wreak

Wiping down a car after a drive through wash could possibly be the dumbest move ever, same with the guys using the wash brush at the car washes. I only ever drive through and let it air dry. Or on the rare occasion I'll do the drive through wash, head home, park in the garage and if it looks like the wash got most of the shit off I'll do a waterless wash in the garage with multiple buckets and a very careful hand. I also have all the gear for paint correction so it's not a big deal for me if I get some swirls when the summer rolls around.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

Under carriages are galvanized and rust prevention at least from the dealership is a gimmick. Just like clear bra is. They overcharge like crazy. You can do those yourself if you feel inclined. Personally I check to make sure any scrapes or areas without a coating receives one to prevent rust. Painted surfaces do not rust. Chipped surfaces do. Also look at any stock TL's undercarriage. Most if not all the components are already coated from the factory. The parts that really rust and no one ever seems to care about are control arms, sway bars, swaybar links, exhaust flanges and more.

You can remove all of that in a self serve car wash and high pressure washes are bad for the seals of your vehicle.

That's the point of clay bar, to remove contaminants from your paint. Either DIY it or hire a detailer. I'm not saying you should not wash your car. What I'm saying is if you care about your paint you can hose down your car instead of going to a cheap carwash. That's all. Cheap car washes make their business from being fast not careful.

For example in the winter if weather permits I wash and dry or I leave the car alone for whatever amount of time. When it gets better I wash, dry and quick wax. Under carriage gets hosed down now and again but I leave the paint alone if I can't do a good job. Also high pile drying towels are great at cutting down dry time. I just use those if water stay's water long enough and get a clean finish. Just need to be gentle and fast. Just depends on my mood. Come summer it get's clayed and worked on again. No corrections unless absolutely necessary. I have a finite amount of paint so I'm not going to keep cutting it down. Also I jack up the car and inspect the under carriage to see if there's any rust creeping in from.

Grateful Laz

Optium no rinse, 1 bucket and four MF towels dropped in bucket. Lightly wrung folded do 1 section move to different section use a different section of towel.

andrewcjduong

That is true, the undercarriage is galvanized. But similar to paint, rocks and dirt chips the galvanized item to bear metal. So after a year or even less, it is safe to say that your undercarriage is basically completely exposed raw metal which is why people still rustproof their cars.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

True. Underbody coating does help. The 3g's are all done if you have a look under them. Also living around coastal areas gives you the same effect. Salt spray from the ocean is present in the air. Same issue. Really the only place you're safe is in the dessert with no snow or in an NSX. That's my next proposal for a safe winter proof car!

andrewcjduong

Ahaha. Then you end up with faded paint. That's what I noticed on a lot of cars when I went for vacation in Las Vegas. We're all doomed.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

That's what sealant and wax prevent. Lots of upkeep but it can be prevented. Or wrap parts that see a lot of wear. My front bumper is wrapped in silver vinyl. No rock chip worries ever.

amill

This is what I use year round. It's faster than a hose and bucket and works better imo. I have no real changeup for winter except I do it in my garage. I also apply opti-seal every 3 months which takes about 10 minutes. I've done this same method with my last three vehicles and they've all made it through with no issues. Then in the spring it's a minor paint correction and opti-seal again.

I will break out the hose right after any sort of heavy salting or snow storm and blast any excess salt off the bottom of the car.

Jakes_tl

and i always thought that driving thru the touchless carwash in the winter was a good thing.

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

Its not pure incarnate evil either but understand how touchless car washes work. They're really hard on your paint to try and remove dirt through the force of the water. But by doing that it can force water in places it shouldn't be. Cars are not specifically designed for that and over time, rubber does fail. Also the most minute rock chip can be blown open and you can have paint ripped off because it hit a damaged area on your paint. I'd suggest not using it often especially if you care about keeping the car in good shape for years and years to come. If you don't care about that then its not a problem. Nothing wrong in not caring about paint where you're really really particular.