Good Week @ 996Outpost.com

[32wildbilly]

Touchless automated car washes: do you or don’t you?

Not sure what 'touchless' means, but the last time I used the automated car wash, it ripped off my front license plate. Our tires are wide, and the cars are low, so I would think most 996 owners would avoid them.

But I agree, here in the cold northeast, I'd rather not clean my car in 40 degree windy weather. As a last resort, I take my car to a 'hand wash' place a couple towns over, which is basically two guys with hoses in a garage. They don't do as good a job as I do, but its better than nothing.

Yeah, the previous owner of my car apparently used the "drag through" style car washes in Houston which played hell with the inside of the rear rims because of the width. 5chn3ll is taking about the ones you just drive in and stop when the buzzer and red light goes off. So no drive or getting pulled through any kind of rail system. Maybe they don't have these in the East?

[Dr_Strangelove]

Touchless automated car washes: do you or don’t you?

I only trust myself to do a bad job washing my car.

[OceanBlue2000]

Not sure what 'touchless' means, but the last time I used the automated car wash, it ripped off my front license plate. Our tires are wide, and the cars are low, so I would think most 996 owners would avoid them.

But I agree, here in the cold northeast, I'd rather not clean my car in 40 degree windy weather. As a last resort, I take my car to a 'hand wash' place a couple towns over, which is basically two guys with hoses in a garage. They don't do as good a job as I do, but its better than nothing.

Yeah, the previous owner of my car apparently used the "drag through" style car washes in Houston which played hell with the inside of the rear rims because of the width. 5chn3ll is taking about the ones you just drive in and stop when the buzzer and red light goes off. So no drive or getting pulled through any kind of rail system. Maybe they don't have these in the East?

Not that I've seen! They are either the rail, automatic kind or they are hand washes done by an attendant and you wait somewhere while they work (which is what I do). I do like going to the car wash sometimes, because I always seem to run into a 'car guy' or two who has brought something interesting. Especially when its cold, when it seems non-car guys just let the cars get dirty. I went to the hand wash place Saturday and got to talking with someone who was getting his Maserati Ghibli Quattroporte done.

[Einsteiger]

The auto-washes of both kind also feature the Acid Bath - soap so caustic that it lifts the dirt and crud in seconds...and starts the deterioration of both paint and wheel finishes.

Optimum No-Rinse, Griot's waterless, and many other brands all work. There are scores of YouTube vids on how to carefully clean a car in the garage in winter....without wetting down the floor. I surround the car with old garage towels just in case I spill some water in the process.

[Battery Guy]

The auto-washes of both kind also feature the Acid Bath - soap so caustic that it lifts the dirt and crud in seconds...and starts the deterioration of both paint and wheel finishes.

Optimum No-Rinse, Griot's waterless, and many other brands all work. There are scores of YouTube vids on how to carefully clean a car in the garage in winter....without wetting down the floor. I surround the car with old garage towels just in case I spill some water in the process.

Good info. Spent some time googling Optimum No-Rinse last night. I like the idea of mixing up a batch in a two-gallon sprayer, spraying it on and just wiping off with a microfiber towel. Seems pretty reasonable price-wise too- looks like one ounce to two gallons of water - that is pretty cheap. If I get my garage floor a little damp that will be OK, but real water puddles can cause problems. Sometimes that happens anyway on a real snowy day when the car drops chucks all over the floor...
I’m sure the California guys are trying to wrap their brains around cars dropping large turds of snow and ice on the garage floor...
Daryll

[32wildbilly]

The auto-washes of both kind also feature the Acid Bath - soap so caustic that it lifts the dirt and crud in seconds...and starts the deterioration of both paint and wheel finishes.

Optimum No-Rinse, Griot's waterless, and many other brands all work. There are scores of YouTube vids on how to carefully clean a car in the garage in winter....without wetting down the floor. I surround the car with old garage towels just in case I spill some water in the process.

Good info. Spent some time googling Optimum No-Rinse last night. I like the idea of mixing up a batch in a two-gallon sprayer, spraying it on and just wiping off with a microfiber towel. Seems pretty reasonable price-wise too- looks like one ounce to two gallons of water - that is pretty cheap. If I get my garage floor a little damp that will be OK, but real water puddles can cause problems. Sometimes that happens anyway on a real snowy day when the car drops chucks all over the floor...
I’m sure the California guys are trying to wrap their brains around cars dropping large turds of snow and ice on the garage floor...
Daryll

Their all a bunch of wimps...Lucky Bastards!

[5chn3ll]

Snow and ice. Snow. And ice.

WTF is snow, and why would I put ice on the garage floor? Ice goes in the glass with the sparkling zinfandel, doesn't it?

(just trying to rep CA properly up in here...)

snow and ice on the garage floor...
Daryll

[JayG]

The auto-washes of both kind also feature the Acid Bath - soap so caustic that it lifts the dirt and crud in seconds...and starts the deterioration of both paint and wheel finishes.

Optimum No-Rinse, Griot's waterless, and many other brands all work. There are scores of YouTube vids on how to carefully clean a car in the garage in winter....without wetting down the floor. I surround the car with old garage towels just in case I spill some water in the process.

Good info. Spent some time googling Optimum No-Rinse last night. I like the idea of mixing up a batch in a two-gallon sprayer, spraying it on and just wiping off with a microfiber towel. Seems pretty reasonable price-wise too- looks like one ounce to two gallons of water - that is pretty cheap. If I get my garage floor a little damp that will be OK, but real water puddles can cause problems. Sometimes that happens anyway on a real snowy day when the car drops chucks all over the floor...
I’m sure the California guys are trying to wrap their brains around cars dropping large turds of snow and ice on the garage floor...
Daryll

I have been using it for years in a 2 gal pump sprayer. IIRC, its 1 oz per gallon for wash and you can also mix it as a detailer, more concentrated. I use the wash and shine for washing and the wash and wax for detailer. One is green and the other is blue with the only difference is the wash and wax has some carnuba in it.

I also use Chemical Guys wax. Washing and waxing the 911 takes maybe 30 minutes tops

[32wildbilly]

Good info. Spent some time googling Optimum No-Rinse last night. I like the idea of mixing up a batch in a two-gallon sprayer, spraying it on and just wiping off with a microfiber towel. Seems pretty reasonable price-wise too- looks like one ounce to two gallons of water - that is pretty cheap. If I get my garage floor a little damp that will be OK, but real water puddles can cause problems. Sometimes that happens anyway on a real snowy day when the car drops chucks all over the floor...
I’m sure the California guys are trying to wrap their brains around cars dropping large turds of snow and ice on the garage floor...
Daryll

I have been using it for years in a 2 gal pump sprayer. IIRC, its 1 oz per gallon for wash and you can also mix it as a detailer, more concentrated. I use the wash and shine for washing and the wash and wax for detailer. One is green and the other is blue with the only difference is the wash and wax has some carnuba in it.

I also use Chemical Guys wax. Washing and waxing the 911 takes maybe 30 minutes tops

Somebody explain to me how this stuff works without scratching the finish. Not being combative it just sounds to good to be true. I feel like I'm missing out on something good because of my irrational fears.

[Einsteiger]

If a car is really dirty, with a lot of accumulated crud, the waterless stuff is not the answer. The only way it's paint safe is if you spray the panel down [I work one panel/fender whatever at a time] or really wet the microfiber cloth first via a dunk in the bucket of Optimum no rinse or water. This is not a light detail-spray operation. When the surface dirt is off via the wet microfiber, then you come back with one or two dry, good-quality microfiber cloths to dry.

You're right: trying to remove heavy accumulation with just a cloth is definitely going to scratch.

I have not had to do this with the Porsche, but with the Mini Cooper-S I have gone to the coin-op self-serve wash to knock off the heavy stuff, then buzz home to the garage and finish with the waterless routine.