Car washes

[Mojo]

do you guys use car washes at all or do you consider the Lexus hand wash only?

The reason I ask is I'm actually a very lazy person and couldn't car wash my last car cos of fear of large spoilers and things being ripped off. My IS200 doesn't have any of these and I thought it might be OK.

What do you guys think?

Mojo

[Chris.S]

Never use a car wash mate,it will ruin the finish on your paintwork.It's like washing it with sandpaper.

Best using a hose pipe,bucket and sponge

[javadude]

:o

I don't trust the "wheel wash" on drive through washes with my painted/decaled calipers. Also every time I used jetwashes on my cavalier I ended up with scratches from other peoples muck on the brush or hose.

Hand washing gets me out of the house too - it's the only time I get to chat with the neighbours, drink a beer in peace without the kids around etc. (Like the albanian taxi driver with a merc who loves my car.)

[jenners]

Agree with Chris. Wouldn't dream of putting it through one of those car washes. You'll get a better finish if you do it yourself and a good opportunity to check your car. If you can't be bothered doing it yourself then pay someone else to do it for you (as long as you trust them !)

[JOHNNY-BOY]

Agree with above comments, I would never put any car of mine through a car wash let alone my Lexus. Just imagine the swirl marks on my black paint:o.

[Mojo]

thanks guys... I just needed a kick up the backdside really.

I'll get me bucket out this weekend and maybe even give it a proper polish too :D

javadude I know what you mean about jet washes, I always had to spend 15 minutes cleaning the brush before I was happy to put it anywhere near my pride and joy

[trevorx]

Nephews, Neices, younger brothers, sisters are always good car cleaners .... and they only cost a couple of quid ....

[javadude]

I've not convinced my wife to do it yet... perhaps 'cause she doesn't get the pleasure of driving it!

[Steven]

I used to work for Texaco years ago in a busy garage... everyday we used to get someone come in and moan that the car wash has scratched the car...

I have never been in a car wash

The best ones i found was in the states... they where all done by hand... from hoover.. to wash.. to a quick wax over and air freshner inside... wow what a service

[Mojo]

there's a hand wash place near to me in Armley that always seems to have expensive cars in and the finish seems to be very good.

I might try there

[Matthew_McNally]

I use the All American Car Wash by us.

http://www.all-american.co.uk

no brushes - everything is done by hand.

I get my cleaned and waxed by sponge and then hand dried with a chamois - alloys cleaned and wheels 'gleamed' - for £7.50

pretty good I reckon

[Red]

Mojo...I keep telling you, give me the keys and I will sort it out for ya! :saint:

[Mojo]

you can borrow it if you promise to clean it before you give it back :D

[sholao]

You forgot the full tank of petrol!:D

[Red]

well it would keep the dog occupied for a while....

[Mojo]

D'OH! yeah and a full tank of SUL please

dog? what dog? no dogs near my car thank you!!! :o

[JMRussell]

Originally posted by lexussport

I use automatic car washes all the time.

My view is that Lexus spend millions developing the paint and processes to apply it. So in other words its excellent paint and will standup to a car wash.

It does as well cause you won't find any car wash scratches on the car.:)

Go on live dangerously use a car wash:lol:

I use car washes most of the time just to keep the general grime off and then hand wash etc when I think it needs it - every couple of months probably. Never had any trouble but them I think cars are for driving not polishing.

[Mojo]

well, finally gave in and washed it yesterday, by hand I might add :D

and it's made me reallise what it is about the IS wheels I like soooooooo much. I hadn't been able to put my finger on it before but there was always something that made clean IS200 wheels look amazing compared to other cars'.

[drum roll]

and it's the funky two tone chrome effect they have. how cool is that? :smug:

[/drum roll]

just had to share that

[Loz]

I'm with JM on this. Mine see's a thousand miles on average a week so the gravel rash of stonechips and the like mean that a carwash is the least of my worries. Besides, who would by a Lexus and then turn up to places/clients/dates in it dirty. No, a good IMO/ARC 7 brush drag-u-through car wash is fine for such high quality paint. And when the stonechips get spotted on the occasional hand wash (so I too can chat to gillian over the road) I'll figure out how to get them sorted without having a two tone car! any adivce on that one?

[Claire G]

Lexus? Quality paint? Hmmmm....not sure I'd associate the two that closely

My car seems to scratch and get stone chips quite easily (nothing to do with my driving I hasten to add). May just be the colour of my car shows it all up.

Ho Hum.

[Mojo]

the front of my car resembles the moon's surface :( one reason I opted for silver.

Lexus must know the paint is a problem, when I picked my car up I opened the glove box to find a small tin of touch up paint. Does it come standard? :?:

[Andy_IS200]

Should be standard with all of them mate, I know when I picked up mine it had a pot in the glove compartment and they told me that it was standard cause I asked specifically if it was based on the color being silver.:smilegrin:

[Mojo]

Andy, quick question mate....

your blurb says you have "sport front mesh grill" what exactly is that?

I take it it's not the front grill from the sport version I have?

[Andy_IS200]

Mojo, it's an option sold by Lexus as a replacement front grille - utilises a metal black mesh grill which allows increased airflow and has the 'Sport' text written on the front right hand side of the grille

[Mojo]

sounds cool

do you have any nice piccies? how much are they fitted?