Winter driving: dry days only?

[1Cor10:23]

Wanted to get some ideas from the community here who might subscribe to driving in the winter but only on dry days. This question came to mind as I decided to store the car this year but I've been getting fairly impatient for spring already. There have also been quite a few decently warm weekends (above zero, dry) that I wish I had at least waited longer before storing the car away at the end of November.

Are there any club members here that run the car during winter but only on dry days?

1) what tires are you running?
2) is it worth it (insurance, subjecting car to cold starts) - any regrets?

I ask as it seems like a good opportunity to take it for a spin while still protecting from rust (I'm most concerned about underbody and suspension rust). I definitely cannot be convinced to drive this car when it's snowing but perhaps when it's dry.

No need for "just drive it all the time!" type of replies, I know it's a lot of fun to drive through snow!

Thanks!

[wparsons]

There's still salt on the roads, even when dry. You can feel the lack of grip from it too.

No harm in cold starts, just make sure you drive it long enough to get fully up to temp. Starting it for few minutes and putting it back in storage is the worst thing you can do to it.

IMO, if you're storing it for the winter, leave it be.

[7thgear]

if you want to baby the car, I say keep it indoors until it officially clears up.


yesterday I was driving up a freshly salted Yonge street and cringed the whole way there, all that salt banging against the bottom of my car. Urg.

I don't expect my car to survive in prestine condition. I figure in another 4 years or so i'ma turn it into a drift missile/track only car while getting something more family-class.

right now it's salty, it's dirty, it's wet, and unpredictable. So wait just a few months longer for best results.

[Martinius]

I'm currently driving my BRZ only on snow free weekends, with the caveat that the roads are not salted to death. At the end of the weekend I give it a wash and put it back in the garage. Grip is low on the stock tires so no crazy stuff.
It definitely scratches the itch though you know, enough to keep me going until spring when I can drive it full-time.

[Mr.Impreza]

Originally Posted by wparsons

There's still salt on the roads, even when dry. You can feel the lack of grip from it too.

No harm in cold starts, just make sure you drive it long enough to get fully up to temp. Starting it for few minutes and putting it back in storage is the worst thing you can do to it.

IMO, if you're storing it for the winter, leave it be.

I don't agree...I store my Subaru for 7 years now and always do cold starts and let it run in the garage for a few minutes and turn it off and I have never had any issues. Doing the same with the FRS.

[1Cor10:23]

@Mr.Impreza I think what @wparsons says makes sense, if you don't run it long enough, as in get the entire engine up to temp, you'll have condensation as the the block will cool too quickly. If you run it up to temp for a while, the heat capacity of the engine will likely boil off most of the moisture.

[drewbot]

That salt is powdered on every 400 series highway like no tomorrow....

If you want to drive it, consider rinsing that underbody nicely

(thank you Petro Canada for the glide pass)

[1Cor10:23]

@drewbot yeah, that pass is pretty key, almost all car friends have one.

[SLVRSRFR]

I personally don't see the point in buying a daily-driver car that you can only drive for 3 months out of the year (excluding exotics, muscle cars, classics etc.). We live in a part of the country where this climate is a reality.

At the end of the day, let's be honest; we don't drive Ferraris. The lure to store is tempting. I drove a 400HP+ BMW 335i before this car, and I even drove that year-round, although I turned the tune down a bit on the slippery days. Do I feel guilty sometimes driving my car in these conditions? Yes. But I think I would feel even more guilty paying car payments and insurance on a car that was sitting in my garage from November to April every year.

But hey; to each, their own!

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza

I don't agree...I store my Subaru for 7 years now and always do cold starts and let it run in the garage for a few minutes and turn it off and I have never had any issues. Doing the same with the FRS.

That's the absolute worst thing you can do to a car in storage. Starting it up without getting it fully up to temp brings out condensation/moisture, and if you don't drive it long enough to fully boil that out it just sits when you shut it back off. Everywhere. Inside the engine, inside the exhaust, everywhere.

Google it, EVERY single winter storage guide will tell you the same thing.

[Bergen23]

I was driving my car until I left for Alberta for work at the start of January. Got my parents driving it once a week. And getting it washed when they take it out so its not sitting with grime all over it.

Got a set of Michelin X-ice 3 tires for it, and it's easily the best handling car I've driven in the inclement weather.

[Mr.Impreza]

Originally Posted by SLVRSRFR

At the end of the day, let's be honest; we don't drive Ferraris.

But hey; to each, their own!

I dislike this comparison.

What is so special about Ferrari? That it's fast and expensive?

You can argue the exact same thing with Ferrari owners. The people who buy 300,000 cars have lots of money so why store it? Drive it and then buy another right?

The FRS and BRZ are special cars to some people, especially those who love jdm cars

p.s not targeting you directly, you just happened to bring up ferrari haha. I also owned a 335i and drove it year round but that's because it was just a daily car, like my accord now. Some could argue, i should of stored that instead but that car wasn't special for me. It was just a car. The FRS for me is more than that

[Bergen23]

Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza

The FRS and BRZ are special cars to some people, especially those who love jdm cars

)

Calls the car by the USDM name, but then mentions JDM lovers lol

[Zatherine]

I don't really have a choice in the matter. Gave my dad my lancer so I have to drive my BRZ to work even if its snowing; the alternative is the TTC.

I'm running Michelin X Ice Xi 3's and they seem decent. I don't like the feel of winter tires but hey, safety first right?

The salt is horrible; like the above poster said I cringe when I drive around town especially around the yonge area. I leave my car in the TTC parking lot during work as well since my work place doesn't provide cheap parking. There's usually a salt truck that sprays salt everywhere at night. I usually try to get to my car before it arrives but that isn't always possible. Usually I'll come to my car and see that there are random salt pellets all over the roof etc.

I go to touchless car washes without rails like the one at the ESSO at Finch and Kennedy once or twice a week to rinse off the salt and the underbody. If I have time I go to a coin operated car wash and clean it myself.

But unless I leave my house and notice that I'm plowing the snow on the floor, I'll still be driving the car in snow. In the case that it does plow the floor then I'll just take the bus lol.

Cold starts aren't a big problem for me even after I leave it in the cold for more than 8 hours due to work.

Drive or not to drive it's up to you at the end of the day. lol