Top 5 improvements/ upgrades last 5 years

[SSadmiral]

Wandering what top 5ish improvements everyone's made in the last 5 years.

I have a Coleman 5 in 1

- new reclaim unit /pur clean 60 gpm
- new meter doors with bill acceptance and rotory knobs. ( had swipe in clean PBC boards )
- raised my treadle eyes up 2" so small tires wouldn't roll back off lip of plate during wash and shut it down.
- on ww2.0 put a 1" hp swivel going from wall to boom so hp hose doesn't blow out every six months
- switched ac2005 from quarters to $1 tokens.

 

[jimbeaux]

Two washes combined

Installed new D&S IQ with dryers
Installed new through the wall vendor
Installed dog wash
Built new rock garden/flower bed
installed new more efficient lighting
New signs

 

[Washmee]

In the last 18 months I have;

1. Installed new 6'x8' digital message board.
2. Added new Peco soft foam Top Brush.
3. Purchased new gas fired hot water power wash unit for new offsite heavy equipment cleaning contract.
4. New pickup truck for offsite cleaning contract.
5. Upgraded to new model server and handheld PPT's from DRB Systems.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Bill Acceptors in Bays
Credit Card acceptors in Bays
"Bubbler" unit for Tunnels.

 

[Waxman]

1. cryptopay cc acceptance in ss bays
2. added used car sales to business model; big help in extra revenue, plus it is mostly fun.
3. switched to powdered soap; touchfree and self serve. awesome idea! thanks to soapy and bigleo for the push.
4. drilled a 600' water well for carwash.
5. adding paintless dent repair (bought tool kit; just need time to practice).

 

[2Biz]

1. Changed all Metal Halide Fixtures over to CFL's
2. Changed all vac timers and added Mercury Relays along with 24v power source
3. Redesigned and Installed a 199K BTU High Efficiency Takagi Demand Heater for Floor Heat replacing a 350K BTU Jarco Boiler
4. Installed a 199K BTU HTP High Efficiency Stainless Steel Hot Water Heater replacing a 350K BTU Jarco Boiler
5. Added Tri Foam, Spot Free Rinse, Washer Fluid Blow Down, and re-plumbed the nightmare Mark VII Pump Stand....

Ok...So all mine wouldn't fit into (5)....I have more!

 

[washme1]

Replaced D&S Quicksilver with Wash World Razor
Installed Airlift Alaska doors on 5 self service bays with operators on 3 busiest bays
Shut down other 2 self service bays and placed sign in clear panel w/Velcro during extremely cold weather
Added Cryptopay CC acceptance in self service bays
Hired a part time attendant

 

[SSadmiral]

Wandering what top 5ish improvements everyone's made in the last 5 years.

I have a Coleman 5 in 1

- new reclaim unit /pur clean 60 gpm
- new meter doors with bill acceptance and rotory knobs. ( had swipe in clean PBC boards )
- raised my treadle eyes up 2" so small tires wouldn't roll back off lip of plate during wash and shut it down.
- on ww2.0 put a 1" hp swivel going from wall to boom so hp hose doesn't blow out every six months
- switched ac2005 from quarters to $1 tokens.

Nice to see what everybody is doing and what is most important to us!

Forgot to add
- wobble head
- Ww2.0
- Biggest change went from .75 vac to 1.25 and bays $2 for 3:30 to $3 for 4 min also shaved down my Iba time by minutes on all cycles and raised Iba prices 40%

All of this went into effect in jan. And so far so good. I read on here along time ago that we're not in this for goodwill it's a business and comparatively speaking our profit margins suck. I did something about mine and it's killing no complaints! Yes I have a website for those

God speed gentleman

 

[SSadmiral]

Anybody add a detail service that's subbed /leased land out on their lot ? I can see this being huge in my market but have no clue how to detail and have extra lot space.

Also thought about ice water machine

 

[Waxman]

no but we have operated a detail shop since early 1990's.

pm me if you'd like

 

[cdreed06]

1 Installed Belanger Kondor
2 Installed Cryptopay
3 Installed bill acceptors in bays
4 Changed Rowe changer to Mars acceptor
5 Replaced drop shelf vendors with glass front vending machine along with soda machine
All in under 3 years. We have seen a improvement with every upgrade.

 

[dewey9876]

New 3 motor vacs with bill acceptors - $2.00/5 1/2 minutes no complaints doubled income
Changed all exterior lighting to LED - looks great save on electric -electric company helped pay for them
Added Express Pay Terminal with Fast pass (still have one attended lane)
Sound system outside at Vac area - cheap and easy
Tire shine machine - added tire shine to top wash increased wash prices at same time.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Interesting that with all the replies so far only 2 mentioned raising prices after all the improvenments.
This could be a microcosm of our industry.
After all these years in the car wash business some things never change...NOT RAISING PRICES.
My family has been in the full service car wash business since 1956.
The FS price was .50 Mon-Fri, Sat.-Sun. .75.
If you could find one I believe the self servs were .25.
One thing my Dad use to say is that the price of a car wash generally correlated with the price of a mans haircut.
That mostly held true till the late 1980s.
A guys haircut is A LOT more than a wash today and the capital outlay is nothing like ours.
In nearly 60 years.

 

[cdreed06]

JMMustang, we kinda raised prices and I didn't mention it. We raised in 2 increments, first went from quarter start with quarter being worth 45 seconds to .50 start with each quarter still worth 45 seconds to now being $1 start with it still 45 seconds per quarter. So didn't really raise prices but raised start so we didn't get so much mess for just a quarter.
That is really cool that your family has been in the business so long.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Not sure of time line but it may have been within the last 5 years I added on line Tire Shine and Rain X and created a new top package.

 

[Waxman]

Interesting that with all the replies so far only 2 mentioned raising prices after all the improvenments.
This could be a microcosm of our industry.
After all these years in the car wash business some things never change...NOT RAISING PRICES.
My family has been in the full service car wash business since 1956.
The FS price was .50 Mon-Fri, Sat.-Sun. .75.
If you could find one I believe the self servs were .25.
One thing my Dad use to say is that the price of a car wash generally correlated with the price of a mans haircut.
That mostly held true till the late 1980s.
A guys haircut is A LOT more than a wash today and the capital outlay is nothing like ours.
In nearly 60 years.

i'm always raising prices!

going from $2 to $3 startup in SS.

top iba wash is $12

raised detail shop pricing in 2014 too.

 

[tdlconceptsllc]

I have done the following at my site in less than 2 years.

Installed a Laserwash & Dryer with Washworld upgrades new WashSelect 2

WashWorld Power Towers

Extrutech Wall Paneling

All TSS Sign package LED entrance

TSS Menu Board also
Installed Camera System

SS Credit Cards with Air Shammy"s

7 Fully Refurbished Fragramatic Vacuums last month to mint condition.

New Hamiltion Changers with Mars Validators. for SS

All New Florescent Bay Lights and replaced some pole lights also.

New Automatic Canopy & Repainted Carwash

Switched To all Armorall Professional Chemicals

New Menu SS Bay Signs

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Pride-Carwash/231647943556095