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Ever wonder what happens to your Mustang at the dealership?

mikef523

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ummm...no. Look at your car under fluorescent lighting, and check out all of the spider web scratches all over your paint. Even someone washing a car properly cannot avoid those marks in the paint from time to time, and they take lots of work to correct.

I am not a detailer by profession, but I promise you that even a "showroom new" car still has lots of imperfections in the paint, much less one that's been washed in a car wash numerous times, as well as hand washed by someone who thinks a car wash does an ok job. I'm betting you use a regular sponge and a single bucket with soap in it when you wash it, and just rub the dirt around until you can rinse it off...might as well take a piece of 800 grit sandpaper to it.

My Mustang was owned by a sales manager at the dealership I got it from, and was only washed in the touchless wash bay at the dealership once every couple of weeks. It took me 9 hours of work to get all of the water spots out of the clear the day I brought it home, and I still don't have the glass as clear as I would like to have it.
You are assuming quite a lot about how I wash my car. I have "clayed" it twice since I have had it. Keep it waxed, And I don't make washing it a complicated thing. I guess when I am out driving, I need to hope no one is carrying a fluorescent light with them. Now I know to stay away from them. BTW, I keep it in the garage at all times when not driving it. Can you say that? What do you think the outdoor elements are doing to your car every day?
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LG23

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I don't get why some folks worry so much about the dealer running it through the car wash. What do you think they use in there? sandpaper? I take mine to the local drivethrough wash all the time. Never hurt it at all.
Yes, might as well be sandpaper. For touch ones like that it picks up dirt and who knows what and is just slapping away with pressure. Then on top of it who knows what towel the 10/hr kid who is drying it is using. If your car is black, you will definitely understand the difference between how it looks like covered in swirls and marks vs when it is deep and clear. Some people take care of their car more than others. It's pretty dumb to paint correct and keep your car clean and detailed and then the dealer does something dumb like run it through an automatic brush wash. Here is an obvious difference- you can see how the swirl covered side appears almost gray whereas the non swirled side is a deep jet black:
IMG_7142.jpg
 

goldengooner

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Yes, might as well be sandpaper. :
When I had some body work done on my old S197, my garage asked me if i had been cleaning the car with sandpaper :D
Now it was Candy Apple Red, to my eyes looked fine, but it clearly was not. So this one does not touch a car wash
either I do it, with the 2 buckets or I take it to my car detailer who works on all the posh cars, and has accounts with Bentley and Aston Martin to clear the cars.
and he only charges $15 for 90mins work and a polish, and he does inside and out.
 

wireeater

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Pretty much all the dealer detailers I've seen cleaning cars use old ass shop rags to dry them off. They are the ones that are washed over and over and have crispy edges. They don't use quality microfiber towels. I've seen some using nasty brushes. They are also the type of people who would drop a wash mitt (if they even use one) and pick it up and start using it again before cleaning it. Most of those places aren't centered around detailing so they don't care because most of their customers don't care either.
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