What to do, what to do....

[Martins]

I am at the point where i am starting to look at getting my IBA replaced and am running into a few things I'm trying to decided on and what your opinions. keep in mind what i need is.. well.. everything. unit, pay station, doors, install etc. so keep this in mind.

Here are my options, (be brutally honest with me please as i am trying to make the right financial decision as well as fiscal decision)

First option is, i have a line on a USED laserwash 4000, loaded with dryers and a used paystation. would be installed with all new sensors, nozzels etc. (pump stand, tanks, stainless steel bridge.) would be roughly 4-6 months ish before i can get it installed. no doors. installed $50,000.

Or do i go with a complete new set up.

Spoke with PDQ, got a rough est. on a new loaded laserwash 360 with dryers. installed with air doors, system, new paystation etc. roughly $230,000 installed. 5-6 month lead time

Also spoke with a razor rep today. no hard numbers as of yet. but a new razor unit (not sure which one to choose) wash select 2 paystation, not air doors but slide strip curtain doors. installed (not sure on dryers yet) but can have it in 4-6 weeks

I have a small bay. 11ft tall, 28.5 long, 15.9 wide, door opening 7.8 wide.

Thoughts? unit preference? i would like to stay touchless. I really want a Petit however i cannot afford it at this time and it wont fit most likely haha. obviously the used unit is the best bang for the buck however. i know its a older unit, so I'm not sure even with all new parts, how long it will actually last before major repair is needed.

I originally thought was get the used unit, make some money then use that money to get a new unit. plus this will let me know if wash will support a iba and actually make money rather then cost me money.

On the flip side...

I've always been a firm believer in do it/buy it once not twice. which is why I'm going down this new unit rabbit hole. plus I'm also a believer of new and shiny the customers love it! but painting and dressing up the used unit may do the same thing. i don't know i guess I'm torn.. I've been updating this wash for over a year now, and I'm at a point where the next step is either gonna make some money or flop. the used unit i can pretty much pay cash for, the others i will 100% have to finance. or take the cash and find another car wash to buy... lol

Thoughts, comments, opinions, questions.

 

[Waxman]

Buy a brand new razor for several reasons. Increase throughput, broad customer appeal, reliability, factory support, excellent user interface, well thought out design

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Regarding doors, either get an Airlift (or similiar) or don't get them. If you're referring to Sliding verical strips like a freezer door, you're going to gain all the headaches of a door without all the benefits.

New is nice but if this an unproven site , refurbished may be the way to go. A 4000 is pretty old but they are simple, proven and do a good job. You can make it look much newer with either new covers or vinyl. Our second busiest site is still running 4000's. We had rotting steel bridges that I replaced a few years ago with stainless ones I bought USED. Put new gear boxes and motors in before install, all new prox cables, proxes and festoon cables. There are a few tricks you can use to speed the machine up to get 12-14 cph and deliver a hot wax or ceramic product and get a high $ ticket. It all depends what you're more comfortable with... worrying if the machine will break down or worrying if the machine will pay for itself.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

Ask every salesperson if they require you to buy their soap to get them to come out to service the unit...even if under warranty. If they say no, get it in writing. There are still a few running around playing that game.

I have a pretty good hunch who you're talking to.

 

[New Washdog]

I personally would shy away from older used equipment like the pdq 4000, due to it's age. That being said remember install does not include electric and plumbing changes. Is your wash busy enough for a $240K spend?

 

[STXCW]

Agree with the above post, with the current supply chain issues. It's a matter of time before those old components will become obsolete.

 

[Rodj]

I would add the Blastoff system(Previously known as the X-Stream) towards your considerations based on the features you get for the price. I like to think of it like a Petit but with 0 degree turbo nozzles.

 

[Martins]

Also just to give ya’ll some ideas of what im working with..

 

[Martins]

Ask every salesperson if they require you to buy their soap to get them to come out to service the unit...even if under warranty. If they say no, get it in writing. There are still a few running around playing that game.

I have a pretty good hunch who you're talking to.

haha not sure which one you mean? haha but yes Matt is the one with the used unit we've been talking about it for a bit trying to decide what to do. but that is good info. i didn't think about that.

 

[Martins]

I personally would shy away from older used equipment like the pdq 4000, due to it's age. That being said remember install does not include electric and plumbing changes. Is your wash busy enough for a $240K spend?

That is where i am at a cross roads. when i took this wash over.. it was making maybe 20-30 per day. it was run down, half the stuff didn't work. etc. so i did a 90% overhaul. increase prices and added functions and the place is buzzing now! (well.. compared to what it was lol) even though i still think sales are lower then what im sure most others do, it is finally starting to make some money! i told myself once i saw sales hit 6k+ per month i would start looking at getting the iba re open. I've also had a lot of inquires on when it would be open again also.. however i know 6k is not tech "alot" in sales, but with 4 other SS, 1 tunnel, & 5 other iba systems within a 5 mile radius of mine i think its doing ok. but i feel like I'm leaving money on the table having it shut down. that's why I'm here now trying to make the right decision.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Believe it or not, we still run 5 of those Southern Pride Turbos. You can upgrade them a little bit, add signs, lights etc., re-do that ACW with Cryptopay/Tap-n-pay and make money. Our average ticket with those is over $12 and you won’t have a massive investment to worry about. If it really starts to take off, the investment in the ACW and dryers isn’t wasted.

 

[Martins]

Believe it or not, we still run 5 of those Southern Pride Turbos. You can upgrade them a little bit, add signs, lights etc., re-do that ACW with Cryptopay/Tap-n-pay and make money. Our average ticket with those is over $12 and you won’t have a massive investment to worry about. If it really starts to take off, the investment in the ACW and dryers isn’t wasted.

This is an old hydro spray unit. looks to have been gutted when i bought it so i took the tower down, getting the rest cleaned out here soon i hope. haha i had a few people come out and look at it to see if it was worth trying to.... well.. anything.. haha everyone said trash it. :/ the pay station is basically... useless, and the wash pack for the unit has been Frankenstein together and stripped for other systems in the wash... that i have now replaced with new because i was sick of fixing the previous owners rigging.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

haha not sure which one you mean? haha but yes Matt is the one with the used unit we've been talking about it for a bit trying to decide what to do. but that is good info. i didn't think about that.

I've probably personally seen and used the 4000 he's talking about and know where it has been stored. Typically I would recommend staying away from used equipment but you have to decide for yourself. If you're really uncertain an auto would make you money then the used machine would probably not be too terrible of an idea -but- if it does turn out to be money maker then you're spending the same money twice. At least you know Matt will make sure the thing works well because we both know he hates having to fix the same thing twice.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

If you want to re do it on a budget I'd buy a nice used Wash Select II and a new Ryko SoftGloss or Radius. I wouldn't mess around with a used machine.

 

[Martins]

If you want to re do it on a budget I'd buy a nice used Wash Select II and a new Ryko SoftGloss or Radius. I wouldn't mess around with a used machine.

i feel ya.. unfortunately neither of those will fit in this bay.. I'm limited on what will/wont fit.

 

[thecasino5]

I personally would shy away from older used equipment like the pdq 4000, due to it's age. That being said remember install does not include electric and plumbing changes. Is your wash busy enough for a $240K spend?

Hi! Just wanted to chime in and ask in your opinion how many cars/avg price per car a day would constitute a IBA to be busy enough to spend 240k?

 

[Rfreeman]

Personally I think your going about this wrong....is your site busy enough to justify an iba? Just bc one was there doesn't mean you should go back with one. Are there people in line in your ss bays that you need to wash more cars? Overall since you rehabbed the since has business been climbing month on month year on year?

Sure it's a different a market segment to a degree but like you said in your own words....I think this might be a make or break decision and if your not stacking up cars in your ss bays I would wait or not do it at all.

My first wash was 5 + 1 thay had been foreclosed for 3 years. Only 1 ss bay worked. I first fixed all the ss bays and vacs business picked up quickly. Every time I was at the wash customers would ask about the iba so installed a softgloss and it does well.

 

[washnshine]

You will not get the longevity out of a used machine and will be at this point again much sooner that you probably will want.

Buy once, cry once!

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

You will not get the longevity out of a used machine and will be at this point again much sooner that you probably will want.

Buy once, cry once!

I agree I had a calapidated. Southern Pride Turbo got it running in 2011 instailed a used 4000 shortly after it's going on 9 years old instailed it used wish I would have instailed a razor would have gotten way more Life at the time I was 21 yrs old trying to figure it out now I am 33 and still don't know what I am doing. I do know the 4000 parts are getting harder to buy and the input and output cards you can't buy. I would try to buy new even if it's the cheap razor the XR7. I went through same thing PM me any questions

 

[jack954]

another way to look at it depending on how many cars you do and what your financial situation is. if you were to borrow 200k for 10 years at 4.5% your payment would be 2,072 per month. based on having a new system and everything else in our lives going up in price you should be able to raise all your packages up by at least $2. if you wash 10,000 per year you would make an additional 1,666 per month. at this rate a new automatic almost pays itself off. if you plan on keeping this wash you will be glad you did it. i have a new razor being installed as we speak, i am going from $8,9,10,12 to $10,12,15,18