How much rain to wash salt off the roads?

Rambro

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The weather has been pretty nice lately, it got in the mid 50's today and is supposed to be the same tomorrow. We've had a few good rains and the roads look clean but I'm super paranoid about road salt. I've been having cobra withdraws pretty bad lately and I don't think they have put a whole lot of salt down so far. Anybody else get their cars out of storage after a good rain washes away the salt?
 

black4vcobra

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If you are super paranoid, I would just wait until spring. It has been pretty mild here in Wisconsin too with several good rains lately but I still see piles of salt at intersections where trucks had to stop but salt was still being dispensed. If you can deal with a chance of a little salt, go ahead and take the Cobra out for a spin. Do remember that summer tires don't hook up on a cold road though!
 

bigjeezy04

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Same here! Rain for about 2 days and than cleared up to about mid 50s. but I snapped and took out my GN! there was still some salt dust and salt rocks! But the car is not the cleanest! I would wait tho it was spin city for me but it felt great to hit some boost!
 

Boosted Hemi

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I'm having similar withdrawal symptoms! We had a good rain two days ago and all the streets look clear of salt. I'm gonna take the Challenger out today for a spin and take it to the local DIY car wash to spray it down afterwards. May have to do some smokey burnouts to get the tires to stick as it will be only 50 degrees today.
 

CobraBob

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There is likely a bit of salt residue still on your roads. Takes a lot of rain to clear it completely. Up here they also lay down a chemical that helps to melt light snow and ice. But it is worse than salt as far as corrosion. :(
 

vortecd

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If the roads are dry I wouldn't worry about, the water activates the salt. My car is away until spring. I spend most of my summer doing car stuff so in the winter it is nice to take a break. I will get excited to drive the car again when it is nice. In the mean time I enjoy my 12 second awd rally car in the snow (if we get some more)
 

Spudz

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They don't use salt in Alaska, and I was excited to learn this when I first moved up. They use sand, since it gets so cold that salt loses its ability to melt the ice. The trouble is the sand is never washed completely off the roads in its entirety when the summer comes. And it's not without rocks either.

Every, and I mean every, car has a cracked windshield and rock chips up here. I guess in the grand scheme that's a better issue to have than corrosion.

I left my car in Florida because of this. Serious withdrawls.
 

SID297

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When I lived in a snowy area I always waited until Spring. It take 3-4 good storms and some traffic to really get rid of all of it.
 

Rambro

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Drove the car today, couldn't resist. I'm pretty sure they only salted the roads once in November. Luckily we've had a very mild winter.
 

FourSixPony

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My uncle had his out and so did his neighbor, I told them there both crazy, I still see salt in some spots, I wouldn't take it out if it was my car.
 

Monkeygrits

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I always hold out here in PA until it rains a few weeks in spring. Plus the shale they put down with the salt needs cleaned up and knocked off the roads by traffic. My Mach 1 is too nice on the underside. I did pull it out and let it warm up and backed it back in and covered it back up.
 
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dom418

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You're fine. Your car won't turn into a rust bucket. As long as the roads are dry. It's a stang not a Lamborghini lol.
 

kirks5oh

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I used to be that way with my cobra. Then I realized how much I missed out on by not driving it in the rain or with any salt residue on the road. That and I simply enjoying my cars a bit more (our winters can be ultra long if you don't get to drive your toys); and realizing just the kind of damage kids can do to nearly every thing they lay their eyes on. I've mellowed out a bit. I drive my gtr year round--ice, salt, snow, rain, mud, hail. We have great touch less car washes that operate year round with underbody sprayers. I wash my cars every week, or at least every other week. And I get rid of them before rust is ever an issue.

The vette is really not safe to drive in this weather, but I will drive my caddy
 
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xenodragon

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I used to be that way with my cobra. Then I realized how much I missed out on by not driving it in the rain or with any salt residue on the road. That and I simply enjoying my cars a bit more (our winters can be ultra long if you don't get to drive your toys); and realizing just the kind of damage kids can do to nearly every thing they lay their eyes on. I've mellowed out a bit. I drive my gtr year round--ice, salt, snow, rain, mud, hail. We have great touch less car washes that operate year round with underbody sprayers. I wash my cars every week, or at least every other week. And I get rid of them before rust is ever an issue.

The vette is really not safe to drive in this weather, but I will drive my caddy

I LOVE our touchless car washes here in MN I do the unlimited package for $30 a month. I go everyday on the way to work and sometimes on the way home. When I turned my BMW in off lease they couldn't believe there was no rust on it and asked me if I even drove it in the winter.
 

Monkeygrits

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You're fine. Your car won't turn into a rust bucket. As long as the roads are dry. It's a stang not a Lamborghini lol.
Oh I know it's not an exotic lol. I treat it like one. Just trying to keep it nice. My dd 13 focus has the front bumper sand blasted from running it in the winter. Random chips everywhere. It's undercoated to hell and back. Cars here last 6 years of so before they start rusting. The shale on the roads they mix with salt is really bad here. Chips your paint off and introduces salt in one easy step. My focus windshield has small chips all through it. Headlights are the same. I bought my Mach 1 with low miles so it wasn't rusted to hell on the bottom. Hardley get dirty working on it haha. It's not undercoated either.
 

Explosive

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Don't do it. You need some long heavy rain to get that salt washed out. And think about the nasty speckled corrosion salt will create on all your aluminum parts ie transmission, suspension parts
 

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