WHY CHOOSE A REAL DETAIL SHOP OVER A "MOBILE DETAILER"
1. THE WEATHER: The elements frequently force mobile detailers to race against getting overheated from the sun or freezing in the wind. Rain, of course, forces work to stop. The little canopies used just aren't sufficient cover. It is essential that waxes and polishes are applied in the shade when the paint is cool.
2. EQUIPMENT: To be mobile, the equipment and tools are not the full sized professional versions that are heavy and cumbersome to repeatedly load and unload. Plus the real versions take up precious cargo space in a mobile vehicle. Smaller, less powerful versions of steamers, air compressors, vacuums, etc. compromise quality.
3. LOCATION: You won't have to worry if the detailer will show up or be late- or leave a mess in your driveway. You won't have to worry about who you are inviting to be around your home. Instead of the potential issues in doing the detail on location, we offer the benefits of a real shop without sacrificing convenience. If you need a ride back to your home or work we are happy to give you a lift. We can even pick up and deliver your vehicle for free in most cases. The Wax Shack wants you to have the best of convenience AND provide you with the best possible detail with the finest equipment available.
Let The Wax Shack give your car the attention it deserves with over 40 years of professional auto detailing in Austin, TX!
REAL AUTO DETAILING
Whether your ride is a Chevy or a Ferrari, The Wax Shack will make your car look showroom new again! Yes, we really do use Q-Tips!
YES, THAT'S REALLY GEORGE.
He started his training early! And he has personally detailed enough vehicles that if you lined them up bumper-to-bumper on I-35 they would reach from Austin past San Antonio! All of our detailers are thoroughly trained and have years of experience.
THE MOST EXPERIENCED DETAILERS AVAILABLE IN AUSTIN
Real family business, real service, real attention to detail!
When we say family business, it's for real! We have been in business since 1982, and our team includes the owner's daughter, his son, his son's wife, and his grandson- so we are doing our part to Keep Austin Local! The owner has personally detailed enough vehicles that if you lined them up bumper to bumper on I-35, they would stretch all the way from Austin to San Antonio! We offer the most experienced staff in town, some who have been with us for over 30 years, with the same owner since we opened over 40 years ago, and he still trains each craftsman who works on your car and works on them himself. We use only the finest products and most thorough and advanced cleaning processes available. The wisest investment you can make in your car's value is in its appearance- studies show that this is the single most important consideration determining the value of your car. Whether you are selling your car or just want to fall in love all over again, we promise you a better-than-new, showroom worthy vehicle. And you get the added bonus of knowing you are supporting a real, local family business where a percentage of the profits are donated to charity and taking care of our customers is the number one priority!
OUR COMPLETE Q-TIP DETAIL
Your car can look showroom new again!
THE PEOPLE
The first secret to the Wax Shack Q-Tip Detail is the people who are doing it! We are a family business that has been around for over 40 years and every person who works on your car is a highly trained technician paid as a skilled worker- never minimum wage employees. We care about your car!
THE EXTERIOR
*Your vehicle is meticulously hand washed
*Unlike other shops that charge extra (a lot extra!) for paint correction, every complete detail at the Wax Shack includes buffing so your car always leaves looking it's best. And true to our reputation for being above industry standard, we use not a 1 or 2 step buffing process, but 3!
1- Surface scratches and swirl marks are polished away with a high speed buffer
2- Paint is polished a second time with an orbital polisher to get a perfectly smooth finish and a deep shine
3- Paint conditioner and feeder oils are buffed into your paint with a dual action polisher to achieve the envied Wax Shack "wet look" or "mirror finish". Many people don't realize that just like your skin, your paint loses it's moisture (in the form of feeder oils) over time and that moisture needs to be replenished. Otherwise it dries out and the result is oxidation and cracking, much like dry skin. Replenishing that moisture is critical to maintain healthy, vibrant paint- especially here in Texas! And slow, generous buffing with a dual action polisher and high end feeder oils is the real secret to the envied Wax Shack Wet Look finish.
*Your vehicle is then hand waxed with REAL wax (that means 100% carnauba, folks) to seal the shine and add depth and protection
*Your wheels are meticulously polished by hand and protected to resist brake dust and road grime
*Your tires are cleaned and conditioned with "sling free" protectant
*Your trim and chrome are polished to a brilliant shine (even tail pipe extensions) at no extra charge
THE INTERIOR
*Your carpets and seats are professionally cleaned to remove spots, stains spills, and odors. We actually shampoo both carpets and seats, then extract them to truly eliminate stains. We never just run a steam wand over them to sink stains further in.
*Your headliner is cleaned to remove spots and odors (that's the fabric on your ceiling).
*The door panels and dash are shampooed and conditioned with UV protectant. You'll get to choose whether you want a natural matte finish, a medium gloss, or a high gloss.
*All of your gauges, vents, dials- every little nook and cranny- are Q-tipped to remove dust and build up and conditioned with a special automotive detail brush made of horsehair
*There is no extra charge for leather, which is very carefully cleaned with a gentle pH-balanced cleaner, then conditioned with very high end products containing aloe and natural oils to keep your leather supple and healthy.
*Touch screens are carefully cleaned with Mother's ReVision Touchscreen Cleaner.
*Even the door jambs are cleaned and waxed
*The trunk area is always included and is shampooed just like the rest of the interior.
BLACK CAR PACKAGE
Our High Performance upgrade to make your black vehicle stunning!
When our owner started detailing all those years ago he knew that if he could make a black finish look amazing that the other colors would be a piece of cake. For 30 years he has been developing the perfect process for making even a black finish look perfect, wet, and swirl-free, and you'll be amazed at the result!
We offer a special upgrade package for black cars to give them the extra pampering they require to look their best.
CLAY BAR TREATMENT
This upgrade provides the ultimate in finish preparation and deep, wet results!
What a Clay Bar Treatment is not:
1. It is not a wax or protectant of any kind.
2. It is not a way to remove scratches or swirls.
3. It does not add needed nutrients (conditioning oils) to the finish.
What does a Clay Bar Treatment do for your car?
Remember when you first brought your new car home and it's finish felt like glass when you ran your hand across it?
Then time and the environment did their thing:
1. Tree sap falls on almost every car in the Austin area and dries there leaving little bumps across your finish.
2. Rail dust embeds in your finish. These are very small hot metal filings that come from trains as the metal train wheels rub against the track. The nearer your car is to a train the more rail dust you accumulate. These tiny flecks of metal rust quickly, and usually look like small orange spots in your paint.
3. Insect droppings... yes, they poop, too! These first appear as tiny yellow or amber dots and darken to brown within hours.
4. Paint Overspray- see our Overspray Removal page as this is a more extensive process.
All of these contaminants combine to make your paint feel rough or bumpy. They also cause little pits to form beneath if allowed to stay for too long.
The Clay Bar Treatment removes these problems safely and your paint regains its glassy smooth feel. This makes a much easier surface for sealants and/or waxes to adhere to.
This is achieved by spraying the finish with a lubricant then repeatedly rubbing it with our clay bar, gently lifting out contaminants as they adhere to the clay in a completely non-abrasive process. This leaves the finish silky smooth (it's actually noticeably smoother to the touch!) and opens up the paint to accept more of the feeder oils that we buff into the paint later in the process, similar to cleansing your pores before using a moisturizer.
The result is a finish that not only is undamaged, but healthier, having been deeply cleansed with the clay process and thoroughly rehydrated, showing off the envied Wax Shack “wet look” with a deep, glossy finish.
An added benefit is that the smoother your surface is and the more saturated with oils, the longer your car will stay clean and the easier it will be to wash!
HEADLAMP RESTORATION
Polishing and sealing your headlamps to enhance nighttime visibility, as well as enhancing the appearance of your car.
Looking for professional headlight restoration in Austin, TX? The Wax Shack can restore your headlamps for a fraction of the cost of most places! We want all of our customers to drive safely even at night, so we offer this service at a deeply discounted rate. Banish the fog from your headlamps and you'll be surprised how much better you can see at night!
This service can be performed while you wait a la carte, or as part of your Complete Q-Tip Detail while your car is already here. We will gently polish away fading, oxidation, crazing, yellowing, and haze so that your lamps look as new as possible and you have maximum night visibility. Then we UV coat them so that the results last as long as possible and your lamps are sealed and protected!
One of the most difficult tasks to achieve in the auto detailing industry is a truly deep wet gloss for a white vehicle. Other colors look amazing when properly polished and waxed but not white cars... until now!
The Wax Shack uses specific gloss enhancers manufactured for white paint. Then that is sealed in with the highest gloss wax that we have found to give your white vehicle that wet, lustrous look that car owners crave.
White Car Package
NEW CAR PROTECTION PACKAGE
Protect your investment
The ultimate protection package to give your brand new car the protection it deserves- at a fraction of the cost of the dealership sealants and packages! Get your new car off to the right start. Designed especially for brand new vehicles. If you are looking to get your pre-loved car looking new, please see the Complete Q-Tip Detail Package at the top of the page.
On brand new cars, our Protection Package includes the following:
*Hand washed
*Swirl marks removed (yes, almost all new cars have already acquired swirl marks from improper washing at the dealership)
*Exterior protectant applied- your choice of hand paste carnauba wax or a polymer paint sealant
*Upholstery and carpets Scotchgarded
*Wheels protected
*Leather conditioned with aloe and natural oils and protected with a UV protectant
*Conditioner and UV protectant applied to all vinyl and plastic surfaces
CERAMIC COATINGS
The single most important factor when choosing the company to install your ceramic coating is experience. Do they have the paint correction experience to get your paint as close to perfect as possible before it is sealed in for years? Will they be in business should you need warranty work down the line?
The Wax Shack has been in the paint correction and protection business for over 38 years and will be here for decades to come as we have three generations of paint correction professionals to make your vehicle look its best and keep it looking its best!
Our ceramic coatings provide previously unachievable gloss and protection for your finish. We offer a variety of coatings, with warranties anywhere from 2 - 9 years depending on your goals. We install several major brands, including the original ceramic coating GTechniq, as well as CQuartz and others.
A ceramic coating at The Wax Shack begins with our full paint correction and preparation process. We hand wash your car, then polish it to perfection and saturate the paint with feeder oils and conditioners so that when we coat the finish it's well moisturized and has a deep shine and we're sealing in those oils to keep it healthy. Then we install your ceramic coating of choice, which is a 24 hour process. In order to assure a dust free and flawless finish, the owner has a hand in every ceramic coating himself.
DIAMOND COATING PAINT SYSTEM
Our show car finish now available to the public!
For the first time ever, The Wax Shack is offering its exclusive award-winning show car finish to the public. This finish consistently wins awards at car shows of all kinds, and now you can show if off on your car, whether it's a garage queen or a daily driver.
Our Diamond Coating Paint System is the highest level of pampering and protection you can give your finish. This finish is truly in a class of its own. If you're looking to take your vehicle to the next level, look no further. For the deepest black, the most brilliant blue, the most captivating red, the pearliest white, the most vibrant colors, there is no alternative.
The depth of shine is unparalleled- you'll be able to see a noticeable difference- and people may just stop you at the gas pump to ask what in the world you do for your car. In the past, if you created a bright, laser-sharp shine you had to sacrifice depth and liquidity. If you went for maximum depth and wetness, the shine was softened. Our diamond Coating looks like a liquid wetness that ripples on the surface while still allowing the depth and energy of the paint to radiate through. We've applied our Diamond Coating to virtually every color of paint out there, and have yet to find a color that didn't turn heads- and maybe create whiplash- after treatment.
But more importantly, the protection it provides will outperform and outlast anything else available. The mile-deep, mirror-like results will last and last, thanks to the most advanced polymer protectants available. Then those polymers are topped with a high end carnauba wax for the best of both worlds. It's a finish that is simply unlike anything you have ever seen before, with unmatched durability and unbeatable optical quality. It also includes a state-of-the-art UV-40 sunscreen for the ultimate sun protection to ensure your vehicle stays looking brilliant and vibrant.
PET LOVER'S PACKAGE
Extra deep cleaning and special protection for your pet-friendly vehicle!
Is one of your frequent passengers a pet? We love pets, too! In fact, George (the owner of The Wax Shack) has a household that includes three dogs, three cats and two horses (although the horses never ride in the car).
Your interior will leave The Wax Shack smelling and looking like new and we do it without using fake fragrances that just cover up odors. We use a natural shampoo formulated to eliminate pet odors and enzymatically break down organic matter and then re-clean the surfaces to remove any residue of that product so that it doesn't attract dirt in the future.
SEAT REMOVAL UPGRADE
Do I need to have The Wax Shack remove my seats and console before detailing my interior?
We recommend this upgrade when you have spills around your seat area to be certain that we can access the areas under the rails and remove every last bit of the spills. This is also beneficial when your interior is heavily soiled. You'd be amazed at what we find under there!
CODE V PACKAGE
Road sickness, stomach bug, or partied just a little too hardy? Our Code V Package is for you. We must confess we borrowed that term from Disney theme parks. When you hear it announced on the loudspeakers- now you know what it means!
Our Code V Package includes our full interior detail and then takes it to the next level to include enzymatic treatment to destroy biological debris, hot water extraction that extracts from deep within and disinfects as it cleans, and treatment with an ozone shock generator to permeate every crack and crevice and ensure that all odors are thoroughly neutralized and won't return. We even guarantee the odor removal!
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
"The Wax Shack keeps my fleet of Antique Limousines looking brand new!
I have used them for years and wouldn't trust anyone else!"
-Sam Basset, owner of Antique Limouisines of Austin
"Well, let me ask you this; do you want your car to look like it just got washed at the gas station? Or do you want it to look like newer than when it rolled off the lot? My truck came back looking like it had been coated in diamonds and wrapped in mirrors. The wax job was so good, it blew my mind."
-Colton K., Yelper
"I thought 'Real Auto Detailing' was just a slogan- but I actually watched them go over my truck with Q-Tips! They really do DETAIL the car- it was a completely different experience from those big car washes."
and from another visit:
"My used, new-to-me car now looks new to everyone!"
Kent T., Yelp
SHOP HOURS
Our shop is open 9am - 4pm Monday through Saturday. Phone hours are 7am - 7pm daily.
Mon: 9am - 4pm
Tue: 9am -4pm
Wed: 9am - 4pm
Thu: 9am - 4pm
Fri: 9am - 4pm
Sat: 9am - 4pm
(unless UT is playing football!)
Sun: 9am - 4pm