B&BVettes

I've taken many C5, C6 and even our new C7 thru a non-brush car wash and have never had a problem. Take the plant tour someday to see the water test these cars are subjected to.

Italianfox

I wouldn't go in one with guard rails. The RF tires don't have much sidewall and could get damaged. The one i use does not have side rails although there are several in my area that do and the Vert does not go in them,

Saint_Spinner

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll stick to my regular routine for now.

DickieDoo

on rare occasions, i would take my C6 vert to a car wash, but only the ones where the car sits stationary and the ARM comes around. Never had any issues but that pressure spray was not as powerful as the tracked car washes, would never ever use the track wash.

GM has the protectant spray and once every year or two, i would apply it!

Italianfox

I always test a touchless before I run my Vert through it. I run my Silverado into it and if nothing touches the truck, then nothing will touch the Vert IMHO.

C Moe

Thought the front page would be into this one too...
https://www.corvetteforum.com/articl...nd-car-washes/

witmerdog

The term "car wash" is not even in my vocabulary, owning a Corvette. Rails, brushes, no brushes, whatever. What about the recycled water they use??? And the cheapest auto soap out there, and it may not even be auto soap. You pay a gazillion dollars for a car to run it thru heaven knows what??????

I am shocked to read of the many Vette owners who use a car wash. But hey, it's your car, and this is America!!!!

Tefer

lawyer

my last corvette was a 2007 convert I bought in July 2006 and sold in Aug 2015. I car washed it extensively in both brush and rag drag washes and never had any problems with the top or damage to the paint

brybrew

I own a car wash (4 Self Serve bays, 1 D&S 5000 Touchless automatic) There are Pro's and Cons to both Touch less/Brush Systems out there. I installed a Touch less Carriage system since its robust with fewer moving parts than other systems however mine does use guide rails. the Laser Washes (or other that use an inverted L design) work fairly well but have high costs in repair and service. Personally, I don't run my Corvette through it but it is a 69 Convertible that is bad need of a new top

The Touch less as the name suggests only touches the car with High Pressure and chemical soap and wax. For the poster that had scratches on his car that would be very difficult unless it was user error. As said before, a lot depends on the ownership of the facility on how well the system works. Proper chemical use/mix and maintenance of the machines drastically effects the efficiency of the system. Any automatic will never do a better job than hand washing. Designed for convenience, It's a machine that can fit anything from a Full size van to a Miata so it has limitations. Corvettes being so low to the ground don't clean as well in touch less units because they are farther from the pressure. As far as convertibles, I've seen a wide range of models run through mine without issue. Newer tops design are very tight but occasionally you do see a small drip when the units is under high pressure rinse. The systems use a much higher pressure than the rain simulators used at the factory so I would think this would be understandable by an owner. Really the target market is Daily Drivers that use it regularly to keep the car clean. Not for the Sat morning cars & Coffee crowd...

One thing to take note for any vehicle you use in a touch less automatic, The Chemicals are pretty stout. They need be to break up and loosen dirt on a car so the pressure can get it off. These chemicals will eat off a wax job in a hurry. The Brush or tunnel washes will not eat it off as fast since the brush does most of the work. Never run through one if you just waxed a car. They do apply a liquid wax in the process but the lifespan of it is no where near as long as a traditional wax job.

brybrew

Some areas do require to use a reclaim system by law. For the most part though, Systems utilize a water softener system and a RO system for the Spot free (Think Drinking water). The quality of the water and proper setup means you can produce a better wash than the user at home with less water consumption. These same systems are utilized for the self serve systems as well so if you are in fear, the Self Serve has all the same features and you are the one in control of the pressure.

I personally Like Vette owners that use car washes Helps me pay for projects on mine.

Maslo

During high school I worked at a car wash which I would drive my camaro through. I wouldn't take the camaro through a touchless because the increased water pressure scared me - I never confirmed if the pressure would actually damage the car though.

The only reason I wouldn't take my Vette through a normal car wash is the track is too narrow and too tall. If my car would fit, I'd consider taking it it through though. I'd only have two concerns: occasionally the brushes would get something stuck that could scratch the car and soap chemicals may possibly damage the clear coat. As a huge plus, the higher wash packages had a sealant/wax that seemed to work alright.

Car wash water quality is pretty good actually. The water recycling equipment yields very clean water.