I know this is a "before" forum, but it seemed like the best place to also discuss "after".
This was my first time on the salt. I was there for the 130 mph club event but upgraded to the 150 mph event because a longer course sounded like more fun, and I was never going to get to 130 mph anyway. I think I was prepared for the event. I read everything I could find here and asked lots of questions when I arrived, and got lots of help. Our 2.5 runs went OK and after limping the car back in it looked so heroic in its new white crust. I knew the car would need a good cleaning when we got home, but I didn't realize how much would be required and how difficult it can be to find and get rid of all the salt.
Our second stop after we got home, the first was for breakfast, was a car wash. I think we went through $30-$40 in quarters washing the car and our small open trailer and the truck. The car was still on the trailer so it was easy to get under it with the sprayer. Once we thought we were done I realized that there was now a good chance that water at this car wash was now salty and that we had been spraying that on the car, so when we got the car home and off the trailer I went at it and the trailer with the garden hose. More salt was found. It was as if I was trying to find and dissolve cockroaches.
A few days later we pulled the wheels and found a lot more salt on the a-arms and other places. Up on the jack stands it went, wheels off, rear drums off, and me on a creeper with the garden hose again rolling around under the car spraying everything, and getting drenched. I also removed the seat and other interior stuff and flooded the inside of the car to get the last of that salt. Finally, done.
After we got around to pulling the engine (perforated piston) I found more above the brake and fuel lines and on top of the transmission. Damn.
I've talked to a couple other 130 MPH club people since and they were just as surprised to still find thick deposits of salt on their car. Some of them may have waited a little too long before giving their cars a good cleaning.
I hope to come back next year to get in all 6 runs. Plans for next year also include taking the car apart when we get home and going at it with the garden hose until all of the vegetation around the carport dies from salt poisoning.
Cheers,
Mike