Hawthorne Automotive

Every 5–10 minutes, complimentary shuttles embark on the brief jaunt from Fox Auto Parks to Los Angeles International Airport and vice versa. Before jet-setting or anxiously herding geese off the runway at LAX, located just 1.5 miles away, passengers steer their own autos into spots or pass off the duty to valet attendants free of charge. Guests depart serenely, knowing security employees, video surveillance, and a secured gate will keep a watchful eye on vehicles.

Since the parking lots stay open 24/7, customers arriving back at LAX can call for a shuttle to their car at any hour, waiting only 10 minutes, roughly the amount of time it takes to build the bus. Fox Auto Parks ensures carefree homecomings by offering free battery jump-starts, tire fills, and AAA assistance for keys locked in cars.

For more than 25 years, the Startronics team of technicians has tinted glass, integrated audio systems, and customized rides for drivers in the greater Los Angeles area. Nowadays, it continually updates its technological prowess, offering everything from a full stereo overhaul to the installation of iPod-integration devices. Its services use brand-name products such as 3M window films, Hertz Audio's Italian-made speakers, and Samsung GPS devices, which can help vehicles find their way to the out-of-the-way service station hosting that week's car-motorcycle mixer.

The human hand serves as the trail scout for every detail package at Express Hand Wash, forging ahead to clear away surface dirt and residue so that wax, conditioner, and Armor All can have a clear path to the paint. Technicians can treat cars to a quick bath, or they can deliver a full detail, during which they dress cars in wax, condition the interior leather, and steam the engine so that it sweats out the diesel oil it drank while partying with 18-wheelers.

The detailers at Car Spoil Spa harness the power of quickness and precision, finishing meticulous hand-wash and detail services within a speedy time frame. Equipped with microfiber towels, they whip vehicle interiors and exteriors into shape using old-fashioned elbow grease and equipment-aided techniques such as clay-bar polishing (for an extra fee) and steam cleaning. Cars can roll in for bath time via the shop’s pickup and drop-off service or welcome a mobile detailing crew (for an extra fee) to their own driveways, parking spaces, or buggy garages.

At Handy J Car Wash, newly gleaming rides slip back out into traffic. Their windows take on the cold shimmer of a mountain lake, and bodies undergo a beautiful transformation like a butterfly becoming a proper gentleman. The technicians watch the cars leave, returning tire dressing, yellow carnauba wax, and Scotchguard to their storage places.

Torrance Car Wash pampers steel steeds with full service car washes or speedy express lanes that douse exteriors in grime-busting suds. During full-service washes, car owners relinquish their wheels to expert drivers who lead cars through an intense bath before toweling them dry, making hoods sparkle like they had been bathed in fairy dust and dried by a million fluttering butterfly wings. Next techs vacuum interiors, dust dashboards and consoles, and clean wheels, topping off the car’s spa day with a polish wax and clear protectant.