Is it really as bad as you guys make it sound?

S

Stratous

New member
I washed my truck outside for the first time this year. I thought I was gonna find hell...As all winter it went through automated full touch car washes, single bucket power washes (*gasp*), and a few dustings throughout. The only protection it had was a single coat of 'Race Glaze' sealant applied in about October.

I looked it over today...Not one single swirl, not one. The paint is flawless, and it still has a gorgous shine.



It got me wondering. Is everything really as bad as you guys make it sound?

I feel the automated car washes is one of the greatest things...It only costs $7, and my truck is clean in no more than 3 minutes.
 
Yes, it's as bad as we make it sound. I can tell when a car has been driven through an automated car wash after previously being detailed with no problem.



The question is, do you have an Autopian eye yet?? Just maybe you haven't seen your truck actually look as good as it *can* look, so it doesn't look bad to you.



Before I started detailing the correct way, I thought my cars always looked awesome. Looking back on that now I don't know how I ever thought they were even *close* to being "detailed." :nixweiss
 
But I am just saying, that it has zero swirls even when looked at in direct sunlight, and it's still smooth as glass...Maybe the 'Race Glaze' is just really good stuff. Granted the shine isn't picture perfect, but the sealant is rated for 9 months, so maybe I will try souveran over the 'Race Glaze' on my spring detail...So far I am impressed with it.
 
Not all tunnel washes are created equal but I never take a car through them on principle.



To think that before I got into detailing I used to take my car through a tunnel wash every week and thought it looked great!



Ben
 
Stratous- I tend to agree with JDookie. I sure don't mean to sound insulting, and it sounds pretty demeaning to say "you can't see what we're talking about", doesn't it :o But the truth is, most people I know, even the "showcar people" in my Jag club, *don't* see it.



Consider this- on my silver S8 (very hard Spies Hecker brand clearcoat), I'd spend about five minutes inspecting an area maybe 1' x 1'. Did this after every pass with three different machines and multiple grades of polish. I spent literally *hours* inspecting the paint while I was fixing it from having been washed *twice*! Only twice, by hand, by professionals (after its "deer incident"). I needed five different light sources to see everything and I frequently employed magnification. And most of the people who saw the car could *not* see the stuff I was worried about, even when I pointed to it and said "there, that elliptical marring going from seven o'clock towards 12". Being able to see this stuff is both a blessing and a curse :D It's not like I have unusually good vision, I just know what I'm looking for and how to spot it.



But if your vehicle looks good to you, that's what counts. Don't worry about what *we* stress out about regarding *our* vehicles. Just don't be surprised if some night, under weird lighting, you suddenly see stuff that was previously invisible to you.
 
i tend to agree with everyone else.. i'm not sure you actually see the swirls. i have met tons of people who say "my car isn't that bad" or "it isn't swirled" etc, and when i look at it, its HORRIBLE! go take some REAL direct sun pics and we can point it out for ya.



Vernon
 
a daily driven car will never have perfect paint like a trailer hauled show queen but they can look pretty good if taken care of-if you drive it it will get some kind of road rash on it
 
If its the only way that's available for you to keep your car clean, then its ok. Just do not expect to have a show quality finish. Expect a good share of swirling as a minimum. I have had a period in the past where I did the automated washes just to keep the car clean, and I've only had one instance where I received a scratch that's worse than a streak.



The goal is to have a clean paint surface with minimal streaks possible. If you can handwash your car, then that would be the optimal situation. If not, just make sure that you are consistent in keeping the car clean, and plan to have a good polish routine (removing the swirls once a year as a bare minimum) at least twice a year for a non pampered car.
 
You just can't see them. Automated car washes are TERRIBLE for installing swirls. The dirt and crap from the cars before you is rubbed right back onto your paint.

The only way a sealant could protect your car against swirls is if it was extremely hard. Harder than any particle that could come in contact with your finish.
 
I use the tunnel wash once a month or so thru the winter.

Ea. Spring (getting close here) its necessary to remove swirls. No way around it. Zaino x3 keeps the shine but doesnt protect it from swirls.
 
What about the drive in "touchless" booths? No brushes or anything just high pressure jets of water. Many times during the winter I have to clean my car and this is really the only way I can while I am at college.



-Ryan
 
What color is your truck?



I have got marring from just dangling my wash mitt above the paint, just tickling it with soap....



Well maybe not that extreme, but i think i have good wash skills, then 6 weeks later i am in a depression lol.
 
The touchless washes often use harsher chemicals than the brush washes. The chemicals have to be quite strong in order to clean the dirt off without any scrubbing action.
 
Ohh I see. I thought the touchless washes were better becuase no brushes or anything come in contact with the paint and were a better alternative if hand washing was out of the question. I guess that because they use these harsh chemicals that it isn't any better but I can live with that just so my car can be clean in the winter months.



-Ryan
 
Touchless has its place, like if you wake up and it is 40ish, rush to the touchless, then run home and do a proper wash, then add a LSp.
 
Yeah there are tradeoffs between the two.



Touchless - stronger chemicals...need to reapply protection more often.



Brushes - less harsh chemicals, but more swirls. Need to polish moderate swirling out of paint in springtime.



You can just be like me...wash the car with QEW (or in my case NXT soap in the QEW method) without a hose. You can do it in the garage where you're protected from cold winter winds.

I did well with that method this winter, but I'll be buying QEW before next winter to use that in the garage.
 
You just can't make it through a winter without some problems, automated wash or not. Check your lighting conditions--and your obsession level! ;)
 
ZCarGuy- Oh, I dunno. When you're preoccupied with your education the touchless might not be a bad idea.



When Accumulatorette travels she takes her A8 through a touchless when it really needs it. When she gets back I give it a proper wash, but the touchless seems better than having a filthy car. FWIW, I always put a fresh coat of LSP on before she goes so the touchless doesn't strip it to bare paint.
 
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