Do you drive in the rain?

On the way home from the PTO meeting at school last night, I got caught in the rain, tops off of course. As I was leaving school, I thought it was clear enough so I left with the tops off. I was getting some misting as I stopped for gas and it started to sprinkle.

Not feeling like the hassle of getting the tops out of the bags to put on, plus isn't the idea of a car like this to run with the open air, I decided to make the dash home and let most of it blow over the top.

I got caught at a couple of lights but basically made it home no more wet than you'd get from a dash from the car into a store in a light sprinkle.

In the garage at home, I thought, "There goes the resale value." :-) since it seems like everyone advertises "never in rain", "never driven in snow or rain", "never been wet" (how does he wash it?) and it seem like more and more just don't drive them if there is a hint of rain in that day.

So I was curious how many here actually drive theirs in the rain. Maybe not take off on a rainy day to run errands, but don't pull a Harley trick of hiding under overpasses if it rains or driving the beater if there is a 10% chance of rain in the forecast.

I expect to hear that the guys with the C6s and C5s do as they are probably more transportation than garage icon, but what about the rest of you?

Reply to
Tom in Missouri
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You might as well add the C4 to that as they seem to be the most un-noticed generation. Way to many of them to become a garage icon. Even the ZR1 is falling off yet, and may not stop for many years . All

6 generations I've had have been driven in the rain, except one. The '63 was in the shop most of the year I had it, piece of junk. I ate in mine, at one time smoked in them, let other people drive them, had sex in them, drove most of them in the snow, and used them to haul parts if my other cars were down. I even used my '61 to pull a ladies car out of a snow bank.

Never have I had a "Beater" to drive which brings up a question. You own a Mustang, and a Corvette, both have 300+ hp, wide tires, stick, and are such that they could be valuable some day. Do you put the tin away in the winter or the plastic?

Some even think they have a life of their own and treat them that way. Just think if you had a wife/husband and treated them that way. Don't get wet honey, stay out of the sun honey, just sit there and look beautiful, no, we're not doing that again, I want to save it for someone else. You stay here I'm going out and have fun without you, or, wear what I want you to because I like it. Sure you need a bigger heart, and I think we need to widen your ass for bigger shoes. She/he is gone!!

Reply to
Dad

You can drive in the rain with the top down and not get wet, at speed... it's just that all those pesky stoplights and stopsigns make life miserable! Yes, I've done it, in a C2.

Reply to
WayneC

I drive my 96 every day. Of course in FL, I don't get much snow to contend with but in any other weather it's on the road. I drove my 78 until I broke the engine, but it will probably be a weekend/sunshine driver once I get the restoration and rebuild done. That's not necessarily because I wouldn't, but the 96 is more comfortable and better gas mileage. Even in FL though, where beautiful driving days are the majority, I do notice a lot more Vettes that seem to appear the closer the chance of rain gets to zero.

Rob

78 & 96 Coupes Red of course
Reply to
Scubabix

I drive my C4 almost everyday rain or shine. However the OptiSpark has let me know that it doesn't like deep puddles.

Dennis

Reply to
Dennis Willson

in my opinion, what's the use, if ya have to stay clear of the rain ? I know Harley folks that don't like getting their bikes wet :-) I wouldn't own something that couldn't stand a little water !

my2¢

Reply to
'Key

Back when my '94 ragtop was my daily driver, yep. But never seen a dirt road and probably could count on 1 hand how many time is saw a dirt parking lot.

Since it's been relegated to Hot Rod status, nope! Last year before Ivan hit I put it up on jackstands and completely douched it out, over and under. Cleaned all of the aluminum suspension parts by brush, dyed the fender wells, spare tire cover, polished the exhaust and re-painted the mufflers & tips. Polished the inside of the wheels and outside. New stayfast glass window ragtop, new upper door weather strips etc.

But gonna have to get it into the body shop to get the front bumper cover & spoiler fixed, windshield replaced. (a repair shop hit something with it) Insurance included refinish the clamshell (ding). I got with a bodyshop and I'm having them re-do the rocker panels and I'll fix the clamshell ding myself. (Mother's chip repair kit) And use the labor hours intended for the clamshell for the rockers instead. (rockers are little discolored and a few chips from 12 years of use)

Tom >On the way home from the PTO meeting at school last night, I got caught in

Reply to
RicSeyler

When I'm at home, I won't intentionally take my '63 out when it's raining. Having said that, I'll go for a cruise or to a car show when it's 30 or 40% chance of rain, as long as it's not raining when I leave home. On those days when there's a 30 or 40% chance of rain, it has been my experience that it probably only rains about 25% of the time, so I go with the odds.

When I'm going on a long trip, say to Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise, a Super Chevy Show, Corvettes at Carlisle or the Street Machine Nationals, I'll leave and drive in just about any weather. It's worth the price to see old friends and their rides.

Reply to
StingRay

My C6 is a daily driver. She's seen plenty of rain and tomorrow she'll see snow (that might be interesting). I've kept many cars for many many years and never kept any of them out of rain except for my current show-quality '67 VW Beetle (owned it since I was 16), although I do avoid driving 'classics' in winter weather to keep the salt off the metal.

Reply to
Vandervecken

My C-5 ragtop sees rain, snow, and some of those infamous DFW ice storms. Never has leaked, and active handling has helped...

Reply to
robrjt

Anymore, so many hide them in garages and they come out once every 6 months or so, and only if there is no rain in the forecast for the next week or so.

I got a little wet because unlike the convertible, the rain falls behind your head and lands either in the luggage area or gets caught in the turbulence and swirls around to wet your shoulders. And the darn sunvisor leaks! The sunvisor was catching water and letting it drip right on my leg.

The only hassle was the thought of someone hitting me. I'd had one crazy bump me that morning in the other car due to them not paying attention. No damage, but had it been the Vette, I might have been picking up a few pieces.

Reply to
Tom in Missouri

====================== Tom: You know I have more then one Corvette ...so I actually designate the 95 as my Rain Car... heck its black and I can not keep it clean anyway.. So if I am going to someplace and it is raining when I walk out to the garage the 95 comes out... (not to the store etc..but to someplace I want to drive a Vette to)..

But to be honest I have no problem driving any of mine in the rain.... all it really does is make me put the Corvette up on the lift and wipe the under side down with a rag and WD40. when I pull it back into the garage.. no big deal.!.

Been years since I drove any of mine in the snow however... everyone has his or her own limits...

Bob G..

Reply to
Bob G.

Yesterday I got caught in the strangest snow storm. I was coming back from Indiana and it looked like fog up ahead. It continued to look like fog but I never though I was in it until I looked back and it was also behind me. The temperature was about 15 degrees and the snow was so fine you could just barely see it blowing across the road surface. Visibility was about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile and never changed. It was like it was just freezing the moisture out of the air.

Got home put the Corvette in the garage to wash it and it never showed that it had been in moisture or snow. Not sure what the mixture is that they are using now but they spray it on the road and there is none, or very little, of the salt dust like there used to be. May be so fine you can't see it and it's hiding to get you later. The '50 is on the lift with the brakes torn off so I can't get a good look at the underside to see if the salt is there. The rain thing I don't mine so much, or the snow, it's that darn salt. The roads are very finicky as the sun will ware parts and the rest is froze. It all looks clear but it sure has a different adhesion factor, almost like a light rain will produce.

Reply to
Dad

When I bought my c4 It was my daily driver for a year and a half . rain snow and all Never missed a day of work. I was used to my 5 speed camaro I had for years so I was ok on snow but...I bought a 4 wheel drive ranger now for daily commute.I feel safer parking it in the Philly ghetto (where I work) And Its easier to haul 2x4's and drywall. C4 is now garaged with a battery tender for the winter

Reply to
RS

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