I normally use a couple of car wash places locally that are the type where the robot goes around the car spraying the different types of soap & wax while nothing actually touches the car.
We have a car wash locally that is the type where the car travels on on a rail past several stations. This is supposedly a "Brushless" type of wash, but there are a series of chamios swiping the car during the process. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this type, and I'm wondering if there is enough clearance under the car to safely use one of these?
I've talked to 2 different people who work there and both times they suggested bringing the car in during off hours and they would measure the underbody to see if it will travel the rail. I'm kind of worried about the stress to the rear wing as well & I know it will need some attention by hand to clean the bottom and the decklid.
I know someone will suggest hand washing and I do own a power washer. The problem is that we live in the country and have well water. I have a terrible time with water spotting. The car is Medium Metallic Red which is a very hard color to keep clean to start with. I admit I'm lazy. I don't mind hand washing, but not 3-4 times a week!
I tried a touchless car wash on my '86 GT once when I was in a hurry and was pleasantly surprised with the results. It even cleaned under the wing. I say give it a shot. I also hear the new Mr. Clean car wash system has a water filter.
------------------ Alan Frazier '86 GT-'92 3.4 TDC 5 speed(sold) '84 2m4 project car
Some car washes wont accept fieros.... i started a tread awhile ago that disscussed about a local car wash had a sign that said: "no pontiac fieros" for some reason, i talked to the cashier and he told me it was because they were too low....... -Roy
------------------ I own an original yellow 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT, (wingless, currently purple) and very proud....Truly is.....Driving Exitement! Matching numbers GT #17889 of 26,402 made in 1988
the ONLY one ive been to grabbed my drivers side rear turn signal and lifted the car up about 2 inches and ripped off that piece... while making my car only partialy clean it destroyed my turn signal and it threw the car around in the car wash it seemed... and its a stock 86GT i will NEVER use one of those again unless there is actually NOTHING that touches the car.
I have not lowered my Fiero, and so far, have not had any problem with any car wash. but, I only goto 3 car wash places. one does a good job on rims, one dry's real well & one has cute girls working at it.
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09:35 AM
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
A lot of the ones around here wont even accept Corvettes because there too low. I use the quarter wash myself even in the winter. Just dont do that when its 10* out
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09:59 AM
2M4 Dale Member
Posts: 3461 From: Mansfield,Oh,U.S. Registered: Oct 1999
I normally use a couple of car wash places locally that are the type where the robot goes around the car spraying the different types of soap & wax while nothing actually touches the car.
We have a car wash locally that is the type where the car travels on on a rail past several stations. This is supposedly a "Brushless" type of wash, but there are a series of chamios swiping the car during the process. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this type, and I'm wondering if there is enough clearance under the car to safely use one of these?
I've talked to 2 different people who work there and both times they suggested bringing the car in during off hours and they would measure the underbody to see if it will travel the rail. I'm kind of worried about the stress to the rear wing as well & I know it will need some attention by hand to clean the bottom and the decklid.
I know someone will suggest hand washing and I do own a power washer. The problem is that we live in the country and have well water. I have a terrible time with water spotting. The car is Medium Metallic Red which is a very hard color to keep clean to start with. I admit I'm lazy. I don't mind hand washing, but not 3-4 times a week!
Strange enough, I work for a company that owns about 50 or so of these.... While some are great....... some I would not drive my X girlfriends car through... These do not clean as good as a good old hand wash.. I had abunch of crud on the lower end of my car and it cleaned that REALLY good... I have only driven my fiero through one...(to clean the bottom) I generaly do not trust them with my fiero....(DON'T TELL MY BOSS I SAID THAT)
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11:16 AM
PFF
System Bot
LZeitgeist Member
Posts: 5662 From: Raleigh, NC, U.S.A. Registered: Dec 2000
the ONLY one ive been to grabbed my drivers side rear turn signal and lifted the car up about 2 inches and ripped off that piece... while making my car only partialy clean it destroyed my turn signal and it threw the car around in the car wash it seemed... and its a stock 86GT i will NEVER use one of those again unless there is actually NOTHING that touches the car.
Good grief, is your car made of paper? The only damage I've suffered in rotating-brush car washes is the same driver's side rear molding piece/turn signal that you speak of, but the car never even felt it go, much less got 'thown around'.
------------------ Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com 1988 Red Fiero Formula Convertible
Around here I don't have any trouble going through the touchless drive-through washes (although I never feel it does a good job, so I only use them when "necessary"). The last time I was in Chicago, I found that all the drive-through washes were the kind where it actually grabs your car and pulls it through... with my car being lowered and having custom side-ground-effects there was no way my GT would make it without scraping. I ended up having to keep driving until I found a quarter wash
The last time I was in Chicago, I found that all the drive-through washes were the kind where it actually grabs your car and pulls it through... with my car being lowered and having custom side-ground-effects there was no way my GT would make it without scraping.
Yeah we have a lot of those places. I've never had a problem, but I never went more than a couple times since I was leery about having too much water get in through the decklid vents. I always figured the less water leaking in there, the better!
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09:21 PM
FieroSE86 Member
Posts: 175 From: Fairfield, OH, USA Registered: Oct 2002
Yeah we have a lot of those places. I've never had a problem, but I never went more than a couple times since I was leery about having too much water get in through the decklid vents. I always figured the less water leaking in there, the better!
I too won't take my Fiero thought an automatic wash for this reason. Did it once, and the rear window steamed up from all the water being dumped on the "front" exhaust manifold. I warned my dad about it, he ignored me, now his 35k formerly mint 86 GT has a cracked manifold (the recall has already been done).
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10:45 PM
Jul 23rd, 2004
Spoon Member
Posts: 3762 From: Sadsburyville, PA. 19369 / USA Registered: May 2004
My girlfriends daughter manages a car wash. The type with 1 track that pulls your car thru. Had mine there about 4 times with no damage or problems. It has the swinging shammies and a air dryer at the end. Years ago they had an older dryer with the wheel that touched your windshield about mid-height & center. If all went well it would roll up over the glass and across the roof blowing air along the way. I remember many times when the roller wheel would punch a hole right thru the windshield!! I guess the angle on some windshields made this happen or bad maint. Anyway the car owner in each case appeared somewhat upset.
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12:01 AM
Keesee Member
Posts: 419 From: Coatesville, Indiana Registered: Oct 2003
Well guy's, it sounds like there are a few more people who think they are okay to use than those who don't. I did forget to mention in my original post that the car is still at stock height and it is a Notchback. The robot style washes never seem to properly clean the rear window and upper deck area, but this is because they lose too much water pressure in trying to squirt that far. These also do not really allow enough time to dry the car and I ususally get drips from the spoiler back onto the deck making runs ad spots.
I think I'll take the employees advice at the rail type joint and show up at an off hour so they can check it out. My 2 main concerns are that it does use a large roller type chamios that passed over the car combined with the swinging type for the sides of the car. If the roller isn't to harsh on the spoiler, it should otherwise be okay.
The other concern is naturally having any dragging or scraping happen. The pull rail is located more or less in a line with the left tires and directly under the left coolant pipe.
In generally eyeballin the car while parked, it looks like there is about the same amount of ground clearance as a Vette, Caviliar, or a myriad of other small cars....
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12:32 AM
2000RagTop Member
Posts: 3999 From: Sussex, (Milwaukee) Wi. USA, Earth Registered: Jun 2003
I worked at a car wash for over a year. It was the kind that grabbed your car and pulled it through. My car is a 100% stock 86gt and it scraped the bottom. The trick there is that the customers get out before and go inside and walk through while their car is being washed. I'd get into corvettes, bmw's, etc. and they would scrape but the customers never knew because they were inside. I would never bring a Fiero through there again.
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12:42 AM
fieromadman Member
Posts: 2217 From: Oconomowoc WI, USA Registered: Jan 2003
i work at a car wash that has the track system. They don't "grab" the cars like someone said they do, they simply have rollers that pop out of the track and push behind the tires. That wont hurt your car at all. The brushes at my car wash are foam and they wont rip anything off and are for the most part harmless. The biggest problem with them are the track ground clearance. My lowered 87gt wont fit anymore, but when it wasnt lowered it did fit. The rollers that go over the top of your car are all hydrolically supported and programed to be sure that they dont apply too much pressure to the car. If you are worried about your wing i'd tell the car wash attendent that you want them to use the "open pickup" button. That should make the roller raise up after the cabin of the car is done. If your wing isnt loose or anything i would worry about it at all though. The biggest problem is making sure that your car will fit in there without rubbing.
If a car wash rejects your car it is for a specific reason, dont try and get them to run it through anyway.
------------------ REMEMBER: If you cant win the race you loose the argument!!
I actually enjoy washing my car...........it's therapeutic? But then again I live in California where it hardly rains. But, at the moment my next door neighbor is renovating her house and it's dust all day long. Needless to say the car cover is doing it's job.
Jess
[This message has been edited by kooljess (edited 07-23-2004).]
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06:31 AM
PFF
System Bot
spearce Member
Posts: 257 From: Delaware, Ontario,Canada Registered: Nov 2002
I was speaking to a carwash installer a couple of years ago and he had indicated that you probably don't want to use a touchless carwash. The process of cleaning the dirt off starts with a fairly strong alkali soulution ( corrosive ) followed by a mild acid solution (also corrosive, to neutralize the alkali solution ). It's possible to get pockets of alkali or acid sitting in metal contact. His recomendation was if you ar going to use a carwash use the soft brush type.
Steve P.
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08:48 AM
William Federle Member
Posts: 733 From: Milwaukee WI, USA Registered: Sep 1999
