Hurricanes are not a substitute for carwashes

February 27, 2009 4:50 PM

How do I take care of a car that's going to be outdoors all the time?

At the beginning of this year I dropped nearly my entire life savings on a 2009 Corolla and relocated to Houston, and it might be a few years before I find living arrangements that also include shelter for the car. This is the first time I've ever owned a car and I'm planning to keep it for a long time, so what can I do to keep it shiny and happy under constant exposure to the elements?

(For example: don't park it across from older cars that suddenly go up in flames and spew hot smoke and melted plastic particles all over the windshield and hood, which is what happened to me yesterday evening and got me started thinking about this question. So far there doesn't seem to be permanent damage, but any suggestions toward removing lots of burned plastic soot spatters from my paint job would be nice too.)

posted by casarkos to travel & transportation (18 comments total)

Well it's kind of a pain in the ass but a car cover will really keep it looking good and will keep birds from pooping on it and so on.

I don't know much about Houston, but it sounds like you should look for something non-flammable :D
posted by aubilenon at 4:54 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]

Better insurance.
posted by sunshinesky at 5:00 PM on February 27 [1 favorite]

I have a Corolla too! A 99 though. I park on the street in NYC, and the one tip I can tell you is that if you're parking on the street, try not to get yourself into a spot where your neighbors may tap the bumper as they're pulling in and out. Although, I sort of have the attitude that the bumper exists for a reason...but my car also isn't brand new :)

As time goes on, you will eventually get dings here and there, but a good wash makes it look a lot better. I don't have access to a hose at my apt, and I'm too cheap to actually pay for a car wash, but I wash my car every time I go home to my parent's place. I'm always kind of amazed at just how *good* it looks, even with the few dings it has.

Oh, and spend the extra $2 (or whatever it works out to be) to get the glass coverage. It's totally worth it. On my insurance (Geico), they replaced a broken windshield, no questions asked.

Congrats on the new car, I've been happy with my little Corolla, and I plan on driving it for-ev-errrr.
posted by AlisonM at 5:14 PM on February 27

Constant wash and wax. And clean off bird crap every time you see it.
posted by radioamy at 5:29 PM on February 27

Really do try to at least park in the shade whenever you can. Automotive paint just doesn't deal well with constant sun, and I don't believe you can really do anything to prevent it (i.e., late night TV products do not in fact help), other than avoiding sun. And once you have visible sun damage, there's nothing to be done except repainting.
posted by rkent at 5:38 PM on February 27

One thing you might want to consider is the effect of extreme heat on the interior of the car, especially the plastic of the dashboard and the synthetic fabric (probably) of your seats. There are plastic treatments you can get for the hard plastic interior surfaces - if you use these, be very careful not to spray the inside of your windows.

I'm convinced, too, that using a windshield shade helped preserve the interior plastic of my last car.

In Texas? Yes, I'd go to great lengths to park in the shade. I hope you have a light-colored car (although it seems that light-colored cars usually have dark-colored interior plastic, which isn't great - be careful and good luck).
posted by amtho at 5:48 PM on February 27

Probably not much of a concern in Texas, but if you're ever up north for an extended period of time (in an area where the roads are salted in the winter) get a hose or pressure washer and clean all the crap of the undercarriage to slow corrosion.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 5:53 PM on February 27

I parked a car outside in Houston for four years, usually in areas without any shade, and it was fine. I cleaned bird crap off of it whenever I saw it, but didn't wash it otherwise. The paint and interior look no worse for the wear.
posted by capsizing at 6:01 PM on February 27

Astro Shield makes a wonderful paint protectant. It should be available at any chain auto parts store. Bonus for living in Houston and using a product with 'Astro' in the name.
posted by torquemaniac at 6:02 PM on February 27

Get one of those interior windshield screens and use it religiously when you park your car in the summer. Your fingers will thank you even more than the interior of your car come August.

Also, don't wash your car during a hot summer day. I have been told that it's more damaging to the paint if you wash the car when it's hot. I don't know if that's true, but I've had good luck with my car washing it by night in the summer. My car is 8 years old, parked under a carport or outside, and looks great except for the panel I scraped against something in a parking garage (oops).

/native Houstonian, Austin resident
posted by immlass at 6:06 PM on February 27

Nice car! I've got a 2007 Corolla.

Weather-wise, your car has it easy in Houston, it's not like you're exposed to snow, ice, salt, etc. There's nothing you really need to do to keep it looking good. Wash it by hand once in a while (in the shade is best), and you'll be fine. And follow the car's maintenance schedule, especially the oil changes.
posted by Simon Barclay at 6:15 PM on February 27

I have a 2001 Corolla outside where it gets too much sun in summer and then too much snow sitting on it in winter. It's great. The only thing that's a gotcha is the LAST Corolla we had that we parked here was under an elm tree - the sticky pollen landing on the roof took the paint off almost entirely within 2 years. Once the tree was removed (for other reasons, it was in bad shape) the 'new' Corolla doesn't show any of that kind of wear after seven years.

We use a sunshade in the windshield to protect the dash, and keep the windows cracked lightly in summer to let heat escape. The lack of humidity and the fact that they don't use salt on the roads here to remove ice really helps a lot.
posted by annathea at 6:19 PM on February 27

I've owned a car for years and years, and never parked any of them in a garage or shelter.

Just wash and wax it every few months... or when the sight of it offends you. Make sure you wash the undercarriage.

If you live downtown and are going to be doing on-street parallel parking, your main issue is going to be damage caused by other people. There's not much you can do about this, aside from parking in suitably sized spots so that folks aren't inclined to bump into you. It also helps to analyze what you're parking next to: loading ramps, doors of bars and clubs, schools, etc. are bad ideas, given what goes in and out of them right next to your shiny car.

Get comprehensive insurance. Most people view insurance as money wasted, I know. But, seriously, comprehensive insurance means you have some hope of repairing your car when the door gets ripped off by a street sweeper. Don't pay for the low deductible, though... your premiums go up with each claim, so you don't actually want to use the insurance until you must. A $500 deductible is just right for me... less, and the premium costs too much and I'd be tempted to use it for replacing broken windows; more, and it's not any damn use.

Also, watch out for enormously fat ten year old neighbor kids who are going to lean their fat asses up against your car and bounce, leaving giant ass-dents in your fender. Not that I know anything about that. [The first child I've ever, in my life, actually wanted to beat to a pulp.]
posted by Netzapper at 6:20 PM on February 27

Seconding the wax. Otherwise, in 6 or 10 years the clearcoat will wear off and the paint will start to oxidize. That's what has happened to all the old beaters you see with primer showing. Not waxing.

(I have a car that has that problem, actually, but I don't care because it's 18 years old and I don't plan to keep it more than a couple more years, and even if the paint was perfect it might be worth a whole thousand dollars)
posted by wierdo at 8:47 PM on February 27

I'm going to be the contrarian and say do NOT put much effort into waxing. Just keep it clean, meaning wash it once every month or two. It's important to rinse bird poop (or tree debris) off as soon as possible to prevent the acids or whatever from attacking the finish.

I have had two cars, the first for 12 years and the second for 9 now, kept outside the entire time (in Atlanta) and they looked fine. Well, the 12-year-old started to look just slightly blemished. Modern clearcoats are amazing in my opinion.

OK, maybe wax it once every couple years, but that's it. Put more effort into rinsing off any bird poop as soon as you see it.
posted by intermod at 9:14 PM on February 27

This might seems tangential to your question, but keep the inside of your car clean and empty. It will keep thieves from punching through your window to steal your stuff--unfortunately, I speak from experience.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:28 PM on February 27

Adding to the "keep it washed" advice. Find ann automated touchless car wash in your area. They are not necessarily cheap. ($10 - $15 here in Montana, depending on the type of wash) but if you can do it at least once, and preferably twice a month, that will be a big help.

When dirt accumulates on your finish, your chances for thousands of micro-scratches increases. You and passersby will inevitably brush against it or touch the sheet metal in various places. If there is an accumulation of dirt, it's like rubbing it with sandpaper.

If a professional wash isn't possible that often, find a nearby self-washing bay and use the high power wand to at least get the major dirt off. A few dollars should get you a good soapy wand-wash, and a good rinse. I have also used the soapy brush in the bays, but if you do, be careful. They are usually pretty soft, but use the high-power wand to wash to thoroughly clean the brush before using it. They could be nasty, scratchy debris in it from the last user.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 7:49 AM on February 28

Wash it fairly regularly and another vote for waxing every so often to give the paint some protection. If birds poop on your car, clean it up ASAP as that can damage your paint if left a long time.
That said, other drivers denting or pranging your car will be more likely to cause damage. There are some nutty drivers here, and more people seem to think their car is a mobile phone booth than anywhere else I've lived, so what out for random driving.
Welcome to Houston!
posted by arcticseal at 12:40 PM on February 28