So today I decided to try out my new Flex polisher I got myself. It's been long enough now that the clear has died back a bit and I wanted rid of some buffer swirls. The Flex is awesome and I had it standing tall in a couple hours.

I figured I'd go out to the self serve wand wash to blow the polishing compound out of the cracks before it dried. Stoped for a case of beer and the young fella commented that I had it all shined up. I was feeling pretty good with the car on the way up the street.

So I insert my quarters and pull the wand out of the socket. Took two steps forward and the boom in the ceiling swung around like it was possesed. This flailed the hose down across the front of the car. Even with the water on it I could tell it was scratched. It looked like the A holes had done some sort of patch job on the hose.

So now I finally have this swirl free paint job but with nasty scratches on the top of the left fender, down the hood, across the headlight cover and on to the bumper cover. They were pretty significant too...catch em with a fingernail deep. Good thing I put an extra coat of clear on cause they buffed out. A factory job would have definitely been into the basecoat. If I buffed through the clear you wouldn't be reading this cause the carwash owner would be dead and I'd be in jail.

Be careful out there.

 

Your title says it all. "Carwash sucks." Avoid them, any form of them, at all costs!

 

DUDE!!!!!!! That just sucks!!! I feel your pain!! It always seems to happen immediately after making a significant improvement, too!!

Back in the early eighties, I was still wrenching Harley's for a living and I had just done the 500 mile check and installed a bunch of accessories on a good customer's Springer Softtail Custom. I was out on the test ride when a 16 year-old kid in a Datsun blew through the stop sign at a four way stop and took the front end right out from under me and slammed me all down the driver's side of the car!! It came just short of totaling the bike and destroyed my right shoulder, putting the end of my collar bone out behind me. (The little **** got away with it too by saying he couldn't see me!!!!! Never mind that he ran the stop sign!!)

It wouldn't have been as bad if it would have at least been my bike, but it belonged to a regular and very loyal customer!! So,....he was without his brand new bike (which at least mentally will never be the same to you again) for a couple of months, and I was out of work for six months!!!! And to top it all off, the kid's lawyer somehow managed to make the whole thing my fault!!!!!! Like I made the kid run the stop sign!!!!! (Hence the joke.....What is a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the sea??........A good start!!!!)

Sorry, got a little long. And I am very happy for you that you were able to polish it out!!

DSTURBD

 

I'll bet that you hand wah from this day forward.

 

Glad the OP was able to buff out the scratches. I think I would have still given a butt chewing to the car wash owner.

 

Believe me Jack, I'm tempted to tell them about it. There's a better wash nearby but lately it's been stealing quarters which is why I used this one.

A couple years ago my GF bought me a pressure washer for Christmas. I get lazy and don't feel like draging it out. I need to use it instead of putting up with crap like this.

 

I'd rather have a dirty car than use any form of automatic or self serve car wash. If I couldn't do it at home it won't get done. Fortunately, in my present garage I can wash inside if I need to.