Truth about driving in the rain

[PghMiller]

So what is the whole truth about driving in the rain?
Most NSXers will shake their finger at you and claim "don't EVER drive it in the rain, because it's an aluminum body on a steel frame, so your car will rust away"...
On the other hand, some EXTREMELY WELL RESPECTED NSX 'MASTER' TECHNICIANS (here on Prime as a matter of fact) say that is a bunch of crap, and you can drive in the rain all day. (and THEY do!)

Opinions???

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

The car was designed to be driven. Drive your car while you can and enjoy it while you have it.

 

[Caroline-NSX]

I usually don't because I am a clean freak when it comes to my NSX but if I have to or if it happen to rain while I'm driving owell! Ill just spend alil more time cleaning it than I normally do :biggrin:

Drive in the rain or not really doesn't matter. It s made to drive.

 

[PghMiller]

Ya, the rain DOES make it dirty... but I wash it like every 2 days anyways LOL, so if it rains, then I wash it the next day (but I was probably planning to wash it anyways!).

It is 100% impossible to keep a black car clean for more than 2 days. So I've resigned to the fact that I'll be washing it about 10 times per month... so I don't mind driving in the rain.

I usually don't because I am a clean freak when it comes to my NSX but if I have to or if it happen to rain while I'm driving owell! Ill just spend alil more time cleaning it than I normally do :biggrin:

Drive in the rain or not really doesn't matter. It s made to drive.

 

[Hrant]

I am glad you realized that since you wash the car with water, rain is nothing more than water - except in your parts of the wood it may contain some acid LOL!

And you can indeed keep a black NSX clean for days if you use a car cover. Just saying ......

 

[Caroline-NSX]

There you go! :wink:

 

[PghMiller]

I'm just sayin... a day driving around and it's no longer clean (as I like it). I use the California Duster but I'm still not happy. I should mention I also have slight ocd LOL!

By the way, what is the best car cover you recommend?

 

[IAN94]

The Honda was the first production car to feature an all-aluminum monocoque body, incorporating a revolutionary ultra light yet extremely rigid extruded aluminium alloy frame and forged aluminum front and rear double wishbone suspension, with forged alloy control arms connected to forged alloy wheels.
So no need to worry about the frame rusting out. Drive the NSX in the rain.

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I'm just sayin... a day driving around and it's no longer clean (as I like it). I use the California Duster but I'm still not happy. I should mention I also have slight ocd LOL!

By the way, what is the best car cover you recommend?

SOS has a nice one.
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/products/exterior_performance_products/NSX/custom_car_cover/

Other than that I just use a regular car cover when I did use it.

 

[blue_myriddn]

So what is the whole truth about driving in the rain?
Most NSXers will shake their finger at you and claim "don't EVER drive it in the rain, because it's an aluminum body on a steel frame, so your car will rust away"...
On the other hand, some EXTREMELY WELL RESPECTED NSX 'MASTER' TECHNICIANS (here on Prime as a matter of fact) say that is a bunch of crap, and you can drive in the rain all day. (and THEY do!)

Opinions???

I don't know who these "most NSXers" are, but they are wrong. The car does not have a steel frame, it is an aluminum frame.
Other than getting a dirty car and having to drive cautiously due to being on a slick surface, I can't fathom any reason why you couldn't drive this car in the rain.

 

[docjohn]

we have seen far too many bent cars due to low tread depth tires and rain than cars rusting away and falling apart.

 

[Tangoman]

Let's not forget aluminum does corrode. An oxide layer does form on the surface but it then protects the aluminum and stops going further (like copper almost). The main reasons I see to not drive in the rain are all the rubber parts. They will last longer if they don't see as much exposure to cold/hot and dry/wet cycles. Also, condensation in tail lights and possible water leakage into the cabin from worn out seals.

 

[FF Drifter]

I drive the car regularly, even in the rain. My big fear has been rear traction, but so far I've had no issues ~ even when slowly plowing through an inch of rain during thunderstorm flash flood conditions.

I wash frequently too; as long as a decent layer of wax is on the car, it is no different than the rain coming down on it.

 

[nsxtasy]

So what is the whole truth about driving in the rain?

 

[docjohn]

lol Ken..........:wink:

 

[rbilder]

"don't EVER drive it in the rain, because it's an aluminum body on a steel frame, so your car will rust away"...

I thought the NSX was an aluminum body on an aluminum alloy frame with a steel strengthening tube across the front cockpit. The crankshaft and a few nuts and bolts were steel also, but I thought most of the car was aluminum, stamped or extruded, forged or cast.

The only reason I try not to drive in the rain is because I like to keep it as clean as possible. Rain water in most places is cleaner than what comes out of a hose. It's just all the junk on the roads that gets thrown up on the underside.

There are members here in Canada or up north that drive their NSX's year round, even in the snow.

 

[hofffam]

Here in the Austin area we sometimes have sudden thunderstorms. I normally drive my NSX only on days with a low chance of rain. But occasionally I get caught in a surprise rainstorm. I do not worry in the least about harm to the vehicle. Fretting over rust on an aluminum frame is unwarranted paranoia. And worrying about a few raindrops killing rubber parts is similarly neurotic.

My biggest concerns driving in rain are: 1) other cars sliding into me; 2) certain to make the car dirty and I'll have to wash it sooner than I normally would.

 

[Olyar15]

My opinion: lay off the crack pipe. Seriously, do you think that a manufacturer like Honda, makers of some of the most reliable vehicles, whose engineers produced some amazing technology in road cars, produced a halo car that reset the standards of supercars and forced other manufacturers to up their reliability, and it can't be driven in the rain? Really? Manufacturers these days spend millions of dollars testing their cars in all sorts of harsh environments to make sure they are drivable in pretty much all climates, and all year round.

 

[shawn110975]

I never have any problems with rear traction as long as your rear tires have good tread if they dont then you slide and bang into stuff

and as long as they are KDW BF Goodrich

 

[Sonic*]

Lol it's absolutely fine to drive in the rain, it won't disintegrate! As for rear traction, you control the throttle.

 

[MvM]

OF COURSE YOU DAN DRIVE YOUR NSX IN THE RAIN !!!

It's a Honda
The fact that is has been made of aluminum doesn't make one bit of difference.
NOT drivng the NSX in the rain because it might corrode at some point would be EXACTLY the same as saying you shouldn't drive any other car in the rain because it is made of steel.
As a matter of fact, probably, ANY ordinary steel car will start rusting from rain MUCH MUCH sooner than the body of the NSX.

NOT driving the NSX in the rain might be because of bald tires increasing the risk of hydroplaning, using semi-slicks which are simply not very good in the rain, or just because you want to reduces the risks of getting an accident or simply because you want to keep it clean.

I DO have semi-slicks on the car and STILL drive it in the rain (if not too heavy) because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to drive the car 1/3 of the year where I live. BUT you do have to keep your speed in check.
Besides, NOT driving the NSX for 1/3 of year would be simply very dangerous.
The symptoms of acute NSX withdrawal are much more serious to society than any risk posed by driving it in a little rain.

 

[RSO 34]

I will go one further.

Not only do I drive it in the rain but I track it in the rain. I estimate that out of the 100+ track days my NSX has seen that approximately 20 or so have seen rain at least part of the day.

I bought the car to drive it. If I just wanted to look at an NSX I would frame a picture and hang it in the garage.

 

[BATMANs]

I love driving mines in the rain when I run both Difflow diffuser and the Apr GTC-300.

At freeway speeds my aggressively raked angle makes my rear view mirror useless and slows down traffic behind me.

 

[TURBO2GO]

because it's an aluminum body on a steel frame... Opinions???

My opinion is these "NSX'ers" should learn their cars before making those conclusions. I would like to see this steel frame. I'd love to bolt my imaginary steel rollbar to the NSX's imaginary steel frame.

 

[docjohn]

........lol then you could weld it!