Automatic car wash
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 3,467
Likes: 2,001
From: Columbus Ohio
I've posted this product in similar threads that I've used for the last 5 years. Inexpensive and works well for me to rinse under the car with minimal effort..
https://www.theunderwasher.com/
I have not been through an automatic car wash of any type in many, many years. Had one peel factory pinstripes off years ago.
https://www.theunderwasher.com/
I have not been through an automatic car wash of any type in many, many years. Had one peel factory pinstripes off years ago.
Wouldn't that do the same thing?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,255
Likes: 781
From: Nashville TN
You could make one but I looked into that and found this to be very close to doing that in cost.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,249
Likes: 545
From: Land of the free, home of the brave...
NO!!!
AND DON'T USE A SOAKER HOSE!!!!! While it sounds like a great idea, its not. Why? Because it does NOT have enough force to wash the salt/sand combination off the frame. What you're actually doing is just dampening the compacted sand/salt and consequently speeding up any chemical reaction.
Cleaning the underside requires a very strong stream of water to actually force the compacted crap away from the underside. How do I know? My father in law swore by that method....until the frames on his cars rusted away. We lifted (carefully) one of the cars and sure enough there were these sections of the underside that had these hardened compacted sand/salt packs in corners, brake lines and gas lines and that's where the rust holes were.
Get a gutter cleaner tool and do it right. Search Melnor Vortex Gutter Cleaner Nozzle from Home Depot, Lowes, Ace, etc. (I have no financial or other interest in this product or similar ones. )
AND DON'T USE A SOAKER HOSE!!!!! While it sounds like a great idea, its not. Why? Because it does NOT have enough force to wash the salt/sand combination off the frame. What you're actually doing is just dampening the compacted sand/salt and consequently speeding up any chemical reaction.
Cleaning the underside requires a very strong stream of water to actually force the compacted crap away from the underside. How do I know? My father in law swore by that method....until the frames on his cars rusted away. We lifted (carefully) one of the cars and sure enough there were these sections of the underside that had these hardened compacted sand/salt packs in corners, brake lines and gas lines and that's where the rust holes were.
Get a gutter cleaner tool and do it right. Search Melnor Vortex Gutter Cleaner Nozzle from Home Depot, Lowes, Ace, etc. (I have no financial or other interest in this product or similar ones. )
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Cleaning the underside requires a very strong stream of water to actually force the compacted crap away from the underside. How do I know? My father in law swore by that method....until the frames on his cars rusted away. We lifted (carefully) one of the cars and sure enough there were these sections of the underside that had these hardened compacted sand/salt packs in corners, brake lines and gas lines and that's where the rust holes were.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 572
Likes: 101
Only touch-less. It won't be perfect but good enough. YOU DON"T want a regular car wash scrubbing the salt and dirt from all the other vehicles against your paint...
(I wouldn't lose too much sleep over if its a daily driver. Plenty of Porsche(s), BMW Ms, etc. driven year round)
(I wouldn't lose too much sleep over if its a daily driver. Plenty of Porsche(s), BMW Ms, etc. driven year round)
Last edited by airforcex; Feb 7, 2019 at 04:06 PM. Reason: 1
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 663
Likes: 172
From: Oklahoma
When we lived in Illinois and Iowa I would put a yard sprinkler under the car that would rotate back and forth.. I would run it in several cycles under the rear, mid section and front. It proved to be quite effective in removing the salt, sand and cinders that would accumulate under the car. Of course this was done on my pick up and family sedan. I would never drive my Corvettes in poor weather or nasty roads.
Last edited by MiamiCowboy; Feb 7, 2019 at 05:10 PM.
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
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Likes: 9,808
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,179
Likes: 97
From: Palm Coast, FL
Sorry if this has been beat to death, but, I couldn't find it with search.
Just got 2015 and had to drive it with salt on the roads,
What is the consensus of automatic car washes?
I did it with my 1999 and 2005 with no problems.
I can hand wash, but, how do you get the salt off the bottom?
This is my daily driver and on occasion will need to be driven in bad weather.
Larry
Just got 2015 and had to drive it with salt on the roads,
What is the consensus of automatic car washes?
I did it with my 1999 and 2005 with no problems.
I can hand wash, but, how do you get the salt off the bottom?
This is my daily driver and on occasion will need to be driven in bad weather.
Larry
If you mean the lower side of the car like from the middle of the door down, front to the back of the car, whenever you go thru a day like that, the first thing when I got home was rinse off the car with the cars with a concentrated stream of water on both sides, front and rear. At least if you can't wash the the immediately when you get home, you've take a lot of the salt or dirt off the car until you can clean it properly.
Good Luck...
Last edited by purple heart; Feb 8, 2019 at 10:03 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,768
Likes: 297
From: Plano TX
Life's too short. If you can confirm that the track rails that pull your car through will be nice to the ride height & wheel width, you'll be fine. I've used a place for years that regularly has all kinds of vehicles come through that cost as much or much more than a Vette, including exotics.
My general routine is roughly once a week plus immediately after bad weather using their regular wash. In fact, I get their prepay plan that gives a discount if you use it more than 4 times a month. Then once a quarter, I have them detail it, doing a buff, polish & Zaino.
Benefit? My time is my own (I eat across the street @ Twin Peaks while they're doing the detail), I'm not heavily invested ($$$) in car care products & I'd put the finish up against anyone.
I briefly was using a service that did hand washing, for not much more than the drive thrus. The primary reason I wanted handwashing is that the C7 engine bay is so open, that the auto wash underneath jets spray up into the engine compartment and eventually ruin the hood insulator. He lost his preferred space but recently got a new space & I've re-connected with him. PM me if you want a great wash & detail service in Plano/Frisco area.
My general routine is roughly once a week plus immediately after bad weather using their regular wash. In fact, I get their prepay plan that gives a discount if you use it more than 4 times a month. Then once a quarter, I have them detail it, doing a buff, polish & Zaino.
Benefit? My time is my own (I eat across the street @ Twin Peaks while they're doing the detail), I'm not heavily invested ($$$) in car care products & I'd put the finish up against anyone.
I briefly was using a service that did hand washing, for not much more than the drive thrus. The primary reason I wanted handwashing is that the C7 engine bay is so open, that the auto wash underneath jets spray up into the engine compartment and eventually ruin the hood insulator. He lost his preferred space but recently got a new space & I've re-connected with him. PM me if you want a great wash & detail service in Plano/Frisco area.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 1,768
Likes: 297
From: Plano TX
If you're talking about the under-carriage of the car, what I always did was lie on the ground on the driveway and with the garden hose and a good nozzle, I would start from the front to the back and spray across the underside of the car very, very thoroughly down one side of the car then go back to the front and hose off the other side, from front to back. I would do that as often as needed. Just one way to do it...
If you mean the lower side of the car like from the middle of the door down, front to the back of the car, whenever you go thru a day like that, the first thing when I got home was rinse off the car with the cars with a concentrated stream of water on both sides, front and rear. At least if you can't wash the the immediately when you get home, you've take a lot of the salt or dirt off the car until you can clean it properly.
Good Luck...
If you mean the lower side of the car like from the middle of the door down, front to the back of the car, whenever you go thru a day like that, the first thing when I got home was rinse off the car with the cars with a concentrated stream of water on both sides, front and rear. At least if you can't wash the the immediately when you get home, you've take a lot of the salt or dirt off the car until you can clean it properly.
Good Luck...