Cleaning Salt from a C5 Corvette

[cpaxson]

OK, OK..... before you even start to think about flaming me for driving a Corvette in the winter in Michigan....... I'm 67 and I have a terminal condition. Having owned three Corvettes in my youth, I thought I deserved a toy for all the crap I've been through the last couple of years so I brought a 2001 Convertible. Now, with a limited time left to drive and enjoy, storing this car for the winter just ain't gonna happen. That being said, I'm after some good advice on how to make the best of a bad situation.

While I do not take this thing out in the snow, there's no escaping the fact that MI lays down some serious salt and there's no getting around the fact that some is going to get on the car. I can do the two bucket wash, etc., etc., (and do). I can follow all the Adam's tips and the Junkman's videos but there's nothing that specifically addresses this problem.

So..... what are your recommendations for the best way to tackle the salt that will get on the underbody? I don't have access to a lift and so far, I've been taking the car to one of those self-spray car washes and hitting the underside the best I could but I'm sure there's a better way.

Thanks,

Charles

[cpaxson]

OUCH! Didn't see the thread that posted around the same time I posted mine. Sorry about that. Can't figure out how to delete this one.

Charles

[Marylander]

Hi, and welcome to Adams forums. I say just give the car a good wash, protect it with coat of adam's spray sealant, and then get out there and enjoy it to your heart's content. Like you suggested, an occasional undercarriage wash at an automated car wash should be fine. I used to have a 99 c5; I don't think there's any reason to worry about stuff getting too wet under the car.

 

 

Rich

[MichiganSRT8]

great recommendations by rich. If you want to have someone look at it with a lift and a place that use Adams products I recommend taking it to Cauley Performance Automotive in West Bloomfield, I used to work there and we were the only Adams Distributer in Michigan. If you want, PM me and I can give you more information and give you some inside help and they will help you out in a VIP way. Enjoy your vette in the Michigan weather, its not even bad right now, id have my mine out if I had one!

[Chris@Adams]

Charles, I say just keep on doing what you are doing, spray the Vette off as good as you can. And most of all just enjoy your car.

[Fat Mike]

Good for you Charles. If I were you, I would drive the wheels off your C5 and wouldn't care what anyone says.

 

Around here in Nebr., there are drive-through touchless car washes that do a great job of spraying the undercarriage. I would try to find one in your area. If there's none around, I would continue doing what you're doing.

 

Another option might be locating a small indepenent mechanical repair shop that has a lift that would spray the underside off for a fee. I would wait till the bulk of the salt is off the roads before paying too much for this type of service.

[Rich]

Welcome to the forum! And yes, you're nuts! But I love it. Your car sure won't rust!

But yeah, my buddy Rich gave you great advice. Enjoy the ride!

[Bluezey]

In the winter, if the car that I'm washing has an abundant amount of salt , or whatever, I like knocking most of it off with a power washer, and then do the hand wash. Or if you have a favorite car wash that will allow to do a bucket wash in the bay, that's not a bad way to go either. jmpo:thumbsup:

 

And Charles you do deserve the car, so drive it like you stole it, and dance like nobodys' watching:2thumbs:

 

Like they use to say, " Keep On Truckin'"

 

 

Shine On

Bluezey:pc:

[cpaxson]

Thanks everyone, for the advice and kind words.

Coin wash is kind of what I'd been doing, trucking my Adams bucket, grit guard and shampoo with me. Kind of like Adam said in his video on winter washing... it's kind of theraputic.

Thanks again,

Charles

[rm25x]

Sorry to hear about your limited time left but good for you for making the most out of it.

[Mark92]

Charles:

 

I am from Michigan too, i do not drive my vette in the winter but i did purchase a item at Lowes that might help you out, It is called a (BONAIRE ultimate water blaster) if you dont mind getting your garden hose out. it was in the garden hose section and is a spray wand used for cleaning rain gutters, it has a end that rotates almost 360 and also extends to like 6 feet. it has a pretty good spray pattern, so what i do is just rotate the end and you can clean the underside of your car pretty easy.