Hey guys,

I'm going to the University of Chicago and i'll be bringing the wagon with me. I know the weather is really crappy out there.... super cold. It'll be hard on my Cali raised car.
What should I do to protect against the weather? I was thinking about waxing it a lot and getting a car cover...
any suggestions? thanks.

-jeffrey

 

waxing the car is the best thing you can do....try to wash it often if you can....i'm from chicago and dealt with owning cars that i really cared about and driving them in the winter....try your best to keep em clean and you'll be fine.

i'm not a fan of car covers, but if you like em, go for it

 

I'd just wash it a lot. Wax it a lot. Try to keep it covered as much as possible.

If you do get a car cover...get a nice one..I believe they have some specifically designed for cold climates.

You might also look into getting some of the winter upgrades on your car. Block warmer. Stuff like that. And pick up some mudflaps for the winter.

 

watch out for the salt on the roads.

let that sit on your car and it'll be toast in no time

 

It really isn't as bad as it sounds. My car "grew up" in MI seeing all the winters since 02. It now has 91k on it and it still runs like a Fkin champ! Just wax it alot and wash alot in the winter to keep salt off. Also be sure to have fun drifting in the snow! (but watch out for curbs, they are not nice to rims!)

 

Thanks guys. Car covers from subaruparts are like 100 bucks shipped.

BTW... is it me or do people drive faster in the Bay than they do in Chicago?

 

yes, california drivers are considerably faster on the freeways than they are in chicago...but things are a little bit closer together in the chicago area than they are here in the bay area.

 

I'm from NY and if you really want to baby your ride wax her often and remember road salt is your #1 enemy rinse that crap off whenever possible. Is you car lowered as well? If so that'll be a PITA during snow storms maybe you could invest in a nice set of coil overs to adjust ride height during the hot and cold months.

 

Another good idea would be to ask our bretheren on the East Coast Forums. Good luck!

 

Use a condom


Edit: oops, only read the title

 

I used to rinse off the salt underneath the car after every snow. Look out for your rims-- Chicago streets develop lots of potholes in the wintertime. Wind off Lake Michigan can be an issue so make sure the car cover doesn't end up scratching your paint.

 

Man I was so gonna say that but decided to put something useful down for once

 

Don't even bother bringing it, unless you already have a parking space. Theres nowhere near UC where you could park it long enough to make a cover worthwhile. Plus watch out for pot holes.

 

oh? crap. hmmm... worst comes to worst.. i'll leave it in arlington heights until i find a spot. thanks for the help guys.

 

Plus you aren't even going to need it. Anywhere you want to go, you can use the L. You'll be the guy who gets hit up for rides 24/7. If you aren't the smoothest operator you could use this to get in with the ladies, but thats the only advantage I see to having it.