Tires Make Car Washes More Expensive - 2015 Dodge Viper GT Long-Term Road Test

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Tires Make Car Washes More Expensive - 2015 Dodge Viper GT Long-Term Road Test

For the second time, our long-term 2015 Dodge Viper GT is having problems at the car wash. This time it's because of the super wide rear tires.

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daryleason

I had a tire fitment issue once, too. Only mine involved trying to help someone out. I had a buddy that needed his vehicle hauled back to his house after breaking down. Going cheap, we rented a U-haul Car Dolly ("Oh yeah, we're hauling a Kia Rio...") and went to the parking lot to pick up his 1992 F-150 4x4. His tires weren't hugely oversized, but they were wider than stock. After taking turns rocking the truck back and forth to get up on the dolly, we discovered that the tread ended up wrapping around the tray that the tires are supposed to sit in. At that point, we were like "We're going to make this work." Our solution was to deflate the front tires to make it "settle" more, then run the tire straps over it and cinch them down really tight. Luckily, we were running backroads anyways (we both live in the country), so no risk to anyone.

cjasis

You guys crash your cars like nobody's business. You slam seat belt buckles into doors. And now you're trying to run your Viper through a car wash!?!?! The horror

schen72

The only car I bring to the car wash is my POS car that's on its last legs. My other nice cars get hand washed by me in my driveway. I wouldn't trust a car wash.

kirkhilles1

Yeah, um, you're trying to put a $103,000 vehicle through an automated car wash? You also didn't think to mention to make sure no water got in like last time?

longtimelurker

Look at it this way...if you wash it yourself you aren't sitting on that cold concrete bench, you get some exercise and you avoid the scratches that come with a wash mitt that's been used on a couple thousand other cars.

Will you get your typing fingers all wrinkly and waterlogged? Well, yeah...

bankerdanny

Or you would just wash it yourself like you should anyway.

stever

Next time just get a silver one. Never need to wash those.

5vzfe

If I'm dropping 100K on a car that would almost certainly be a weekend vehicle, my butler would be handling the washing and hand drying while I lounge by the pool getting a massage and a tan or whatever rich people do while their cars are getting cleaned.

tlangness

All easier said than done. Especially when you don't have an outdoor hose or a driveway at home.

agentorange

Nice first world problem to have.

wheelmccoy

Tough crowd! I read these long term blogs to see what issues owners would encounter. Pampering a car wouldn't reveal much. And here, we learn Dodge needs a "car wash" mode where the Viper can close its nostrils.

longtimelurker

tlangness said:

All easier said than done. Especially when you don't have an outdoor hose or a driveway at home.

Hidden cost of apartment-dwelling. You can't wash your car, can't do an oil change, brake job, No place to put your tools and equipment, even if you have any... You have to pay someone else to do everything.

The apartment-dweller tool chest - it's real small and says "Otterbox" on the outside of it. It does limit one's options.