care4era

I just came back from the car wash and TBO it does a better job than me ( apart from the alloys). it is a pretty sophisticated one that does it all whilst you remain stationary. Shampoo, wash and wax. I reallt could not be assed to clean my car myself to often so I either take it to a handwash guy or use this carwash.

I know most of you guys here will think this is sacrilige but is it really worth your time being **** about your car? When I have handwashed it the rain comes a few hours later and I am sitting there getting splashed with mud thinking what a waste of time

jumper5836

I go through the touchless car wash in the winter months but I have a coupe. I wouldn't recommend it for cabs.
Before I decide to even wash the car I look at the weather report and look to see if the roads are dry.
Spring, Summer and Fall when there is no chance of freezing I wash the car in the driveway.
Winter I go to a coin operated wash once a week or if I am really lazy go through a touchless car wash.
Touchless does a half *** job.

I keep my car clean as possible and if the roads are still wet and the car is dirty I will usually just clean the windows so it feels like the car is clean when your in it driving around.

JS

Never use machines of any kind here, only hand washes.

leedav

I once took a new car through the car wash... broke my heart when I saw the fine scratches all over the paint the next day in the sun.

Having said that, I wash all my other vehicles at the car wash. I just make sure they always have a good coat of NXT or Rejex. The only machinery that touches the Porsche is the Porter Cable RO buffer.

vove

^Ditto what Jasclass said, avoid machine car washes at all costs. Those things are made for beaters.

BlackCab996

I think it depends on your color - I don't take our Porsche or BMW to the car wash, but I have a white Chevy Tahoe and that only goes to a car wash (which is brushless). The white shows no swirl marks, so I have it polished and waxed once each year and it looks better than my other cars. As you start to get into darker paint jobs, I would avoid the carwash unless you want to be looking at a bunch of horrible swirl marks, even if it's a "touchless" wash - those will eventually do damage to the finish..

JTW

Touchless or whatever, automated car washes use recycled water. Lots of grit...

care4era

But even if you do get the swirl marks you can get them buffed out, so save yourself the bother and get it buffed once a year.

BlackCab996

care4era - you are a better man than me and will probably live longer because you're more relaxed about things that shouldn't matter - like swirl marks - perhaps your machines are also better in Prague?!

Larry Harris

Hand wash only!

care4era

Don't get me wrong, I love my porsche but at the end of the day it is a car. The main problem in Prague is people keying your car or stealing parts of it. So swirl marks are the least of my worries

I get bored of cars after a year anyway, so I expect by next summer I will be ready for a turbo or something. When that time comes I will get it buffed up and stick it on the net for 2k under the market value for a quick sale. One thing I can say for this particular car wash (OMV, so german company I guess) It does the underside which is way cool this time of year due to the salt on theroads.

Eric - Plug Guy

JUST SAY NO to carwashes.

teflon_jones

Too much crap in the water and/or in the brushes. You're pretty much guaranteed to get fine scratches in the paint!

djantlive

Majority of our cars are garaged. If your car stays out day and night, gets keyed, etc, I would not bother w handwash and probly won't buy a Porsche since I can't take care of it.

toddel68

Please enlighten me. WTF is a touchless car wash!? Sounds to me like something as impossible as touchless sex

Clueless in Germany,
Thorsten