Dry N' Shine Questions

[GCAS]

Does anyone have any experience with the Motor City Wash Works "Dry N' Shine" machine? I am designing an EE wash and my goal is to have customers that purchase the top washes have a super dry vehicle along with the somewhat buffing effect. I know in times past the problem with these machines is the accumulation of dirt in the fabric and transferring to other vehicles.

Can anyone chime in on the use of this machine or the Sonny's "Buff N Dry" machine? Are they really worth the investment? Does the use of fabric really help enhance the shine of the vehicle after applying an in line polish of a wax? Would adding this machine really be a competitive advantage against the competition. Thanks all.

 

[robert roman]

If you are designing a plant, you may want to first learn about chemistry and process before selection and placement of equipment.

For example, hydrophobic products like Rain-X online and Hot Wax and Shine are designed as spray-on, rinse off.

If you examine the OEM product brochures none of the marketing packages contain a friction polishing unit.

After going through a couple of washes with dry & shine, I’d say it’s primarily a drying aid.

 

[washnshine]

Check out this thread:

http://www.autocareforum.com/showthread.php?11955-Buff-N-Shine&highlight=buff+and+dry

posts #4-8 seem to address your question.

 

[GCAS]

Thanks Bob. I understand the drying but I was looking more for more shine enhancing effects of it. From your experience is it worth taking a hard look at?

 

[Earl Weiss]

I'd be interested in hearing from someone with 100K+ cars on it and hear about maintenance, especialy need to clean material.

 

[robert roman]

“….but I was looking more for more shine enhancing effects of it. From your experience is it worth taking a hard look at?”

As for enhancing shine of online protectant, I see no proof of this from personal experience and I have not read any evidence or studies of such claims.

On other hand, I have read studies that provided evidence that closed-cell foam brushes actually shines the paint as it cleans it.

Online protectant with carnauba in it is not like hard, paste, cream or liquid wax.

For example, some detailers still apply express wax with orbital buffer and then buff off by hand with microfiber towel.

Supposedly, the wax is “buffed in” and removes light marring or micro-swirls in paint. We did this when I detailed and own and operated car washes.

Today, Meguiar’s makes an express liquid cleaner/wax that goes on with a sponge and buffs off with microfiber towel that leaves absolutely no powder, dust or smears.

Takes half the time as using orbital, looks better and last twice as long as old formula.

If online buffing unit would enhance hot wax or similar, I would suspect chemical OEM would offer the unit rather than let competition take away business.

Simoniz claims hot wax and shine and paint sealant system reduces the need to hand wax to the push of a button.

I find the hydrophobic online products like rain-x, hot wax, etc. work as advertised. Works like wax, no rubbing required.

 

[JimmyJaffa]

We have 2 Dry N' Shines at our washes with over 200,000 on them. Little or no maintenance to cloth except automatically washing it every 2000 cars. Delivers a dry car what it touches, our customers love it. Works great on cars and standard pickups except for Ford windshield wipers (they have a unique bend in them). Not good on jacked up pickups, any manufacturer, does not like bike racks, or add on carriers to a standard luggage rack or vertical windshields. the guide on person needs to pay attention.
As to how we feel about it, we are adding it to our new wash that will be opening in a couple of weeks.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Please describe "automatically washing" Does that mean there is an automated process or you just do it?

If you do it what is the process? Is material removed from the hubs, put in a washer etc. or what?

 

[JimmyJaffa]

Automatic washing means that after we close, the equipment will spray a cleaning solution on the cloth, and then spin dry ready for work the next morning, pretty cool function. Taking the material off the hub would not in my opinion be automatic washing but manual, similar to the rotating chamois drying curtains.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Jim,

It was / is a question of semantics and not grasping your meaning.

Frankly, I am surprised that automaticaly spraying on a solution and letting it spin dry works. Weh my tunnle cloth gets dirty I need to take it down, let it soak and throw it in a washer. With over 200K washes your system has worked over 100 times so that is a tesament to either it's efficacy or regularity. (I may wash the cloth that survives every 100k Cars