I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: rust and problem prevention
Hi all,
Although my MX5 is normally used as a dry day princess, I’m currently between daily drivers so needing to use it on the regular (potentially for a month or so while I find the right car to buy… I’m very picky). I do a 90 mile round commute 3-4 days a week, mix of motorway and B-roads, plus I imagine December has some long family trips to come.
I don’t have a garage, only an outdoor cover that it usually sits under. So I can use this cover, but it’s gonna be a pain taking it off and on every day.
Anyway! Question is: How best do I care for my MX5 during this period? Any good advice out there for minimising chances of rust and other issues when driving the car as a daily?
Keep it hosed down regularly, clear of salt and road grime. Doing the underneath is a good idea to on a regular basis but that’s easier said than done. Get your hose and brush around the wheel arch edges too when washing to prevent crud build up.
I wouldn’t bother with a cover. How many days has the car got time to completely dry out this time of year, it’ll stay damp and you’ll do more harm than good?
Just my opinion, use it wash it regularly, then when you find that other daily relax.
Ok nice - do you think that it’s worth doing a full clean ~weekly? Or maybe just hosing it down with the pressure washer every couple of days? Any chance the hard water here in Oxford could be worse than the salt from the roads??
I’d be trying a wash down weekly with warm soapy water, better for the car than a quick jet wash. I don’t get jet washing anyway, not on car bodywork. Someone in our street does it, about once a month on both cars. It’s probably because they let the muck build up too much and can’t be a**** to get a microfibre cloth and some soapy water on the job.
Takes around 10 mins to do my NC bodywork quickly, another 10 for the wheels, easy enough.
