Sprinter86

Hey everyone, i suppose it's time for me to post another bi-monthly n00b question.

Alright, so i live in Wisconsin, we have winter, we have salty roads, etc. And long before i had my license my father drove our EG hatch (now mine) around in winter, so it's already rusty in the good ol' QPs. Here's my question:

Is it logical (or "safe") to put my car, with small areas of the quarter panels completely eaten through (as in it's just a thin, dry, flaky piece of rust still attached on) into a car wash found at a gas station? Or will putting it through for a nice wash just blast off any rusty area and leave it exposed to more rust?

At this point it seems the current rust is preventing more rust from surfacing, so is it better just to have a dirty car with some rust, or get it cleaned and risk having a nice big jagged line for a quarter panel edge AND making it prone to more rust.

I just don't want the quarter panels of my car it look like some crazy took a knife and carved up the edge, i'd almost prefer to have it with no actual holes and a relatively straight edge, with the edges just being rusty.. And also, it's 40 degrees out, i'm not really in the mood to wash my car by hand, especially after swapping some shitty Autozone axles today.

Opinions?

Thanks!

bigluelok

i dont see why not it will just rust more

Sprinter86

If i washed it once a week would it keep any future rust off?

EL Vap133

I believe rust spreads....

Sprinter86

God i hate Wisconsin...

Arthas

Whats with all this salt? They havent came up with anything that doesnt cost you guys money out of your pockets? I know i'd throw a fit if they threw salt all over the roads.

Sprinter86

We had over 100 inches of snowfall last winter, so yea, the plows are everywhere and they salt the **** out of the roads. Too bad i'm a college student who can't afford a winter-only car, much less the insurance..

Arthas

Theres nothing you can install on the QP's to prevent this?? I feel so bad for you guys lol.

93egSLEEPER

is it safe to do a hooker with herpes w/o protection? NO. stay away from car washed as much as possible. wash it yourself so you can at least be careful with it

Sprinter86

The curse is, unless your car is clean when you get it and you garage it, you're screwed. And the only solution when it does rust is cut it out, sandblast it, weld new metal in, and repaint the section. Although most people are stuck repainting the whole car unless they want to look ridiculous.

And i do not have the spare money, time or skills to do this myself. And going to a specialty shop for that is like $1500 to $2000 when all is said and done.

Sprinter86

Yeah, that's what i figured. Tomorrow is going to be fun with the colder temperature.

Sprinter86

And thanks to everyone for answering my n00b question

4drint3gr4

i kno wat u feeling, rust sucks!!!!!!!!!! i'm gettn away from the snow and salt when i can

Arthas

LOL you can get a good condition running EF/EG for that price over here haha.

ferio252

Nothing wrong running it through a car wash I guess.

thumper64

Living in the midwest sucks. My city doesn't do a very good job with snow removal, but salts the heck out of the roads also. like anything 10 years old or more, has rust. I want to just completely fix all the rust on my hatch and coat the areas that are prone to it with something so it never happens again.

ferio252

Here are a few tips I gleaned off a website

Prevent Salt Build Up On Your Car by Heading to the Car Wash
Aim for at least one car wash per week, no matter how much it snows or rains outside. A fresh wash can remove debris, dirt, and any salt that's accumulated over the course of the week, and will help reduce the chances of rust immediately.

Prevent Salt Build Up On Your Car with Salt-X
Salt-X is a salt removal formula that helps prevent corrosion and rust buildup with a simple rinse. You'll need to take your car to private (covered) place to spray it with this potent concentrate. It's designed for boats and sports equipment as well, and is a great way to 'prime' your car, truck, or SUV for the season.

Prevent Salt Build Up On Your Car by Spraying Underneath with a Hose
If you really can't make it to the weekly car wash, at least spray the underside of the car with a high-powered hose. This will remove salt buildup from accumulating on the wheels, axles, and exhaust pipe that can cause severe damage if it's left untreated.

Prevent Salt Build Up On Your Car by Cleaning Off the Car Immediately After a Snowstorm
Salt can easily get onto the car from other people's snowblowers after a snow storm, so dig your car out of it's snow mask whenever possible.

Prevent Salt Build Up On Your Car by Parking Off the Road
Snow plows and salt trucks are your worst enemy during the winter time since they practically dump salt as they work. Let the salt shower stay on the road, and move your car to a covered area or garage at every opportunity

Prevent Salt Build Up On Your Car By Using a Car Cover
If you're courageous enough to battle the chill for just a few more minutes after you get out of the car, quickly wrap it up with a car cover. Car covers can help keep the car (somewhat) warm, but also protect it from the elements when you leave it unattended.

If anyone has more tips, post them up ?
I'm pretty sure this is all common knowledge for people who live in those areas.

boxeocampeon

you should just repaint it if you have the money

94EG8

Considering I live in Atlantic Canada I feel pretty qualified to talk about rust and salt. The best thing to do to prevent it in the first place is to undercoat the car with Krown, rust check or some other similar corrosion inhibitor. Once the rust has started its going to spread no matter what you do. Something a lot of people done seem to realize is that civics rust from the inside out, so if it looks like you have a hole the size of a quarter once you start chipping away you'll have hole 3 or 4 inches in diamater. The only thing you can do to fix it for more than a few months is cut out the rust and weld in new metal.

Luke G.

**** rust, i hate it

batallic

and not to mention yearly rust proofings might help too

batallic

me too

Unseen Racer

snow?

i hate you

batallic

i hate you warm and ****, trust me you dont want it its fun sometimes

R666_EK

I'm more than happy not getting snow here. Hell, I got snow an hour away and the beach an hour and a half.

Cali sucks for smog and ****, but at least I don't have to worry about it rusting itself away.

That **** sucks bro. But as others have said, there's really not much you can do about the current rust. It will only get worse. I guess just run it as is til you can afford to repair it, or turn it into your beater one day.