Best way to clean and protect your car from salt

[FiestaSTdude]

I just got back from a bunch of driving in the snow, and now my car is covered in road salt. I'm wondering how you northerners deal with the salt and keep rust from happening.
I've rinsed my car off and tried to get the underside as best as I can. Is there anything else I should do, or am I too worried about it? I love my FiST so much, I definitely don't want the frame to start rusting!

 

[the duke]

Don’t drive in salt.

 

[FiestaSTdude]

Don’t drive in salt.

Too late!

 

[Ford ST]

Just go to a touchless car wash. We don't get enough salt on the road in North Carolina for it to be a problem at all.

Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk

 

[NATYPE]

Just go to a touchless car wash. We don't get enough salt on the road in North Carolina for it to be a problem at all.

Great to hear as someone about to join the NC ST gang.

 

[CSM]

I've had my FiST going on 8 years now. A few winters in Milwaukee, a few winters in Cleveland now (and I lived in Raleigh for 5 years!).

Anyways, some rust is inevitable. But honestly the best thing you can do in my experience is take your car frequently to touchless washes during the winter. Preferable pretty quickly after snow storms are done. For as much as my car has been driven in winter conditions, It's faired pretty well. But I am very diligent about touchless washes in the winter.

When my GR86 gets here, I am going to have the underside professionally coated. Perhaps it will help. I am skeptical though.

 

[FiestaSTdude]

Just go to a touchless car wash. We don't get enough salt on the road in North Carolina for it to be a problem at all.

Sent from my SM-A526U using Tapatalk

Ok, good!

 

[FiestaSTdude]

Great to hear as someone about to join the NC ST gang.

Welcome to the gang!

 

[FiestaSTdude]

I've had my FiST going on 8 years now. A few winters in Milwaukee, a few winters in Cleveland now (and I lived in Raleigh for 5 years!).

Anyways, some rust is inevitable. But honestly the best thing you can do in my experience is take your car frequently to touchless washes during the winter. Preferable pretty quickly after snow storms are done. For as much as my car has been driven in winter conditions, It's faired pretty well. But I am very diligent about touchless washes in the winter.

When my GR86 gets here, I am going to have the underside professionally coated. Perhaps it will help. I am skeptical though.

Awesome, it's good to hear that from someone who's owned their FiST for a while. Also, GR86s look awesome, I bet you'll enjoy it! I'm sure you've already seen it, but there's a thread on here where people are raving about its performance.

 

[CSM]

Also, GR86s look awesome, I bet you'll enjoy it! I'm sure you've already seen it, but there's a thread on here where people are raving about its performance.

hehe . . . I'm the one that started that thread . I've been a big fan of the twins ever since buying my FRS - such a great chassis.

The new one is really nice in person. I have a friend who had his delivered locally and got a chance to see it in person. Roads were too snowy to take it out though. We are going to do a paint correction on it in a few weeks.

 

[FiestaSTdude]

hehe . . . I'm the one that started that thread . I've been a big fan of the twins ever since buying my FRS - such a great chassis.

The new one is really nice in person. I have a friend who had his delivered locally and got a chance to see it in person. Roads were too snowy to take it out though. We are going to do a paint correction on it in a few weeks.

Oh, ok lol.
I personally like the new exterior more than the old one. The red ones look sooo good. It's also nice that Toyota cares enough about enthusiasts to give us a fun manual car in 2022, unlike Ford.

 

[carnufex]

Fluid film is pretty nice as an undercoat if you got a lift or put it on stands as high as possible and coat the belly of the beast. Do it in a ventilated area, it has a strong cedar smell for a couple of days

 

[Jabbit]

Pressure washer with underbody attachment, get it all nice and clean. Then fluid film everywhere. Then don't touch it for the season. In the Spring, repeat.

 

[esp_martin]

wax on top, fluid film on bottom. THIS LIST JUST KEEPS GETTING LONGER!

/sarcasm

seriously though; glad i found out about this but wish i had found out about this spray back when i bought it.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Most NAPAs stock Fluid Film right on their shelves, even though I am sure it can be found/had for much less coin, online.

 

[XR650R]

The touchless car washes around here have underbody "salt neutralizer" you can get for an extra buck or 2. Drive over it slowly and let it blast, particularly under the fenders.

 

[vivix]

Pro tip: buy a winter beater to keep salt off your lovely car. Then fall in love with the winter beater. Then buy a winter beater to keep salt off your lovely cars. Then fall in l... hey wait.

 

[Mycooking]

Pro tip: buy a winter beater to keep salt off your lovely car. Then fall in love with the winter beater. Then buy a winter beater to keep salt off your lovely cars. Then fall in l... hey wait.

...and thats why I'm afraid to buy a winter beater when I am able to. I want to get 2 winter beaters to keep my wife's some how still pristine R53 2004 Mini S off the roads in winter and same with my FiST. Then I'll start modding the winter beaters in the summer and not want to drive them in the winter so then lets buy more winter beaters and modify them.... Yeah this is an addiction lmao.

 

[Sam4]

science the hell out it!

 

[tri-pedaler]

Oh, ok lol.
I personally like the new exterior more than the old one. The red ones look sooo good. It's also nice that Toyota cares enough about enthusiasts to give us a fun manual car in 2022, unlike Ford.

3 “new” manual cars, no less!