I have an 05 EVO and just hit 2900 miles..

Car still looks showroom of course plus the engine bay still looks showroom.

In a way I want to avoid driving in the winter weather becuase I dont want my engine bay to look like crap after all the road salt etc gets in there.

I remember with my SRT4 I drove it in the snow a few times and after that I lost my showroom new looking engine bay for good.

What do you guys suggest?

on the other hand I know if i just store the EVO for the winter, then I'll miss out on the AWD experience thru the snow......

 

it wont look new forever. its called life and s h it happens. Enjoy the car for what its worth. I took mine off jumps at 40+ bottomed out. but it was the most fun i had ever had in a car. period. Use it but dont abuse it. It is just bound to get dirty over time.

 

My suggestion.....Buy a 500 dollar winter rat.....


But AWD in the snow is FUN!

 

You could try an undercarriage and engine bay wash... most detail shops do em...

 

They have all those undercairage sealents etc.. at most car washes, I think that they are bs. The car does great in the snow and is a lot of fun. Understand that every time you drive the car, it will get dirty. The sooner you wash the car after after driving on freshly salted road the better. If you want some protectant, I would go with CRC. It's an oil so it repels salt, be carefull not to get any into your airfilter. The other option are the silicone sealant sprays. They are all messy, but if you want to clean and detail the engine bay in the future it will better you chances at reestablishing that brand new look.



PS

I've got 16,000 miles in detroit,mi. I've done almost nothing but automated car washes and car still looks great.

 

yea man just drive the car for what it is....i can wait to get her out in the snow to play. this is my first time in 5 yrs being back in a place that actually has a chance of getting some snow.

 

I do remember my engine bay getting dirty, but it was more due to road dust/dirt. I don't recall any dirty slushy stuff getting stuck. Engine bay came clean with a soapy rag. A clean engine bay isn't worth missing out on AWD.

 

I too have an 05 with 31000 miles (no sadly thats not an accidental 0). I drove it threw all of last winter in MI and OH on the stock Advans (I do not recommend that - takes a bit of skill, lack of brains, and Lady Luck better be your bestfriend). The engine here and there got a bit dirty, no problem though. Ran over to my local self spray-n-wash, and used the sprayer on the engine. Go slow, watch your wiring and intake, and then dry off - presto - clean.

(But do get some other tires, even all seasons, just anything but summer tires - I am breaking down this year, I am running even less snow capable tires this year, so I am not even thinking of trying what I did last year)

 

Who cares? Evos were built to get dirty!!!

 

Michigan puts more salt on the roads than any other state, and yet the engine bay & undercarriage of my daily-driven '03 look remarkably clean. (It helps that the Evo's undertray does such an excellent job of keeping most of the salt, dirt & debris out of the engine bay in the first place.)

Before the start of the winter season, I 'prep' my engine bay & undercarriage by first giving them a thorough cleaning, then use a "Mr. Clean"-style self-drying car wash/wax - the wax/protectant layer it leaves helps keep any dirt/salt/etc. from eating into paints, corroding aluminum & alloys, and dulling the looks of any surfaces (including rubbers & plastics.)
Then, as needed during the winter, I go to an automated car wash that uses only fresh, unrecirculated water to clean the undercarriage of any salt & dirt buildup. I also use any warm (40F+) break in the weather to repeat the 'prep' process, which my neighbors seem to find absolutely hilarious...

Unless you've got a death wish, you'll need to invest in a set of good of winter/all-season tires: don't even try driving on the stock Advans in temps below 40F...

I also invested in a set of mudflaps: just wish they would've been on the car since day 1.

 

Are you kidding me! Now I know what your saying. and I've been there done that with my precious baby and pampered her and watched the miles and then got bul lshi t on trade in for what it was worth and Then i got an evo. Dude let it rip all winter long the ride to work in the morning is like doing a stage in finland, it's the bomb and you dont even wanna know what its like getting out of work and on a weekend,... just get some snowtires or maybe some rat rims too. from tirerack or someone esle's stock rims. You dont wanna buy a winter rat man? you own an evo. Do you wanna be on your death bed and regret not driving your car enough, you could die reading this, drive it, jump it, drift it, just try not crash it.

 

it's just a car, drive it and don't worry about how dirty the engine is. if it bothers you that it's dirty, then clean it. sacrificing fun and usability for cleanliness sucks

 

Buy mudflaps for the winter

 

You will no longer have that "Showroon Car"! That's your choice


The guy who said: Use it, but don't abuse it" - Jumps at 40mph

 

Get the proper tires and take care.

In my experience, driving an EVO in the snow is not like driving a base model AWD Subaru or your typical 4WD pickup/SUV in the snow... I have owned and currently own other 4WD/AWD vehicles and the EVO does not seem to be in the same class in the winter… Possibly with blizacks or another form of full winter tire…

Even with AWD, the EVO can be easy to upset and loose in the snow/ice due to its power curve (been there done that), especially if it's modified.

The EVO is a great car but in my opinion an AWD sports car that develops power under load (read as turbo spool) can be dangerous in the snow, especially if you are on mountain roads. I basically turn off my EBC if I need to do this… Reminds me of walking with a FULL cup of coffee in a crowded room... I can't even imagine running the ADVANs!

I am certain with the proper practice and skill we can take our modified EVOs and run with the best of them in the inclement weather. We need that winter track day on the local road course!

I leave my EVO in the garage and drive another vehicle as I live in an area where AWD/4WD with snow tires is necessary in the winter... The EVO simply lacks the ground clearance for my area... My advice is if you don’t have do drive it and you have other options, don’t! There will always be other driver out there that can slide into your car, even if you master the EVO in the snow…

Just my 2cents...

Chris