Leave it in the rain?

C

Commander Toasty

Member
Now I'm not talking about you show-quality folks here, I'm asking you regular drivers... Do you leave your car out in the weather, rain and all?

I love my car but it's show grade and only sees sunny days. I'd like to have a beater for my daily driver, but that includes not having a garage.

How do these beasties hold up to a full winter of rain and mud? Can they be made to stay reasonably dry? Any special considerations?

I'm west coast so snow isn't an issue, just rain driven by strong winds.

Love to hear what some of you put your car through every winter!
 
My cars are nice, but not show winners. I never leave any of them out overnight, and only drive in the rain when I get caught in it. I dont like to clean them, and I dont like to see them dirty, so I use them in good weather, and put them away when done. Even my late model pickup is under cover.
 
Right now no garage, so it gets wet, hopefully will come up with something before snowfall. Remember back in the 30's not everyone had a garage. JMO
Paul in CT
 
I park my driver under a slat roof that serves as a plant arbor, rain goes right through. It is always dirty, water gets in sometime, the plating finish on parts goes bad in a year. I would think an A that has not been completely restored with the benefit of modern finishes on every part would go from cherry to the pitts in short time.

My big concern is not covering it from the weather, but covering it from too many larcenous eyes. Parked in the same general spot visible to the public 24/7 is asking for theft. An A is easy to silently push away and then tow. Ebay parts??
 
The day before I was going to take my Model Town Sedan to the shop to install my mohair interior I decided to wash it. That's when I found out the new roof leaked over the front seat and down the back window. My car had the original mohair in it.
 
Going on a club tour this weekend where it might rain during the day or rain during the night. Not pleased about the possibility, but we have to have fun and put up with the problems of leakage and cleaning when we get home. Show cars are great, but they can also be a big pain in the butt.
 
keep your cars real nice guys and never use them so some day my two boys at the ages 3 and 6 have some nice clean car to buy because I plain on driving the wheels off my car and when it brakes I will fix and rebuild it. I always loved the saying You can't afford if you cant fix it. If I was smart I would only drive my new truck on nice days it cost a lot more the my A. Life is too short don't save it for the next guy I got my car from a dead guy as most of us do. I am not saying don't keep them nice but you drive your new cars to work every day and it cost 2+ time most are 3 + time what a real nice model A would cost... put some wax on it and drive it
 
Mine is getting drenched as I write this, lives outside, in the New Mexico sun, wind and rain.......

This picture was before the new top was installed a couple months ago.

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I have been caught in rain on tours up North, but I would not leave the car out in it as a matter of regular practice. Unless its totally weather tight, some water will get in, even small places, especially on a wood framed door. If your car has any wood in it that regularly gets wet, it will rot fairly quickly. I worked on a car last week that was bought when the guy ( now in his eighties) was 16. Its always been garaged. The metal was perfect. It really pays to take good care of them. Get one of those big tent-garages from Costco if you have no garage.
 
For $750 you can buy a metal shelter from Menards that is 12' x 20'. It has a metal roof and framework. Just add some canvas or plastic sides and you have a good weathertight shelter. It goes up in a day and you don't need a permit in most places. I would never leave an A out in the weather and in public view, and if rain is forcast I don't take my A out. An unrestored A will deteriorate quicker than one with new paint and plating for protection. I saw a 1929 Chevy that was mint original about 25 years ago in Cosmos, MN. The owner just bought it and didn't want to sell it. He also just left it uncovered out in the weather. A year later I stopped and it had mushrooms growing in the wood and upholstery. I no longer cared about buying it, after seeing that mess.
 
I had a '30 coupe that did a quick Rustoleum satin black spary job on in 1980. I'm in Cal. It sat outside all the time and now the new owner still leaves it in his drive way. NO problem, no leaks, no rust after all these winters. Upholster had faded however.
 
I hate leaving collector vehicles in the sun and rain. It is unnecessary wear and tear in my opinion. It happens sometimes, and not all of my cars have a roof over their heads, but I try to cover them etc. It probably isn't as damaging as it feels like it is, it just bothers me personally...
 
My 31 coupe I had in highschool was outside 24/7 in N. AZ with never a problem rustwise however, it had a good paint job and I had put on a watertight galvanized tin roof.
 
Nope, I drive the hell out of it, if I get caught in bad weather I hate it but that won't keep me at home. But I never put the ole girl away wet, it is cleaned, dried and buffed and she sleeps in an insulated dry walled painted environmentally controlled garage. Sometimes I eat out there with her…hell sometimes depending on the wife's mood I sleep out there. :o

But it is your car and you must do what you must do, I am not here to lecture anyone on care of their property. The only thing is I hope when I get to be 80 years old that I have earned enough respect not to be left out in the rain and snow.:)

dusty
 
Rain I don't mind but sitting for prolonged sunny plus 30C days I don't. I keep her in the garage when not in use. Not a show car but a driver.
 
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