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This hobby is full of ownership styles and opinions, and one that runs rampant through the Vette nation is ....DRIVING THAT BABY IN THE RAIN!
Just read the for sale columns of any Corvette selling venue and everyone is hung up on the never seen rain, never driven in the rain...never washed for heaven sakes...only kissed clean by angels....
These cars are weather worthy and unaffected by the occasional exposure to Mother Natures lubrication...RAIN...
Do you have this fobia? Or are you okay with the chance of wetting down the beast once in a while!
What is the real worth of a vette that never saw rain...or is it just nonsense?
Mine is originally a SoCal car, 57K, but it's going to see some rain while I own it in Western Oregon. I bought it to drive and anyone who thinks their C5 will bring 6 digits at Barrett-Jackson in their lifetime is delusional.
Never driven in the Midwest winters where salt is used, that's a plus though. Modern cars are more corrosion resistant than they have ever been and getting better all the time. I suppose there is something to be said about road grime and the likes, but I think that's a minimal problem where I live.
Then again, I plan on driving mine, and keeping it looking decent. If you want to hide yours away, that's your business. It's not a great selling point for me. I do plead guilty about being a bit **** about keeping it clean, it's the coolest car I've ever owned, at 62 that's saying something. Even cooler than a V8 Fiero!
Last edited by FormerlyFiero; Aug 6, 2011 at 09:51 PM.
Does anyone realize that their car was originally on an open trailer and then sat on a dealer lot in snow, rain and dust? The car was detailed before you took it home but it was out in the inclement weather. That is just nonsense.Foolish. Unknowing.
However, to purposely take my car out in inclement weather and take a chance a drop of dirt might appear and total strangers will think I drive a dirty Vette??? Not a chance
From: Motorsports Capital of the World..Indianapolis Indiana
Originally Posted by jol
Does anyone realize that their car was originally on an open trailer and then sat on a dealer lot in snow, rain and dust? The car was detailed before you took it home but it was out in the inclement weather. That is just nonsense.Foolish. Unknowing.
However, to purposely take my car out in inclement weather and take a chance a drop of dirt might appear and total strangers will think I drive a dirty Vette??? Not a chance
Mine was picked up at the museum delivery, so not delivered on a uncovered truck, nor sat in snow and never been on a car lot, but the guy I bought it off of drove the wheels off it (Literally on 3rd set of tires for wagon wheels already)......AND we both have still driven thousands of miles in rain, sleet, snow, gravel, and dirt with the chips, scratches and cracks to prove the 110K
My next (future addition) will be a cream puff Z06 I hope
From: This is not a Song, It's an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues; Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
I drove through a severe rain storm last Friday 7/29/11, coming home, parked it in the garage until Thursday past, took it out, detailed it, and it runs just fine!
They get wet before they leave the confines of the factory. Mine is not a daily driver so it won't see a lot of rain but I got to drive 800 miles in the rain the day I bought mine and drove it home..
My C5 is safely tucked away in the garage with a quality cover protecting it. When I take her out of the garage for a little bit of exercise, I am very careful to drive at no more than 7 MPH for the first 17 minutes. It has nothing to do with some kind of overprotective warmup procedure. It has everything to do with the 2 miles of dirt/rock/gravel road (with a couple of cattle guards thrown in just to keep it interesting) I have to drive on to get to the nearest paved road. You would have to look really hard to find any chips or other damage
Rain? I just WISH there was some rain to drive in. We have had 8.7 inches of rain so far this year. I drove in about a half inch if rain just before this picture was taken. I can assure you that nothing dissolved or melted from the rain. These are cars that are supposed to be driven. I wonder why they put windshield wipers on them? Mine has very good door and window seals that do a very effective job of keeping whatever is outside from coming in.
Bottom line: My Vette goes in the rain, dirt, gravel, mud, occasional cow manure and seems to clean up just fine every time.
The only reason I don't drive my car on rainy days is because sometimes I just don't have the time to clean it afterwards. Washing my car is a time consuming event for me because I like to do a real thorough job. So by alternating between my car and my truck it helps to keep the mileage down. Don't think its a garage queen either, my '03 Z has over 95,000 miles on it and still looks brand new. I drive it quite a bit, to work, long distance vacation trips (3 to Bowling Green, 2 to Florida), and even down the drag strip, too. The hardest rain I ever drove in was going from Nashville to BG. On another trip we raced a snow storm home from BG to NJ. A 12" snowstorm was nipping at our heels. It still cleans up nice enough to show. Drive It!
BTW, I just recently put on my fourth set of tires.
"Rain, rain, go away. Don't rain on my Chevrolet." Anonymous. (OK, it was s'noJob. So what?)
This daily driver has no choice but to deal with rain. And the only "six figures" this car will ever see will be on the odometer. (Or at Hooters, if I'm lucky.)
Some folks who have bought a Corvette for $25000.00 and put $35000.00 in mods or more into the cars, and are fearful of it getting dirty. But I drive mine in every kind of weather but snow. I have driven in snow, and I don't drive in it anymore. The snow doesn't like the Corvette, and the Corvette doesn't like snow. But if it's raining or windy, overcast or sunny, I go ! The Corvette is fine and once home and it's a nice day, it gets washed and it's just like New !
My 72 doesnt see rain but only because it is a convertible and has 40 year old weather seals. My C5 sits in the driveway all day and night every day and has never seen the inside of the garage. It gets washed maybe twice a month and taken through an underbody wash maybe once a month (beach life) I still try not to actually drive in the rain but that is more because of the fact we have a gazillion old people down here in gods waiting room of s florida and they are bad enough drivers when the road isnt slick with water.
Some people are worried about all of the delicate electronic systems, wiring, and iffy grounds getting wet and causing intermitent problems down the road. I have run into several owners that feel this way.