Automotive in Elfers

With soaps, waxes, clay bars, and shampoos in tow, S.O.S. Mobile Detailing’s technicians make house calls to cleanse dirty vehicles. They offer five different packages to accommodate all states of filth. Basic wash packages include an exterior wash, scrub, and tire shine, and full details use clay bars, hand waxes, and rim polishes to get cars glowing inside and out. In addition to detailing packages, S.O.S. also offers hard-water spot-removal treatments and engine cleaning.

Gussying up rides at locations in 15 of the continental states, Tuffy Auto Service Center's technicians perform full-service auto repairs backed by lifetime and nationwide warranties. In addition to keeping cars running smoothly with preventative maintenance services such as oil changes and tire rotations, the staff performs full-service repairs, including overhauling worn-down brakes, noisy mufflers, malfunctioning engines, and ingrown windshield wipers. Other services include alignments for off-kilter wheels, which promote better gas mileage, and tune-ups, which ensure such components as the fuel injectors, ignition system, and spark plugs are in ship-shape.

When Brian McInerney reflects on the humble beginnings of Wheel Fun Rentals, he points to his childhood passion for bikes. "As far back as I can remember, I had a real love affair with bicycles," he recalls. During a trip to Italy in 1987, Brian's affinity for cycling blossomed into a full-fledged obsession when he spotted locals' transporter of choice, the surrey. Inspired, he began importing the Italian four-wheelers to a rental business in the U.S. that eventually expanded into Wheel Fun Rentals, now a nationwide web of shops that also loans out bikes, electric cars and mopeds, and man-powered watercraft. Adventuresome athletes can also compete in activities such as surrey scavenger hunts and blindfold obstacle courses navigated via shouted instructions from a seeing teammate or exceptionally long rounds of trial and error.

Since its inception more than 30 years ago, Just Brakes has expanded from one auto shop to more than 160 outposts across eight states. At every location, ASE-certified technicians maintain vehicle safety with the standard brake service including a lifetime warranty on parts, labor and platonic love. Though their specialty is brakes, the techs also perform routine maintenance and repairs such as oil changes, factory maintenance services, batteries, belt replacement, and fluid services.

Hudson Tire’s talented technicians restore motor mojo and smooth handling to road-weary wagons. After dispatching dingy, contaminant-ridden oil, techs infuse vehicular veins with up to five quarts of a fresh synthetic oil blend. Aging oil filters are similarly swapped for new, clog-free oil sieves. A tire rotation moves talkative rear tires to the front of the class before computerized wheel balance will correct uneven individual tires that can cause vibrations at certain speeds and during the rinse cycle. Before reuniting man and Miata, vehicles are probed with a 14-point inspection to ensure the roadworthiness of brakes, shocks, lights, and more.

Ready to rinse seven days a week, Blue Lightning Car Wash's three-minute automatic The Works wash whittles away road-acquired dirt and grime from car carapaces before reassembling showroom shines with a buff and polish. As autos hopscotch through the tunnel, watery blasts sweep dirt from their exteriors, underbody rinses disentangle below-level grime, and high-pressure wheel blasters and Wheel Brite applications groom curb kissers for sprints toward the mall’s last parking spot. After a spot-free rinse wishes suds bon voyage, a triple Lightning buff and polish pampers paint and reinstalls reflective luster along the hull. Windshield glass welcomes a Rain-X water-repellant treatment, which maximizes driver visibility in rainy weather. Free vacuums wait at the end of the line, eager for their opportunity to sniff out debris, crumbs, and the molted skins of old fuzzy dice.