I am considering running Wensleydale through the local "touch-free" wash due to the fact that I probably will not have time to give her the usual loving bubble bath before the run on Saturday.

Any thoughts as to why I should or should not do this ?

I actually ran my last MOT loaner MC through it to see how it did along with getting the huge amount of crud I got on it driving down Marriottsville road by the quarry off of it. It seemed ok, the boot seems like it doesn't get 100% clean.

I would assume to avoid swirls I would not want to dry her off with a towel following the wash.....just let her air dry and be happy that she is essentially clean.

Mike

 

the touchless really wont get the car clean if its more then a layer of dirt or even dust. be very carefull i've seen it leave just enough dirt so you can barely see it untill you dry your car and scratch the paint up bad.

 

I'm getting the impression that MINI uses the softest paint on the market.

 

I would agree. I washed Buddha at one point last year and I gently removed a bird dropping after soaking it in soapy water. I wiped it up with a wet sponge at the same time I ran water over it and it still scratched. So I took some clear-coat safe polish (Maguiars) and tried to polish the scratch. To my disgust, I would up with more fine scratches and I was using a brand new applicator pad and clean towel. At this point I just gave up since no matter what I did, it seemed that I would only make the problem worse.

I've done this same procedure on dozens of other cars and NEVER:
a) had a problem removing the scratch, or
b) wound up with more scratches than I started with.

Very disappointing.

 

I've been using a brushless (soft cloth) car wash in Crownsville for more than 10 years, and never had a swirl on any of my vehicles. Part of the process is that they pressure wash the car before it enters the automated part, and that loosens a bunch of the dirt. I'm pretty particular about my cars, too, and feel very comfortable using this process.

If you're really worried, you might first take your car to one of the high pressure do-it-yourself spray booths for a good rinsing before taking it to the touchless place.

Just out of curiosity, what brand of wax/polish/protectant do you use? I wonder if certain products might tend to offer more protection for the paint? I know that this is a huge can of worms, and everyone has preferences, but I used to be a Meguiar's fan, and converted to Zaino about 10 years ago, and haven't had a swirl since then. Coincidence? Probably. Just thought I'd add a dimension to the discussion.

 

Yeah, I would agree, the paint is soft, I had the same bird story happen to me. You would have thought the little bugger ate rocks......

I figured I would not touch her with a towel, just want to get the dust stripes off. When we were out motoring on Sunday I must have aquired quite a bit of dust. When the snow, rain and crap came along I just parked her in the driveway. It looks worse than the cars I'm seeing on the road ! yuck !

I guess once or twice won't hurt. I have a plan to fix all the chips (Still researching the best technique-langke ?), clay, swirl, amigo, and epic with the PC this spring or a nice warm weekend. Which reminds me, got to order more Hydro, man that stuff is nice, smells good too

Cheers,

Mike

 

Actually, some birds do eat rocks
Since they don't have teeth to chew, birds that eat seeds have to gobble up tiny stones that they use to grind their food in their craw (yep, that's the place where the maceration happens). Birds that eat worms don't need the stones, but most of our feathered friends crap sand with their poop. Lovely, isn't it?

 

+1,

 

It's true and very very disappointing. I thought I had left that all behind with my mazda3, however, the MINI paint is just as bad if not worse. *grumble*

I used to be the biggest detailing nut when my last car was brand new. I bought a ton of detailing equipment and products but as i started getting the inevitable rock chips, door dings and yeah...when that column in the parking garage jumped out at me..I slowly gave up. It also isn't fun trying to wash your car when it's freezing outside. The birds never had any mercy either.

I just figured until it gets nice out I'll take Ambrosia to the best 'touch-less' car wash I can find. This is something I never would have done in the past...but what does it matter now? Either she sits in layers of winter grime all winter or at least gets partially clean. The paint is soft and will become marred sooner or later.

I am also considering the clear bra...just not sure if it is worth it.

 

Wash accomplished - so good that I'm just going to give her a proper bath tomorrow. The dust streaking is still there so.....no big deal. The touch free is an option when it is way too cold out though.

Ed - I used Meguiars up to this point, I tried the Prima line that seems to be the rage and it was a bit disappointing but from the talk, you really need to do it with the PC polisher. So come warmer temps, I need two days in a row, I'll give it a whirl (no pun intended)

Mike

 

I used to go to a "LaserWash" place on Rte 1 south of Baltimore and was pretty pleased with the wash. Occasionally, because of the high pressure jets, some water would work its way in up around the latches for the roof. Though, not enough to panic over.

 

if you are a fanatic about scratches and swirls, you can get a da polisher. If you know how to use it, you can have a scratch free car. it takes a lot of time. i own a customizing shop and after wetsanding a vehicle when after a paint job, ill spend up to two solid days polishing a car to make sure there are no scratches or swirls. i use a low speed 1800 rpm's.
It sux but the results are mirror finish.

 

I've got the PC from Octaneguy at Showcardetailing.com, I'll be firing that up come warmer temps ! Thanks for the input

Mike