Touch free car washes

[Toyboy]

We had a really decent one here in town but it was old and kept breaking down so they replaced it with a "Scratch -O-Matic". What a mistake. They've lost over 1/2 their business now. Anyone with a nice car won't use it. There was a guy that went through it (when it was just installed) with his pick up. He forgot a rod & reel in the bed. Well that ole' overhead brush snagged the hook and the next thing the rod, reel and sinkers are flailing around just beating the snot out of everything. He couldn't get away from it because both overhead doors had closed prior to the wash starting. He said that he didn't know that they had changed to a non brush less and once he did, he couldn't escape. Took them over an hour to get all the line and tackle off that dang thing.

 

[clemsonfor]

Im a forester and we get one carwash a month for the work truck. Its almost poitless as it seems if i wash it its muddy the same day or next couple. Even those brush washes dont get 90% of the dirt off, the touchless are even worse. May be good if you stay on the road 1005 of your time and wash every week.

 

[Bird]

As I said, I've never seen a touch free that came even close to getting a car clean, but obviously such must exist and some of you have had good luck with them.

On the other hand, several of you have either had bad luck, or heard bad luck stories, about the ones with brushes. So I looked back at my vehicle logs and see that the '02 Crown Vic that we've only had 2.5 years has been through the Star Car Wash 32 times. And the '01 Ranger has been through it 47 times, and no way I'd go through the car wash with anything in the bed of the truck. They unscrew and remove the radio antenna on the Ranger before it goes in, then put it back when they hand dry it. I can't tell that the brushes have hurt anything, so I reckon I'll keep using them.:laughing:

However, there was one time (9/19/2009) when that big blower that blows most of the water off before they hand dry it, blew a small metal piece off one windshield wiper blade support structure on the Ranger. Since the wiper blades were a year and a half old at the time, I didn't even tell the folks at Star Car Wash about it; just went directly to buy both new wiper blades and put them on.

 

[Bird]

Im a forester and we get one carwash a month for the work truck. Its almost poitless as it seems if i wash it its muddy the same day or next couple. Even those brush washes dont get 90% of the dirt off, the touchless are even worse. May be good if you stay on the road 1005 of your time and wash every week.

:laughing:I have no idea what they do now, but the Dallas police sedans used to be used on their assigned beat 24 hours a day, six and two-thirds days a week. Each car went into the garage once a week for an oil change and wash job; made no difference if it was raining at the time, it got washed on its assigned day and shift. And if it got muddy later the same day it was washed, it was going to be a week before it got washed again.:laughing:

 

[clemsonfor]

Im a forester and we get one carwash a month for the work truck. Its almost poitless as it seems if i wash it its muddy the same day or next couple. Even those brush washes dont get 90% of the dirt off, the touchless are even worse. May be good if you stay on the road 1005 of your time and wash every week.

I meant to say only the brush washes only GET 90% of the dirt off and on the road 100%..

 

[Big Bri]

We have a new brush wash (cloth fingers that go back and forth). They offer a $3 wash and wax. Does a real nice job and you get free use of the vacuums. I run my truck through once a week and on the third week i go for the 7 dollar wash that does a double wax and some other fru fru stuff. My truck looks as good as the day i bought it.
Brian

 

[Bird]

(cloth fingers that go back and forth).

I couldn't think of how to describe what the Star Car Wash has besides the revolving brushes, but you just did it.:laughing:

 

[clemsonfor]

I was thinking those things were like a foam, but i guess there like a thick chamy (spelling) like cloth usually red in color that are like split into like 1" wide strips.

 

[Bird]

I was thinking those things were like a foam, but i guess there like a thick chamy (spelling) like cloth usually red in color that are like split into like 1" wide strips.

Well, that's going to be a little different than the ones at Star Car Wash. Theirs are blue, strips I'd guess are 4" wide, "look" much like terry cloth, but thicker and heavier. They swing a bit side to side and up and down and are heavy enough that you, sitting in the car, feel them.

 

[Mounted Madness]

:laughing:I have no idea what they do now, but the Dallas police sedans used to be used on their assigned beat 24 hours a day, six and two-thirds days a week. Each car went into the garage once a week for an oil change and wash job; made no difference if it was raining at the time, it got washed on its assigned day and shift. And if it got muddy later the same day it was washed, it was going to be a week before it got washed again.:laughing:

Still better then each member being given the option to wash the car or not...there are some people that are slobs not matter what they drive and job they do. I hated driving a dirty cruiser, showed poor image IMO. Then again I pressed my shirts, pants and polished my boots, but there are a lot of the new age members that don't...or worse, wash there stuff and don't iron it...okay...off topic and getting P'd off.