Is anyone here afraid to wash these cars, have heard on this forum how they rust so easily. I do have two small rust spots on the car. I so far have only driven it on good weather days no to get it dirty but after a year it is dusty. Here in S. Arizona it gets dusty faster than most places. Besides from being dusty it is still clean all over. Have not washed it since I have had it in 11 months.

I never run the hose over the car. I just get a wet micro fiber cloth (not soaking wet) and wipe down the car flipping and rinsing the rag often not drag dirt across paint.
I also keep the car covered so there’s just minimal dust .

Buy a California Duster - rename it an Arizona Duster and call it a day. They actually work well.

I'd just avoid pressure washing. Good old hand wash and put a coat of wax on it. It will help the dust slide off even easier with the new Arizona Duster.

Watch for leakage at top and window seals. Especially at the targa to side window transition. A little random leakage isn't going to hurt anything. You just don't want to be injecting a gallon of water with a pressure washer before you even know what you did.

Other than that - you'll be fine. I drove my 1st teener in rain storms all the time. Sealing was actually quite good but that was back in the late 80's when the seals would have only been 14 years old and were still pretty pliable. Your results may vary if you have 50 year old dried out and rock hard rubber seals everywhere.

I don't wash any of my classics anymore. The way I see it there are always nooks and crannies where water can sit and you can't dry. I use a California Duster and Meiguar's waterless car wash.

Humidity in the air can cause rust, so there's no way to truly escape it. Paint is the primary protection from the elements, and keeping the car clean and waxed protects the paint. I don't think washing your car accelerates the rusting process at all...provided you dry it soon after and don't let water pool in places like the hell hole. If you're concerned, just make sure you wash your car on a low humidity day so whatever excess water there is evaporates quickly. Or, after you're finished, let the car sit in the sun for a bit.

+1 for the Cali duster. I use that after I drive and it keeps the car clean. Anything to avoid extra work !

Use your leaf blower to get the bulk of the water off the car.

I stopped washing any 914 with a hose years ago. It started with a visit to CAMP914, he had a very low mileage 914-4 and was showing me the rust on the suspension ears (Rear trailing arm). I remember being shocked how such a pristine 914 could have rust on both of these ears, but seemingly no where else.

Craig popped the engine lid and said "See there, there's a hole just before the rear trunk" - or something close to that.

Sure enough, there is a hole. Don't know if it's for air movement to keep inner cavities dry or just a manufacturing hole. But rest assured if you wash your 914 and let that garden hose spray around the engine lid, water will get into that hole. Where's the lowest point that hole has access to? You guessed it, trailing arm ears. So a 914 with something like 30k on the ODO had an almost perfect looking hell-hole area, been washed a thousand times and suspension ears that were all rusted out with shinny paint around them.

IMHO the idea that these cars can't tolerate water is absurd.

In the case of the suspension console ears, longitudinals etc., the issue isn't that the water gets in, its that the drain holes get plugged and the water can't get out.

The usual culprit is some DPO or dealer that applied undercoating over everthing on the underbody and blocked the drain holes.

The suspension console has a drain built into it as do the longitudinals. These need to be kept clean and clear. There are also drain slots in the Frunk below the gas tank that need to be kept clear. @cuddy_K May be fodder for your awesome newbie video series?

This situation is not unique to 914's.

My Miata had various drains that had to be kept clear. If the convertible top drains got plugged, you get a wet carpet on the rear shelf and a humid interior and window fogging galore. The rockers (longitudinals) also had drains. When they would get plugged, you could hear the water slosh in them when accelerating and decelerating.

In these cases, it was typical road debris that would eventually build up, blocking the drain. Creative use of coat hangers, or pick tools would eventually clear the debris and a flood of water would pour out.

Just food for thought. It isn't like these cars weren't designed to be driven daily in any sort of weather.

I thought the proper way to wash them was the get them out to highway speed a few miles then throw it into some hard corners to shake any possible water loose. It is hard to keep anything dust free in the desert.

In Arizona cars the places I find rust is where dirt has collected over the years and then it gets wet the mud holds the moisture in to cause rust. In my 914 there was even dirt inside the wire harness tubing all the way through it.

Washing is kind of the only way to really get things totally clean. Learn where the water can be a problem--like all around the front trunk seal, the rear trunk, make sure your rear glass seal is good...if you don't have a rain tray cover your engine bay with a trash bag...

Then like it was said above, use a leaf blower or compressed air and really make sure you go after all the odd places water may dwell... Always check the hell holes etc and get it dry... Take the car for a good drive after if possible to blow/shake out anything that's left.

I say this but TBH, I've washed my car maybe 5 times in the past 10 years at most, the rest of the time is the duster, maybe some Griot's wash-less spray and just keeping the car clean overall after driving.

Agree I rarely use any water. I use the wash and wax products with a microfiber clothe. The less water the better on these cars!

Yes, same here.

Wash it. Dry it. Drive it. Wipe it down again.

A friend of mine who always had Concouse type cars does this....Two buckets of water, one with a little soap the other plain water. One small sponge in each bucket. You wash a area about the size of the door only at the time, wash, inspect area and rinse off, squeeze out and wipe dry with rinse sponge.
This turns out to be a great way to wash a car. No Hose. Best, Mark

Guess I'll be the odd one here... I wash the car with a hose and bucket regularly. Have a double sided bucket. soapy water on one side rinse water on the other. use a hose with low pressure and it has a flat fan pattern.

The roads around here have many places where water runs across the road, can't avoid them.

I drive it, it gets dirty, I wash it.

I do have a California Duster, and occasionally use it, But mostly on the Cayman. I just drive the teener more.

Yes, wash the car, then blow dry by hitting freeway speeds for at least 30 min
Wife down and repeat
or

I'm not familiar with that technique. Is a squeegee involved?

more like ratcheting straps.

great freudian spell-check

Are you seriously saying nobody is using a regular car wash - incl the blow drying?

I only use a carwash for the leased car.
The vintage cars and my wife's TT are done the proper way

Washing your car regularly and doing inspection is the most key component to longevity of Sheet Metal. What really has to happen is two or three cans of your favorite spray oil/wax protectant should be applied to metal surfaces that are prone to rust. I did a full restoration to my car 20 years ago and some of the components that were sprayed with the black lacquer paint such as suspension is showing it’s age. The body paint would be considered in excellent condition because it was sealed very well initially. I paid $6500 for a paint job back then..!
I also used stainless steel rivets to hold the battery tray and support and can remove those components for service

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Hell yes!!! This is how I wash both my Teeners. You have to blast them & blast them hard with the leaf blower in every nook & cranny.