camaroboy14

iTrader: (8)

Hey guys , I heard before that drive through car washes like the ones at gas stations are bad for any cars clear coats/paint .. Is this true? I never use them .. But I just wanted to make sure what I heard was correct

95badboy

Idk bout if its true or not but i dont take mine to one id rather take the time to hand wash it with a clean wash mit

metalmilitia606

iTrader: (8)

Touchless are ok. The ones where they touch your car have the potential of causing scratches. Your t tops will probably leak though just so you know. That water comes out at high pressure and peels your seals back so bring a towel.

Guitar

iTrader: (9)

Older cars had a bit different type of paint so it was worse for them...newer ones it doesn't matter as much. I'd only stay away from them with verts or t-tops.

camaroboy14

iTrader: (8)

Yeah I was just curious someone had told me that they eventually hurt your paint...but either way I just stay away ..

theskitztikwon

iTrader: (18)

thank of it like this if a car before you has a lot of dirt on it all that dirt does not come off the brushes and will hit your car but like stated paint now a days is better.

VIP1

If you have t-tops, avoid high-pressure touchless car washes. The high pressure water can blow past the seals. When I bought my car, it came with a pamphlet from GM saying just that. Also, if that high pressure can blow past the seals, it can't be good for the paint either.

Z28/2002

iTrader: (27)

Most of them use recycled water, fwiw

AmarilloWS6

iTrader: (3)

I use the touch less because my buddy gave me his employee code I have t tops and I've never had a leaking problem, but that's not to say someone else hasn't. Being a college student and working a lot I don't have much time to hand wash mine every time it needs it, lol

camaroboy14

iTrader: (8)

^^ it only takes 1 hr a week

AmarilloWS6

iTrader: (3)

but my cars also not a garage queen show car, I deep clean it whenever there's a local car show or club meeting, but in the mean time a few swirls here and there don't bug me too much, it's a daily driver so there's not much I can do to keep every swirl and scratch off, especially living in the Texas panhandle where's there's nothing but dust and on a normal day 30+ mph winds, I wish that wasn't the case though, lol

camaroboy14

iTrader: (8)

Wow that would get annoying :/ here it's fog in the morning , then there is rain every other day :/

AmarilloWS6

iTrader: (3)

Yeah man, it's pretty gnarly, I waxed it 2 weeks ago, went to school the next morning and drove it back home and parked it in the garage and I turned the light on my car had a thick coat of dirt on it, looked terrible, it sucks!

Ls2SilverBullet

I would not take my car through one. I would only consider the ones that you park inside of and spray yourself with the gun on the hose. The ones with the flaps that spin hold dirt from previous cars and slap your car up with the dirty flaps, possibly causing scratches.

I handwash mine with 2 buckets, a soap bucket, and a rinse bucket so I dont get dirt or grime in the soap water.

01 CamaroSS SLP

Hand washing is probably the better route. You can do a better job than the machine, its cheaper, and its safer. Ill go to a do it yourself car wash once it gets too cold around here to do it by hand.

thecobrahunter

iTrader: (1)

Couldn't tell you...have always washed mine by hand. Anyways, it's too low to drive through.

beyonddisturbed

iTrader: (5)

if i dont have time to do a great handwash at home in between details i just bring her down to a local self wash station. I just dont use the brush and dont blast extremely close to the paint. Takes 5 mins, I can soap, rinse, and spot free for like $5

9WhiteCamaro9

I'll use the touch-less ones but never the ones that spin and rub up against the car. With the touch-less ones, I've never noticed any paint damage or anything out of the normal with mine. I will say though that the car isn't as clean as say I did it myself but that's common sense.

SportGoldSS

I worked at a dealership where they ran all of the cars through a brushing car wash and it picked up a ratchet strap out of a truck bed that tore the convertable top on a new corvette that followed it through the wash. Id just stick with touch less.