Driving on the Motorway today, I began thinking that not all performance cars get taken off the road for winter...
Thought it might be a good idea to share some tips on how best to prepare an ITR for use over winter, so here's my start to the thread - Hopefully others will have good tips to add
* Salt, Grit and resultant corrosion is probably any performance car's worst enemy if not checked. Most people think undersealing's the best way to protect, but there's a better alternative. Spray Waxoyl is available as kits from most UK motor factors. This is not a bitument black stuff that underseal is usually based on, but a waxy oil that hardens, lubricates and protects. It's also possible to wash it off with a steam cleaner, so it can be renewed each year, inexpensively. It's a good idea to waxoyl inside all cavities such as boot & door internals, sills, inside arches, rear panels, etc. If you can spray it on your suspension, drivetrain and chassis, this will also help protect.
Also almost forgot... The UK has a lot of dirt on roads, so be sure to wash off that layer of mud / etc. in the arches and on suspension before waxoyling.
I have used Waxoyl on older cars in the UK which I ran all year round... I found they didn't corrode at all, if carefully protected.
* Wash and wax your car regularly. This way you can find any small stone chips before they begin to attract corrosion. Waxing will also protect your paint's finish.
* Give your car a good service. Check fan belts for wear, change the antifreeze, maybe get some lower SAE rated oil for those cold morning starts. Air filters get clogged with salt, etc. so it's a good idea to make sure filter(s) are nice and clean now.
* Clean your windows (I know this one's obvious, but I have been in too many cars with filthy dirty windows in winter)! Often people use cloths, etc. to wipe off condensation, or worse - their hands!
This will leave smears and grease on the glass, which will cause glare from headlights of oncoming cars. Clean your windows using Windowlene, or other - and only use the car's ventilation system to clear windows from then on.
* Clean or renew wiper blades. A squirt of (Cheap) brake cleaner and a good wipe is pretty good for rejuvenating older rubber.
* Check your tyres and renew if they're old. With crud, snow, slush and water all over the roads, it's best to have a decent and relatively new set of tyres with deep tread. Remember that old rubber gets hard over time and grips less. If you can find a set of used Japn winter tyres for your ITR, then get them.... They're a vast improvement over normal tyres for Winter, salt and snow use.... Can mean the difference between having and not having an accident in slippery conditions.
Miguel
Thought it might be a good idea to share some tips on how best to prepare an ITR for use over winter, so here's my start to the thread - Hopefully others will have good tips to add
* Salt, Grit and resultant corrosion is probably any performance car's worst enemy if not checked. Most people think undersealing's the best way to protect, but there's a better alternative. Spray Waxoyl is available as kits from most UK motor factors. This is not a bitument black stuff that underseal is usually based on, but a waxy oil that hardens, lubricates and protects. It's also possible to wash it off with a steam cleaner, so it can be renewed each year, inexpensively. It's a good idea to waxoyl inside all cavities such as boot & door internals, sills, inside arches, rear panels, etc. If you can spray it on your suspension, drivetrain and chassis, this will also help protect.
Also almost forgot... The UK has a lot of dirt on roads, so be sure to wash off that layer of mud / etc. in the arches and on suspension before waxoyling.
I have used Waxoyl on older cars in the UK which I ran all year round... I found they didn't corrode at all, if carefully protected.
* Wash and wax your car regularly. This way you can find any small stone chips before they begin to attract corrosion. Waxing will also protect your paint's finish.
* Give your car a good service. Check fan belts for wear, change the antifreeze, maybe get some lower SAE rated oil for those cold morning starts. Air filters get clogged with salt, etc. so it's a good idea to make sure filter(s) are nice and clean now.
* Clean your windows (I know this one's obvious, but I have been in too many cars with filthy dirty windows in winter
)! Often people use cloths, etc. to wipe off condensation, or worse - their hands! This will leave smears and grease on the glass, which will cause glare from headlights of oncoming cars. Clean your windows using Windowlene, or other - and only use the car's ventilation system to clear windows from then on.
* Clean or renew wiper blades. A squirt of (Cheap) brake cleaner and a good wipe is pretty good for rejuvenating older rubber.
* Check your tyres and renew if they're old. With crud, snow, slush and water all over the roads, it's best to have a decent and relatively new set of tyres with deep tread. Remember that old rubber gets hard over time and grips less. If you can find a set of used Japn winter tyres for your ITR, then get them.... They're a vast improvement over normal tyres for Winter, salt and snow use.... Can mean the difference between having and not having an accident in slippery conditions.
Miguel
