03-23-2019, 06:48 PM | #15 |
You can only YOLO once.
Drives: '16 2SS & '15 Subaru Forester Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Albany, OR
Posts: 1,677
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Yeah this is what I did when I didn't have a place to wash my car back when I lived in an apartment. If you go at off hours you can bring your own buckets and stuff...I've never been kicked out for that even though some say you can't do that on the signage. This way you can use the high pressure water then hand wash off the dirt and then rinse off. Better than going through an actual car wash or a touchless wash.
One thing to consider is that our wheels/tires are typically too wide for a lot of the tracked car washes (both cloth and touchless). If you gotta go to one of these find one that (as Glen E wrote) doesn't make you send your car down the track but basically you sit there stationary while the washer moves around you. I still once in a while will take my car through a car wash but that is like when I am desperate for a wash and not able to do it myself (for instance a road trip, the dead winter or recently when I broke my wrist). Even then, I had my winter wheels/tires on the car and they are 245 width.
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2016 Camaro 2ss
-Summit White / Ceramic White -8A, NPP, MRC, Ceramic White package plus knee pads, black bowties. -1st Car to have the "full" SEMA High Performance Graphics kit from 6LEDesigns. -1st Car to have the 6LEDesigns Blade Spoiler. -Borla S-Type w/ custom H-Pipe -Procharger P-1X Stage 2 |
03-23-2019, 07:16 PM | #16 | |
Drives: 2018 Camaro SS 1LE Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Posts: 384
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I live 5 minutes from autogeek. Awesome people |
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03-23-2019, 10:43 PM | #17 |
Drives: 2018 NGM ZL1 Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Buffalo
Posts: 145
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I wouldn't go to them for any car I actually cared about. Don't get me wrong they do a good job and have a great plan for daily washes, but I personally don't use them with my Camaro, even if I had narrower wheels.
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03-25-2019, 07:58 AM | #18 | |
Account Suspended
Drives: 2019 Chevrolet Camaro 1LT 2.0T Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 330
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For what it's worth, I only intend on using it while there is salt on the roads. I despise road salt on my car. Sadly, I don't have the time to wash it by hand on a daily basis. |
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04-14-2019, 08:16 AM | #19 |
Drives: 2017 1LT RS Convertible V6 A8 Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 280
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Okay - I am guilty of running my 17 Vert through the touchless here in town every couple weeks. I find that the one here at least does a sub-par job of cleaning a really dirty car (like my Terrain) but on something that just gets dusty (the Camaro) it does just fine. And, contrary to what some people have said, it does not strip the Collinite wax off my car so I doubt it is doing too much residual damage.
Now, that being said, I do keep my cars waxed and I treat the top on the Vert with 303 Fabric Guard twice a year. The dryers at this wash are somewhat powerful so I don't let the top "linger" under them too long. I usually drive through the dryers and then straight home to finish drying the door sills and wheels plus any other leftover water, usually with a spray and wipe product to keep it all lubed.
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2017 Camaro 1LT RS V6 A8 Convertible - Silver Ice/Black Cloth, K&N CAI, MRT v. 2 Axle Back, Redline-style Badges and Wheel Hashes, American Authority Grille & a Whole Lot of Attitude
2019 GMC Terrain SLE 1.5T - Blue Steel Metallic/Black Cloth "Soccer Mom Spec" |
04-14-2019, 08:27 AM | #20 | |
Drives: 2018 Camaro V6/RS Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: MI
Posts: 1,596
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Maybe Collinite is more durable than most, because I've experienced the same thing even after dozens of these types of washes |
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04-14-2019, 07:01 PM | #21 |
Drives: 2017 1LT RS Convertible V6 A8 Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 280
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Yup. I believe in Collinite. It's an amazing product and very inexpensive.
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2017 Camaro 1LT RS V6 A8 Convertible - Silver Ice/Black Cloth, K&N CAI, MRT v. 2 Axle Back, Redline-style Badges and Wheel Hashes, American Authority Grille & a Whole Lot of Attitude
2019 GMC Terrain SLE 1.5T - Blue Steel Metallic/Black Cloth "Soccer Mom Spec" |
04-15-2019, 09:04 PM | #22 | |
Drives: 2SS, CT-R, LC500 Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: FLorida
Posts: 534
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Do you think touchless carwashes, with their strong detergents, clean your car way better than some of these "mild" pH neutral soaps? What kind of base layer / coating do you have on, before doing the touchless wash? Is it degraded after touchless wash? Thanks |
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04-15-2019, 09:07 PM | #23 |
Drives: 2SS, CT-R, LC500 Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: FLorida
Posts: 534
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If a soap is pH neutral, would it really remove all the oil/grease/fluids that get onto the car?
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04-15-2019, 09:27 PM | #24 | |
Thank you Al Oppenheiser!
Drives: Red Hot A10 ZL1 Convertible Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Sarasota, FL
Posts: 4,963
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04-15-2019, 10:26 PM | #25 | |
Drives: 2SS, CT-R, LC500 Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: FLorida
Posts: 534
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The reason I ask is I've been using meguiars gold class soap & ultimate wax on my honda, since I bought it new. I did have it "paint corrected" by a pro, prior to this regimen. I dont have any swirls or anything but I was claying the car today after washing it clean. There was a ton of crap embedded in the paint/remaining wax, that appeared on the clay bar. I really keep this car super clean. Its always spotless and waxed regularly. For being a bit OCD in keeping the honda so clean, I am shocked at how much grime has accumulated while using a reputed pH neutral soap and a decent wax (IMHO). EDIT: The maximum I have gone without re-waxing this car has been about 7-8 weeks. So, should I be claying more than once in 6-8 months? Because pH neutral doesnt seem to clean away all the grime the car collects. And this is not the daily driver, mostly sits in a garage. Its only been driven about 5500 miles. I am not looking forward to claying the camaro. That car has seen 10k miles in the past year and sits outside a lot more than the honda. Last edited by indyz; 04-15-2019 at 10:41 PM. |
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04-16-2019, 06:03 AM | #26 | |
Thank you Al Oppenheiser!
Drives: Red Hot A10 ZL1 Convertible Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Sarasota, FL
Posts: 4,963
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6-8 months between clays seems entirely reasonable for an outdoor car. Not sure where you are in FL, but if you live downwind from the Big Bend power station in Apollo Beach every 6-8 weeks (or 6-8 days!) may be more the reality Yes a high pH soap may have more chemical grease and oil-dissolving capability. And while you could use Dawn detergent or one of those super-harsh drive-thru-carwash soaps on the car that is not recommended (obligatory thread topic content), you would still need clay to get out the embedded stuff and tar-remover for the tar. |
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04-16-2019, 11:10 AM | #27 | |
Drives: 2SS, CT-R, LC500 Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: FLorida
Posts: 534
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The car (honda) I was referring to is garaged 95% of the time. 5500 miles. I am in central florida now, close to Orlando. I have not clayed the camarp yet, it sits in the garage about 75% of the time. I guess I need to look into cleaner wax / polishing soaps / road & traffic film removers (interesting threads on this topic on autogeek) etc. I understand claying and polishing are required once or twice a year. i am more interested in preventing the build up of road grime. Just pH neutral soap and waxing/sealants aren't going to cut it. I doubt even the highest quality wax/sealant will protect the car from road grime/film. Not sure the time and effort involved, are worth it. |
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04-16-2019, 11:43 AM | #28 |
Retired from Car mfrs....
Drives: 2LT RS/HR-V Join Date: May 2013
Location: /Fort Lauderdale
Posts: 10,048
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clay it , light polish and then collinite 845....stuff is indestructibe, 2coats....
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