The other day I ran into the guy who owned the first tunnel I worked at when I was a teenager in the 70's. It made me think back to how we were cleaning cars back then. He had a Hanna brush tunnel with wrap arounds opposing van brushes,a cloth curtain, overhead brush and rockers.
The blowers had impellers that seemed the size or a small jet airplane and the air was moved through the system with three-foot diameter galvanized steel pipes.
There were two wands (dragged along the side of the car as it passed by)which operated the pre rinse and foamers; and final rinse and wax. Everything was on all the time - blowers, water to all the brushes, every component, except those two arches. Two solution foamers applied soap to the upper half of the car, and 95% was rinsed off prior to any contact with a brush. 100% fresh, ice cold, hard water. Two metal drums - one for soap, one for wax - dropped a tube in each and didn't look back until it was empty.
Forget computers or pos systems - we had an on, wax, roller up and off button. I think a wash was $2.50 and wash and wax was $3.00.
I know there are a lot of guys on this forum that have been involved in washing and manufacturing much further back in time than this, but that is my first memory of the business.
Mike
The blowers had impellers that seemed the size or a small jet airplane and the air was moved through the system with three-foot diameter galvanized steel pipes.
There were two wands (dragged along the side of the car as it passed by)which operated the pre rinse and foamers; and final rinse and wax. Everything was on all the time - blowers, water to all the brushes, every component, except those two arches. Two solution foamers applied soap to the upper half of the car, and 95% was rinsed off prior to any contact with a brush. 100% fresh, ice cold, hard water. Two metal drums - one for soap, one for wax - dropped a tube in each and didn't look back until it was empty.
Forget computers or pos systems - we had an on, wax, roller up and off button. I think a wash was $2.50 and wash and wax was $3.00.
I know there are a lot of guys on this forum that have been involved in washing and manufacturing much further back in time than this, but that is my first memory of the business.
Mike