Opinions on Car Washes Please
06-13-2017, 04:05 PM
#16
Race Director
I took a long trip in my Turbo S over the last week and as I was getting ready to return home when I realized that car was filthy dirty. It had rained the day before, it was a desert area, etc. and consequently the car had a lot of surface dirt on it.
Normally I wash the car by hand. However, that wasn't feasible here, so I was tempted to do the "automatic" thing. I looked around and my choices were 1) just drive car home dirty; 2) have someone hand wash the car; 3) send it through the automatic machines (where the car gets dragged through the machine, but with the brushes); 4) use a "touch-less automatic system (where the car also gets dragged through the machine, but with no brushes); or 5) use one of the wand spraying systems.
I didn't like options 1 or 2, for various reasons, and I would never let an automatic brush system touch the car. However, #4 intrigues me and is the subject of my inquiry here. I ended up use #5, which worked pretty well at getting the surface dirt.
My question is this, Does anyone use the touch-less automatic system (where the car still gets dragged through the machine) on any regular basis? Any downside?
Normally I wash the car by hand. However, that wasn't feasible here, so I was tempted to do the "automatic" thing. I looked around and my choices were 1) just drive car home dirty; 2) have someone hand wash the car; 3) send it through the automatic machines (where the car gets dragged through the machine, but with the brushes); 4) use a "touch-less automatic system (where the car also gets dragged through the machine, but with no brushes); or 5) use one of the wand spraying systems.
I didn't like options 1 or 2, for various reasons, and I would never let an automatic brush system touch the car. However, #4 intrigues me and is the subject of my inquiry here. I ended up use #5, which worked pretty well at getting the surface dirt.
My question is this, Does anyone use the touch-less automatic system (where the car still gets dragged through the machine) on any regular basis? Any downside?
One has to be concerned about drive in car washes that either pull the car along or has tire guides to ensure the car is positioned properly. A co-worker bought a new Corvette and on a road trip decided to wash the car at one of those automatic car washes and got the Corvette stuck and it had to be pulled free. No damage to the car but he was lucky.
When I'm on a long drive I wash the car a couple of times to keep the build of road grime, bugs in the summer, and salt and stuff in winter.
My preference is to use a DIY car wash with the wand and wash brush. I use soap setting of the wand to go over the car very thoroughly to try to loosen and wash away the nastier stuff and then before using the brush to rinse any grit out of the brush before I use it.
After a good scrubbing with the brush then I follow with a thorough rinse and then a thorough spotless rinse.
During the spotless rinse I open the doors and rinse the soap suds off the door sill and off the bottom of the doors.
I make sure plenty of water runs off the body into the body water drains and body panel gaps and water channels to flush all the suds out. You want to be sure the body water drains are free of any trash build up though or you can flood the cabin floor!
I avoid any wax setting.
Clean towel dry then done.
Oh, be sure upon leaving the car wash to use the brakes enough to ensure they are hot and dried out.
06-13-2017, 05:54 PM
#17
Racer
That's pretty much how I do it, Macster.
I try and avoid hammering the car with the pressure, just the windows if anything. Otherwise I stand a ways back and that lowers the pressure greatly as it hits the car.
I don't use the soap brush as I'm concerned that it may be full of trapped grime that could scour the paint, so I bring a small tray bucket and a few towels - I spray the car down with soap and rub it with the towel, then rinse, then dry manually with the other towels.
Before anyone criticises - and I know there are people that would - I don't care too much about wax or a bit of paint swirl, I drive my car. I love driving it. I am not going to worry if it is in showroom condition all the time.
As for wax, etc. - Zaino. I am telling you honestly, I waxed my last race car with the stuff once and never again... 15 years of use and abuse on race tracks and road later, the car was still wickedly shiny with minimum effort. I could not believe it, and still can't even though my lying eyes tell me so.
I try and avoid hammering the car with the pressure, just the windows if anything. Otherwise I stand a ways back and that lowers the pressure greatly as it hits the car.
I don't use the soap brush as I'm concerned that it may be full of trapped grime that could scour the paint, so I bring a small tray bucket and a few towels - I spray the car down with soap and rub it with the towel, then rinse, then dry manually with the other towels.
Before anyone criticises - and I know there are people that would - I don't care too much about wax or a bit of paint swirl, I drive my car. I love driving it. I am not going to worry if it is in showroom condition all the time.
As for wax, etc. - Zaino. I am telling you honestly, I waxed my last race car with the stuff once and never again... 15 years of use and abuse on race tracks and road later, the car was still wickedly shiny with minimum effort. I could not believe it, and still can't even though my lying eyes tell me so.
