Salty roads

[amosian]

I promised myself that when I got the Seven it would never go out in anything but perfect weather. Three days later, I have just returned from an awesome drive - pitch black, wet, raining and grit all over the roads. I am still grinning!

 

Now I am a little worried that when I wake up tomorrow the car will have been replaced by a pile of rust standing on some s****y alloys. What is the best way to clean the car after taking him out in the winter and what places must particular attention be paid to?

 

Thanks in advance

[Delberts Wallet]

I know the feeling. Seeing as I've just bought it, it seems a shame to keep it locked away in the Garage so I'll look forward to any comments other people have. All I do is to give it a good wash down with plain old water and a sponge but I guess that might not be enough.

[Paul McKenzie]

Don't do it!!

The powder coating on the chassis tubes offers very poor protection, also the galvanic cell set up between the ali body and the chassis tubes exacerbates the problem.

My car is 5 years old and I've just spent 4 (not so leisurely) weekends compensating for my initial enthusiasm (engine out, petrol tank out) in order to get to grips with the problem.

If I had my time over again (and don't we all wish that were the case)I would before the build have all the parts I could properly protected from corrosion - in my opinion nylon coated(Kelcoat in Leek). I would then make sure the chassis tubes were absolutely clean and coat them with waxoyl or similar-whatever you use it doesn't in my opinion make much difference, you simply want an effective physical barrier between the **** and the chassis.

In your case, you are not dealing with a new chassis, so try and get it as 'new' as possible i.e. jet wash all the crevices, then, the difficult bit at this time of year, dry it so absolutely no moisture remains, then proceed as above.

It's no quick solution, but it's worth doing it right, then hopefully you won't need to do it again.

Paul

 

 

 

[Graham Perry]

If its an ali finish car you must wash it off immediately my car still wears the 'acne' from an occasion 8 years ago when I just put it in the garage one night during a minor snow storm and didn't wash it until the weekend. Road salt will attack the exterior bodywork very fast.