Spotted this afternoon, M&S filling station at Gemini Warrington, as we rounded the corner there was a 5 being washed by the automatic machine - sorry not good get at identifying the various MKs yet, but this did have a hard top - thank goodness. Obviously has not seen the ‘Cleaning & detailing’ section on this website.
Mrs M was driving, roof down of course, but earlier driving though Warrington in traffic we had to raise the roof because the sun was just too hot - it’s grim up here in the frozen north!
I don’t think I’ve read the particular ‘Cleaning and Detailing’ posting you are referring to either Millstone, but you seem to be warning against putting a 5 though an automated car wash - why please?
Our first MX-5 was my wife’s Roadster Coupe (with a PRHT) company car back in 2011, and it went through such a machine on a number of occasions before some Polish immigrants opened a hand-wash locally, and we started to use them instead. We had no trouble with machine car washes at all, and I can’t quite understand why you seem to be warning against using one.
Its a fairly straightforward Thread starter and simple to explain
Mazda/Japanese Paint is soft and generally thin compared to European manufacturers
Because of this, it must be treated with more respect
Putting the car through fast and aggressive brush machines and using the local ‘Gritty Sponge’ Hand Car Wash, is asking for trouble
If you must use someone to wash your car for you, at least use a Valeter or Detailier… In most cases, they know how to wash a car without inflicting damage
Everything you say is correct Chris, the paint is soft without doubt. If you care for your car you would never put it through a car wash or let cheap car wash people anywhere near it
Thank you for the ‘heads up’ on automated car washes gentlemen.
Obviously ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ regarding paintwork from different manufacturers are relative terms, but I understand your meaning.
The thing is, is my ‘gritty sponge’ going to do any less damage to the paint on my 5 than our friendly local Polish hand car wash chappies’ ‘gritty sponge’ ?
Have I ever used an automated car wash? No! For the simple reason that their brushes remind me of the revolving yard brooms you see on road cleaning vehicles!
Does my gritty sponge cause less damage than those in the hands of the local friendly hand wash guys? Probably not, but I’m cheaper!
Ah, you see this is where my old experience from decades back is letting me down, and shows also just how out-of-date my knowledge is.
I had no idea that cellulose paint was no longer used in car manufacture - I wonder how many other members were under the same misapprehension. Nowadays, I suppose it is some kind of synthetic paint which is used, and as you pointed out, is often softer and thinner than in the old days.
Looks like I’m going to have to kit myself out with some modern equipment.
