How to detail in a slow economy?

August 19th, 2008

The Detroit area economy is the worst that it has been in a long time.  I’ve been getting a lot of local detailers asking if I had any ideas on how they might drum up more business.  My answer is “Express Detailing”.  Just because it is called “express” doesn’t mean a sloppy job.  A lot of SKILLED detailers hate the words “Express Detail”.  The reason?  An Express Detail makes the car look good without any paint correction where as a skilled detailer wants to correct the paint and remove all of the scratches and make the paint perfect.  Does that person needing a detail to sell their vehicle or trade it in really want to pay for a correction?  Does that guy downt he street who washes his cars with a dirty rag off his garage floor really need perfect paint so he has a fresh canvas to ruin next week?  No.  Sure, if you market yourself for high end details and live in a market where you can make a living doing only high end details than more power to you.  But if you live in an area where you can not find anyone wanting to pay for skills you might have no choice but to offer Express Details.

Now, Express Details don’t have to be garbage, and I prefer that no detailer looks at them that way.  Instead, look at it as giving the customer what they want at the best value.  Think about what your customers really want.  Are they looking for perfection or just a clean car that shines?  Is that guy in the Ford Taurus really looking to have a flawless car or does he just want a clean car with some protection on the paint?  I’ve been doing tons of Express Details this year and it sames both the customer and myself time and money.  Below I have summarized my Express Routine:

  1. Wash the vehicle, including wheels and tires.  This includes a bug and tar remover.
  2. Dry vehicle
  3. Apply Danase Wet Glaze using a random orbital buffer on a medium speed and light polishing/finishing pad.
  4. Remove Danase Wet Glaze
  5. Clean Glass using a glass cleaner
  6. Apply Danase Tire Dressing to the tires.
  7. Clean interior glass
  8. Vacuum interior
  9. Wipe down interior vinyl, rubber, and plastic with Danase Nu Look
  10. Wipe down any leather with Danase Leather Rx

You’ll be surprised at how many customers will be more than satisfied with this routine.

However!!!!  Educate your customers!  Let them know what they are paying for and what you are doing.  Educate them on the difference between an Express Detail and your $300 3 step polish detail.

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The 3,000 Mile Oil Change Myth

June 17th, 2008

Taken from http://www.greencar.com
The 3,000 Mile Oil Change Myth
By Bill Siuru


According to a recent study by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, 73 percent of California drivers change their oil more frequently than required. This same scenario no doubt repeats itself across the country. Besides wasting money, this translates into unnecessary consumption of $100-a-barrel oil, much of it imported.

Using 2005 data, the Board estimates that Californians alone generate about 153.5 million gallons of waste oil annually, of which only about 60 percent is recycled. Used motor oil poses the greatest environmental risk of all automotive fluids because it is insoluble, persistent, and contains heavy metal and toxic chemicals. One gallon of used oil can foul the taste of one million gallons of water.

It’s been a misconception for years that engine oil should be changed every 3000 miles, even though most auto manufacturers now recommend oil changes at 5,000, 7,000, or even 10,000 mile intervals under normal driving conditions. Greatly improved oils, including synthetic oils, coupled with better engines mean longer spans between oil changes without harming an engine. The 3000 mile interval is a carryover from days when engines used single-grade, non-detergent oils.

For several years, automakers like General Motors, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have installed computerized systems that alert drivers via an instrument panel light when it’s time to change oil. As an example, the General Motor Oil Life System (GMOLS) analyzes the engine temperature, rpms, vehicle speeds, and other driving conditions to calculate the rate of engine oil degradation. Then, software calculates when the oil needs to be changed. Other systems work similarly.

Because of the many external conditions and parameters that have to be taken into account, calculating the precise maximum service interval using mathematical models alone is difficult. Now, Daimler AG has developed a more direct and precise way to monitor oil quality directly on board a vehicle.

Daimler uses a special sensor integrated into the oil circuit to monitor engine oil directly. Oil doesn’t wear out, but rather dirt and impurities cause oil to lose its ability to lubricate properly, dictating the need for a change. Daimler uses the oil’s “permittivity,” that is, the ability to polarize in response to the electric field. If the engine oil is contaminated by water or soot particles, it polarizes to a greater extent and its permittivity increases. To evaluate the quality of the oil, permittivity is measured by applying an AC potential between the interior and exterior pipes of an oil-filled sensor to determine how well the oil transmits the applied electric field.

Because not all impurities can be measured with sufficient precision via the electric field method, Daimler also measures the oil’s viscosity to detect any fuel that may have seeped into the oil. Daimler researchers measure viscosity while the vehicle is in motion by observing the oil’s side-to-side motion in the oil sump. The slower the oil moves, the higher its viscosity. This movement is registered by a sensor and the viscosity is calculated on this basis.

A single sensor, along with the information already monitored by on-board computers, is sufficient to determine the various parameters of the engine oil. Daimler will likely use the technology first on its commercial vehicles. Here, large oil reservoirs mean larger quantities of oil can be saved. Plus, a predicted 25 percent increase between service intervals and reduced downtime will be of interest to fleets, and thus justify the added cost of installation.

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Honda FCX Clarity

June 16th, 2008

Honda rolls out new zero-emission car

By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA – 1 hour ago

TAKANEZAWA, Japan (AP) — Honda’s new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.

The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.

Japan’s third biggest automaker expects to lease out a “few dozen” units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.

Among the first customers are actress Jamie Lee Curtis and filmmaker husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris, film producer Ron Yerxa, as well as businessmen Jon Spallino and Jim Salomon.

“It’s so smooth,” said Harris, who played villainness Marie Warner on the hit TV show “24″ and was flown over by Honda for the ceremony. “It’s like a future machine, but it’s not.”

The FCX Clarity is an improvement of its previous-generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, introduced in 2005.

A breakthrough in the design of the fuel cell stack, which is the unit that powers the car’s motor, allowed engineers to lighten the body, expand the interior and increase efficiency, Honda said.

The fuel cell draws on energy synthesized through a chemical reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen in the air, and a lithium-ion battery pack provides supplemental power. The FCX Clarity has a range of about 270-miles per tank with hydrogen consumption equivalent to 74 miles per gallon, according to the carmaker.

The 3,600-pound vehicle can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.

John Mendel, executive vice president of America Honda Motor Co., said at a morning ceremony it was “an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars.”

The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity’s release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its website but could only consider those living near stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.

Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a statewide network of hydrogen stations, but progress has been slow.

The state has also recently relaxed a mandate for the number of zero-emission cars it aims to have on roads. By 2014, automakers must now sell 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a reduction of 70 percent.

Spallino, who currently drives Honda’s older FCX and was also flown in for the ceremony, said he will use the Clarity to drive to and from work and for destinations within the Los Angeles area. The small number of hydrogen fuel stations is the “single limiting factor” for fuel cell vehicles, he said.

“It’s more comfortable, and it handles well,” said Spallino of Redondo Beach. “It’s got everything. You’re not sacrificing anything except range.”

The world’s major automakers have been making heavy investments in fuel cells and other alternative fuel vehicles amid climbing oil prices and concerns about climate change.

Although Honda Motor Co. was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota’s popular Prius.

Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.

Honda also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.

Toyota has announced that it would launch a plug-in hybrid with next-generation lithium-ion batteries by 2010 and a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle later in Japan later this year.

U.S. carmaker General Motors Corp. plans to introduce a Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicle in 2010. It also introduced a test-fleet of hydrogen fuel cell Equinox SUVs.

Honda has no plans for a plug-in electric vehicle. President Takeo Fukui said he does not believe current battery technology is good enough to develop a feasible car.

The company has not revealed how much each car costs to make, and it is unclear when, or if, the car will be available for mass-market sales. Takeo has set a target for 2018, but meeting that goal will depend on whether Honda can significantly lower development and assembly costs as well as market reaction to fuel cells.

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Top 10 Tips for Improving Your Fuel Economy

June 12th, 2008

Top 10 Tips for Improving Your Fuel Economy
By Tara Baukus Mello

*Taken from Edmunds.com

Filling up is a fact of every driver’s life, but for some drivers it is a necessary evil. If you are one of those people who gulps every time you have to fill up your vehicle, there’s good news: there are some simple things you can do to improve your fuel economy no matter what type of vehicle you drive.

Monitoring your average fuel economy regularly is a good idea, too. (Some vehicles have a handy computer that computes this for you.) If you notice a significant change, then something has changed with your vehicle.

Here are 10 things you can do today to get better gas mileage right away.

  1. Follow the Recommended Maintenance
    A vehicle that is well maintained means it will operate with greater efficiency. This not only improves your overall vehicle performance, but it will improve your fuel economy as well. Fouled spark plugs, a dirty air filter or clogged fuel filter will all affect your fuel economy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), replacing a clogged air filter can increase your mileage by 10 percent, while replacing an oxygen sensor could result in an improvement as high as 40 percent. Proper maintenance also means using the right octane gas and the recommended grade of motor oil. Using the recommended types for your vehicle will give you optimum fuel economy — and can save you money as well. Check your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s recommendations and have maintenance performed regularly by a dealer or reputable mechanic.
  2. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated
    Underinflated tires require more energy to roll, which translates into more frequent fill-ups. You can improve your fuel economy by about 3.3 percent if you keep your tires inflated properly, according to the DOE. The psi number noted on the sidewall of your tires is the maximum pressure of the tire and is not the proper inflation level for your car. Your vehicle manufacturer will list the recommended tire pressure in your owner’s manual or a sticker on the doorjamb of the driver-side door. Buy a tire-pressure gauge and check your tires monthly, adding air as necessary.
  3. Take a Load Off
    Heavier vehicles require more energy to move, so carrying around excess weight will also affect your mileage. Empty out your trunk (or even your backseat) of unnecessary items. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk will reduce your fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent in the typical vehicle. If you have a roof rack or roof carrier, install it on your vehicle only when absolutely necessary. Not only does the carrier add extra weight, but it also increases the aerodynamic drag on the vehicle, which further contributes to a loss of fuel economy.
  4. Don’t Drive Aggressively
    We’re not talking road rage here, but the type of driving many people do when they are in a rush. Mashing the accelerator pedal from a stoplight, braking hard and speeding all contribute to a decrease in fuel economy. Give yourself extra time to get to your destination and think “steady and smooth” as you drive. On surface streets, driving at the speed limit will give you mostly green lights, which improves your gas mileage as well as reduces the wear on your brakes. On the highway, the DOE says that every 5 mph you drive over 65 mph represents a 7-percent decrease in fuel economy.
  5. Use the Highest Gear Possible
    Cars are designed to start in the lowest gear possible because that’s where they have the most power, but that power translates to an increase in fuel consumption. To improve your fuel economy, drive in the highest gear possible when you are cruising at a steady speed, such as on the highway. If your vehicle has an automatic transmission with a “sport” mode, it’s most likely that this is a computer program designed to shift later (and therefore keep you in a lower gear longer). While this gives you greater performance, driving in “sport” mode will also decrease your fuel economy.
  6. Use Cruise Control — Selectively
    Using cruise control can improve your gas mileage by helping you maintain a steady speed, but only if you are driving on mostly flat roads. If you are driving in hilly terrain, using cruise control typically causes your vehicle to speed up faster (to maintain the preset speed) than it would if you were operating the accelerator yourself. Before you push that cruise control button, think about the terrain ahead.
  7. Think Clean
    Keeping your car washed and waxed improves aerodynamics and therefore affects fuel economy. Engineer Tom Wagner, Jr. reported to Stretcher.com (as in stretching your dollars) a 7-percent improvement in fuel economy, from 15 to 16 mpg, during a 1,600-mile road trip.
  8. Avoid Excessive Idling
    When a car is idling, it is using fuel, yet not going anywhere. This translates to 0 mpg. When you leave your car running while you are waiting in line at the drive-thru, or as you wait outside your kids’ school, you are wasting fuel. It is more efficient to turn the engine off while you wait and then restart the car. If that’s not practical (like in the line at McDonald’s), then park the car and go inside instead.
  9. Think Before You Vent(ilate)
    Running your air conditioner does cause your vehicle to consume more fuel, but driving with your windows rolled down can be even worse due to the increase of drag on the vehicle. If you are driving slowly, such as around town or in city traffic, then you are better off leaving your windows open, if at all possible. For highway driving, roll up the windows and turn the air conditioning on.
  10. Combine Your Errands
    A little planning can make a big difference in fuel economy. When your engine is cold, it uses more fuel than when it is warm. Combining errands can improve your gas mileage because your engine will be warm for more of the trip. It might also mean you travel less total miles. According to the DOE, several short trips all begun with a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a single, longer trip that covers the same distance.

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Gas Prices

May 29th, 2008

Am I the only one getting sick of people complaining about gas prices?  We don’t have it THAT bad in the states compared to other countries.  Heck, it was over $5 per gallon in the Cayman islands when we where there and it was about $3 in the states at the exact same time.  I get sick of hearing people complain about the gas prices while driving aimlessly around in there 12 mile per gallon trucks and SUV’s.  When the gas prices really started to soar I choose to do something about it rather than complain….We traded in our F-150 for a Fusion for starters.  I bought a new bicycle and started riding my 70 miles per gallon Kawasaki Ninja 250 motorcycle more often.  These people that complain drive me nuts because they are usually the ones at fault.  The ones that complain about gas for their huge trucks that never have more than one person in it, the ones that drive their gas hogs on a 15 minute commute, the ones that could or SHOULD be riding a bicycle or walking and so on and so on.  Buy a  motorcycle or scooter if the walk or bicycle ride is too far!  You can get a Honda Rukus for under $2K!  Imagine how much you’d save in gas!  The ones that REALLY get me are the boaters who complain about prices of gas on the water.  Like having a boat is a necessity and they can not live without it.  If gas prices are upsetting you that much sell the boat you idiot!

That is my complaint on people complaining. ;)

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General Motors purchases Ren. Cen.

May 9th, 2008

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Corp. said Thursday that the shaky real estate market convinced the automaker that it was a good time to buy its previously leased headquarters in downtown Detroit’s towering Renaissance Center for $626 million.

GM revealed the May 1 purchase in a filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. GM says it paid $626 million cash for the headquarters and $200 million cash for two office properties in nearby Pontiac.

GM moved its headquarters from Midtown Detroit to the Renaissance Center in 1996 and sank $500 million into improvements to the complex, originally built by Ford Motor Co.’s real estate arm in the 1970s.

At the time, GM decided to finance the project with loans and lease the building from the lenders, GM spokeswoman Renee Rashid-Menem said Thursday night. She said the lease expired May 1, and GM decided against renewing it.

“We opted to purchase it outright because of the condition of the real estate market,” Rashid-Menem said.

Rashid-Menem said such leases from banks are “a pretty typical arrangement when someone buys a large piece of property.”

As real estate conditions change, GM would consider reselling the building and entering another lease agreement, she said.

The Renaissance Center opened along the Detroit River in 1977. The $350 million project was spearheaded by Henry Ford II in an attempt to revive downtown Detroit following the 1967 riots. A recent makeover is part of a $1 billion private-public investment in the city’s riverfront.

©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

rencen

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Ford shows $100M Profit!

April 24th, 2008

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/24/news/companies/earns_ford.ap/index.htm?cnn=yes

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. surprised Wall Street on Thursday with a $100 million profit in the first quarter as strong results from Europe and South America helped offset the impact of a slumping U.S. economy that cut car and truck sales in its main market.

The company also said Thursday its latest round of early retirement and buyout offers netted 4,200 hourly workers, fewer than Ford had targeted.

Ford says it earned 5 cents per share in the January-March period. The No. 2 U.S.-based automaker lost $282 million, or 15 cents a share, in the same period last year.

Excluding special items, the company said it made $525 million after taxes, or 20 cents per share. That beat Wall Street’s expectations. Thirteen analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had predicted a loss of 16 cents per share.

It was Ford’s first profitable quarter since the second quarter of 2007 when it made $750 million. Ford reported a full-year loss of $2.7 billion last year, and it cautioned that the rest of this year will be tough.

“The remainder of 2008 will be a challenge but we are cautiously optimistic despite the external challenges,” CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement. “Our plan is working.”

Ford also lowered its industrywide U.S. vehicle sales forecast for the full year to a range of 15.3 million to 15.6 million. In January it had expected full-year sales of 16 million.

The profit came despite a $45 million pretax loss in Ford’s core North American automotive market. That was an improvement over a $613 million loss in the year-ago quarter, driven by $1.2 billion in cost reductions.

Company spokesman Mark Truby said Ford may offer additional buyout and early retirement packages on a plant-by-plant basis to further reduce its blue-collar work force.

Ford (F, Fortune 500) reported first quarter revenue of $39.4 billion, down from $43 billion a year ago due to the sale of its Jaguar-Land Rover and Aston Martin units. Excluding the sale, revenue would have been up slightly, the company said. To top of page

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Forbes list top gas guzzlers

April 16th, 2008

Taken from www.ClickOnDetroit.com
What autos are the least fuel efficient? It turns out that the cars that’ll take a bite out of your budget for fuel costs are also likely to catch some stares of admiration as they’re tearing up the road. And those family-focused haulers can also take a chunk out of our income if you find yourself behind the wheel often.Forbes.com has compiled a list of the least fuel efficient autos, based on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.If you park a Jeep Grand Cherokee in your garage, you probably spend quite a bit at the local gas station. The V8 version of this auto gets a mere 11 miles per gallon on city streets and only 14 miles per gallon while on the highway.

Many people work full time as they get the business off and running, said Tom Harbison, deputy district director of the Small Business Administration in Iowa.

“There is a good deal of security that comes with keeping your job,” he said.

About 200,000 of the more than 260,000 small businesses in Iowa have sole proprietors, and it makes sense for many keep their day jobs, Harbinson said.

Four in 10 young people said they would like to start their own business someday, according to a poll by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a Kansas City, Mo., nonprofit group that fosters entrepreneurship.

And 37 percent of the young people surveyed believe starting their own business is a possibility.

Steady income and medical benefits, however, remain top barriers for starting a small business. Regular, full-time employment can mitigate those issues.

Telling your boss about your new venture is a decision facing each business owner. Harbison advises finding out whether your employer has a policy about this, and consider whether there is a conflict of interest.

“Doug knows that I have this business to run,” Mayfield said of the owner of American Dream Machines, which buys and sells classic cars. “He knows I have my life tied up into it. My money is on the line for it, and he appreciates that, because he is in the same boat.”

The flexibility and understanding of co-workers “is kind of huge,” Mayfield said. “They want to see this work for me.”

Working while starting a business also allows the business owner to start small and grow slowly, Harbison said. This can be a benefit for the business and business owner.

“I like taking small steps - thinking it through, making the right decision and then executing it,” said Mayfield, who hopes to double Shine’s client base over the next two to three years and expand delivery to workers downtown.

The biggest problem of starting a business while holding down a job: Time. “You have to be careful not to overlap,” Harbison said.

Mayfield, a father of three boys, said the amount of time and energy it takes to start a small business was the biggest surprise: “It really consumes your life. It becomes like a fourth child.”

Karen Mracek can be reached at (515) 284-8531 or kmracek@dmreg.com

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