Time for a "car-cleaning" poll
04-12-2006, 12:02 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Member Since: Mar 2005
Location: The Surgeon General has warned that it's ok to smoke mustangs!
Posts: 4,454
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Time for a "car-cleaning" poll
Have you have been guilty of taking it to an automatic car wash?
Last edited by BAMF AE; 04-12-2006 at 12:04 PM.
04-12-2006, 12:12 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Only the touchless ones... but not very often. And i generally take it home and wax it and whatnot afterwards...
Edit:
The kind i use is unique. It's not a conveyer belt one, so your car doesn't move the entire time. Its like they modified one of those DIY car wash stalls to have this machinery move all around your car. You pull up until this little guider tells you stop, or backup, (kinda like a drag strip) then this arm moves left to right infront of you, then down the side and behind and up the other side. It makes several passes. A couple with soap, a couple with really high pressure jets, a couple with lower pressure jets, more soap looking or shine stuff i guess... then a bunch of rinse jets. Then you pull forward and about 10 blowers blast your car for as long as you like. You can pull forward and back a bunch until you feel your car is nice and dry... hehe, or just leave right away if you want too...
Edit:
The kind i use is unique. It's not a conveyer belt one, so your car doesn't move the entire time. Its like they modified one of those DIY car wash stalls to have this machinery move all around your car. You pull up until this little guider tells you stop, or backup, (kinda like a drag strip) then this arm moves left to right infront of you, then down the side and behind and up the other side. It makes several passes. A couple with soap, a couple with really high pressure jets, a couple with lower pressure jets, more soap looking or shine stuff i guess... then a bunch of rinse jets. Then you pull forward and about 10 blowers blast your car for as long as you like. You can pull forward and back a bunch until you feel your car is nice and dry... hehe, or just leave right away if you want too...
Last edited by LF97C5Vette; 04-12-2006 at 01:09 PM.
04-12-2006, 12:19 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jan 2006
Location: Colorado Springs CO
Posts: 847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by LF97C5Vette
Only the touchless ones... but not very often. And i generally take it home and wax it and whatnot afterwards...
Only if I'm on a trip and tha car really needs cleaning.
04-12-2006, 12:22 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
What are you calling an automatic car wash, a drive thru type?
I take mine to the hand hydrospray because my well water is too crappy, too hard and too many minerals. Never took it thru the conveyor belt kind though. The hydrospray is very handy for tires, wheels, and wheel wells. I prefer handwashing, but my water would do more harm than good. My car is never that dirty when I go to the hydrospray either, just usually some light dust on it.
Been trying to figure out how the WAX feature at the hydrospray is supposed to work. I don't use it. Seems like you would be putting the wax on top of nothing but the water you just rinsed the car with, unless you dried it first. You would also be putting wax on EVERYTHING, including windows, tires, etc.
I take mine to the hand hydrospray because my well water is too crappy, too hard and too many minerals. Never took it thru the conveyor belt kind though. The hydrospray is very handy for tires, wheels, and wheel wells. I prefer handwashing, but my water would do more harm than good. My car is never that dirty when I go to the hydrospray either, just usually some light dust on it.
Been trying to figure out how the WAX feature at the hydrospray is supposed to work. I don't use it. Seems like you would be putting the wax on top of nothing but the water you just rinsed the car with, unless you dried it first. You would also be putting wax on EVERYTHING, including windows, tires, etc.
Last edited by rwsr50; 04-12-2006 at 12:26 PM.
04-12-2006, 12:50 PM
#6
Administrator
Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
Posts: 342,579
Received 19,187 Likes
on
13,911 Posts
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
I take mine to the self serve wand-type car wash, but never through the automatic ones. 
04-12-2006, 01:06 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
Originally Posted by JDs00PewterCoupe
I take mine to the self serve wand-type car wash, but never through the automatic ones.
04-12-2006, 01:57 PM
#10
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2004
Location: Oklahoma City OK
Posts: 58,251
Received 1,672 Likes
on
1,295 Posts
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Never have I taken a Corvette to an automatic car wash!
04-12-2006, 02:07 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Oct 2001
Location: Alhambra Calismognazifornia, in the country everyone comes just to complain but won't go back home!
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
some of you obsessed guys crakc me up 
nothin wrong with a car wash as long as you can get it on the track (some are too tall) and you know they are careful with ALL the cars.
95k miles on mine, lots of automatic car washes, rain *gasp*, and even a mudbath see post #38 here
, and it still looks awesome <see sig> 
04-12-2006, 02:16 PM
#13
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Mar 2006
Location: Bradenton Florida
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
my vette is a garage queen so I usually only have to get a light dust off before waxing it anyway so, tio me, it doesnt make sense. by the time i drive there get it washed and drive home i can do it at home. itys the waxing and detailing that takes all the time for me.
04-12-2006, 05:13 PM
#14
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Apr 2004
Location: Haymarket VA
Posts: 1,235
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
CI 7-8 Veteran
Timmay!
Seriously though, most of the detergents used in the automatic car washes can be highly acidic and therefore will remove any wax or sealant you may have on the car. As long as you understand that and handle this situation apropriately then you should be OK with a touchless drive through. Never go through one that either 1) pulls your car through on a conveyor belt type system or 2) uses some type of brush or cloth to touch your car.
Seriously though, most of the detergents used in the automatic car washes can be highly acidic and therefore will remove any wax or sealant you may have on the car. As long as you understand that and handle this situation apropriately then you should be OK with a touchless drive through. Never go through one that either 1) pulls your car through on a conveyor belt type system or 2) uses some type of brush or cloth to touch your car.
04-12-2006, 05:43 PM
#17
Race Director
I haven't taken a vehicle I own to a car wash since I was old enough to know better - and I've never taken the Vette through one. Too low, tires too wide, and just not worth the headaches. Call me obsessed or whatever - but I do what I think is best for my car.
04-12-2006, 06:22 PM
#20
Race Director
Member Since: Jul 2005
Location: The Beautiful Greater Bay Area California
Posts: 11,308
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Originally Posted by sgtzim
the closest I have come is using the Mr. Clean car wash system. I just don't trust automatic car washes, even the touchless.
