kevinmalec

Congrats on the 5.0!

Do you own a second vehicle? If so, why get her all dirty, if you don't have too. ;-)

wayne613

Personally, while not good for any car if left on for extended periods, I'd take it out if you want to drive it. Enjoy it when you want to man.

IMO, those who buy a car to sit in a garage need a Rick James'ing upside the head. Never understood the appeal of buying something that was made for a purpose, then rarely if ever actually using it.

Secondary car, weekend, fine, that I get. Just not the true "OMG?! drive it now?! It's not perfect outside, no way!" guys.

I have a late twenties/early thirties fan my grandfather used constantly, I cleaned the sucker, re-wired it myself, and in the summer it's cranking away again. Bakelite blade and all (expensive collectors thing for fan blades, pre-cursor to modern plastic).

Wally39

Thanks kevinmalec. Yes, I do have a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 4 wheel drive that I use to get around here in Iowa when it snows. And my driveway sucks, because it's long and goes uphill. Thanks for your input guys. Maybe I will take it out when the streets are clear and just wash it before I put it back in the garage.

Rocket Ray

To me, it all depends on how long you want to keep your Stang. I had a 66 that I had to drive in the winters when I was a student. It rusted away before my very eyes. Now I know today's cars are much, much better, but they still rust, and exposure to road salt only accelerates that process. This will likely be the last mustang I buy, and I am lucky, I have a place to store it in the winter. I drive it as much as I like in the spring, summer, and fall, but only after all the salt is gone, and before they salt the roads in the fall. We have a large salt mine in my county, it is literally cheaper than sand here. I have a 2003 Explorer that I drive year round. The body is still rust free, but the running boards that you step on to get into the vehicle are starting to rust. I will take them off next year and blast and repaint them. However, I love my mustang too much to expose it to road salt, and I don't have enough money to buy a new one, so I will try to keep it rust free.

pdonket

How do you guys manage underbody cleanings in the winter?

allinon72

Salt is corrosive and certainly isn't good for a car, but the affects are very much overblown. If you get salt on the underside of your car and leave it there for a week, it's not going to self destruct. However, if you go a whole winter with salt on your car, that's a different story. It's just a matter of keep up on the cleaning.

I choose not to drive my car in the winter because I have a second vehicle. However I do get the car out every couple of weeks when the roads are dry.

Roy_R

My car doesn't even drive in the rain...

Nuke

You can ATTEMPT an underbody cleaning at any high pressure car wash. The prolelm is that you can't get to every nook and cranny but it's the best you can do. Also, high pressure washing WILL push some salt into deeper recesses of those nooks and crannies. But, again, it's better than doing nothing.

mustangted

mine stays inside until april.

revtime

I keep 5 dollars in quarters in the cup holder during winter and get by the car wash a couple times a week. Just put it on rinse and get low as you can with the wand and spray underneath the car. This will help if you have to drive in the winter. I used to be **** about it but as I get older I have come to realize its just a car and I am going to enjoy it while I still breath. You could be gone tomorrow you know....drive and enjoy the car.