Can I bring my Boxster through an automatic car wash?

I can't believe that anyone who had the good taste to purchase a Boxster would ask such an ignorant question. Simply put: NOOOOOOOOOO!

I don't understand. I am ignorant, therefore I ask. Right?

It's expensive to pay the dealer for a detail (and an hour drive), and time-consuming to do it myself. Therefore, the question.

So I will take your unspecific reply and remain ignorant.

Thanks, Dan

Just playing a hunch here, I assume it's also not OK to drive a Boxster in the rain or otherwise inclement weather.... right?

cheers

Let's be serious: If you go thru an automatic car wash, depending upon the type of car wash, the possible problems are:

1. The wheel guide scratches your alloy wheels
2. In a "touchless" car wash, they use special chemicals to remove the dirt, these are not good for special waxes, and some are known to discolor windshields, and who knows what they'll do to the dyes in the soft top.
3. Obviously, you wouldn't even want to take a Boxster thru a more traditional auto car wash, as the weight of the "chamois brushes", etc could play havoc with the soft top and will put a lot of pressure on the side mirror mounts.

Gosh friends, I thought this was simply "common sense", but please feel free to disregard this advice...I've only owned Porsches since 1971...what would I know?

Instead of driving an hour to the dealer, take 2 hours and put in a little "elbow grease" and do it yourself:

Get the car really clean, then put 2 coats of "Rejex" polymer coating on the car instead of any of those expensive "waxes". Now when you wash the car, dirt will virtually float off...because the Rejex is so incredibly "slick", nothing really sticks to it. You can even put it on the windshield, like Rain-X...and it will make water bead up and reduce the need for windshield wipers...especially at speed. Oh...and the car will really have a shine...especially with 2 or 3 coats. Try it...you'll like it.

I agree that there is a degree of satisfaction in doing it yourself, but there are times when I'd rather have a clean car and doing it myself isn't an option.

I bought my 1st Porsche in 1970 and my Boxster has 153,000 miles on it. My best friend also was a biochemist PhD who was president of a car wash chemical company. I asked him about running my Boxster through an automatic car wash when I first bought it. He says that there was no need to worry. The chemicals are safe and car washes are now designed for soft tops. One of the car wash managers says he regularly has Ferraris, Porsches, and Lotuses.

So, I'm going to continue to trust my friend the PhD and run my car through the automatic car wash any time I don't feel like washing it myself. I haven't had any problems in 8 years. I do tend to wash my

Not tonight dear, I have a cable modem.

Instead of Rejex, you might want to consider Zaino polish. I've tried Zymol, Zaino, Rejex, Klasse and Meguiar's, and prefer Zaino. It's more durable than Rejex and it doesn't have the 12 hour "curing" period required by Rejex.

Rejex is a fine product, but my experience with it is it shines no better than Zaino, doesn't last as long and after applying Zaino I can drive the car while Rejex says you need to park it for 12 hours.

Personally, I wash my 996 by hand - lower pressure water (and lots of it), lots of suds, frequent rinses of the wash rag.

Think of this, 2 hours on a Sunday, good downtime with you and your car. You save cash, you get a sense of achievement, and a cleaner car with less scratches or left behind dirt.

It normally takes me more than two hour to do a full job, but. Spray wheels with brake dust cleaner Rinse car and wheels (leaves wheels basically clean for proper wash) with hose and spray nozzle. Shampoo with good quality car shampoo, not fairy liquid. Rinse with the hose and lots more water. Chamois dry. Allow to dry properly in air. Apply polish if dull and buff up (follow instructions). apply wax allowing to cure before removing. apply second coat of wax and cure and remove as before. Use plastic trim cleaner to clean up any non body colour plastics. Clean windows. Redress tyres.

I normally do everything but not every time. Everytime (once a month or about 1000 miles) wash and Chamois, and windows. every 3 months, Wax and plastic trim. every 6 months, Polish and tyre dressing. I'm lucky, in the UK we don't get much sun, even in the middle of summer so 3 month waxing is easy to keep up. Time varies between a couple of hours for the basics, to most of the day for the lot.

Don't get me started on the interior.

OK, dumb question but if I cannot ask in the anonymity of USENET there is nowhere else:

What's waxing a car for?

Thanks.

Dan Stephenson queried more or less anonymously:

Anonymity? Okay, Dan Stephenson, *if that is your real name*, it's to protect the paint and provide a finish for it.

That does not rank amongst the dumb question category. But do you also know about Google...? ;~P

DS

Polish "cuts" into dead oxidised paint on the surface. If you left it bare, it would just re-oxidise. Adding a layer of waxcreates a barrier layer, protects from oxidising, and fading, and in wet areas helps keep the car look cleaner because water beads up instead of creating a dirty flat layer.

Heh. I mean: I doubt anyone I know reads this board and say to me a work "Boy, you didn't know what waxing is for? You're an idiot!". You all here can call me an idiot all you want to and I won't care. (boy, what a set-up!)

How does it protect the paint?

Heh, that's true, I keep forgetting.

Oh, I see, it's like, umm, rubbing "proof" into a canvas hat.

More like adding a layer of wax to a piece of wooden furniture, It doesn't soak in, but it does provide a layer of protection, although I suppose yes, it does work like adding "proof" too but rather than preserving in the paint it preserves on top, and eventually washes off.