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No problems at all in the snow, in fact I live for the stuff! When else can you dori dori without risking your tires? I just sold off my 240SX, best damn car ever for drifting. Handbrake slides arefor amateurs! Try shift-locking, power-overs, or fients. All good fun!
to those of you that drive in the winter w/o garages... how do you wash your car?? i understand that you must wash it often to keep the road salts from rusting out your car. How do you do it in subfreezing weather w/o a garage?
I'm moving to Detroit in 6 mo. and would like to find out before hand!
I would think that majority of the people in the rust belt would try to wash their cars as often as they could either using coin-op wash or bring it to a car wash.
If you don't have a garage, connect a hose to the fosset of the laundry room and spray the salt away with warm water?
DISCLAIMER: The following is my opinion only and is NOT based on anything scientific.
Many of you have seen the following picture of my filthy car. Over the last 2 winters (now into its 3rd), the car has looked like this on many occasions. It is NOT rusting. I've had cars that have begun to rust after the 1st winter. I think some cars are prone to it while others are not. I don't know why. Most modern day cars (including this one) are rust protected very well during manufacture. They don't "rust away" anymore like in the "old" days.
Anyway, about trying to keep the salt and crud off it by frequent washing - I sometimes leave my car filthy for weeks on end, especially if the weather is hovering around and above freezing when the schlopp continues week after week. It's almost like the first few layers of crap dries on the car and acts as a protective layer. As long as this layer stays on, the paint seems to do quite well. The Zaino lasts a bit longer than if I were to get anal and wash it immediately after it gets just the least bit dirty. Same goes for the underside.
I'm not going to tell you to leave your car this dirty for long periods of time. It's your car and you should do what you think you need to do. But each spring, when I clean it up and put on it's spring Zaino, you'd be hard pressed to see that the car has gone through yet another harsh Canadian winter.
In answer to the last question - take it to one of those hand spray wand coin washes. If you have the time, take along a wash mitt and a bucket (you'll figure it out). Finish off with the wand rinse. You can do a quick chamois (or California Water Blade) before you drive it out. Put some keyhole anti freeze if it's really cold or you may not be able to get out of your car by the time you get home or can't get in the next time you drive it. When you don't have a garage, some sacrifices must be made.
Here's a scientific fact. It takes aprox 1 day for salt to corrode bare steel and 2-3 weeks before it affect a painted surface.
Conclusion: No matter how crappy the conditions are outside. It is a good idea to wash all the salt off your car that's been sitting for long periods of time. Every 1-2 weeks is sufficient. The point is not to try and keep the car clean. It is to prevent salt from sitting on the surface for longer than 3 weeks at a time.
4min and 3bux at a coin wash once every 2 weeks and ur done.
Originally posted by quick_lude It's the tires, you NEED snows.
haha...ive been driving my 86 Jetta VR6 with Pirelli Snow Sports in the front and BALD P7000's in the rear... Talk about built in Over steer....haha...
I have to really concentrate while driving that car. In every turn the car wants to oversteer...thats why I just stay on the gas and steer
Actually the main cause of rust is moisture and salt on EXPOSED areas, or moisture staying in the crooks and nannies of the car. This is why I think parking outside in the cold is actually better, the snow doesn't melt.. This is also why washing the car frequently in the winter isn't great either, imo.
I also agree with xviper and his points.
01-04-2003, 07:28 PM
