ORIGINAL: JGT


(NOTE : Please no comments about getting a winter beater, we've all heard it before, some if us are just not willing/able to go that route.)

Winter is fast approaching and I've got some good snow tires on the way and a few bags of salt for the trunk. That should help with the snow traction.

Now I am worried about how to protect the car from the elements. Lots of questions here, feel free to answer one or all. Maybe this thread will serve as a good reference for all the other poor souls who won't be garaging our Mustangs for the winter...

(1) Should I give the car a good waxing or clay bar? Wax is always a good thing. Do it as late as you can and hopefully before the first snow flies.
(2) Are there any good rust-proofing products to buy? I know that road salt can just kill the underbody of the car, should I take it into a professional detailer and have them put on some kind of an undercoating? Any suggestions? It's my understanding that aftermarket rustproofing is overkill on new cars and that if not done properly, can actually make the situation worse by plugging up weep holes etc.
(3) Anything to protect the interior from snow and slush (besides some rubber floor mats)? If your interior is leather, get some leather protector on it. Armor-All's has worked fine for me in the past. If you have cloth, try Scotchgard.
(4) What is the best way to clear snow of the car? I have never had a car with pristine paint, so I have always pretty much just used a hand (sometimes gloved) to wipe off most of it. But I am now terrified of the first time I will have to go out in the morning and wipe of a foot of snow. How the hell do I get it all off without damaging the paint? Leaving snow on will do much less damage than trying to get everything off when it doesn't want to come off. If things have started to melt and refrezze and you have ice on the paint. Leave it. Get as much snow off as you can and hope a sunny day will get the rest to melt off. If you use your ice scaper on your hood I'll perosnally come over and smack you.

(5) How often should I wash the car? Every chance I get? If it's not too blasted cold. Those 0 degree days will frezze water in little places you never dreamed of wiping dry. Wash it as often as you can without subjecting your car to a deep freeze.
(6) What is a good rule of thumb for warming the car up in the morning? I have been waiting until the idle revs down to normal, but as it gets colder and colder, this seems to be taking longer and longer. Do I have to wait this long before driving it normally? In order to best protect the engine, what is the highest RPMs I should take it before the temp gauge is up to normal? If it's REALLY cold, you should probably wait a minute or two. If it's just below freezing you can probably driving after 10 or 15 seconds of warming up. More than that you're just wasting gas and carbon monoxide. I didn't see where you live. Normally if you live in cold climates like Wisconsin they'll have winter driving tips on the news starting around December or so.
(7) Any other tips for winter prep/use? Drive slow. Assume the other guy doesn't know what he's doing. Buy a set of winter tires.