Driving in the rain

[Rusty knuckles]

I've seen a various posts from people saying my car has never seen rain. It hit me on the way to the tire shop today in my 69 driving through the rain and I thought, why is that a concern. Yo wash your car. Spray more water on it than the most torrential rains. So what harm is rain gonna cause that your garden hose doesn't?

 

[guy gadbois]

The "issue" is all the spray and water that gets up in the engine room and in the nooks and crannies where rust starts. Just washing it doesnt 'power spray' the water - and attendant road grime, salt residue, whatever - into and under the car. Keeps the car cleaner, drier and happier.

 

[Black_Sheep]

I get caught in the rain a couple times a year, it happens from time to time when you drive your car. I hate when it happens though, because it means a couple weeks of evenings to clean and detail it again. The road spray gets everywhere.

 

[Rusty knuckles]

The "issue" is all the spray and water that gets up in the engine room and in the nooks and crannies where rust starts. Just washing it doesnt 'power spray' the water - and attendant road grime, salt residue, whatever - into and under the car. Keeps the car cleaner, drier and happier.

You never been through a touch less wash and got the undercarriage wash option?

 

[guy gadbois]

You never been through a touch less wash and got the undercarriage wash option?

Not in my good/collector type car.

 

[#41]

Well, I don't wash them either, ...... at least in the traditional sense. Hose down the sides, wheels, engine compartment yes. But NO water on the the top of the car to seep down past seals. Why? These cars do not have the weather seals of new cars. Water will run down inside the doors, quarters, and cowl and pool in low areas, set in seems, etc. The drain holes only do so much. Don't forget about those dried up old wiper pivot seals, window gaskets, and trunk seals that drip onto your trunk and floor pans.

You won't see the damage in the short term, but rain and traditional car washing WILL rust your car from the inside out. How fast depends on how much rain, how much washing, and how dry your climate is.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Never Never Ever Drive in the rain.... Your car might melt....

 

[Detective D]

I don't own anything fancy enough to care.
Even if I did, I draw the line at winter salt(WI) but otherwise it's just metal and you can fix metal. To each their own, if you enjoy looking at your car in the garage, this is America you go for it. If you want to be able to trailer your car to the show and put mirrors under it that's your right!
I enjoy burnouts and driving. So I do. Our leaders are trying to outlaw everything I love lately, so in my opinion who cares if the car gets some rust in the next ten years? If it is bad I will fix it, otherwise whatever, and if things keep going it won't matter anyway by 2032. When I am dead someone else can fix it or drive it some more.
If you are retired age and worried about rain, you are losing precious wheel time. The car will last longer than you!
Even classics have windshield wipers.

 

[Cranky]

I've drag raced just about every car I ever owned.... and two of the three pickups that I presently own have made passes down the drag strip too and the majority of them were driven to the track and sometimes we had rainouts while there.

 

[Billccm]

Have not washed a car since 1991.

DriWash Solutions - Distributor of DRI WASH 'n GUARD

 

[Kern Dog]

I've seen a various posts from people saying my car has never seen rain. It hit me on the way to the tire shop today in my 69 driving through the rain and I thought, why is that a concern. Yo wash your car. Spray more water on it than the most torrential rains. So what harm is rain gonna cause that your garden hose doesn't?

A garden hose is clean water.

You never been through a touch less wash and got the undercarriage wash option?

Again, clean water, not rain water mixed with oil, dirt, road grime, etc.

The runoff from a street during a rainfall is some scummy stuff. I don't want that getting everywhere under the car. If mine were just undercoated, it may not matter but I specifically painted the underbody and I'd prefer to keep it clean.

 

[Cojohnso1]

I'll pull over if it's pouring hard. My GTX wipers are not that of newer cars. But other than that? My classic(s) are rarely out in poor weather anyways. But certainly not afraid of moisture.

 

[1STMP]

I keep my cars clean enough that they
don't need any water at all to keep
them that way. The climate where
I reside is very dry, and dust is the
major intruder. For those vehicles
that I deem worthy of OCD cleanliness
never get driven in the very few
rain storms we experience.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

Too many people worry too waaaay much about waaay too much. These cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed, they’re suppose to take your troubles and cares away. Not locked away from the world while you weight for the absolute “perfect” weather. Worry too much about people breathing on their car, F that.

I went to a car show last weekend, it reminded me why I don’t. I had a great time, but getting there and seeing people that have already been there for probably an hour or so with boxes of cleaning stuff, oh no the air has l dust in it and I will see it on your car heaven forbid! There was even 1 guy putting tire shine on the top of his tires, WTF. And a guy I know was mad because he only got an 8th plaque, oh heavens!

If you haven’t had a heart attack yet, this will send you over the edge lol. A lady had her little kid there, and she was working hard keeping them away from cars. When she got to mine and he “got too close” she grabbed him. The poor little kids mind was overflowed with joy seeing the car and he wanted a closer look. I told the lady let him lean against the car if he needs to, he’s not going to hurt anything (and I’m kicking myself now because I didn’t ask if he wanted to sit inside) The worst part for some of you guys, I was talking to a guy, and this was a goin to be long winded conversation, I sat on the fender!

 

[YY1]

I can tell you where people who've never driven their car in the rain don't live-

Florida.

If you drive in FL and have never gotten rained on, you need to buy a LOT of lottery tickets.
About May 15th to October, it's possible to rain on any given day.

I'm betting the Pacific Northwest probably has the same situation.

 

[blue69runner]

You are right on Fl. rainstorms. Do agree about the road grime getting on our cars. All that stuff leaking of trucks with loads of junk from construction sites and road repair. Car is under coated but still clean the underside of car. When restoring my car saw where water was allowed and channeled into certain parts of the car. Use bed liner coating in the hole car. Even inside the doors. From time to time should check drain holes so that a dirt Dober has not plugged them up or mud has not gotten in those. A clean car will last much longer than a dirty one. LOL.

 

[Hey-O]

The day I bought my Coronet from a guy in Pinckneyville IL was a great day and I was ready to bring it home. After all the business was done, I went outside to get ready to come home and the sky was black out to the north. He told me to come back, whenever, to pick it up, because it looked bad. I told him, I'm homeward bound and off we went. 20 miles out and we were in the middle of the end of the world. A friend was following the wife and I and he called and said, head back, now! I just wanted to get home and kept going. Ten miles out it started to rain, I cringed as it got harder and soon I had no choice but to slow down. The wipers were on high and I'm down to 20 mph and can't see more than 50 feet ahead of me. I pulled over and just sat there. Then I realized, if I couldn't see, maybe someone might not see me and run up on me. I took off and a few more miles it started to hail. Pea size and coming down HARD. No overpass to run to and almost black, we kept going. The wife looked at me and said, you know we're screwed, don't you. The trip from Pinckneyville, is almost exactly a hundred miles. For about 20 miles we drove in the hail and rain, then just rain, It didn't matter anymore, she was right, we were screwed. I drove about 25 mph till I could see light. It got brighter and brighter, in the distance, till we were coming to the end of the storm. When it stopped, we were going through east St. Louis and heading into the loop on the outskirts of downtown St.Louis. The rain stopped in a perfect line across the highway and on the other side of the line it was bone dry! It was like going through a car wash and at the end of it, it got blow dried. We were now cruising in heavy traffic and people are coming by us, some waving and honking and I looked at my wife and I was sure the car had damage, it had to. The road being dry and with us driving 60 plus mph the rest of the 20 or so miles we had to go, we were seriously depressed. It wasn't till I pulled into the driveway that I finally got out to look at the car. It was unbelievable, the car was totally clean and look perfect!! It was before I put the scoop on, so the engine didn't get downpoured on from the top and we just stood there looking at it in total disbelief. There is a God and that's why I don't ever drive in the rain now. I used up my one get out of jail free card!!!

 

[YY1]

My Satellite was driven 45 miles home on the day I bought it...through tropical storm Sandy.

With no wipers, no defrost/defog, and a leaking master cylinder that had to be topped off twice.

CVS three blocks from PO's house had brake fluid and Rain-X !!

 

[blue69runner]

I got chills reading your post. HAIL OH NO.

 

[Cranky]

I can tell you where people who've never driven their car in the rain don't live-

Florida.

If you drive in FL and have never gotten rained on, you need to buy a LOT of lottery tickets.
About May 15th to October, it's possible to rain on any given day.

I'm betting the Pacific Northwest probably has the same situation.

There have been summers like that in the Houston area but it hasn't rained here until lately for nearly 2 months!!