Salt and rain
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville Maryland
Salt and rain
I had to drive my Vette here in Maryland when they still had salt on the roads, and I'm a little worried about salt on my undercarriage. That stuff, if left alone, can be pretty corrosive. I guess I could find a place that does undercarriage washes, but I haven't had her through a car wash yet, and would like to avoid it if I can.
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Last edited by JD21029; Mar 2, 2007 at 01:38 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,279
Likes: 82
From: North Strand, NMB, SC; Retired x 2 (US Army: 70-90 AD) (US Army: 91-16 DAC); yea, I'm old.
There has to be a drive thru, brushless car wash you can use in your area.
You will have to spring for the Ultimate/Grande/El Supremo wash in order to get the under carriage wash but it is well worth it.
I used the one near my house three weeks after I got my Vette when I ran over a dead deer laying across my lane; I had to go over it as I couldn't move the right (18-wheeler) or the left (no shoulder) and I knew not to hit the brakes (I would not have stopped in time and the deer would have gone right into the lower grille opening...
).
I drove back and forth over the under carriage wash nozzles about ten times to get the blood, guts and fur off the car...
You will have to spring for the Ultimate/Grande/El Supremo wash in order to get the under carriage wash but it is well worth it.
I used the one near my house three weeks after I got my Vette when I ran over a dead deer laying across my lane; I had to go over it as I couldn't move the right (18-wheeler) or the left (no shoulder) and I knew not to hit the brakes (I would not have stopped in time and the deer would have gone right into the lower grille opening...
).I drove back and forth over the under carriage wash nozzles about ten times to get the blood, guts and fur off the car...
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
From: Hanover MD
I had to drive me Vette here in Maryland when they still had salt on the roads, and I'm a little worried about salt on my undercarriage. That stuff, if left alone, can be pretty corrosive. I guess I could find a place that does undercarriage washes, but I haven't had her through a car wash yet, and would like to avoid it if I can.
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 395
Likes: 1
From: Dartmouth Massachusetts
argh, sounds like a nightmare to clean up 
... hose as much off as you can, if its fresh, but one trip in the salt is not going to corrode your undercarriage... i would be more concerned with cleaning things up to look nice again, if that's what you're looking for.. maybe you can get under there and wipe it off, the hose won't get it all, it'll leave a cloudy film on everything
... hose as much off as you can, if its fresh, but one trip in the salt is not going to corrode your undercarriage... i would be more concerned with cleaning things up to look nice again, if that's what you're looking for.. maybe you can get under there and wipe it off, the hose won't get it all, it'll leave a cloudy film on everything
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,488
Likes: 27
From: Long Island NY
Yes. Don't worry about it. I drove my car all winter last year when there was a decent amount of snow. I think I hosed down the underside just a few times the whole winter. This past summer while working under the car I noticed that the underside looked perfect, like new, zero signs of corrosion, etc. The salt had zero effect. Remember, it's a CAR, designed and meant to be DRIVEN. 
If the car sees a LOT of salt, it's not a bad idea to try to hose down the inside of the wheel wells and the underside if and when you can. Since salt reacts with water, it's usually good to hose the car down on wet days if and when possible... since the car is already wet.
My wife's mint Mustang GT vert has already seen 5 harsh north-east winters... car is out on the roads every single day of every winter, in maximum salt, sand, etc... and I rarely get a chance to hose that car down because she's always driving it... has never seen a car wash, ever. The car is still in MINT condition, inside and out... looks SHOWROOM. See no corrosion underneath.
So... don't worry about the salt. Enjoy the car while you can. Every day you can take the car out for a drive, whether rain, salt, sand whatever, is a GOOD day. Enjoy and appreciate. 
If the car sees a LOT of salt, it's not a bad idea to try to hose down the inside of the wheel wells and the underside if and when you can. Since salt reacts with water, it's usually good to hose the car down on wet days if and when possible... since the car is already wet.
My wife's mint Mustang GT vert has already seen 5 harsh north-east winters... car is out on the roads every single day of every winter, in maximum salt, sand, etc... and I rarely get a chance to hose that car down because she's always driving it... has never seen a car wash, ever. The car is still in MINT condition, inside and out... looks SHOWROOM. See no corrosion underneath.
So... don't worry about the salt. Enjoy the car while you can. Every day you can take the car out for a drive, whether rain, salt, sand whatever, is a GOOD day. Enjoy and appreciate.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 29,085
Likes: 14
From: Cary IL and Parrish FL
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
I had to drive me Vette here in Maryland when they still had salt on the roads, and I'm a little worried about salt on my undercarriage. That stuff, if left alone, can be pretty corrosive. I guess I could find a place that does undercarriage washes, but I haven't had her through a car wash yet, and would like to avoid it if I can.
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
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Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,504
Likes: 1
From: Toronto Ontario
Yes. Don't worry about it. I drove my car all winter last year when there was a decent amount of snow. I think I hosed down the underside just a few times the whole winter. This past summer while working under the car I noticed that the underside looked perfect, like new, zero signs of corrosion, etc. The salt had zero effect. Remember, it's a CAR, designed and meant to be DRIVEN.
If the car sees a LOT of salt, it's not a bad idea to try to hose down the inside of the wheel wells and the underside if and when you can. Since salt reacts with water, it's usually good to hose the car down on wet days if and when possible... since the car is already wet.
My wife's mint Mustang GT vert has already seen 5 harsh north-east winters... car is out on the roads every single day of every winter, in maximum salt, sand, etc... and I rarely get a chance to hose that car down because she's always driving it... has never seen a car wash, ever. The car is still in MINT condition, inside and out... looks SHOWROOM. See no corrosion underneath.
So... don't worry about the salt. Enjoy the car while you can. Every day you can take the car out for a drive, whether rain, salt, sand whatever, is a GOOD day. Enjoy and appreciate.
If the car sees a LOT of salt, it's not a bad idea to try to hose down the inside of the wheel wells and the underside if and when you can. Since salt reacts with water, it's usually good to hose the car down on wet days if and when possible... since the car is already wet.
My wife's mint Mustang GT vert has already seen 5 harsh north-east winters... car is out on the roads every single day of every winter, in maximum salt, sand, etc... and I rarely get a chance to hose that car down because she's always driving it... has never seen a car wash, ever. The car is still in MINT condition, inside and out... looks SHOWROOM. See no corrosion underneath.
So... don't worry about the salt. Enjoy the car while you can. Every day you can take the car out for a drive, whether rain, salt, sand whatever, is a GOOD day. Enjoy and appreciate.
IT IS A CAR - GET OVER IT!!!!
Why bother owning it if you don't drive it. Jeeze, when are you folks going to understand that they make terrible "coffe table books"?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 11,549
Likes: 27
From: Southampton NJ
I had to drive me Vette here in Maryland when they still had salt on the roads, and I'm a little worried about salt on my undercarriage. That stuff, if left alone, can be pretty corrosive. I guess I could find a place that does undercarriage washes, but I haven't had her through a car wash yet, and would like to avoid it if I can.
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Question is, if I drive her in the rain, do you think the splash from the road will be sufficient to get the salt out?
And am I being too paranoid worrying about the road salt?
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: St. Michael MN
Life's to enjoy, but subjecting my car to that isn't my idea of fun...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville Maryland
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville Maryland
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 247
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville Maryland
My Vette is my daily driver. I have 12,000 miles in less than a year.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 133,592
Likes: 30
St. Jude Donor '11, '16
I think you need to learn how to read. I drove it in the snow. I'm asking if driving it in the rain (which I do) will get the road salt off. Is it a problem to ask about the best way to get the salt off?
My Vette is my daily driver. I have 12,000 miles in less than a year.
My Vette is my daily driver. I have 12,000 miles in less than a year.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 395
Likes: 1
From: Dartmouth Massachusetts
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,762
Likes: 2
They use a sand mixture here in Texas which compared to salt I can't say is better or worse since sand can do a number blasting your front end. Either way you can't win, rain on the other hand as long as it's not that acid rain cr*p shouldn't be a big deal. Just don't sweat it and do the undercarriage wash like everyone suggested. Gotta love mother nature. 