Taking Maaco paint job through automatic wash

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My Accord was Maaco painted last year and still looks good. Since then, I've only hand washed it. I haven't gotten a chance to wash it this winter and was thinking about running it through an automatic wash to get the salt off.

Maaco paint jobs aren't known for being the best & toughest, so should I avoid going to an automatic wash (this one is not touchless)? If there's any chance of premature damage, I'll bundle up and bust out the bucket and hose in the driveway.
 
I'd either go touch-less or do it myself. I had a Maaco paint job on a van. It looked good, and lasted, but the paint was not something I'd trust to an automatic car wash.
 
Ah... the days of Earl. I've had numerous beaters in the day painted by Earl. And I did have Maaco do a quarter panel. Don't remember problems with either and I'm sure I did automatic washes with both. I remember when touch-car washes put all sorts of scratches in your finish, but they seem to have replaced touchless washes and I've noticed no scratching on my silver Soul (silver might be hiding things). In fact, most of my scratch the finish memories are about twenty years ago.
 
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Originally Posted by double vanos
Educate me. Just how does a touchless car wash work? Super caustic soap applied with pressure? Never used an automatic car wash ever so I'm curious.


Basically an arm with about 20 nozzles circles your car spraying prewash soap, then wash soap and then rinse water and then the upper mechanism travels the length of your car blowing hot air to dry.
 
Originally Posted by double vanos
Educate me. Just how does a touchless car wash work? Super caustic soap applied with pressure? Never used an automatic car wash ever so I'm curious.

Both alkalis and acids are used, some still use hydrofluoric acid to dissolve silica and other oxides.
 
Earl Scheib paint job, We Paint Everything. Your Wheels, your tail lights and you name it.
 
When I was in high school, 1969, a friend, classmate, brought his car to Earl Scheib. They didn't cover the wheels, the top half was covered by the fender well, the bottom was exposed, they painted the half that was exposed. It was funny! We all had a good laugh but also felt sorry for him.
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by double vanos
Educate me. Just how does a touchless car wash work? Super caustic soap applied with pressure? Never used an automatic car wash ever so I'm curious.

Both alkalis and acids are used, some still use hydrofluoric acid to dissolve silica and other oxides.

Holy cow!!! HF at a car wash?!?
That seems awfully aggressive.
What do they do if a line bursts???

We require our guys to go through the 40-hour HAZWOPER training to handle that stuff.

"OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER Training | OSHA Education Center" https://www.oshaeducationcenter.com/40-hour-hazwoper/
 
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I would run it through the automatic wash. If the paint is bad running or not running it through the car wash won't make much difference. Years ago a buddy of mine had Maico repaint his Grand Prix and it turned out very nice. I have heard horror stories too. It helps to pre-sand the car before going to these fast paint places because at least the paint has something to adhere to.
 
Every Maaco shop has a differing quality. Some are a step above Earl Scheib and some actually do a pretty good job. I guess it also depends too on whether the crew is hung over or high that day.
 
Originally Posted by walterjay
Every Maaco shop has a differing quality. Some are a step above Earl Scheib and some actually do a pretty good job. I guess it also depends too on whether the crew is hung over or high that day.



+1. I had a very well done front end paint job on an old beater when I was younger. Paint matched well and everything. Of course, I did take the car in with pretty much all the trim, headlights, etc stripped. They just did paint prep and spraying. Came out very good. That was on the other side of the state. I wouldn't let the local Maaco even LOOK at a car whether I cared about it or not!
 
Originally Posted by walterjay
I guess it also depends too on whether the crew is hung over or high that day.


You mean the same guys who change your oil also paint cars?
shocked2.gif
 
Originally Posted by walterjay
Every Maaco shop has a differing quality. Some are a step above Earl Scheib and some actually do a pretty good job. I guess it also depends too on whether the crew is hung over or high that day.

The shop that painted my van years ago did a great job. I did my homework and compared their work to another Maaco shop and it was easy to tell which shop did better work. My paint job lasted several years, and still looked good when I sold the van. IMO it was money well spent at the time.
 
I once looked at a maaco painted geo storm..

looked like a COW.

was white maaco paint on top of black factory paint..
 
any automatic car wash that touches the paint will scratch the paint. the dirt from previous cars will be stuck on the brushes and drag across your paint.

hand or DIY car wash pressure washer is best.
 
Originally Posted by Imp4
Holy cow!!! HF at a car wash?!?
That seems awfully aggressive.
What do they do if a line bursts???

We require our guys to go through the 40-hour HAZWOPER training to handle that stuff.

That was my reaction when I first read it too, but at lower concentrations it is far less dangerous than at higher concentration. Still though I could smell it in the car wash once I knew it might be there.
 
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