Thank you.
Storing your car outdoors as opposed to a garage will have an impact on the condition of the rubber seals and the possibility of the roof developing leaks.
If the car is stored in a garage the likelihood of the roof leaking in the future is greatly reduced.
When left outdoors, the rubber is exposed to rain, sun and fluctuating temperatures. The rubber seals are constantly getting wet and drying out. This will cause the rubber to crack or perish over time. How long that would take to occur, I do not know, but something I wouldn’t imagine happening in the first 8-10 years of the cars life even if the rubber is left completely unprotected.
I don’t have the luxury of being able to store my car in a garage at the moment so I use the Autoglym Bumper & Trim Gel to give the rubber seals a protective hydrophobic barrier. I apply it liberally with a detailing brush and let it to settle and soak for about 5 mins before removing any excess with a microfibre cloth. It keeps the rubber soft and stops it drying it out. Doing this once every 3 months should be more than sufficient. Before I apply the trim gel I like to clean the rubber of any dirt and grime with an APC (all purpose cleaner and degreaser).
I use a 10:1 (water:product) solution of Bilt Hamber Surfex-HD.
There wasn’t really any debris in the drains when I cleaned them out thankfully. I used the MX5 Parts Hood Drain Cleaning Brush. It removed a light film of grime along the inside of the drains.
I gave a brief explanation on how to clean the drains on the RF on a previous thread here: ND RF water ingress - #6 by nicoliv9
I’m still doing research on options for the brakes. I will post on here what I eventually go for and how they perform. I’m not looking to upgrade to a big brake kit or change out the calipers. Just change out the discs and pads. If you happen to change your discs and pads in the meantime, please let me know what you go for and what you think of them. I’d be interested to hear! 