That's actually not a bad idea... I'll have to see about buckets with lids. Thanks!

 

I wish my local coin op was enclosed. Its covered though.

I take mine to the coin op and drive home quickly to drive off the car. Once home I pull into the garage where the lights have been on to warm the garage 20 degrees above whatever it is out side. Then I GENTLY Speed Shined the MINI.

 

GREAT idea!!

 

I too will admit to using the touchless wash in times of extreme cold. We too are hovering in the teens right now, and the next day of washable weather is at least 2 weeks off.

For about $8, it does do a very good job of getting the road de-icer off, cleaning up the MINI, and getting it pretty dry. But just to be complete, I will first pre-heat the garage, go to the auto-wash (about 3 miles away), then finish with some speed shine in the garage, just so anything missed doesn't get to harden on.

Trick is, the roads still need to be clear to do this, or else by the time you get back to the garage, you will already be muddy again.

 

you guys are crazy to wash/clean your cars out in the teen's!

not only is freezing the parting lines not good, temp shock is also
not good either. just keep it dry and ugly and sit tight.

 

Oh come on Ken, I know you have washed your MINI in probably questionable temps .

Isn't your MINI a weekend car in the winter?

 

... I've resigned myself to doing for the remainder of the Winter.

 

i was before... but lately bascially i dont like washing cars, but i like
clean cars, so i dont get it dirty. but i love motoring... so kind of
strangling myself. so not healthy at all. :impatient

next time around though, im going down to 3 cars and will get a
FF or AWD wagon that i'll use as a commuter/fun car for the snow
season. then, i can ride my G in the summer weekends and
let her hibernate while i have fun with the other MT commuter in the
winter. it'll always be dirty in the winter anyway, so i wouldn't care
to take it out for a stroll. nice plan? the last 5 weeks has been
killer for me cause i haven't motored. :impatient :impatient :impatient

 

i think that's a smart move.. for your own health (not getting a flu or
cold) and for your car as well.

 

Does that mean Bye Bye Mini?

 

Ugh, I don't think I could do that. I do drop the amount of MINI driving I do this time of year, but still from time to time, I figure I will just have to get her dirty, then it will give me an excuse to get her clean. But I understand what you mean.

I like your idea of having of a good winter wagon. I am thinking A6, but then that just me.

 

I motor in all kinds of weather. Why? Because I like to motor. The MINI is fun, the MINI looks good, the MINI is many things, but first and fore most the MINI is a car, and IMO cars should be driven.

Plus I only own one car

Mark

 

Well, last month we had two snow storms here and our cars were so dirty from all the snow and salt on the roads :impatient after a while my mini was so dirty that I went out on a sunny day and just washed it! It wasn't that cold that day. Brad's mini was even dirtier because he'd gone boarding a lot. He tried to rinse his but all the dirt did not come off. I think he eventually washed it but he went with a very dirty mini for a long time

 

yah, but not in the immediate future. i like the car too much.
ive been thinking about this though lately.

yah, i probably should just bite the bullet and drive the MCS dedicated as
a winter weekend car. too bad though the car can't clear the touchless
carwash rails... maybe i should invest in some BBS CV's or some 17's and
run taller profile tires like 215/45/17...then i might be able to clear the rail (?).
a/c doesn't work anyway on the car, might be 'just right' for winter use.

 

yah, was looking at one of the member here that had 100k miles
and showed a history of his MINI ownership. kinda nice to see that.
i was kinda humbled.

 

I drive mine ALL year around and in ALL conditions .... just pull into a good jet wash at the end of each day ... spritz off the crud and wipe off all of the excess that you can whilst it's still liquid. So, some of the water freezes .. so what? at least the salt, mud and other unmentionables are gone. I've been doing this all winter so far and no problems at all.

Paul

 

It's definitely important to do this in a non freezing environment. I did this to my first MINI during the roadtrip home, and overnight it snowed (well got cold enough to freeze the mist on my paint) in Yellowstone park, my attempt at washing it outside the next morning with warm water ended up just freezing the soapy water into a frozen slush.