Driving on a long road trip this summer in my convertible and I won't be able to wash the car by hand like I usually do. Worried about all the bugs and crap on the front of the car. Wondering about going through a touchless car wash while on the road. Are there any to avoid?
Brushless Car wash
- Thread starter PTTaylor
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I carry this in the back hatch cubby hole for the nasty bugs while out driving.
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Pay attention to the type of brushless. Avoid the ones with the wheel rail that automatically pulls you through the was bay. Our tires are too wide and the rails that guide the wheels are too high for clearance. The ones that you drive through with no undercar obstructions likely won't hurt anything. Gonna be noisy in a vert though... hopefully no leaks and your fabric is in good shape. Most towns have a wand wash. That's where I'd be taking it.
Find a coin wash and bring a small pail with you. It doesn't take up too much room. There is one in almost every town. I have one and keep a small container of soap, a chamois, a roll of paper towel, glass cleaner, and spray detailer for the bugs. Use a few micro towels to keep things from rattling. IMO touchless car wash chemicals dull the paint.
Wax ( the car) before you leave then hit any coin op wash wherever you end up, hand dry. IF your set on a drive through then avoid the wheel conveyer belt ones at all costs unless your in a beater.
On most of our many road trips, We pre plan and know where we will be stopping each night prior to reaching our final destination. Google shows me where any self serve washes are located, so I input the address into the Navigation prior to the trip. Once we finish supper, I visit a self serve and clean the day worth of driving off the car. I dry it with micro fiber towels, then hang them up to dry at the hotel. I always want to start each day with a clean car.
Here is one such self serves in Sea Island Georgia.
The great thing about google maps is one gets to see what is located around those car washes to get an idea of the neighborhood.
Here is one such self serves in Sea Island Georgia.
The great thing about google maps is one gets to see what is located around those car washes to get an idea of the neighborhood.
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Not exactly the worst problem in the World to have, but still .............
Is there such a thing as a 'safe' automatic car wash for a Corvette?
Obviously it won't fare well in the tracks of the old style rails system washes, and I imagine brushes would play havoc with the paint, but are the touchless washes a real problem?
I do like to try to keep my vehicles clean, but finding the time is always an issue, and quite frankly, I have other 'stuff' to do besides wash my car.
I'm in the London area - if you have a recommendation on any particular spot, I would appreciate it.
Is there such a thing as a 'safe' automatic car wash for a Corvette?
Obviously it won't fare well in the tracks of the old style rails system washes, and I imagine brushes would play havoc with the paint, but are the touchless washes a real problem?
I do like to try to keep my vehicles clean, but finding the time is always an issue, and quite frankly, I have other 'stuff' to do besides wash my car.
I'm in the London area - if you have a recommendation on any particular spot, I would appreciate it.
Like a few said, coin wash hose down is safe and will get a good chunk of road gunk. Not perfect but cheap and will take the worst off.
Hand washes are another option but harder to find and if doing a lot of miles on roadtrip not worth the extra.
Hand washes are another option but harder to find and if doing a lot of miles on roadtrip not worth the extra.
Not for the C8, although Jack would disagree.
You can't keep the water out of the engine bay and it does a terrible job with all the nooks and crannies and never dries in them either. If you drive away from one all the water comes out all over the car and it's filthy by the time you get home. If you take the time to dry it there then perhaps it can work, but if it's cold out you might as well have just washed it at home or in a wash bay.
Well, thanks for the heads up.
I found one I'm satisfied with in Hamilton, just drive in and park. Top wash takes 8 minutes. Includes engine shampoo...
When I'm on the road I look for the self-service wand type car washes. "Brushless" doesn't mean the same as touchless, so watch out for the ones that use spinning rubber flaps instead of brushes. They'll still mess up your paint. True touchless car washes are OK on occasion, but they have 2 issues: they recycle the water, and even though it's filtered you're spraying other people's dirt back onto your car. And they use very harsh detergents to clean the car without rubbing, and those will strip the wax or other coating off your car if used a lot.
If you go to the hose type washes at night, when they're not busy, you can usually take the time to fill a bucket and use a wash mitt or microfiber to help clean the car, too.
If you go to the hose type washes at night, when they're not busy, you can usually take the time to fill a bucket and use a wash mitt or microfiber to help clean the car, too.
I challenge your claim! How does the car wash know your engine is in the rear or does it wash the frunk for you?
The C.T. one has an under car clean. Perhaps that is what you use?
I look in the rear view mirror and watch the soapy water fill the engine bay...
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Sorry, post 38 lol...
I didn't know what I was looking at. I thought it was a side window for some reason.
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