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anybody taken their Z through an automatic car wash?


KUGT4

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From someone who has a life and so doesn't have time to wash it myself, the only problem I've had is the rear windscreen wiper. It got caught by a roller the last time I went through and bent right back. So I'd stick to hand car washes in future, they just take a bit longer waiting around

 

Are you implying anyone who washes their own car doesn't have a life? haha. This is a car enthusiast forum you know..... You just insulted nearly everyone on here :lol:

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...nearly everyone who posted on the thread, maybe.

 

I've got work, kids, volunteer work, house, garden. I haven't had three hours spare to detail a car for years. That's what I mean by a life, not social life per se, just stuff that needs doing and claying is no longer one of them, as much as I liked the results when I did it once!

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I use Collinite twice a year (around half a day to do that) with monthly doses of dodo red mist (about 30 minutes) and it makes the weekly/fortnightly hand wash a piece of cake (about an hour)

 

But that limited 'detailing' is because I bought my ZEDs for their driving experience more than show, but my shining seems to work enough for it to been voted best 370 at the last two Wales weekends. :)

 

My gripe is the stone chipping as I am just ham-fisted and not patient when it comes to trying to get the 3-stage paint touch-up not to make the chips look like boils on the paintwork :blush: That's when I curse the metallic/pearlescent paints :lol:

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Yeah just slap it through the car wash. It's not as though we spend a lot of time or money buying a nice sports car and need to look after it. ;)

 

If I am in a rush I can prob wash my car in about half hour. Just get some good shampoo like dodojuice and it lifts off the dirt really well. Sorted in no time! :)

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What I can relate to here is the time. I know we can all do a quick wash in 30mins but having a spare 30mins can be at various times. I.e 9-5 job 5 days a week Etc, no time in the morning, dark when we get home ( roll on summer!) and then you say to yourself ill wash it the weekend... Then is hammers it down with rain.

 

That's another week gone with out a hand wash.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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i'll be honest - my car is 11 years old now, its hardly brand new. it only occasionally gets washed anyways - i bought it for the way it sounds and drives, not the way it looks. if i do steal and admiring glance, its from 6 feet away, rather than 6 inches away, and its hard to notice swirls at that distance :wacko:

 

besides, i've never had any problem with my local automatic car wash, seems to wash just fine. i would worry more about giving it to the local handwash place, nothing to say they havent used the same sponge to wash the last 20 cars and dropped it on the floor a few times in between. if i notice the automatic car wash starts giving me problems, i'll stop using it - but until then, i couldnt care less if someone puts there nose right next to my car and notices a few swirls - i'm sorry but i've got way bigger fish to fry!

 

In my opinion cars are to be driven, not washed. its just gonna get dirty again anyway :)

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From someone who has a life and so doesn't have time to wash it myself, the only problem I've had is the rear windscreen wiper. It got caught by a roller the last time I went through and bent right back. So I'd stick to hand car washes in future, they just take a bit longer waiting around

 

Are you implying anyone who washes their own car doesn't have a life? haha. This is a car enthusiast forum you know..... You just insulted nearly everyone on here :lol:

 

+1 . . . . . Hand wash dry and QD in under an hour piece of p*ss.

 

Can't be doing with laziness personally ;)

 

How long does it take to drive to the local wash n scratch, queue with the other lazy folk and drive back!

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i'll be honest - my car is 11 years old now, its hardly brand new. it only occasionally gets washed anyways - i bought it for the way it sounds and drives, not the way it looks. if i do steal and admiring glance, its from 6 feet away, rather than 6 inches away, and its hard to notice swirls at that distance :wacko:

 

besides, i've never had any problem with my local automatic car wash, seems to wash just fine. i would worry more about giving it to the local handwash place, nothing to say they havent used the same sponge to wash the last 20 cars and dropped it on the floor a few times in between. if i notice the automatic car wash starts giving me problems, i'll stop using it - but until then, i couldnt care less if someone puts there nose right next to my car and notices a few swirls - i'm sorry but i've got way bigger fish to fry!

 

In my opinion cars are to be driven, not washed. its just gonna get dirty again anyway :)

 

Has it not fecked your tracking?

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i'll be honest - my car is 11 years old now, its hardly brand new. it only occasionally gets washed anyways - i bought it for the way it sounds and drives, not the way it looks. if i do steal and admiring glance, its from 6 feet away, rather than 6 inches away, and its hard to notice swirls at that distance :wacko:

 

besides, i've never had any problem with my local automatic car wash, seems to wash just fine. i would worry more about giving it to the local handwash place, nothing to say they havent used the same sponge to wash the last 20 cars and dropped it on the floor a few times in between. if i notice the automatic car wash starts giving me problems, i'll stop using it - but until then, i couldnt care less if someone puts there nose right next to my car and notices a few swirls - i'm sorry but i've got way bigger fish to fry!

 

In my opinion cars are to be driven, not washed. its just gonna get dirty again anyway :)

 

Your username is beginning to make sense :p

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i'll be honest - my car is 11 years old now, its hardly brand new. it only occasionally gets washed anyways - i bought it for the way it sounds and drives, not the way it looks. if i do steal and admiring glance, its from 6 feet away, rather than 6 inches away, and its hard to notice swirls at that distance :wacko:

 

besides, i've never had any problem with my local automatic car wash, seems to wash just fine. i would worry more about giving it to the local handwash place, nothing to say they havent used the same sponge to wash the last 20 cars and dropped it on the floor a few times in between. if i notice the automatic car wash starts giving me problems, i'll stop using it - but until then, i couldnt care less if someone puts there nose right next to my car and notices a few swirls - i'm sorry but i've got way bigger fish to fry!

 

In my opinion cars are to be driven, not washed. its just gonna get dirty again anyway :)

 

Your username is beginning to make sense :p

 

:lol:

 

Mind you, he might tell you to do your username ;)

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I think many are answering emotionally rather than objectvely! I have a somewhat contrary view on this...

 

I remember watching an episode of 'Mythbusters' on Discovery channel (I know, get my anorak...) and they scientifically tested various carwashing methods to find out which was potentially the most damaging. Amongst the findings, the automatic car wash was actually shown to be less likely to damage paintwork than a poor or hurried handwash (particularly if a sponge was used). My main issue with the auto-wash is that they don't get your car completely clean, just the large surface area of the body work and not the finer details - but if you're off to pick up a date and you've not had time.... then surely once in a blue-moon isn't going to ruin the car!

 

AND

 

They also proved that a dirty car is more fuel efficient than a clean car because the rough surface of the dirt causes an aerodynamic effect similar to the dimples you get on golf balls. :scare:

 

All that being said... it clean and shiny for me and I do find the methodical process of doing it by hand satisfying and theraputic! :)

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Just in case some of you who "apparently" don't even have a spare 20 minutes to wash your car by hand don't know, the below are images of the sort of paintwork damage & worse you can expect from your so-called time saving automatic washes;

 

SCATHES3(1).jpg

 

CarWashScratches02.jpg

 

2001_5.jpg

 

CarWashCadillac02(1).jpg

 

carwashdamage.jpg

 

 

These automatic car washes are terrible for all cars imo ~ not only are the chemicals/detergents they use bad these machines are rarely maintained correctly and almost never cleaned. Just think about all the people who have used it before you. E.G. 4X4 guy who has just been off roading on a beach ~ you go in after that and you may as well have your paintwork sandblasted. :wacko:

 

Honestly it's just not worth doing ever and you really are better off just leaving it dirty for a little longer until you have the time to wash it properly. If you don't care about how your car look's (honestly not sure I believe anyone who says that on a car forum) then maybe think about re-sale value as damaged paintwork will effect it's value for sure. :dry:

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They also proved that a dirty car is more fuel efficient than a clean car because the rough surface of the dirt causes an aerodynamic effect similar to the dimples you get on golf balls. :scare:

 

Well they got that wrong, for a start. An F1 team (from memory it may have been B.A.R.) conducted several tests in their wind tunnel to determine if it was worth retaining a professional detailer to determine that if the paint was perfectly smooth and polished it'd be more or less aerodynamic. It made no measurable difference. If it doesn't make any difference to a car so reliant on aerodynamics, it's going to make even less difference on the road.

 

If I can find the source again I'll post it up.

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Actually... I stand corrected, my bad...

 

I just re-checked that and they proved that that dirty cars were less fuel effiecient, which supports what you're saying - got confused about the golf ball thing... stoopid memory!!! :blush: (it was quite a few years ago!).

 

So err... yeah... keep your car clean everyone!

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