Why Your Man Wants A DTG E-Gift Card For The Holidays...

Twenty-three days and counting.  Don't act like you have already finished shopping for your list.  If you're like me, you save the most important ones for last.  So ladies, what have you decided to get your husband, boyfriend, or other man in your life for Christmas this year?  A new tie so you can remind him on Christmas morning of how he has drudge in to work the next day?  Maybe a sweater.  After all, who doesn't love that magical combination of cashmere and elastic to accentuate the extra pounds from the holiday binge.

It's a simple riddle, really.  There are two types of men as we (at DTG) see the world: 

1) those that love their cars, and 

2) the "it get's me from A to B" guys who are only lying to themselves. 

 According to money.bundle.com, the average American spends 72 minutes per day in their car.  That's 312 hours a year (not including any weekend driving).  To further break it down, that is almost 8 work weeks just commuting.  No wonder it's a sty in there.  Combine all that quality time in a confined space with eating, drinking, and sweaty gym bags...and you know exactly why we are here.

Allow me to help you help him, to help you.  Did you get that?  Seriously, how many times have you "suggested" he clean the car over the weekend.  Did it happen?  OF COURSE NOT.  He works hard all week to provide, and on Saturday and Sunday, well there is football and beer.  Sound familiar? (If not, re-read that last part out loud, but use the voice your man does when he's making an excuse-not that he ever would)  And lest we forget, friends, that after the holidays there are still two months of football to go.  Not long after that you'll have more important honey-do's like yard work and spring cleaning.

Let's make it easy. go to the website (detailstogo.com), click "buy gift card," and voila.  Done.  He gets an E-Gift Card from you and loves you.  Also, next time you pick up some friends for dinner you won't be quite so embarrassed about his "automobile hygiene."

We wish you and your family a safe, happy, and memorable holiday season filled with love.

Have You Winterized Your Car?

Ok, it's time to face reality....winter is coming.  While we have been blessed with some fantastic fall weather over the last few weeks, we all know it can't last forever.  With cooler temps in the forecast, what better time to remind everyone to get ready!

What do we mean, exactly?  Well, as discussed in an earlier post (see "Operation: Salt Removal" from February 2011), salt can your paint's worst enemy.  So how can you protect that brilliant shine?  It's actually pretty simple.  We recommend at least an exterior detail before the winter months set in.  The best choice would be to add to the exterior detail (which includes a basic wax/polish) an application of Carnauba glaze.  This natural substance forms a hard, resilient finish that will last longer than a standard synthetic polish, offering months of durable shine.

What else can you do to "winterize? your car?  We also recommend sealing your wheels, as this will help make cleaning all of that salt/brake dust/ice mess off after winter weather.  Outside of cosmetics, here are a few other tips:

1)  Check your tire pressure!  The air inside your tires will contract with colder temperatures, lowering pressure.  Have a professional check to make sure all tires are properly inflated.  Nitrogen, while more expensive, is less susceptible to expansion/contraction.  Proper inflation will also help your fuel mileage!

2) Change to a de-icing windshield washer fluid.  This is a simple DIY task.  You can find a de-icing washer fluid at your local auto parts store- just make sure it is properly diluted if the instructions indicate to mix with water (you DON'T want it to freeze up!).

3) Make sure you have plenty of tread left on your tires for good wet and winter-weather traction.  If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, this is also a great opportunity to make sure the four-wheel drive system is properly engaging, and have the differential fluids checked.

4) Have your mechanic or service center ensure you're coolant is properly mixed.  "Just adding water" can create problems when the temperature drops below freezing.

Hope the impending winter weather is fun and safe for you!

DTG Gives Back

At Details To Go, we like to be able to do our part.  We help several philanthropies each year through sponsorships, donations, and gifts-in-kind.  Just in September, we sponsored the Nashville Youth for Christ Golf Tournament at Brentwood Country Club.  Each tournament player received a $25 gift card from DTG, as well as a reusable DTG grocery bag full of other goodies from the other wonderful sponsors!

October has already been a big month, too.  Twice a year, we help the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 41 (in Williamson County) with their "Shop-With-a-Cop" program.  This is where local police officers take children in need to purchase clothes, school supplies, and even a toy or two with donated funds from the community.  This is a great way for the most at-risk youth to see their local law enforcement in a positive light.  We find this is a great way to give back to the Franklin Police, as they support us with their business throughout the year. (You can donate too, at www.lodge41.org)


And finally, we sponsored the Nashville British Car Club show at Centennial Park on October 8th.  What a fun event!  We got to meet tons of car enthusiasts, and give out lots of goodies.  The proceeds from our sponsorship and all the others involved went to Second Harvest.

And, speaking of Second Harvest, my wife Jocelyn and I were privileged to attend the Harvest Moon Ball Late Party this past Friday evening at the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Details To Go was proud to be a Junior Feeding Hope Sponsor for the event.  The Atlanta All-Stars put on a great musical performance-as usual!  And I want to personally thank Tori Alexander for coordinating such a fantastic event!  Additionally, thank you to Scott and Meg Turner for hosting the Patron's Party in their beautiful home.


If you would like to get involved with some of these incredible local charitable causes, give us a shout or contact us through our website and we'll put you in touch with the right people.

Code Blue!

Don't Panic.  If you've been in to our shop in Franklin, either our current or previous locations, you might have seen a police presence.  Not to worry.  We proudly detail police cruisers for the City of Franklin Police Department.  In fact there are several law enforcement agencies we take care of including the 21st Judicial Drug Task Force, and sometimes Williamson County Sheriff's.  Besides law enforcement, we clean vehicles for Lee Company and Williamson County Schools.


We actually like the added security of a few extra police cruisers around the shop from time to time, and we always go the extra mile to make sure the guys in blue are looking good out on the streets.  Our staff is trained on how to carefully clean around all the special components of a police cruiser, including all of the lights, radios, computer gear, and other electronics.  In fact, in the May 2010 flood, FPD utilized Details To Go to restore several water-damaged police cars so that they could keep them rolling when the city curfew was issued.

These cars are on the road 24/7, every day of the year, so to say they are well-used is an understatement.  Franklin is actually able to run their vehicles much longer than most municipalities because of their excellent maintenance-including cosmetic.  Thanks to the FPD for your business, and stay safe out there!

BMW for Sale!

Hey everyone

It's been a quite a while since the last post, so forgive us as we try to improve our blogging consistency!  At DTG, we get excited about unique vehicles.  In fact that is what sets us apart.  All of our staff members have a true passion for cars.  This week, one of our fantastic regulars Joseph brought in a 2006 BMW M Coupe.

What made this model special (besides that there were so few of them) is that they have the looks of a Z4 convertible up front, but a hard top coupe design in the rear.  Most importantly, however is that pretty little "M" with the tri-color stripes.  That's where it gets its go-fast power from.

Check out the site he made for the car and forward it to anyone who might be interested!

Cars and Boat and Bikes, Oh My!

 This time of year brings a little bit of everything to the detail shop.  Just the other day we saw a great looking boat come in.  And with the warmer weather, we've seen several motorcycles, too.  Bikes are something that seem overwhelming to some.  What can you get wet?  How do you dry it?  Are there special cleaners? 

This Harley Davidson came in for a little love and care this week.  It had some light scratches and scuffs on the fuel tank, and the wheels were black from dirt and corrosion.  Who knew there was chrome under there?  Over the years, we have learned some great techniques for detailing and restoring various models of motorcycles.

In this case, we did a "dry wash," which is sort of a misleading name altogether.  It simply means we didn't soak the bike down with a hose.  Instead, we used what is known as a "quick detailer" product.  It's a multi-purpose solution that can be used as a lubricant for claying and wet-sanding, and also for safely cleaning dust off of a painted surface or glass.  Once the bike is all clean, we get to the fun stuff!

In this case, we removed the seat so that we could clean under it.  We used a light compound on the fuel tank and fenders followed by a high-speed buff and a sealant wax to protect them.  The same "quick detailer" product is used to clean the chrome (which was plentiful on this bike). The seats were treated with a leather conditioner, and the chrome pipes and engine components were polished out.  The highlight of this model Harley, of course is chrome spoke wheels front and rear.  These were a greater challenge due to their condition, so we used a small amount of acid-based aluminum cleaner with a soft scrub pad.  We then polished the rims and each spoke by hand.  Just a special note- never use an acid-based cleaner on polished aluminum as it will dull the finish.  Sometimes chrome and highly polished aluminum look almost identical!


That's enough shop-talk for today...Happy motoring all!

BOAT SEASON!

Did you know Details To Go details boats, too?  In fact, when the business held a Knoxville operation, marine work made up over half of our business!  The first boat of the season rolled in to the shop today...check it out.  This 45' Sonic racing boat was just purchased by its new owner in Texas, and made the drive up to Franklin today.  It is very large, and VERY YELLOW! 

So, what do we do to a boat like this?  Glad you asked.  We will start with a full scrub down from the radar arch down to the bottom of the hull-even the trailer it rides on gets a bath.  Next, we will remove the interior carpets from the bridge area for cleaning.  All of the vinyl seats and trim will be cleaned and conditioned, and the floors get cleaned as well.  This particular boat has a full cabin in the hull which will also get the carpets cleaned, wood-grain trim polished, etc.  Back outside the boat, we will polish and wax the entire fiberglass hull and deck.  The stern and out-drives will get cleaned, too. I can't wait to see this one on the lake this summer!

Rainy Day Detailing

Hi All!

So we are moving at a fast pace here at the new location.  We're waiting for a final electrical inspection before we get completely set up in our permanent space, but we've been working hard to prepare inventory for Carnival Kia this week!

For now, we're set up washing and preparing cars just outside our doors, and we have a temporary home in the service drive to do our finish work for interiors and exteriors.  A million thanks to Chris Bostick and his staff for all their support.  We could not ask for a better place to call home. 

So what does a detail shop do on a rainy day?  Most car washes shut down, but not us!  We actually use this opportunity to roll inventory through for our dealer customers.  Our trucks typically are not out in this messy weather, but we stay home at the shop and  work- just a little more casually!

Car of the Week

We are getting to work quickly at Carnival Kia of Franklin!  We have an important role preparing inventory for the dealership.  We are still taking care of our regular customers, however.  In fact, one of our regulars came in today and brought a very special vehicle.  We love when cars like this come in as they bring lots of attention and lookers!

This car is a Porsche Carrera GT3. Porsche enthusiasts would know this body style as the 996.  It is the predecessor to the current model.  This particular model is outfitted with a full roll cage, racing seats to grip you tightly, racing wheels, and of course extra-wide rubber!  We have special jobs for special customers frequently, but this one was unique.  Because the car is used at the track, bits of melted rubber were stuck all over the front of the car, as well as all the way down both rocker panels and behind all four wheels.

Our techs used a special chemical removal process after thoroughly washing the car.  A quick vacuum and some clean windows, and the car was ready for another track day.  Take a look at the video to appreciate the car.  We certainly did!

Packing Up and Moving Out!

Hey Everyone!  Sorry it's been a while since the last post, things have been crazy around the shop. We are excited to finally announce that Details To Go has moved to our new location as of today, March 1st.  We will still be getting set up and ready to go until about March 15th but we will be able to work out of our new location until we are all settled and ready to show everyone. Without further ado...

Details to go is moving to Highway 96 (Murfreesboro Pike) and partnering with Carnival Kia!  We will be located in the new Carnival Kia of Franklin, which is off of Interstate 65 at Exit 65 (next to Williamson Medical Center).  This was a major blessing for the business and we couldn't wait to share the news with all of our friends, family and supporters.  The physical address is:

1413 Murfreesboro Pike
Franklin, TN 37067

Don't fret!  We will be able to still do mobile detailing as well as service our normal clients. We hope you all will join us in our excitement and follow us to our new location.  We look forward to posting pictures of the space once it's completed.  Also, an open house will be in the works soon!

Spiderwebs!

Spring is trying it's best to bring us warmer weather.  When the winter clouds part, there is your car sitting in the sun. It's not so shiny, and clearly the finish is warn down from all the salt and grime.  And while you may not want to admit to us that you went through the drive-through car wash a couple times, you know it is horrible for your car's finish!  In fact, it is one of the leading causes of this very topic...spiderwebs.  When the bright sun hits your  car, you notice something.  It's very peculiar, and it wasn't there last summer.  It looks like a spiderweb over the paint, doesn't, it?

Now what?  You wash your car and it's still there, but even worse now that the dirt is all gone.  It's like a kaleidoscope gone bad!  So how do you fix it?  Well of course we recommend bringing it to us, but we don't really have any secrets here.  While we do not recommend trying this on your own car, we'll share the process with you.

The severity of the "spidewebs" determines our approach.  For the mild, we can often use a wax/polish combination (preferably Autglym's Radiant Wax Polish) with just a low-speed orbital buffer to condition the clear coat back to it's proper gloss.  If that is not enough, we may use that same product with a high-speed rotary buffer.  The buffer is set to a lower speed, typically between 1800-2000 rpm's.  Carefully and evenly, we go over the entire vehicle.  The friction of the high-speed buffer with a light-cut foam pad creates ust enough heat to force the clear cloat to lose its defects.  This creates a smooth and glossy surface.  Once completed, we use soft microfiber towels to wipe down the paint, and we will offer to apply a protective sealant, (our favorite is Autoglym's HD Wax) for additional resistance to corrosion and sun-damage.  Happy driving everyone!  Expect more to come on paint blemishes and how we conquer them...

Location Update!

Hey Everyone!

I apologize for the hiatus this past week.  It's been very hectic around the detail shop.  A month and a half of snow followed by a week of sunny and seventy degrees makes for a lot of cars to wash!  So the big mystery as of lately has been where will Details To Go call home starting in March?  The good news, my friends, is that we have agreed on a new location.  It is going to give us great flexibility, and we're expecting increased business as well.  Sometimes things just have a way of working themselves out.  Jocelyn and I are very excited to make the announcement later this week.  You didn't think I was going to just spill all the beans right now, did you?  Can't wait to see everyone at the new shop.  We're planning an open house already!  Make it a great week.

Mommy Mondays

Alright, ladies.  This is my Valentine's present to you.  I promised there would be some specials posted on the blog, so here goes.  You may or may not know around 65% of our retail customers are women.  The other 35% are usually sent by their wives!  Many of these women are coming in because the kids have done a number on their vehicle's interior.  Well, worry not!  We actually can get all those french fries, peanuts, cheez-its, and cheerios out from between the seats, in the cracks, and yes, we can clean out that sticky cupholder!.  Oh, and that bottle of milk that spilled?  You're not alone, and yes we can get rid of that smell!

So what's this good deal?  Starting today, moms can get 15% off any detail package (Interior, Exterior, Reflections, or Concourse) on Mondays through the end of March.  You can call or schedule online- just mention Mommy Mondays.  We will only have this deal at our shop (it just costs too much to send a mobile truck out at a discounted rate), but we will be happy to drop you off in downtown Franklin, or we can pick your vehicle up if it's not too far!  For package and pricing info, visit http://www.detailstogo.com/.

Don't forget to tell other moms you know!!

Operation: Salt removal

This year has been one of the worst winters I've ever seen in middle Tennessee.  It seems like we've had snow once a week since Christmas!  The snow usually starts as a beautiful white wonderland.  Soon, however the salt trucks hit the streets.  You know what comes next.  Our cars are covered in a gray film of thick salt and brine.  I have new for you, my friends:  it's worse than it looks.

It's so important to remove that stuff as soon as you can.  That corrosive sodium chloride is not a good match for a glossy paint finish.  Over time, it can dull and corrode your finish.  The solution?  Not-so-complicated.  A simple thorough wash does wonders.  Of course, I don't mean a drive through gas station wash.  Those will likely leave you unhappy, and your car even more so.  The thing about that salt that coats your car is that what you don't see is just as important as what you do see.  That salt solution has a way of caking up on the undercarriage, around the frame rails where it can promote rust. It can work its way into the seams where the body panels meet up on your vehicle.  And don't get me started on the wheels, wheel wells, and the rubber trim that surrounds your windows!


A hand wash with some high pressure (like what you might find at Details To Go ;) is the answer.  This is only the first step.  A premium polish and wax is next.  This will revive your paint's finish and provide protection for the next few rounds of winter weather.  The other thing that's crucial is a discerning eye that can spot paint chips that have occurred over the winter.  Left exposed, those paint-less freckles on your car's finish will quickly turn brown with car-cancer.  It is not uncommon for us to offer a paint touch-up to "heal the wounds" from rocks and other debris that have marred a car's finish.  We recommend forking over the unreasonable prices for the dealer's matching paint, and then we'll apply it for you.  (What can I say, they just match better.)


That's all for now.  The weather forecast is for a week of sunshine.  I have a feeling there is a line of cars forming down Columbia Ave. right now....

Rare Find!

First of all, I need to thank my wife (and now business partner) Jocelyn for helping create the new blog.  Also, thanks to our new followers!  We've had 6 followers join in just 12 hours!!  Now on to today's post...

Last week, we had a piece of automobile history roll right in to our shop on Columbia Avenue.  I am a bit of a car junkey, as are some of our staff, so we were naturally excited.  It was a 1954 Hudson Super Jet.  This car kind of gained a bad reputation as the car that killed Hudson.  That, however, was not really fair to this little gem of a car.

It was referred to as an engineering masterpiece by Road and Track magazine when it debuted.  It was quick, reliable, and well, kind of ugly compared to its competition.  At a cost of just under $2,000, it was more expensive than rival Chevy's and Fords.  It also featured short, stubby body lines and a in-line 6 cylinder engine, where the other Detroir-produced cars were low, long, lean, and powered with big V-8 motors.

Now looking back, it's a cute car, and a working piece of history.  Seeing and working on these vehicles is what inspires us!  We love that our customers trust us with their prized cars.  So here's the questions:  What is your favorite classic car?  Feel free to leave your comments!

Location! Location! Location!

Hey Everyone!  There are some new and exciting things happening with Details To Go in 2011 so we thought we would start a blog to share all the wonderful news!  First things first, new location!  We're currently in the works on finding a new location for the business which we hope to announce soon.  Unfortunately, we've lost the lease on our current location on Columbia Ave. in Franklin.  Our mobile service will still be available as well. 

Be sure to check out our AWESOME coupon special for our Reflections Package for $69 at www.qponday.com.  Qpon Day is a locally owned franchise that works just like Groupon or Living Social.  The owner Dan is promoting this as a Valentine's Special.  He has several great offers from other local companies, too!

That's all the updates for now, but watch for more to come.  We plan to offer some great how-to articles, special offers, and some insight in to the science and technique behind what we do.  Thank you so much for your support over the years.  We look forward to this new chapter with you at DTG!