I go overboard, but when good weather is forecasted I go to the coin-ops @ 2:00am and take my time with a bucket-wash.
Otherwise, coin-ops with water only works perfectly fine when you got a couple layers of good sealant under.:R
Good luck!
one of my fav products is the meguiars quick clay detailing…removes all that garbage that builds up on ur car…the paint feels like brand new after…my display pic there <-- was taken right after i did that
Megs clay is really good, but it is a very tame and mild claybar compared to the one’s from specialty online stores.
UPDATE
Coin-ops are useless against 1.5month old grime on protected paint. The majority of crap will roll off, but with just water, some stuff is still left behind.
–Gabe
ive nvr purchased anything from online stores(i cant)…and i dont spend a lot on the products just because its not worth it right now until my car gets painted…was wondering also…if thers sumthin that covers up small scratches just to tide me over…cuz its so embarrasing, i dont even like washin my car cuz it shows everything 
Let’s make this more business-like.
These scratches that you refer to:
- Are they through the clearcoat and into the basecoat?
- Does your fingernail catch the edges of the scratch?
- Are you sure it’s not just paint-transfer?
If it isn’t through the clearcoat, and your fingernail doesn’t catch the edge of the scratch, there’s a good chance that they can be polished out via a few steps with wetsanding, and machine polish. You can go as far as filling it in with touch-up paint, wetsand, repeat as necessary, and then polish. It’s hard to say what can be done, and what can’t without physically examining the problem area, but I’ll say with confidence that it can be substantially reduced in terms of appearance without a repaint.
Are there other reasons that justify a repaint?
Glazing and waxing with quality products will reduce the appearance of deeper scratches and imperfections, and eliminate spider-webbing (aka micro-marring) and light swirls.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
–Gabe
i just went threw a car wash the other day and im satisfied with it. so for the winter thats what ill be doing but when weather gets warmer i would like to hand wash/wax my car myself (just not familiar with the methods of it).
High roller! @6 bucks minimum a pop, I’m more than willing to save a couple of bucks by going to the coin-op.
Hey, what works for you, works.
Let me know if I can be of any help in the future.:R
–Gabe
Well i probably have every kind of scratch uve refered to
i think.
-ive got clearcoat chips where its lifting up so it has this bubble look
-spider-webbing
-swirls
-paint has been transfered on my bak bumper and some of it removed
-rock chips, and other chips that have been from previous owners
…so yea i do need a repaint…and not just that theres some small areas of rust in the typical places that need to me solved, and my front bumper was cracked in 2 places from a previous owner so that wud have to be fixed.
so that is why i ask about somthing that will do for now until it cant get done haha
- Spider Webbing and swirls can be ‘masked’ by a heavy glaze. However, this will only last for a rainshower or two. So, say you want to go to a meet, this will mask and reduce the appearance of these defects.
- Paint transfer can generally be taken out with a claybar. If the claybar won’t do it, then machine polishing can get rid of them. There aren’t really any products that will mask those.
>> There are a few other ways to solve the clearcoat bubbling, and heavy paint transfer by yourself, but you’ll need a machine-polish to remove any hazing that will be a by-product of wetsanding.
Let me know if you have anymore questions!
–Gabe
Thanks…so now the question…what products are good at reasonable pricing, where can i get the products…and also…i cant purchace anything online because i dont have a credit card,so thatd be tuff
…HAND WASH BY ME only… 
We will have products available online in Spring 2007. PM us your email address so we can add to our mailing list if you are interested in detailing product releases and detailing specials.
–Chris
Owner
Premier Auto Detailing
I just hand-washed in the Coin-op on Bayview/MajorMack @11:00pm.
Surprisingly, there are still quite a few people that are crazy like me.
For those who haven’t been there, it’s not a bad coin-op. Minimum of $2/session, good spray pattern, with a good 14-1500 psi (guesstimate) of heated water. Just don’t use the brushes they give!
Just a few tips.
- Wear wind/water resistant clothing
- One hand on gun, other on the hose
- Go late. Less people, less hassle, less water spots. (I would definitely NOT dry off my car after a less-than-thorough wash). Win-win situation!
–Gabe
ps. Anyone for a midnight takeover of the coin-op? 
I go to the Coin Wash in Markham around Hwy 7 and McCowan. It’s actually on Laidlaw east of Bullock and “North” of Heritage. Directions don’t make any sense because the street is curved.
Night time is best, less cars. It’s a garage (closed on one three sides except one) whereas the one on Bayview is drive though (Open on two sides) I believe.
I have two cotton mits, my own soap and my own wax so I can do it in proper steps on my own without that harsh brush that they have.
The one on Bayview and Major Mac is closer to me but I never usually go that direction for a wash.
To do a quick wash of all the dirt and grime I go through the Esso Touchless drive through. I prefer the one that I drive through on my own, especially for the package with the undercar wash. I drive slowly over the jets to get it washed as thoroughly as possible underneath the car. That’s the main reason I go through the touchless at Esso.
Good point. pcproa!
I too will go to the Touchless at Esso, but only when the temperature reaches 0C+ on consequtive days at the end of winter, or during those freak streaks of 0C+. Salt only reacts when the temperature is above 0*,so you’ll be safe otherwise.
Also, if you got a layer of nice sealant on, water is all you need to get your car ‘relatively’ clean. A $2 session sure beats $6… plus, I can wash my car 3 times more than j00! Haha…
Soon enough, I might just offer rinse-less washes.
–Gabe
i go through the touchless in the winter but not in the summer… it might scratch the wheels somehow
not if you go to the ones without tracks. just drive in. park. and the thing spins around spraying whatever crap it has…
true but ive seen the touchless ruin wheels before
Coin-ops FTW.
Truthfully, most drive through-touchless’ use very harsh soaps in order to facilitate a touchless operation. This in turn will strip cheap waxes and sealants, and shorten the longevity of more durable sealants.
I personally, would only use them once the temperature hits above 0*C on a consistent basis.
Good luck, and happy holidays!
–Gabe
i only use it to rinse off my car touchless. to take all the salt off my car i dont use soap or anything… specially thos brushes will scratch the shit outta your paint (havent even done it and wont but they horrible)