 Bryant Street at 6th Street, 861-9104; open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: Compacts $6.50 and up; full-size cars and pickups $6.50 and up; pickups with camper $7.50 and up; limos $8.50 and up; vans $8.50 and up.
Wax: $25 and up.
Other Services: upholstery shampooing ($15 and up); trunk vacuuming ($l.50 and up); complete engine tune-up ($30.95 for four- or six-cylinder vehicles, $44.95 for eight-cylinder vehicles); oil change ($13.50); brake work ($41 and up).
Comments: Biggest of the hand car washes and, generally, most expensive.
Woody & Sons Auto Detail, 949 Post Street (wash) and 1075 Larkin Street (wax), 771-0833; open Saturday only 8.30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wash:: $6 flat rate.
Wax: $35 and up.
Other Services: engine steam-cleaning ($12.50 for top only, $12.50 for bottom including transmission, $25 for top and bottom); undercoating ($35); upholstery and carpet shampooing ($25).
Comments: This is the second-biggest hand car wash, but nothing is second-rate here.
North Bay
Car Craft, 900 Bridgeway (in Shell station), Sausalito, 332-7990; open Monday through Saturday by appointment only.
Wash: $10 to $20.
Wax: $75 flat rate (includes free follow-up wash).
Other Services: upholstery shampooing, tinting and repair; wood restoration for Rollses and Mercedes, chemical degreasing of engine and undercarriage. Ask for estimates.
Car Salon, 50 Lisbon Street #5, San Rafael, 456-4310; open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wash:: $5 flat rate.
Wax: exterior $20 to $25; “complete” job (exterior, interior and under the hood, including polish of firewalls, radiator and, acrylic coating of hoses and wiring) $45 to $55.
Other Services: carpet dying ($15 to $20); vinyl top dying ($20 to $25); mag wheel shining (four for $10 to $15).
Comments: The favorite of used-car dealers, many of whose clunkers are older than the workers, ages 17, 19 and 24.
Pee Wee’s Detailing, 143 Market Street, San Rafael, 456-1580; open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: $5 (as cleaning after wax jobs).
Wax: $70 (includes engine steam-cleaning, interior shampoo).
Other Services: engine painting ($15): vinyl top dying ($40); paint touch-up by estimate; spoke wheel cleaning/shining ($5 per wheel).
Comments: There’s free entertainment—a pool table.
Wade’s Service, 931 2nd Street. San Rafael. 456-3210; open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: cars $10; vans $15; RVs and boats by estimate.
Wax: $65 and up.
Other Services: black tires converted to white walls, grooving included ($3 per tire); undercoating ($38.50; $5 to $10 extra for vans and pickups); interior shampooing ($45); engine and undercarriage chemical degreasing $55 (engine only, $12.50).
Comments: Recently cleaned and waxed a 26-foot fiber-glass boat. The job from—barnacle removal to buffing—took four days. The tab: $200.
East Bay
Al’s Auto Detail, 406 North Buchanan Circle, Pacheco, 798 3230; open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wash:: $10 flat rate.
Other Services: trunk shampooing ($20); engine steam-cleaning and repainting ($25); vinyl top dying ($35).
Comments: There’s a dirt driveway here, so exit slowly after your wash.
Ashby Detail Center, 1440 Ashby. Avenue, Berkeley 843-2363; open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Wash:: cars and pickups $7; vans $15; RVs $20.
Wax. $25 to $100.
Other Services: vinyl top dying ($25); engine steam-cleaning ($25).
Comments: Choice of rose, cherry or “bubble gum” deodorizer.
Burley’s Detail Center, 657 West MacArthur Boulevard. Oakland, 654-8248; open Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: $6 to $9.95.
Wax: $35 and up.
Other Services: carpet and upholstery shampooing ($35); engine steam-cleaning/repainting ($35).
Custom Car Wash Detail Center, 5815 Market Street, Oakland, 653-6285; open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: cars $6; vans $12; estimates for other vehicles.
Wax: $25 and up.
Other services engine steam-cleaning ($10 and up); interior shampooing ($15 and up); vinyl top dying ($37.50 and up).
Comments: Two coats of wax for the price of one.
Ebony Auto Care Center, 450 East 14th Street, Oakland, 444-4540; open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wash:: compact cars $6; fullsize $7; vans $13.50.
Wax: $25 flat rate.
Other Services: seats and floors dyed; interiors shampooed; tune-ups and mechanical work. Ask for estimates.
Elmhurst Tire & Detail Service, 9000 East 14th Street, Oakland, 569-7881; open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5. p.m.
Wash:: cars and pickups $8; vans $12 to $15; RVs $8 to $40.
Wax: $38 and up.
Other Services: seats reupholstered; interior shampooed; vinyl top reconditioned depending on the particular job.
Comments: Begun three years ago as car wash with one hose, two chamois, two buckets and a tow rental service, this car wash now employs eighteen workers, owns the property, and owns and rents the neighboring commercial buildings
Papa Joe’s Hand Car Wash, 7600 MacArthur Boulevard. Oakland, 568-9537; open Monday and Tuesday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.(closed Wednesday).
Wash: cars and pickups $6; vans $8.50 to $10; trucks $26 and up. (Save five receipts and get one wash free.)
Wax: “standard” $21 (electric buffing $16); “deluxe” Blue Coral wax $66.
Other Services: spoke wheels washed/polished (four for $2.50); interior shampooing ($13.50; vans $l9); vinyl top dressing ($4); vinyl top dying ($36 and up); engine steam-cleaning ($l9).
Comments: The only car wash with a gift shop that sells bottled car deodorant ($3) and Papa Joe T-shirts ($6).
Sundance of Walnut Creek, 2040 North Main # 10, Walnut Creek, 935-0678; open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wash:: includes interior cleanup $10 to $15.
Wax: cars $35 to $75; motorcycles $5 to $10; motor homes $40 to $120
Other Services: “Three-Way” detail (wax, interior shampoo, engine cleaning/painting $40 to $75); trunk recarpeting $10 to $20 plus cost of carpet); Diamond Coat process for the paint of new cars $125 (includes three-year guarantee). They also polish airplanes at Buchanan Field in Concord for $100 to $200.
Sun Valley Detail, 6398 Dougherty Road #30 (rear of building), Dublin. 829-0720; open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday by appointment.
Wash:: cars $2.50; vans $4 to $5; RVs $5; small trucks $5 to $10. (Vehicles are dried by the owner or by the sun.)
Wax: $35 flat rate ($10 extra for black vehicles).
Other Services: Engine steam-cleaning/painting ($20); interior shampooing ($25); vinyl top dying ($35 half-top, $60 full-top).
Comments: Free local pick-up and delivery. Black finishes show buffing swirls. The owner’s remedy: baby powder.
Peninsula
California Auto Retailers South, 150-A El Camino Real, Menlo Park, 325 2721; open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wash:: usually, motorcycles $1; cars $10; vans $15; RVs $to $25.
Wax: motorcycles $30 to $35; cars $30 and up.
Other Services: engines pressure-washed using solvent instead of steam (averaging $15); vinyl top dying ($12.50 half-top, $15 full-top); upholstery and carpet shampooing (about $19).
Comments: Owner has a 1959 BSA A10 on which he uses carnauba wax for painted surface and a special metal polish for mag wheels and aluminum.
Concours Auto Detailing, 611 Taylor Way, Belmont, 591-3643: open Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wash:: $5 to $50.
Wax: $25 to $200.
Other Services: wire-wheel washing and shining ($5 per wheel); weather-stripping and rubber components vinyl-coated ($25 to $30); engine coated with transparent acrylic glaze ($5 to $35); valve covers painted ($5 to $30); pin-striping ($10 to $20).
Comments: More appropriate for Jaguars than jalopies.
Jackson’s Auto Laundry, 610 High Street, Palo Alto, 327-6722; open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wash:: cars $6; station wagons $9; vans $18.
Wax: $55 (Simoniz) to $175 (Polyglycoat).
Other Services: Chassis steam-cleaning ($35); engine steam-cleaning ($25; bottom only $15); undercoating ($65).
Comments: Has a sideline of making, selling and servicing skateboards.
Peninsula Detailers of Burlingame, 717 Woodside Way, 342-3238; open Monday Enough Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wash:: $10.
Wax: $25 flat rate.
Other Services: engine steam-cleaning and spray-glazing ($20).
Comments: Se habla español.
South City. Car Wash Canter, 988 El Camino Real, South San Francisco. 589-1214; open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wash:: cars $3.95; pickups $4.45; vans $4.70.
Wax: $25 to $75.
Other Services: Engine steam-cleaning ($15 to $35); vinyl top dying (about $49).
Comments: Uses men and machines for washing and drying, a compromise in principle . . . and in price.
San Jose Area
Buchanan’s J.B. Auto Clinic, 2310 McKee Road (rear of Texaco station), San Jose, 408 251-7372; open Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wash:: cars $5; vans and pickups $12.50.
Wax: $65 flat rate
Other Services: “600 under water”—a special deoxidizing treatment for car paint using fine sandpaper and water to smooth the finish ($85 to $150); interior shampoo ($25 and up); engine steam-cleaning ($15); oil change, lube and minor mechanical repairs (ask for estimates).
Comments: Owner claims house paint on a car can be made to look like a factory finish.
Bumper to Bumper Auto Detail Shop, 4747 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Santa Clara, 408 247-7373: open Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wash:: $10 flat rate.
Wax: Exterior plus inside “sweep, $50 and up; exterior plus interior shampoo, $75 and up.
Other Services: “Polymerized” protective coating for new cars ($45); tar, tree sap or bird-dropping removal (get estimates). Discounts for insurance work.
House of Ed, 4555 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Santa Clara. 408 219 3887; open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Wash:: $15 to $25.
Wax: $75 and up.
Other Services: interior shampooing ($75 and up); vinyl top cleaning/dressing ($15 half-top, $25 and up full-top); vinyl top dying ($75); engines pressure-washed in hot water but no steam ($25 and up).
Comments: Specializes in classic and antique cars.