Using car wash
- Thread starter daffyduck
- Start date
There will be many replies on this but here's my .03 cents:
- No pressure washer. Be gentle. Make love to the paint...don't **** it.
- Two buckets...one for suds the other for rinsing the sponge/mitt/whatever.
- Car Wash soap in and of itself won't cause swirls unless you're washing with GoJo w/Pomice which is bad.
- Use clean and I stress clean wash mitts. I like sheepskin mitts and/or some of the micro-fiber wash mitts out there. Rinse often.
- Don't scrub or dig into the paint with the mitt...remember make love to it, not treat it like Paris Hilton.
Drying...I use a leaf blower to dry the Viper. My rationale is that the less things touch the paint the less swirls.
- No pressure washer. Be gentle. Make love to the paint...don't **** it.
- Two buckets...one for suds the other for rinsing the sponge/mitt/whatever.
- Car Wash soap in and of itself won't cause swirls unless you're washing with GoJo w/Pomice which is bad.
- Use clean and I stress clean wash mitts. I like sheepskin mitts and/or some of the micro-fiber wash mitts out there. Rinse often.
- Don't scrub or dig into the paint with the mitt...remember make love to it, not treat it like Paris Hilton.
Drying...I use a leaf blower to dry the Viper. My rationale is that the less things touch the paint the less swirls.
SkyBob
Enthusiast
Do you own another car? A daily driver you don't care much about? Run that through the car wash and see what it does to the paint.
Bob
Chrissss
Viper Owner
I don't think there is enough alcohol out there to make me run my viper through a car wash! Hand wash only!!
The last time I used a car wash was about 6 years ago on my DD. I made the mistake of using it during the winter months when everyone would bring their cars/trucks/suvs through the wash to get the sand/salt off. Guess where all the sand and salt landed? Yep, all over the car wash mechanisms, brushes, etc. When my car got through it looked like the doors were sandblasted. Super cold water, ice-covered harsh brushes encrusted with sand did the trick. The guys drying the car with towels had an "Oh SH**" look on their faces when the car came out of the wash.
They eventually paid to have my car detailed and all of the swirls, surface scratches removed. I never went back after that and will NEVER go near one ever again. I can't even imagine the Viper getting the wash without the side sills getting torn off or something wedged under the front fascia.
If you don't have the time to wash your cars find and train a kid in your neighborhood to do it for you.
They eventually paid to have my car detailed and all of the swirls, surface scratches removed. I never went back after that and will NEVER go near one ever again. I can't even imagine the Viper getting the wash without the side sills getting torn off or something wedged under the front fascia.
If you don't have the time to wash your cars find and train a kid in your neighborhood to do it for you.
LifeIsGood
Enthusiast
A car wash...this thread must be a joke!
agentf1
Enthusiast
- Two bucket method.
- Separate sponge or mitt and bucket for wheels.
- Good Sheep Skin wash mitt for paint from Sheepskin.com - Sheepskin Slippers, Sheepskin Rugs and Sheepskin Seat Covers or a Eurow mitt from Walmart.
- Dry by sheeting water without nozzle, then use a leaf blower and follow up with a good waffle weave towel.
- Make sure car is well waxed or zaino'd.
If you use a high pressure washer at home be careful not to get it too close to the paint as it will pit the clearcoat.
As far as automatic or drive thru car washes, the rear wheels on a Viper are too wide to fit anyway.
As far as automatic or drive thru car washes, the rear wheels on a Viper are too wide to fit anyway.
Martin
Enthusiast
Not to mention blast off any emblems on the car and possibly knock a quarter-sized chunk of paint off if you have a small rock-chip. I carefully use a pressure washer on my Jeep and tractor, but that's it...
quick question?!? why 2 buckets? I use 1 for soap and leave the water running to the hose for rinsing... I have a hose attachment that I'm able to turn on and off w/o walking back into my garage... am I missing something?
One bucket contains the soap and the other is used to clean the mitt in between dunks in the soap bucket. The idea being any crap the mitt picked up washing the car gets washed out in the 2nd bucket and doesn't make it's way back into the soap and back on to the paint, potentially reducing swirls.
VENUM INJECTION
Viper Owner
I agree no pressure washer. They make a sprayer that you can pick up at autozone and such that has a mr clean guy on it. It has a filter in in that you can replace for those who live in areas with "hard" water. It comes with a soap that sheens the water off so very little drying after and it has different spray settings from heavy to fine mist. I really like the filter feature. But I use microfiber towels, and if any of them hit the ground I grab a new one, paranoid about microgrit. Never used the hand blower, I am going to try that.
1800 PSI is a little low, I would get at least 3000 PSI so you could put a good stipple finish on it the first wash.
GBS
Enthusiast
I never go though car washes and I never use my pressure washer on my paint. My pressure washer is 2400 psi and it will take the paint right off my house when it on niddle point at about 1' way. Blasting the paint at high pressure is not a good thing.
steve p
Viper Owner
1800 PSI? Thats nonsense,boys. I would use 18,000 PSI, you read it right. That way you remove all that paint and that pesky primer. Now you are down to bare fiberglass and should have no more problems with paint scratches and swirls. Oh yeah, and imagine how clean it will get your engine, or use it to cut down REDWOODS. Or clean cars two towns away.
SkyBob
Enthusiast
18,000 psi also would do a great job of trimming your toenails if you don't watch out.
Bob
Bob
goldcup
Enthusiast
after a long cruise /trip i will use the wand at a car wash to remove bugs and dirt.take it two blocks to home and hand wash it two bucket method.I have a dark car and I can tell you anything that touches the paint scratches the paint whether you see it or not,as any owner of a Sapphire car can tell you.Do not rub the paint lightly stroke the paint as a previous poster said make love to it!!!!
A Clean Viper is a happy viper and one that needs to be driven!!!!!!!
A Clean Viper is a happy viper and one that needs to be driven!!!!!!!
Never heard/though of drying a car with a leaf blower before.
It works great and kinda funny to watch the neighbor's expressions while doing it.
Leaf blowers will blow out the areas where water collects too, so that when you drive the car you do not get those streak marks. I also use a leaf blower to the interior, open both car doors and let her fly. works better than a vaccum.
Bruce
Bruce
NI-KA
Enthusiast
Regarding the "Automatic Touchless-Spray Washes"
I took my '06 Coupe through one on an 81 degree day.
- the windshield craked
Certainly must have been an imperfection in the glass, however a word to the wise
I took my '06 Coupe through one on an 81 degree day.
- the windshield craked
Certainly must have been an imperfection in the glass, however a word to the wise
VIPERUSA
Enthusiast
Hey Tony,, i bought the 8 hp blower from Cal. Covers,,, works GREAT,,,and its "filtered" air, and after a couple of min's the air gets hot,, no more touching any thing,,,works great on the wheels also
Hey Tony,, i bought the 8 hp blower from Cal. Covers,,, works GREAT,,,and its "filtered" air, and after a couple of min's the air gets hot,, no more touching any thing,,,works great on the wheels also
LOL, very cool.
hemihead
Viper Owner
On recomendations from the folks on this site I tried the electric blower method for the first time this past weekend and could not believed how nice it worked. Great idea.
Sellshomesdrivesviper
Enthusiast
Agreed, my wife blows everything!!!
SkyBob
Enthusiast
When are you going to invite me over?
