Cars and Coffee, clean car prior or?

[911boost]

So I do not really do a lot of cars and coffee type events. The local small Pcar dealership does a car show every year to support Meals on Wheels and I take whatever 911 I have had at the time or the Westfalia when I had it. For those since there are typically lots of non car folks there I usually wash the car prior.

Got a text from a friend that has a manual transmission Lambo 'vert and he is planning on going to a local cars and coffee in the morning. On a side note his wife drives a 997TT because it has back seats for the younger kid, so def car people.

My question to the brain trust is would you wash your car prior? My son and I put about 150 miles on my 911 a few weeks ago and then I took it on a canyon rip last Sunday afternoon so it is covered in dead bugs and not clean.

I am not planning on washing it prior, I drive it and really don't care if tis got some road grime and dirt on it.

Curious the other opinions. My 911 is blue with red wheels and stands out in a crowd but I bought it to drive, not clean with a diaper.

Bill

[Steve Carlton]

Take the Mustang instead.

[Noah930]

There are more car shows here in LA than you can shake a stick at. There are 3 local ones just tomorrow morning, for example. So if it's just a regular cars 'n coffee event, then no, I don't wash the car. But if it's one of the big annual shows and my car's in it (like a Luftgekuhlt), then yes, I'll make it shiny.

[Dixie]

I'd drive it there. C&C is not a car show. It's a bunch of car enthusiasts. Real car enthusiasts like cars that are driven, not polished.

[911boost]

The Mustang has all the suspension work done, just need to finish up the brakes and master cylinder and get it plated since it still has my MN Antique plates on it (I moved to CO in 2001..) then we will be driving the wheels off.

I agree with you Noah, if my RS was in a show like that I would definitely get it all shiny.

That is my opinion Dixie, i am told there will be some Ferrari's there and what not but I am guessing all new stuff so hopefully car people.

My son and I went down to the Ferrari dealership in Denver a few weeks ago in the 911 for one of the rare PCA events I attend and they had all kinds of new ones there and this was by far our favorite. I was scared to ask how much....... Not sure why the angle looks weird but it was really nice and clean.

[rwest]

You got to give it a clean. No need to go crazy on detailing, but it should look clean with a nice interior vacuum.

[Zeke]

Someone will always have a car more detailed than me but I'm not going to a meet with a dirty car. Besides, the bugs are not good for the paint. They would have been washed off that evening.

[911boost]

Its got a ceramic coat on top of PPF so I am not worried about the bugs Zeke, but yes on my non PPF cars I do get the bugs off as I agree it is bad for the paint.

I am enjoying reading the comments.

[JackDidley]

May not be a true car show but people will be looking at your car. I see no reason to not have it looking good. I always wash the car before cars and coffee.

[speeder]

I was going to reply, “is it dirty?” But then I read the rest of the thread. I like my cars clean but I don’t go nuts on them…just a trip to the coin car wash and then my microfiber drying towel and it’s clean as a whistle. Takes a whole 10-15 minutes including drying time.

[jyl]

I think if you drive there straight from a rally or 24 hour race or the Camel Trophy or something like that, then dirty is good. Otherwise, at least presentable.

[tdw28210]

Going to Stuttgart Saturday this AM. Not washing the 930.

[herr_oberst]

With ceramic coat, it'll take 2 minutes to clean it with waterless and a microfiber. You could do it in the parking lot after you've arrived. I guess I just don't understand the question.

[911boost]

If was more an in general question on folks thoughts, I prefer to use the coin op like Speeder than wiping it down.

[Tervuren]

Depends on why you want to be there.
Personal decision.
If I'm going to be parking it I'd want to at least clean the wheels and give the tire sidewalls a scrub.

It's also going to change what to do car to car.
A Corvette C5 is gonna pick up dust in certain places no matter what.
It is just the shape of the car.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I drive my 356 a fair bit. If going to a C&C type event I'll hit it with the California duster and maybe spot clean with some detailing spray. Last time I even vacuumed it. It's more a reminder to clean the thing once in a while vs strictly for the show.

When I drove the Bumblebee to Rennsport last year I took a microfiber and detail spray to help with the 1,500 miles of bugs and road grime.

[Scott Douglas]

I try to take a clean car to the Donut Derelicts meet when I go, even if it is only a Honda.

[Otter74]

I am really not a washer (whether bikes or cars) - if I didn’t take it to any shows I’d probably wash the 911 once or twice a year. I may take my 911, my Saab, or my BMW to a show. The Saab is black, so it gets dirty if you look at it wrong, so I wash that before a show. If it’s clean enough a quick go-over with waterless car wash spray is fine. Same goes for the BMW, which is red. I’ll at least make sure the interiors aren’t overly dirty and put stuff away.

[Zeke]

I have to have spotless glass.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I have to have spotless glass.

Ha. I was on my way to the Fast Saturday show at Deus this morning when a bird decided to bomb my car smack dab in front of me on the windshield! It was too embarrassingly prominent and large not to pull over on Venice Blvd and clean it off with a coupla napkins.