At the Car Wash

[onething]

I know Miata folks who regularly take their cars to car washes of various types. I know Miata folks who get severe cases of the vapors when car washes are mentioned. I know it says not to wash your ragtop in a car wash in the owner's manual.

Yesterday, while watching the company OTM go through the fully automated car wash, I said something to the front guy who takes your order and marks the window. He says they send ragtops of all kinds through the machine all the time - with no harm. He was standing under the sign releasing them from any responsibility for damage and theft.

This was never an issue when I had a house with water hose and driveway... and a detailer I trusted. Now that I am a cave dweller with a parking space, my Miata gets pretty dirty.

What do you think? Car wash yes or no?

Recommended detailer in the SW Ft Worth area?

[sammm]

Recommended detailer in the SW Ft Worth area?

I have never taken a vehicle thru a drive-thru carwash. I know they now have 'touchless' ones, but still. Go to one of those 'bay' type car washes and bring your bucket and sponge. Being a cheap bastard I've always done my own detailing too.

[POS Racing]

I think Mazda recommends (in the Owners Manual) you don't run a Miata thought an automatic car wash, because of possible damage to the top. That and the fact it may leak like the Titanic.

But on the other side of the equation I do believe Tailchaser has run his thought an automatic carwash.

BTW. I’m tooo cheap to let someone else wash my Miata.

[BigDmiata]

I used to run mine through and never had a problem. (only did it that way when I needed it cleaned and couldnt find the time to do it myself)

[altiain]

I used to take my 4wd Tacoma to a carwash like that occasionally, but that was usually to get the mud out from the undercarriage. :P Besides, it was covered in scratches from driving down too-narrow trails already, so I wasn't that concerned with the finish. But even when I was living in an apartment I still hand-washed my vehicles most of the time, usually by taking them to a coin-op pressure washer and bringing my own bucket, soap, and chamois.

Onething, have you ever used a clay bar on you Miata? It's a bit time consuming, but the reuslts after a good clay bar and wax are nothing short of amazing. I finally got around to doing it to my wife's '00 Accord the other week, and I'm amazed at how well that car has stayed clean compared to mine (white vs dark green), especially since she had it parked outside through much of the rain while she and I were refinishing some furniture. With a silver car, a good clay bar and wax job, your car should stay looking pretty darn clean even if it is parked outside most of the time.

[Kestrel]

I ran mine through a gas station's (read: cheapo) car wash one time when it was filthy and I didn't have time to wash it myself. It cleaned the car OK (for an automatic car wash), and didn't appear to hurt anything. But, some water did come through the "gaps" between the side windows and the top, so I haven't done it again since.

Would I do it? Only in an extreme "pinch". On the other hand, I'm moving out of my house this weekend, so I'll be an apartment dweller again for a while. I might have to get comfortable with either a drive-thru car wash or a "bay style" car wash like sammm suggests.

[tailchaser]

Yes.... I'm the lazy bastard. I used Oasis a lot when they did the exterior only for $3.99 since the one near my house did a great job of keeping their washer clean and were attentive in drying the car... That and their soap repels dust for weeks...

However, they changed management, and I'm not going within a half mile of them anymore... I washed the car myself a couple times when it was 40 degrees this winter.

[sammm]

have you ever used a clay bar on you Miata? It's a bit time consuming, but the reuslts after a good clay bar and wax are nothing short of amazing.

I've read about clay bar'ing on the board and it's been on my to-do list. Is there a local source for buying the clay?

[joe.MIATA]

have you ever used a clay bar on you Miata? It's a bit time consuming, but the reuslts after a good clay bar and wax are nothing short of amazing.

I've read about clay bar'ing on the board and it's been on my to-do list. Is there a local source for buying the clay?

I used the clay bar when my car was new to me. It was great. I found that I only needed to do the nose of the car- the rest was relatively free from grit and grime. It was easy and the finished product was excellent. In fact, I should probably try it again since it has been over a year.

I purchased a bar and its associated spray at the local autoparts store. Mine was Meguires' brand.

[altiain]

have you ever used a clay bar on you Miata? It's a bit time consuming, but the reuslts after a good clay bar and wax are nothing short of amazing.

I've read about clay bar'ing on the board and it's been on my to-do list. Is there a local source for buying the clay?

Same as tailchaser. I used the Meguiar's kit, and bought it at my local Autozone. The kit (includes one bar and a bottle of detailing spray to use as a lubricant for the clay) was about $20, iirc.

Once you do it, you'll be hooked. It really does make your paint feel "like glass" when you run your hand over it. Better yet, the results on my wife's 4-year-old Honda were so dramatic even she noticed it. :P

[MadMonkey]

If I need a quick wash NOW I'll take mine to the automatic wash near Grapevine Mills... it's about $15 for a wash, vacuum, and quick outside detail. I haven't been there in a while.

Usually I wash mine in the driveway or at the local (gasp) pressure wash place down the street...

[Radio-Active]

Welcome to 2004.

[MadMonkey]

What the hey....? I clicked New Posts and this came up

[Radio-Active]

Somebody put in a new vote on the poll.

[sxk122]

I won't take the miata to a car wash

I do take the Lancer to Forest Car wash for a hand wash at least every other week. They do a fantastic job.

[SixAce]

I run through the car was once in awhile. Touchless or one that does not have one of those giant rotating wheels of death that drops down on your top, Those are the old school ones, newer units are ok. The touchless ones that simply use what seems like a bazillion tons of just water pressure (always struck me as BS) actually worked pretty good. I expected to get soaked as the pressure hit the seals, but not a drop got through on either car, soft top or hard top. Go figure.

Clay bar is awesome. I first found out about it years ago when I bought a new Passat. Found a mfgs clay bar kit provided for me in the glovebox. Funny thing was, the instructions said it was for the windshield. No mention of using it anywhere else.

If you have yet to try it on a windshield, I highly recommend it. Much clearer, less chatter, and the blades last longer...

Still looking for a touchless clay bar drive thru though...

[trickyrix]

I'll run mine through an auto car wash if I'm feeling lazy - either the Wave Wash on Greenville @ University, or the Ultra Car Wash on Beltline just west of Marsh. Neither one is high-pressure, and I don't feel they're abusive to the soft top. If I'm feeling frisky I'll spend the $4 at the two-bit car wash and baby my car...

[bnordin]

The Miata has mostly been hand washed but the Boxter regularly gets run through the car wash. Do you realy think the dealers hand wash these cars?

[jrj512]

What do you think? Car wash yes or no?

Recommended detailer in the SW Ft Worth area?

So, what ever happened?!?!

[HudsonHawk]

The car wash just up the road from me does hand wash and detail. It takes time and you have to leave it with them for a couple of hours. But the results are very good.