Base Car Wash
The Base Car Wash is located at the corner of Scott and Davis Drive. Four bays and two vacuum stations are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bay four is large designed for washing RVs and buses. The wand wash system provides bubble brush soap, tire and engine cleaner, and wax for nominal fees. Vending machines have Armorall, glass wipes, and chamois cloths. Tokens are available for purchase the Arts & Crafts or Auto Hobby Centers. Squadrons may purchase tokens on IMPAC to wash official vehicles.
Auto Hobby Services
The Auto Hobby Shop provides customer-driven instructional programs to enhance individual life skills that are offered in a safe, well-equipped environment using expert instructors.
We offer:
- Vehicle Pre-Inspection Save yourself a lot of time and money. Schedule a pre-inspection of a vehicle before you
buy it! Let our experienced mechanics do a thorough check-up. It could be the best $25 you ever spent. - Lift rental The Auto Hobby shop rents their lifts out to those who prefer to do their own vehicle maintenance. Call us for rates or see our price list.
- SA vehicle preventive maintenance The Auto Hobby Shop is authorized to conduct preventative maintenance on the 300 General Services Administration vehicles in the Charleston area. For drivers who wish to utilize Auto Hobby Shop services, fleet maintenance includes oil and filter changes, wiper blade replacement, generalized tire services and on-base roadside assistance. The Auto Hobby Shop also provides Emergency On-Call Service for GSA vehicles on evenings and weekends.
- Mechanical Work done on a case-by-case basis - Contact Manager
- Drive on lifts with center jacks
- Oil change service
- Tire mounting and balancing
- Brake lathes to turn rotors and drums
- Stalls equipped with fully loaded mechanic's tool box
- Full range of tools available for check-out
- Recycling program and welding services
- Wide range of machine shop services available
- Valve grinder and hot-dip tanks for cast and aluminum
- Air conditioning re-charging/recycling machine - R134 only.
- We make keys!
- Night Owl/Early Bird Drop-Off Service
- Drop off your keys and car at the service box located on building 635 (in the driveway of the Auto Hobby Shop), we‘ll do the work and call you when your car is ready.
- Roadside assistance
- Did you know that the Auto Hobby Shop provides a $20 on-base Roadside Tire Changing and Jump Starting Service? Program 963-4942 in your cell phone and call our staff for assistance on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 am to 5:30 pm and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 8 pm
- Headlight Cleaning
- Plastic headlight lenses turning yellow causing you to have trouble seeing at night? Just $40 per set. The Auto Hobby Shop can clear your problem right up. Compare the difference! Call 3-4942 to set up an appointment. FREE car wash with headlight cleaning service during the month of November! Call x-4942 to schedule an appointment to make your headlights SHINE!
before and after headlight treatment
Roadside Assistance
- Buying a used car without having it pre-inspected by a professional may end up costing you more than you bargained or budgeted for in the deal. Before handing over the check, have it checked out by the experienced technicians at the Auto Hobby Shop. For $25, they will do a nose-to-tail checkup on your prospective purchase. It could be the difference between getting a peach of a deal or getting stuck with a lemon. Call 963-4942 for more details.
Auto Hobby Center
The Auto Hobby Center is also located in the Arts & Crafts Centeron Stewa rt Avenue. Qualified We offer top notch service for less! Mechanics are on staff to assist do-it-yourself customers with car care needs. The Center is comprised of 11 indoor stalls with five vehicle lifts and nine outdoor overhaul stalls for long term work. Machine shop services include brake rotor and drum turning, valve jobs, flywheel turning, hot dipping and sandblasting, bearing work, battery charging, and tire balancing. The staff perform wheel alignments, auto air conditioning evaluation and recharge for both R-12 and R-134 systems, and pull codes for engine troubles. Compare our price list and make your appointment today. Oh, and we make keys, too!
Environmentally conscious, the Center is part of the Santee Cooper GOFER (Give Oil for Energy Recovery) program. Charleston AFB do-it-yourselfers contribute more than 6000 gallons of oil per year to the program through the Center's site. The oil-recycling site is located within the Center's gate and can be used during operational hours. Please do not leave containers at the gate when the Center is closed. Other recycling efforts in the Center include oil filter crushing, antifreeze, and freon. Recycled antifreeze is available for a nominal fee.