rossr

Anyone here from the Chicagoland area? I am trying to find a great NO TOUCH car wash OR trustworthy hand car wash in the following areas: Norridge, Ohare, Elmwood Park, Park Ridge or anything nearby. If you have any suggestions "please" give me the name and location if possible of the place.

Thank You

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

I had the same dilemma when I was in Chicago. I lived downtown and I couldn't wash my car at my highrise, I parked underground in a garage. The touchless carwashes out there completely suck. Those gas station style places are a gimmick. They don't wash your car for crap!! They have no power. The only real touchless car washes are those really big centers with proper equipment......I couldn't find even one place like that in Chi-town.....And believe me, I looked. In the winter I would go to a real profesional carwash in the suburbs. My solution in warmer weather?

I would go to one of those coin-operated carwashes. I would bring a 5 gallon jug of water with me and douse my car. I used Eagle One"bucket-free" car wash and spray a little on the car. I bought it with a free rebate awhile ago and never used it till then. (I don't think they sell it anymore) This stuff is amazing. Anyways you don't need a bucket, just a wet car. It gets the car all sudsy without scratching the car. Just take a nice sponge and handwash it like you would on your own driveway. (Don't do this if your car is really really dirty. You WILL scratch your car because you should wash the dirt off first.)

Then you use the coin operated power washer keeping the dial on the power washer spray mode. ($2 gives you 3 minutes. This is a gimmick because nobody can wash their whole car with all steps that way. Besides who wants to use that crummy brush that will scratch your car and soap that won't wash off?? They do all that purposely so you will waste time and use more coins!!) My method will give you plenty of time with just $2 cost. Then just drive out and dry!

I don't do that over here in CT anymore. There is an excellent big real touchless carwash in town that does my car for $6.

BLUE07TLS

I live in the same area. The place i go to, Norwood Hand Car Wash, is pretty good. I have brought my last 3 cars there, as well as all of my family's cars. I bring my TL-S there on a weekly basis and haven't had any problems or scratches. They do a complete exterior hand wash and vacuum/clean the interior (no machines at all. completely hand done). I believe it is $10 for the wash/interior "detail". Not a bad deal compared to the $7 you would pay for a crappy gas-station automatic.

The place is located on Northwest Highway, about 2 blocks southeast of Harlem. I'm not sure of the exact cross street, but it is across the street from a 7-11.

Also, if you do end up going there, definately choose a weekday morning or late afternoon. Every time i drive past there on a Saturday or Sunday, there is a line of 5,10, sometimes 15 cars; which makes your trip to the wash take over an hour.

Good Luck!

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

yo blue, your avatar with your Type-S looks too familiar. My apt was like right there with that view. Let me guess, is that N. Simonds Dr.??

DoostyTL

im in skokie . i go to mcgrath they are goood

DoostyTL

Hey BLUE07 where did you get your tints done ??

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

Which McGrath?? I hope you are talkin about Westmont. They are awesome.

MORTON GROVE SUCKS. Search, you will see my popular thread about it. DON'T go there!!!

redondored

Morton Grove is the worst, u will leave with scratches all over. One time, a guy in his MDX left his sunroof open. the service guy pulled it into the wash and at the end of the wash, there was water all in the car. The guy was pretty calm and was like its both our faults, the spanish guy with the mustache who dries cars was like NO! its all your fault and guy was getting all worked up, dont know what happened, but the car wash guys should have some responsibility since they actually drive the car into the wash. I just told him to see the manager and not waste time the the car wash guy.

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

lol!! Typical day at Moton Grove!

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

look for a green latern...they are a pretty decent touchless car wash...its a chain...

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

never heard of it. maybe they are out of TX. are you sure they are around in Chicago?

BLUE07TLS

You're right, our locations do look a lot alike. It's actually on E. Solidarity Drive on the Museum Campus by Soldier field.

Good pic though!

BLUE07TLS

I got the tints done at Trendz Auto on Northwest Highway (Just Northwest of Nagle). They tinted my last two cars perfectly, but i was kind of disappointed with their first tint job on my TL. My previous cars were coupes and i only had the rear windows done, so the tints were never exposed to 'moving'. But, when i brought th TL there (to get all 5 windows tinted), the guy assured me the tints wouldn't scratch. Well, i had the tints for a week and they got scratched from the trim. So, brought it back and their way of 'fixing' was to cut the weatherstripping. So, now i had $175 weatherstriping to replace, plus tints!

Basically, they are very nice people who do decent work for a good price ($225 for all 5 windows)...but if you go there DON'T let them tell u it won't scratch, cuz it will. Get Moleskin and their job will be perfect.

ankur914

Damn Skippity brutha! And i believe they use a soft-cloth style automated car wash.....scratchy scratchy?

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

So called "soft cloth" I wouldn't wipe my ass with it! It's the same damn cloth that brushes up against the 100s of cars they pull in car after car, day after day. With all that road dirt and salt, can you imagine how much grit is on that "soft cloth"??? More like a wet sand job!!

If you have to use a carwash, make sure it is a touchless.....Not a tiny gas station type place, I'm talking about a place that has quality machinery in a large building. And don't let them dry your car! MORE scratches! Bring your own drying cloth/chamois.

Yeah blue the scenery looks similar but I was up north a bit. I know where your shot was taken, right at the heart. Nice.

Mike 06 TL

For anyone in Pittsburgh I can tell you the best car washes in town for your money are at Get Go stores. Yes, these are gas station type car washes about the length of a garage. These use the same technology as they use at Jerry's Carwash which is pretty well known for doing a great wash. I spent about 20 minutes the other day talking to the guy from Car Wash Technologies while he was servicing the one in Gibsonia.

They use a patented microfiber cloth that will not trap dirt and will not scratch. It's five bucks for any wash and your car comes out spotless, dry and no scratches. The wheels even come out clean which is saying something for the fronts with Brembos. I take my TL and my wife's car every week. Never one scratch or any sort of damage. A friend of mine takes his black 335i as well. Never had a scratch.

I used to be the same way and would only hand dry my cars. I probably won't even do that in the summer anymore. Not worth my time when I get this for $5.

jmkiang

iTrader: (5)

If you're still looking...
http://www.praitiestudios.com/bw/
Just opened.