Bill L

I live in the Chicago area. My car does not see rain or snow. If I want to drive my S2K in the winter on dry days with no snow, no salt, it will still get dirty and need washing. I won't be able to wash it by hand. What do I look for in a car wash facility so as not to hurt the finish. Is there such an animal?

I have a heated garage so I can polish it and take special care of anything either before the wash or afterwards.

Thanks

amartin

Well if you MUST take it through an automatic car wash (which nobody here would recommend), try a "Laser 4000 Touchless". Whatever-- and I do mean WHATEVER you do, make sure its a touchless carwash-- no brushes, just water.

Keep a shammy on you to dry immediatly after pulling out.

-- Aaron

Lovetodrive2000

Nooooooooooooooo.. no automatic car washes!!! Even touchless ones. Asking for troubles with your seals if you do. If Chicago is like Cincinnati, you should be able to find a detailer that will hand wash it. Just make sure you specify what car wash to us (or provide your own), and also the towels to be used (so they don't use old ones)!

Shouldn't cost you an arm and leg!

Cossa

Any Cincinnati suggestions?? : )

Clark

Bill,

I'll stand up and be the heretic among us. As one who intends to drive my S2K on all nice days year round, I realized long ago that I am not willing or able to hand wash, or have hand washed, my car frequently enough to keep it clean looking and healthy (from a corrosive road salt point of view).

My roommate had a Negaro Blue Audi S4, which he'd been taking to the local Turtle Wax soft-cloth wash for 2 years and the paint still looked spectacular on it. I decided to check it out and they had assured me that there were many patrons with convertibles that did not have any damage to the top from their wash, so I decided to go for it.

It has been since February and my paint and top look just fine. I figure that I'd rather have a continuously clean car and risk the need to replace the top after a few years than have the car all nasty looking due to road salt.

Steve

Bill L

Not a heretic, but a guy who wants to drive his car year around. That's worth something, in either more washing, polishing, etc. If I can have it washed with minimal wear & tear, that's fine. I'll be able to drive it year around in winter on dry, sunny days. God, I love it.

Lovetodrive2000

I always wash mine myself, so I ahve no experience with any place around town. I know there are several places that will hand wash cars. One is on Springlield Pike in Woodlawn.

I'll try and find others......

1Y2KS2K

Hey Bill. I assume the reason you can't wash the car is because there are some kind of restrictions on washing cars where you live. If that's the case, you may want to look out for one of those "do-it-yourself" car washes, where you feed the machine $3 in quarters and get to wave a spray wand over the car. This is probably the next best thing to using those (supposedly) brush-less car washes.

amartin

Becareful of someone hand-washing your car-- When I was a kid, I worked at a carwash (albiet for about 6hours /LOL). And it was commmmmmon practice to reuse towels to wash and dry.

Basically, the reused towels have crap in them that will cause fine scratches in your paint. So choose your shop carefully.

-- Aaron

Bill L

1Y2KS2K: The reason I can't wash my car is because Chicago's too cold in winter. If the streets are dry, I'll drive it, but then it gets dirty. Plus the road, even if dry, might be salty. I have a heated three car but I've never washed it inside -- too much water, I think.