Winter time for your P6

Speedfreak

Speedfreak

Active Member
I was just wondering how many members on the forum run their P6 in the winter?
I only tax my 2000sc from April to September and I miss driving her as the winter draws in.
However I feel the rain, damp, and salt on the roads will only shorten her life, and make MOT's even harder to pass.
I only ask because today I saw a very shiny Red 3500 near Box Hill in Surrey and I thought of my P6 tucked up under a dust sheet in my garage.
What do most members do through these dark wet winter months?
 
All year round for me too :D

Been a hard frost up here the last few days too so the roads are all salty. A regular hosing down (and up) should minimise the effect though.

Dave
 
I try to keep any majors works for the winter so for the time being anyway, I am an off the road for the winter type.

Sparky was coming off the road in mid December, but a fuel problem and worsening gear box leak means he is now on the ramps, in a nice cosy garage.

Richard
 
I'll be putting mine away in my Dad's garage this week. Since it was painted I have driven it more in the wet than previously as water doesn't soak into the paint anymore, but I don't really want to use it on salty roads.
 
I was thinking of taking mine off the road when the salt comes, but having seen how many are all year round might change my mind. Like Daves idea of hosing down under the car as well, not sure how easy that would be in practice though. At the moment though still thinking it will be off rd on salty days.
 
Does make me wonder if it would be worthwhile creating cowling to protect the underside and little nooks and crannies especially...

Rich.
 
Plastic wheel arch liners would be a good thing but I'm not sure how you'd fit them inside the front wings with all that suspension mechanism in the way. There was a suggestion in a recent Classic Monthly mag that you can use cut down lorry mudguards for this.
 
Mine's going to be an all year round car, but as a 2nd car, so will only be used on dry days when there's no salty spray about. I was forced into this by starting a new winter project which will occupy the P6's spot in the garage.
 
All year. :D Was out in the thick black ice last December when I had to be. Starting from second with plenty of brake pumping and gentle steering movements - took it easy and not a foot out of line!
 
I must admit it's not great following a gritter in full swing in a P6! :( It's probably better than after the salt has dissolved into the road muck, though :?

If you rub your finger on the dried white spray you get from winter roads & touch your tongue (but please spit it out :LOL: ) it is very salty...
 
Its been my everyday car for 11yrs now, so 365 days,,24/7.. all weathers.
Its the TR6 that stays wrapped up in the winter,but if the rover needs a job doing,the TR6 is drafted in for the week whatever the weather!!
When there is salt on the roads I power wash the arches and underside every weekend.
 
Phil Robson said:
If you rub your finger on the dried white spray you get from winter roads & touch your tongue (but please spit it out :LOL: ) it is very salty...
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You'll also get some nice fine scratch marks in the paint :(

Pilkie said:
power wash the arches and underside every weekend.
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That's what I do Pilkie but the question remains "how long can you safely leave that salt on there?" Imagine you drive the car today, as I did this morning, lots of salt on the roads from the gritters. It's dry and sunny just now so not so much of a problem, but if it rains tomorrow, which it's forecast to do, then all that salt gets wet and starts to do it's thing on any uncovered iron. Should the car be rinsed underneath after wet days following salt only, or is leaving it to the next weekend and doing it then ok? (actually I need to do it before next weekend because it's Classic Motor show weekend and I'll be away :D ). I guess in part it comes down to how comfortable you are with the underbody protection. A car like Sparky would probably just laugh at salt :D

Dave
 
So Pilkie and Dave, do you put it on ramps and jetwash. Can you get right under the car or do you just do a spray down on bodywork and then wheel arches.
 
happy days said:
So Pilkie and Dave, do you put it on ramps and jetwash. Can you get right under the car or do you just do a spray down on bodywork and then wheel arches.
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I can't speak for Pilkie because he has ramps but I wouldn't have thought he'd want to spray water up at a car on ramps in the garage :shock:

I use the jetwash lance to give the underside a general hose down then I switch to using a normal hose with the nozzle on "jet", run that around the wheel arches and between the places where I know the jetwash will have missed. It helps to know how the base unit is built because you know where all those difficult to get to area are. I keep the water running until the spill off runs clear. I try not to hold the hose over any part that I know might be a bit susceptible to too much water ingress eg the back of the light units on all 4 wings etc. It certainly tests the underseal too because if it is starting to come away or crack the hose will peel it off and I know I have to redo that bit.

Dave
 
For my Nilfisk/Alfo pressure washer I've got a right angled attachment with a fan spray for washing under the wings -works a treat.
Obviously it helps if you haven't got great lumps of mud under your car to soak up the salt and stay wet and salty against the metal
 
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