Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

There has been a lot of talk in the SB about winter beater and nice daily drivers and getting ready for winter.

It was brought up that we have some members on here knowledgable about this topic and some that just have personal tips/tricks to keeping their car from rusting/getting overly dirty during the winter months.

I'm hoping that they will post in here.

Aaron

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Don't let salt and slime accumulate in your door jambs or other obvious crevices. I also always put a good coat of wax on my car just before the snow flies just for that extra bit of protection. Reminds me I have to do that this weekend.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Yup just wax the entire car, door jams etc. If you already have some rust developing, id throw some grease on it and do that every month or so during the winter months, it will keep it from growing.

Just get the car washed after every major storm, or roughly every 2 weeks or so.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

http://www.mitsustyle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30530

another winter subject ;)

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

I used to wax my IX in the fall then wash weekly with the best gas station wash (underbody spray, wax, etc.). I then realized it was easier to just move to TX :)

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

^I would if I could, well I'd probably go to CO. I can't take too much heat as tropical as I look. Thanks guys.

Sam's honda isn't looking too bad for being a DD all its life and averaging 35k miles/yr the last 2 yrs.
My honda (2000) has typical honda wheel well rust starting, but I'd like it to not get any worse its quite respectable looking and I want it to stay that way.

I need to find some good wax, I use some turtle wax stuff and its protection fades after 2-4 rain showers.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Meguiar's Ultimate paste wax

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Yeah, pretty much any of the Meguiar's products are good. I use the liquid cleaner wax with an orbital. Definitely a good investment for any car person.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

I think I said this in another thread but get a beater and park the ride! Some dumbass foreigner or someone whos never driven in snow will probably slide through a light right into your ride or you will be having to much fun in your neighborhood and slide into a yard almost missing a fire hydrant and then decide to never drive your car during the winter, this happend to GsXtUrBo98 and now he doesn't drive his 2g during the winter.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

What bertrenolds says is actually true, at least for the first couple of snowstorms. By then all the people from CA, AZ & other snow-free states have either learned how to drive or have totalled out their cars!!

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Last week I actually used a spray wax and coated the underside of my G37. We'll see if that helps this winter. I also waxed all the door jams, sunroof rails, under the hood and under the trunk. Plus the entire car has been waxed three times in three weeks. So other than snow tires, I think I'm ready to do battle with winter.

I've actually been using paint sealants instead of wax this year. They go on and off just like wax, but they come off easier and with less dust. And they last longer. They can be more expensive than your off the self waxes, but I think they are worth it. This is what I used on my G37 the last couple of weeks:
http://www.autogeek.net/wg5500.html

later,
Curt

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Is there any spray you can buy for underneath? I wash my car once a week and let it thaw.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

Interesting and good read! Just got this car as a winter beater. I was already told it was clean...from the pictures that is. It's got some small dings here and there but for the winter, it will do for now. It was a South Carolina car but I've already spotted some rust underneath the car.

When I had my GVR4, I went to the car wash about once or twice a week (depending on how much salt was on the streets). I sprayed underneath and used the brush the car wash had to brush away what ever was under neath the car. It was definitely clean but man, that salt just knows where to stay and rust. :(

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6235/...9c7678ae_z.jpg

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

I heard this from a drunk guy at a bar, I don't know if he was serious or not but he sounded like he was serious, but he said to spray WD40 on the underside of your car. I just sort of nodded my head and brushed the idea off politely. Has anyone heard of this???

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

I should try it.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

You could get the undercoating in a can from fleet farm for pretty chea, it's rubber in a can pretty much. Just power wash the underside of your car and then tape off the ground effects and doors and anything that might get that crap on it and go to town. I just did the underside of my DD talon and I don't even drive it during the winter. It stops the underside from rusting and it's cheap to do, just have a can of mineral spirits near by incase you do get some of it on your paint or your hands.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

You learned that one the hard way, lol.

Re: Winter care for the nice Daily Driver cars out there
 

WD-40 does have rust inhibiting property's, We use it at my work to coat carbon steel parts we don't want to start rusting. I'm sure it would be better than nothing, but would likely require a few re-applications over a winter.