I'm Looking for tips for winter in North West USA

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efarley

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Hey guys!

I'm just wondering if you all have any tips/advice for keeping my paint looking good through winter. I live in Portland, OR so winter is VERY wet and cold but not cold enough for snow/ice so I have two main concerns:

1: My car is a daily driver (garaged at home) and it rains pretty much every day from November to June, so any tips on what products hold up well to daily rain, and sitting outside in the rain all day while I work would be great.
2: It doesn't get too cold here but it does get cold enough that I won't be washing my car during the winter other than touch free car washes, so I also need something that holds up for a few months without wearing away.
 
Well here is my suggestion why not take it to the local coin op and hose off the major stuff from the exterior then once you get home get I. The garage and do a rinseless wash.

If you want a long term protection without doing a coating then blackfire wet diamond is a great sealant.

If you want to do a coating you would be making things easier but this also requires you to polish out the paint then place your coating on the surface
 
Agree with Evan.

During the winter, the coin washer (WAND ONLY, NO BRUSH) is a life saver. During the winters (here), it coin op, then home (the 'place' is only a couple of blocks away) then I use Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax Anywhere.

When it does get 'snowie', does Portland use salt? If so, the coin op is almost a necessity, salt is bad Bad BAD!

I will add, being an Ex-Seattleite I was able to wash the car(s) at home during the winter months, but I do remember Portland being just enough colder than Seattle to make life unpleasant (you guys got the ice storms!).

Bill
 
I live in the mid-west where we go through phases of deep cold, rain, snow, ice, salt, etc.

My approach is to hit all my cars with one or two layers of Klasse SG in the fall. That protects our cars well through the winter.

As far as washing goes, we'll do touchless car washes. I found one near my home that sprays off the under carriage of the car as you enter the bay to get most of the salt off.

Due to the cold, I've come to the point where I just deal with my cars not being like-new shiny in the winter. Touchless won't get the car totally clean, but it will keep the harmful contaminates and major crud at bay. As soon as it hits about 60, I'm out washing again!
 
At the very least, sealant is must!

My car is parked outside for 9 months through a brutal Michigan winter; it's comforting to know that it has a "sacrificial barrier" protecting the paint from whatever winter can throw at it.
 
I usually apply sealant and wax, as well as applying a 2nd coat of sealant on the bottom half of the car to prepare for Chicago winter. I only rinse with high pressure water at the coin bay during the entire winter until no more snow it projected. So yes my cars exterior is never clean during the winter months but protected!
 
This winter I'm protectig my car with atleast 2 coats of Collinite #476, going to apply them sometime in November before the white stuff starts to fly. I do have an underground parking spot now, so I'll be able to maintain the car better and more often, also have a quarter wash right around the corner too, so the salt can get sprayed away then driven back home where I can do a rinseless......winter, BRING IT!

Sent from my SPH-M930 using AG Online
 
I use Menz power lock on my cars year round works last for 6-8 months with 2 coats. Like Evan said rinse off car and do rinseless wash. I live in Seattle and I use a sealant on all my customers cars up here.
 
I'll also sat Collinite products for the winter.
 
i live in sweet home 100 miles south of you. i agree with the collinite 845 people. it is tough stuff and a spray off without the brush is great advice. just try to find those decent winter days and take care of the wax and polishing during them.
 
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