[killerraj]

hi guys,
It may be irrelevant to those of u living in warmer climes. But i live in upstate ny and have to prepare myself for long horrible winters.
I never worried too much about my own health during winters. I used to be rash in the sense that i never wore enough clothing to stay warm etc. However, I am afraid i cannot do the same with my Tc. Its my darling.

So i was wondering if i can get some pointers abt taking care of my baby during snowy winters of Syracuse, NY
thanks
Raj

 

[trinity]

Ooh, I went to school in Syracuse for four years...sucky weather! Make sure you get a good wash and wax in before the snow hits. The salt they put on the roads is absolute hell for paint and the underside of your car. I was told that there is a "treatment" for the underside of your car that will help prevent rust, but I heard about that in GA, so they may not have anybody who does it in NY. There is also this wax/polish type stuff that my bf heard about on a tiburon forum called "liquid glass". Check it out on the advanced auto parts web page (that's where we bought it). The people on his forum swear it works wonders and gives a good protectant layer to your paint. I haven't tried on my tC yet, but that's only because I just picked it up yesterday. But I'll try it as soon as the sun starts shining again and let you know how it works. Best of luck!

 

[barbiedohl]

Yes, there is a treatment from Scion, I know my dealership offered it to me. It is called Environmental Protection and it includes a paint, rust, and sound protection. So anything from tree sap to salt in the streets, is covered. It osvers your paint and underside.I think it's about $600, (too pricey for me). Chicago weather sucks and I commute 40 miles every day, so I've gotta figure somethin out too.

 

[sciontc_mich]

well i never treated my civic's underbody.. just what was stock.. and it lasted..

here in michigan it's as bad as for you in NY.. too much salt! best thing is to wash the underbody.. i usually go to the $1.00 do-it-yourself wash.. and take the wand, water only and rinse the underbody.. helps to get a pad to kneel on.. don't want to get all wet in the winter.. to be able to see that you're washing the underside and not just spraying the floor.. also rinse out your wheel housings as well.. that kept my civic rust free for 8.5 year so far.. and also rinse off the car when salt gets on the paint/finish.. except when it's so cold it will just turn to ice.. pointless then..

for the finish/paint.. wax it before winter.. i usually wax it in sept, then oct.. then once in early november (yes it's about 50 degrees) but i do it.. and that wax lasts until about april.. i am partial to meguairs gold class wax.. love that stuff..

 

[Zygote55]

Wow...it almost never gets below 35F here

 

[basilisk4]

Originally posted by Zygote55@Sep 16 2004, 08:32 PM
Wow...it almost never gets below 35F here

Ditto...and boy, am I thankful for that...

 

[trinity]

I guess my born and raised NY blood has thinned out quite a bit because I still feel like it gets cold here (atlanta...same as where basilisk4 lives). I never really look at the temps, so I guess I'm just a big wimp. I definitely don't miss the sub-zero temps of NY!

 

[leashfour]

Rhode Island gets unbelievably cold and nasty also. I'm dreading having to subject my beautiful tC to that weather. I got that Paint Protection someone else was talking about, but I paid $295 not $600 — it includes a protective sealant (wax) and guarantees you won't have to wax for five years (supposedly). Like someone said, it covers everything from tree sap to road salt. I park under a tree and live in RI so it gives me peace of mind.

Question: Do you guys think the "no waxing for 5 years" is b.s.? It seems like there's no way that could be possible.


Alicia

 

[basilisk4]

trinity - I still think it gets too cold here, as well. I think the only place where I would be satisfied with the temperatures year-round would be Miami or Bermuda.

leashfour - I vote BS. And like I said in other threads awhile back, I have had "ToyoGuard" on two prior cars, and it is totally worthless.

 

[QuadinScionTC]

Originally posted by Zygote55@Sep 16 2004, 07:32 PM
Wow...it almost never gets below 35F here

hehehe south florida never gets below 40.. usualy.

 

[imasaf]

Well... where I'm at... it hardly gets below 50F in the winter.

 

[killerraj]

Thanks for the replies guys. You have been greatly helpful. I guess i should start waxing my car soon.
is it a good idea to get car stuff online or just the local "Walmart" is fine?
please lemme know.
Thanks once again...
Raj

 

[FrostbytetC]

Western New York.. born and raised... gets really cold here... and the snow is measured in feet not inches. It sux, i'm not looking forward to it!

 

[sciontc_mich]

Originally posted by killerraj@Sep 19 2004, 11:46 AM
Thanks for the replies guys. You have been greatly helpful. I guess i should start waxing my car soon.
is it a good idea to get car stuff online or just the local "Walmart" is fine?
please lemme know.
Thanks once again...
Raj

for me personally.. autozone or walmart if they have meguair's gold class wax.. it's $10 everywhere.. spend more in shipping anyway if i did find it online..

i have tried the meguair's high tech wax (nxt, i think it's called).. was not that reflective at all.. sure went on easy, but it wasn't that good.. gold class is the best i've seen.. so that's what I use..

i'd wax it once this month, once next month and one time in november.. that has paid off for me in michigan..

 

[trinity]

I think that ^^^^^ is the same thing my bf has and I have used on my last car. It works really well. The only other thing if you're looking to spend some $$ is Zaino brothers' car wax. I've heard nothing but great things about their stuff, but you can only get it online and it's direct from Jersey (at least I think so).

 

[scooter]

I've heard rumors that you have to wait a period of time (several months) before waxing a brand new car.

Is there ANY credence to this??