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I was at the dealership yesterday as ordering my car in a few months and saw a tag in the car saying not to take though a car wash, that said I had just built a brand new state of the art car wash with all the bells and whistles in it and have taken my C5 in it (know tires are smaller) and I have customers with Lamborghini's, Bentleys, etc in my wash. So my question is that will it be ok in it or is there anything on the 2019 Z06 that would effect getting it done in my wash as I have clearance of 13.75 wheel base for tires. Anyway does anyone else wash there car in a tunnel and know hand wash is better but owning the wash and easier to just run it though when I want. Thanks
As LimeRay said much of those harsh chemicals will quickly break down/remove your wax. Also any of those large spinning brushes WILL scratch your finish & will only get worse over time. They pick up dirt/grit from previous car (off road truck) & some of it remains to mess up your fine paint. NEVER seen any type of car wash that removes all road grime & then you are drying, pushing that around on the car. Use a WHITE towel to see what I mean. Just because owners of other high end luxury cars use them doesn't mean it's ok (those cars have dumb *** owners too). By the way a lot of us would crap our shorts letting dealers detail our cars. They typically have their min. wage guys grab the nearest bucket, grab a dirty rag, & proceed to rub the hell out of the car going in large circles butchering your paint. Then use an old towel that's been used several times w/o washing & now rub hell out of the finish again with dirt trapped in the fibers. Several folks here have commented they put large notes on windshield when getting service done saying DO NOT WASH AFTER SERVICE. Your car wash, your beautiful Vette, your choice. There are much better/safer ways to wash our cars. Just go to any reputable auto cleaning supply web site to peruse the good stuff (Chemical Guys/Griots/etc.). Check out our How To tips at top of our own forum headers. Congrats tho on your new car!
Even if ground clearance was not an issue, those spinning brushes are known for causing micro scratches in the clear coat. It probably won't hurt the car any, but after a length of regular washes through that thing you would likely need a professional paint correction polish to remove the swirl marks.
Even if ground clearance was not an issue, those spinning brushes are known for causing micro scratches in the clear coat. It probably won't hurt the car any, but after a length of regular washes through that thing you would likely need a professional paint correction polish to remove the swirl marks.
There are such things as "touchless" car washes that have no brushes and no "wheel guides" to mess up your fancy wheels either. You just drive in and stop and the wash comes to you. There's no real reason you can't use those sorts of washes, especially when you are on the road. I can't see putting the extras like hot waxes and various unguents they want to sell you, but a basic car wash does a pretty good job.
There are such things as "touchless" car washes that have no brushes and no "wheel guides" to mess up your fancy wheels either. You just drive in and stop and the wash comes to you. There's no real reason you can't use those sorts of washes, especially when you are on the road. I can't see putting the extras like hot waxes and various unguents they want to sell you, but a basic car wash does a pretty good job.
Mike. I've used those a couple time during road trips when I didn't have time to clean it up correctly. They are OK in a pinch.
Last edited by Rebel Yell; 03-24-2018 at 01:43 PM.
I've used those a couple time during road trips when I didn't have time to clean it up correctly. They are OK in a pinch.
Last year I went on a tour of Yellowstone with 15 other Vettes. It took me two or three days to just get to the rendezvous point from Seattle. I use a Novistretch for long trips and the thing was just clogged with all manner of bugs--REALLY bad. But all the other Vettes were pristine and their owners were using those "Finish" spray bottles on them. I was quite embarrassed at the state of my car that I resolved, "Never again!" One of the guys turned me on to the touchless system, so now I scope out the nearest one whenever I'm on a trip so I can show up as clean as all those other guys.
I always handwash my Corvette, but found this car wash place to take my 135is to and it doesn’t lock your wheel in place. Your car sits on a treadmill of sorts and there is a stop in front f your wheel to keep you from moving. I think it removes any concern for oversized wheels and tires. Not sure if this is a new trend or not since it’s the only place I’ve seen it done.
There are several “touch-less” car washes in my area. They’re not the best at cleaning, but they quickly removed most salt, dust, and loose dirt/grime in a pinch.
While car washes with spinning brushes might clean better, I agree that they will certainly scratch the finish.
While those types are car washes serve the masses because the masses don't care about the finish on their cars. I don't and will never run my Vettes through a car wash with brushes, rollers, etc.
I will run my Vette through a touchless car wash in the winter after a snow or ice event. But only because the car wash I sometimes go to has an under carriage wash. This helps in removing the sand and dirt that can accumulated under the car.
The chemicals used in touchless washes are notoriously harsh.
I am a 2017 Tunnel with all the brand new stuff and chemicals and what is the difference in a 80k Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, etc in there paint as to a Vette. Just making sure I don't screw it up. Ha ha. Thanks
03-24-2018, 08:45 AM
Car Wash Tunnel
Mike. I've used those a couple time during road trips when I didn't have time to clean it up correctly. They are OK in a pinch.
