Driving on Wet Roads

BrianD3

Is it a big no-no to drive a classic car in wet conditions? A few weeks back I saw a small convoy of classics (a Herald and some Fords) being driven on soaking wet roads. I was just thinking of all the dirt and moisture that was getting splashed all over the undersides, wheel arches etc. Surely this isn't a good idea from a rust point of view. If the car is put under a cover or into a non heated garage after driving on a wet road there will surely be a lot of moisture left in the body which will stay there for a while.

OTOH I imagine that cars should be driven as often as possible whenever there is a dry day. A decent journey will cause the engine to heat up the engine bay and drive out moisture plus condensation in the exhaust will go. Also the air passing over/through the body from driving along will probably do a good job of drying condesnation from the whole car.

Squirrel

BrianD3 wrote:

Is it a big no-no to drive a classic car in wet conditions? A few weeks back I saw a small convoy of classics (a Herald and some Fords) being driven on soaking wet roads. I was just thinking of all the dirt and moisture that was getting splashed all over the undersides, wheel arches etc. Surely this isn't a good idea from a rust point of view. If the car is put under a cover or into a non heated garage after driving on a wet road there will surely be a lot of moisture left in the body which will stay there for a while.

OTOH I imagine that cars should be driven as often as possible whenever there is a dry day. A decent journey will cause the engine to heat up the engine bay and drive out moisture plus condensation in the exhaust will go. Also the air passing over/through the body from driving along will probably do a good job of drying condesnation from the whole car.

It depends on the car. I think a car well protected shouldn't be so bad, and there's a fair amount of everyday classics. That said if I had one I wouldn't use it in the soaking wet, merely because water marks on a car are annoying to get rid of when they dry in.

I'd be more weary of a car that's been near the sea most of its life with the salt in the air

corktina

Squirrel wrote:

It depends on the car. I think a car well protected shouldn't be so bad, and there's a fair amount of everyday classics. That said if I had one I wouldn't use it in the soaking wet, merely because water marks on a car are annoying to get rid of when they dry in.

I'd be more weary of a car that's been near the sea most of its life with the salt in the air

it's a car...it's supposed to be driven......otherwise get a cover and a trailer.....

manta mad

depends on what you want to do with your car.
leave it in your yard & look at it, or drive it.:rolleyes:

my daily driver is an 85 opel manta & its out in all weathers,
just keep your car in good condition & replace any thing that gos wrong &
it will take care of you:D



(old opels never die:cool: )

BrianD3

manta mad wrote:

depends on what you want to do with your car.
leave it in your yard & look at it, or drive it.:rolleyes:

Well, restricting your classic driving to dry days only is hardly the same thing as letting the car sit in the yard like an ornament We actually get plenty of dry days in this country. I read some stats and the number was a lot more than I had expected.

ds20prefecture

I use my car when the roads are wet or dry. I expect to replace the underseal evey 5 years or so, and also to undertake continual preventative maintenance against rust.

Personally, I am not prepared to do without my car for 30 to 50% of the time, depending on the season. When I retire to Tuscany, I might be more inclined to do dry days only, but then I'll be worried about the sun....

Squirrel

corktina wrote:

it's a car...it's supposed to be driven......otherwise get a cover and a trailer.....

I agree, but I'm saying from a car cleaning point of view, something I've done properly, and also I'd feel that bit safer in a modern car. A stupid logic I know, then again I don't drive and family hasn't had a classic

corktina

i dont have a modern car...my wife has but i dont get near that (unless to drive her somewhere.....) I try to keep my cars under cover as muchg as possible but most days I drive one or other of them......my new Mk3 Cortina.....a 15000 mile minter, did the station run tonight to Mallow and back...30+ miles.....no point having it if I dont get to enjoy it......

Squirrel

corktina wrote:

no point having it if I dont get to enjoy it......

I couldn't agree more. The closest thing my family has to a classic car is still 18 years off officially being one

Dades

I definitely feel safer driving the missis' car (nissan) in the wet. But I usually feel guilty about leaving my baby just sitting in the rain so more ofter then not she gets the nod to go for a splash about.

She'll never win any competitions but at least I can bring her for a rip in the wet. Mind you the RWD does have a tendancy to slide away so it's nice and slow generally.

MercMad

I drive mine in all weather, all year 'round.

I do have a rigerous cleaning schedule though, I pretty much clean it every day and if I've been through mud or real cr4p I will power hose it underneath and take it for a drive !

Thats the key, drive it and dry it out !

Alfasudcrazy

I never drive any of my classics on wet roads and even am paranoid if a few drops of rain even land on them.:eek:
I know it seems daft to some people but as Brian said you would be amazed at the number of dry (not necessarily warm) days we get here on an annual basis.:)
The proof of the soundness of this policy can be seen with my TR6 which since I got it back in 1993 has not developed any bodywork deterioration whatsoever. I however also put this down to the use of a de-humidifier in the garage during the winter and also during prolonged wet summer spells.:o

I do however intend to use the Golf Gti on a regular basis - which is the main reason I got it and as I am paying regular insurance I am not restricted mileage wise.:cool: