Believe it or not I've replaced my tow hook cover about four times so far.
It is a great pic, mskrotzki. Glad the NSX survived the storm.
It is a great pic, mskrotzki. Glad the NSX survived the storm.
How do you preserve your car?
- Thread starter Brylek
- Start date
Paul, you've seen my car. I am still putting about 32K miles on it annually and although I've accepted some level of wear-and-tear as inevitable, I still put a lot of effort into maintaining its condition. I recently had Xpel installed to protect my front end as well especially with my undying fear of rock chips, but besides that I still do:
-leather cleaning/conditioning twice a year
-very frequent interior dusting
-exterior washes at least once a week, typically with Optimum No Rinse (yes even in Winter)
-clay/wax approximately quarterly
-polish once a year
-touchups/repairs/maintenance as required
The car is a true daily driver, so stuff just happens to it. Some things I can avoid or prevent "within reason", such as parking silly distances from everyone or avoiding roads I know are being repaved. Other things are just beyond my control, like the hail that pummeled my car several weeks ago. When shit happens it is heart-breaking but ultimately I believe the joy of driving the car as-much-as-I want however-I-want outweighs any happiness I might have with having it sitting safely covered up but rarely driven. This is a spectrum of tradeoffs of course; some level of driving joy can be traded for some level of preserved untouched condition. My solution is to spend a lot of effort cleaning and maintaining the car's condition to try and offset how much I use it: a true work-hard/play-hard machine.
I mean, I drive it a lot, but it looks decent I think:
-leather cleaning/conditioning twice a year
-very frequent interior dusting
-exterior washes at least once a week, typically with Optimum No Rinse (yes even in Winter)
-clay/wax approximately quarterly
-polish once a year
-touchups/repairs/maintenance as required
The car is a true daily driver, so stuff just happens to it. Some things I can avoid or prevent "within reason", such as parking silly distances from everyone or avoiding roads I know are being repaved. Other things are just beyond my control, like the hail that pummeled my car several weeks ago. When shit happens it is heart-breaking but ultimately I believe the joy of driving the car as-much-as-I want however-I-want outweighs any happiness I might have with having it sitting safely covered up but rarely driven. This is a spectrum of tradeoffs of course; some level of driving joy can be traded for some level of preserved untouched condition. My solution is to spend a lot of effort cleaning and maintaining the car's condition to try and offset how much I use it: a true work-hard/play-hard machine.
I mean, I drive it a lot, but it looks decent I think:
I don't think it hurts and it allows the car to air out a little. And because I live in So Texas it doesn't get stored for long periods of time. Maybe a week or two at the most without being driven. And I Shin Etsu the shin itsu out of those seals.
Fred your car looks awesome every time I've had the pleasure of seeing it.
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get this-
http://www.calcarcover.com/product/73/274/Car_Capsule_The_Original_Car_Storage_Bubble
then never drive it
http://www.calcarcover.com/product/73/274/Car_Capsule_The_Original_Car_Storage_Bubble
then never drive it
I have one of these. Great for the winter months.
Thank you for the complements and ideas!
My car isn't only for looking at, I track it at least once a year and I drive it anywhere I feel I should. I want to learn more on preserving the car cosmetically and mechanically so 20 years from now I can enjoy my 100k miles car that looks and performs like a 50k milage car. Sometimes a simple practice can help in long run and these are the things I'm mainly looking for.
Back to the subject:
I use shin etsu grease about once a year and I just had a detailer apply "Opti-Coat".
Every time I get in and out of my car I try not to slide myself down the bolster so it doesn't get worn out.
I close the door by using the inside of door handle or key hole.
When I'm on a highway I try to avoid driving directly behind larger trucks to avoid rock chips.
My car isn't only for looking at, I track it at least once a year and I drive it anywhere I feel I should. I want to learn more on preserving the car cosmetically and mechanically so 20 years from now I can enjoy my 100k miles car that looks and performs like a 50k milage car. Sometimes a simple practice can help in long run and these are the things I'm mainly looking for.
Back to the subject:
I use shin etsu grease about once a year and I just had a detailer apply "Opti-Coat".
Every time I get in and out of my car I try not to slide myself down the bolster so it doesn't get worn out.
I close the door by using the inside of door handle or key hole.
When I'm on a highway I try to avoid driving directly behind larger trucks to avoid rock chips.
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a couple serious thoughts-
when you get in,try gripping the bolster with your left hand,and sliding into the seat over that hand,this helps protect the bolster
park in the shade when you can,get a sunshade for when you can't-uv rays will wear out the dash and seats in the long run,even if using protectant.still,use protective potions,i like 303 aerospace for the dash and leatherique for the leather,and also use shin-etsu on the weatherstripping
run your a/c for 10 minutes once a week year round,put the temp control where you want and manually turn the a/c on on cold days,don't have to freeze.there is lubricating oil in the refrigerant,and this circulates it and helps keep the compressor seals in good shape.also, run the heat in the summer,keeps coolant going through the heater core.you have to turn the temp up for this,do it when you first cold start the car and you won't burn up.
when you get in,try gripping the bolster with your left hand,and sliding into the seat over that hand,this helps protect the bolster
park in the shade when you can,get a sunshade for when you can't-uv rays will wear out the dash and seats in the long run,even if using protectant.still,use protective potions,i like 303 aerospace for the dash and leatherique for the leather,and also use shin-etsu on the weatherstripping
run your a/c for 10 minutes once a week year round,put the temp control where you want and manually turn the a/c on on cold days,don't have to freeze.there is lubricating oil in the refrigerant,and this circulates it and helps keep the compressor seals in good shape.also, run the heat in the summer,keeps coolant going through the heater core.you have to turn the temp up for this,do it when you first cold start the car and you won't burn up.
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Lots of good tips. robbiedawg's a/c tip should be standard procedure for all air conditioned cars.
Per the owner's manual, when closing the trunk (boot) lid, lower it gently to the latch, then press down to close. I don't think this works (or is necessary) for the front lid but I'd like to hear what others have to say.
Per the owner's manual, when closing the trunk (boot) lid, lower it gently to the latch, then press down to close. I don't think this works (or is necessary) for the front lid but I'd like to hear what others have to say.
I drop my hood from about six inches. That's enough force to close it reliably without causing damage. I recommend however that one checks their weather stripping between the hood and bumper regularly; it can shift left/right sometimes and rub against the headlamp covers.
OK, that's what I do as well with the hood. Good tip on the weather stripping. Thanks, Drifter.
I lower the hood till it rests on the latch, then apply gentle pressure till it closes. I do the same for the trunk lid, and never press downward on the spoiler itself.
Fred, that is a really BEAUTIFUL picture of a GPW coupe bumper. I can tell by its composition that the loving owner caught in the photo really wasn't put off that the concours judges spent about 5 seconds looking at it towards the very end of their judging after he spent over three hours washing & semi-detailing it that day when he could have instead been having fun talking with and meeting other NSX owners, ha ha. Paul took that one, right?
Edit: That photo of your NSX is one of my favorites from NSXPO last year; it looked even better in person around all those leaves. End edit and temporary threadjack.
Someone should really share advice like that in the "Girls & NSX's thread"...wonder how many guys there without this knowledge are forced to close their hoods with 100 lb of blonde or brunette gluteous maximus muscle distributed over 30 square inches of bikini material....poor guys.
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Good one, Andy!
Yes, I can not believe this car has so many miles! Andy's car looks like it lives in a museum because it practically does but this one really fooled me! Great job, Fred!
Ed, your Imola is perfect as well - because of you I now have to find a spare $4k to wrap my car in Xpel!
Dan, I'm really glad I saw you using spare seats during NSXPO13 - I'm not alone
Anyone else has any useful tips?
How about protecting against the cracked dash at the center at the windshield, near the "light sensor?" Found several threads discussing it:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...cing-Cracked-Dash-Trim?highlight=cracked+dash
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...Dash-Piece-Part-Number?highlight=cracked+dash
I know there's the drop-in cosmetic cover but does anyone know how the root cause and/or how to prevent it? I'm assuming it can happen when kept out in direct sunlight for long periods and/or from heat cycling such as driving in winter and then running defrost on high.
Here's a semi-related one: are there foam cushion/inserts between the dash & windshield and has anyone replaced theirs ever? Going by memory, I swear there are some there, probably to prevent rattles from the dash. I think I recall seeing some looking slightly out of position on the way home from NSXPO 2014 and I never went back to try to move them back into place. I hear a slight hint of rattle at times from that very area. Adding foam strips/inserts from Home Depot like that eliminated rattles in my '93 Ford Probe GT way back when... If I can eliminate that hint of occasional rattle there and have a car that is 100.00% rattle-free, that'd be such a minor victory. Gotta love a car that has zero rattles, it gives such a sense of quality.
Some potentially related links I'll park here for now:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/173072-Honda-anti-rattle-tape
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/45356-Wanna-stop-annoying-rattles
http://www.oemacuraparts.com/oe-honda/06992sa5000
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...cing-Cracked-Dash-Trim?highlight=cracked+dash
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...Dash-Piece-Part-Number?highlight=cracked+dash
I know there's the drop-in cosmetic cover but does anyone know how the root cause and/or how to prevent it? I'm assuming it can happen when kept out in direct sunlight for long periods and/or from heat cycling such as driving in winter and then running defrost on high.
Here's a semi-related one: are there foam cushion/inserts between the dash & windshield and has anyone replaced theirs ever? Going by memory, I swear there are some there, probably to prevent rattles from the dash. I think I recall seeing some looking slightly out of position on the way home from NSXPO 2014 and I never went back to try to move them back into place. I hear a slight hint of rattle at times from that very area. Adding foam strips/inserts from Home Depot like that eliminated rattles in my '93 Ford Probe GT way back when... If I can eliminate that hint of occasional rattle there and have a car that is 100.00% rattle-free, that'd be such a minor victory. Gotta love a car that has zero rattles, it gives such a sense of quality.
Some potentially related links I'll park here for now:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/173072-Honda-anti-rattle-tape
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/45356-Wanna-stop-annoying-rattles
http://www.oemacuraparts.com/oe-honda/06992sa5000
Here's the link to the thread where you can get Gabriel's drop-in cover piece for the defroster trim that cracks on all NSXs. He's running a special, $200 shipped. If you like the looks I understand the quality, fit, and packing are absolutely top-rate and install is a snap. That's just based on feedback from other Primers posting in the thread.
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...cracked-dash-solution?highlight=defrost+cover
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...cracked-dash-solution?highlight=defrost+cover
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