Would appreciate any and all comments, tips etc. regarding the washing/drying for my 78 vette????????????? I have always used drive thru car washes for my other vehicles but not quite sure how this would do for a vette.



mk's78

I would never go through the automatic wash in mine. Not even the "touchless" kind.

I don't think either of our vettes will clear the tracks and such on the floors in some with the ground effects packages on them.

Non touchless washes do nothing more than grind somebody elses dirt into the paint.

But then I don't use the conventional wash with a wand either.....

Ours are either dirty from the 4wd trucks, wands are bent from somebody pissed because they lost their $$$$. Or, the pressure is to little too much.

I use a hand pumped pressure sprayer and wash them in the garage or in the driveway. I can regulate the amount of water easily and I don't have a huge amount of water left behind.

Occasionally I will hook up the hose clean them if I want to wash out the garage and driveway too.

Besides...... it is nice to be personal with them. Touching all of those nice lines and curves.....

First of all, welcome to the site!  This is a great place and you'll find lots of great info here. 

I think i washed mine 2 times in 2 years. Once was after getting stuck in a little rain storm, ask Davem about that one.
I have cleaned it many, many times though.
After a ride it's back into the garage. I'll let her cool down a little and then get the California Duster out and some detail spray after that.
Unless the cars gonna be your daily driver they don't get that dirty.

I give my 82 a hand wash a number of times duing the summer cruise season but rely on my california duster to save me many more washes.  As for the automatic car wash, I would NEVER consider taking mine through one of those things.  When hand washing I use only microfiber drying towels and a microfiber wash  mit.  With black paint, every little micro scratch from dirty water at the automatic car wash to polyester bath towels to dry her with shows.  I do have one advantage with the washing in that Im in the South where I can drive and enjoy my car year round and wash it pretty much any time of year.

NEVER, EVER..........

Wait......you guys WASH your cars???? Are we supposed to do that???
In the 12 years I've had the '74, it's been washed....3 times? Maybe?
It has been caught out in some rain on road trips, too.
IF I have to wash it, it is done by hand. A little spray to get it moist, and I have some "special" wash soap that I was given when I had the "Color Finishes" coating put on. I hand wash small sections, and rinse as I go. Dry w/microfiber towels, and I'm done. Once it sits for a day, and is completely dry, I'll go over it with my spray detailer...no wax. Even once out at shows, or on the road, it's only California Car Duster, and spray detailer for me. A driver, tho, will need a little more care and attention than a garage ornament. Even so, a little time dusting, and spot cleaning after each ride will make a big difference.

Drive thru car wash? No. Not even with Mama's car!

[QUOTE=Adams' Apple]Wait......you guys WASH your cars???? Are we supposed to do that???
In the 12 years I've had the '74, it's been washed....3 times? Maybe?
It has been caught out in some rain on road trips, too.
IF I have to wash it, it is done by hand. [/QUOTE]

The horror! Like all the other posts, I've had mine for 2.5 years, and it's been washed twice. Mine isn't a show car, but it's only driven on sunny days. It did get caught in a rainstorm last summer, and there was water EVERYWHERE . You best friend will be a california duster .

Here is an alternative to washing if need be. Dry Wash is a product a friend of mine uses. He is very particular about his car and the products he uses. I have to admit that it looks good.

Just another option in case you were looking for one.Tuxblacray2009-02-01 11:38:06