By Micky Baca
Contributing Writer
GRAFTON – Cars have changed a lot over 43 years, but Victor Catacchio’s passion has stayed the same. Catacchio enjoys making customers’ vehicles – dulled by day-to-day demands, dings, and dirt – look like new, inside and out.
More than four decades ago, Catacchio began detailing cars at his brother’s used car lot. He “got hooked,” and since then, he has cleaned and polished more than 30,000 cars and motorcycles at his business, Catacchio Auto Detail in North Grafton.
It’s a steady service that affords him a living and keeps him very busy.
But his biggest reward is making people happy: “I like the expression on peoples’ faces when I am done with their car,” he said. “It’s a good feeling.”
Making cars, motorcycles shine
Catacchio was a “kid” when he started detailing. He found he was good at it, and people kept coming back for more. He has always been a car enthusiast and “a motorcycle nut,” he said.
Today, Catacchio Auto Detail has more than 150 regular customers that often come back twice a year, and the company also works with several car dealerships. A hands-on owner, Catacchio has preferred to maintain a two-man shop over the years staffed by him and his son-in-law.
Catacchio also details a lot of motorcycles, which need special care to maintain their varied materials and features.
Many people don’t really know what detailing is, thinking that the service includes merely washing cars inside and outside. It is much more than that, Catacchio said, beginning with a deep clean, extracting dirt from rugs and the interior with an industrial-strength machine, and tackling scratches and contaminants that dull paint.
The result: “It’s like a new car. It really changes your whole attitude,” he said.
The company also offers a service that includes a ceramic coating that protects the car’s exterior and makes it look like glass.
While Catacchio’s job has remained the same, the chemicals, tools, and techniques used to detail cars have changed over the years as materials used to build cars have evolved.
For example, he has replaced the traditional rotary buffer with an oscillating one that has a smoother result. Steam has replaced soap and water to clean interiors. And, as Catacchio noted, hand-rubbing the exterior with a clay bar works wonders for cleaning and removing scratches and dullness.
The secret to success
So how do you keep a business thriving for 43 years when even major car manufacturers have faded into history? “Do a good job and treat people right,“ Catacchio said.
Being consistent and keeping prices reasonable are key.
“I’ve gained respect and trust from a lot of people who are comfortable bringing their very expensive cars to me,” he said. “Be consistent. I think that is the biggest thing you can do when you own a business. People can count on you.”
Catacchio has no grand expansion plans. He likes the status quo, the relaxing ride to work on one of his three Harleys, and tending to each customer and service detail himself. When he isn’t working, he spends time with his five grandkids.
