Hey guys,
I recently had my 1992 Camaro RS repainted, its a very expensive paint job, and I want to keep it looking nice by keeping it out of the rain/snow/salt during the harsh winter. What I have done to help this situation is purchase a 1986 Cutlass Ciera ($150 and running!) to drive in the snow and rain. I also purchased a 150 dollar car cover to put over the Camaro for the winter. But my question is what type of wax to use to protect my paint. I used that Turtle Wax crap that washes off with the slightest mist of water, but I want to go with some mothers wax because I used it once and found the results better than with Turtle Wax. Is this a good idea? Also, what other tips can you give me for keeping my car safe during the winter, keeping in mind I will still be driving it on dry sunny days. Thanks. Also, I had the car painted in mid June of this year, so will my clearcoat get messed up from the cover?

 

if you can... Zaino..

also dont let your car cover get blown in the wind.. the cover rubbing on your paint can wear it out/off.....

 

I thought you weren't supposed to wax your car after it has just been painted. Or perhaps I have been misinformed by our good friends at Maaco.

 

You are right, there is a period of time that should pass before you wax your fresh paint. I can't remember it off hand, but you can probably search and find it or just call the place that painted it and see what they recommend.

 

car covers are a bad idea, traps moisture potentially fading the clear coat, at any storage plcae it shouldnt cost more than a hundo a month to store your car in a garage on a concrete floor, your biggest problem, if you wanna call it that is condinsation

 

most car covers are porous, allowing moisture to evaporate.

 

whenever you do wax it, give it a few extra coats in areas like the sideskirts, or around the wheels where it will sling crap up on the car... and also in the summer, give it a few extra coats on the tops parts(hood, hatch, roof) to help protect from the sun beating down on it...

 

theres no way to protect your car if your still ganna drive it, theres no way to have your cake and eat it too!!!

First off i say you should park it and leave it. Get it undercoated and rust checked every year (this is way more inportant then a cover) and will slow down rusting quite abit. If your ganna drive it you shouldnt cover it. As puting a cover on a dirty car is a big no no, it will do more harm then good. Yes car covers do breath and will not harm the car by holding moisture in. I would only use a carcover where there is no wind(like in a garage) cause outside dirt blows under the cover and gets inbettween the clear and the cover and with it blowing around it can eventually scratch it. If you leaving it all winter start it from time to time. Make sure the tank is full as it can get. If they use salt in your area and you drive it one day you mise well drive it all winter cause salt makes metal rust pretty quick. Park your car on top of plastic so mosture isint getting under your car coming up from the ground.

About waxing after new paint,,,you need to give a new paint job about a month for it to breath and compleatly let off fumes before you wax it.....I hear it may make your clear cloudy if waxed too quick.

 

the elements really don't hurt the paint to bad (they need long periods off time; like sun fade, what not); ITS THE SALT that kills a car

 

ya, my gta is in the process of a repaint and when i get it home its off the road until april or may... if i can't find a proper storage place... would it be best to just keep in in my backyard uncovered or cover it up with something? i do have a large tent like that thats used for like puttin around picnic tables to keep the bugs out... i'm thinking if i set that up maybe i can drive it in there... and keep it there.. i dunno though

 

or i guess it would work if i just parked it next to my fence and then shoved a couple 2x4's in to the ground, covered with tarps and parked it under there... that would keep the rain and snow off of it.. and then it would just have to deal with the cold temps...

 

Im planning doing this as well for a "garage" theres trees all around my yard and it gets sap and leaves and stuff on it, annoys the hell outa me. Its gonna look ghetto..but i live in the ghetto, so i guess thats ok.

 

I keep my 87 IROC-Z under a car cover and in a garage. Also located in Florida.

 

weather you cover up the car or not snow and water wont really hurt it,,,just make sure you got plastic under the car its more inportant then anything else.

 

As I said I wont be driving it while there is salt on the roads at all this winter. I will be driving it on Sunny days only. and I will wipe it down good after I drive it. But whats this I hear about the plastic under the car?

 

plastic under the car is to protect the car from ground moisture, don't use a tarp as they breathe moisture

 

Also even if you drive it on sunny days theres still gonna be some salt residue left unless it hasn't snowed/iced in a few weeks. And a little salt goes a long way. My current car wasnt taked out of the garage from august to may before I bought it but still managed to get a little surface rust going on, on some of the bottom parts of the car =(. Just something to think about.