Anyone else store their car for the winter and regret it??
 

Well im officially going bat-shit crazy right now and counting down the days till winter ends. I got my FRS around June, and put it away in storage on November 15th.

Not sure if Im going to be able to do this again next year. This is like bloody torture :bonk:

The craziest part is that if anything I should be happy with my decision to store it away, we've got about 3ft of snow on the ground here, and my parking lot at home is like a bloody mole field with all the snow potholes that have been created by all the freezing and thawing.

Yet still Im very uncertain of my decision to put the car away, even though it likely would have taken a bit of an ass kicking this winter. Anyone else that stored their car feeling this same way?


I guess the silver lining is that Im sort of getting that kid at Christmas feeling again with the winter being half over, and spring almost around the corner.




Sidenote: Anyone else drive both the best, and the worst vehicle in your parking lot at work, depending on which season it is?

http://i501.photobucket.com/albums/e...ps3c10fcc8.jpg

http://i501.photobucket.com/albums/e...ps98b275c2.jpg

:D

So its winter... and its snowing ashes... 85 degrees...

It really depends on how much you rely on the car for work/school/whatever. I actually love DD'ing this car through the winter. Putting it away for 4-6 months of the year would just seem like a waste of fun to me.

That being said, if you're going to lose your job for not making it in on a fairly snow-laden day, then obviously storing it and bringing out the truck is worth it.

I have had 5 cars that have rotted in the garage over winter and cant stand it. Such a waste of time and money to have that tied up in a pile that sits there 6 months out of the year.

I have been driving mine whenever there's no risk of slick spots on the highway. Unfortunately there haven't been many days since December that I have been able to drive it.

I work second shift so if it snows that evening, I am stuck driving around 45 minutes in poor conditions and then there's a risk of slick spots for a week or so until they dry up.

Driving a 05 Rav4 in the meantime is torture. It's safe but of course I'm not going to be excited knowing I have an FRS begging to be driven!

True but very different for locations. I can say with 100% certainty the roads here are beyond what most imagine in winter. I see people in cars causing huge damage to their cars here in winter it makes zero sense to drive "any" car here in winter it's outright dangerous and costly.

I think i know what you feel even though i live in california lol. If i was to store my car away and resort to driving my previous car (97 avalon) I would probably get pretty depressed and would stare at my car all day. But than again, at least i would have a car to stare at. Lost my dream car once not gonna let that happen again.

STORE IT! If you have unpredictable winters,you will regret it. Been there done that. After driving my FRS with a decent set of snow tires from the Primacys it was much better,but then going from that to an R32. I would never go back. The FRS is too light,no matter what kind of tires you run,deep snow will cripple these cars. With two 80lb bangs of sand in the trunk,it went fairly well,but it did not leave room for much back there.

I love driving this car in the winter!! this is my First RWD car in 10 years. Went through the first storm with the all seasons. God what a mistake. undrivable but with the Blizzaks its amazing. I can get all the snow off it in less than 5 minutes I don't have to sit in a puddle with leather seats! I know the car won't last as long but I would rather enjoy it now and get something new down the road than park it in the garage for 5 months. We do have a truck that I can drive when its really bad out but most of the time when its that bad we just stay home. They are really good about Plowing in MA so I don't have to do much with my bumper.

Why not store it on the worse days (heavy snow) and drive the car occasionally on the better days? Obviously ... Make sure that you have snow tires on the car and the proper oil viscosity. It's just a car. Drive it.

Winter... you mean that time of the year where temps drop to about 65F at night?

nice weather BUTTTTT!!!!!!
 

Yeah your weather is fantastic. Got to spend 10 days on the streets of LA last summer and the traffic more than made up for the good weather. If you drive during the day, have you ever made it past second gear? Grid lock for 10 days straight. To Op, I live in Ottawa and drive the FRS during the winter. TBH the car is more fun in the winter. Oil guard, and a good set of winter tires and you are good to go. If you can, save a couple of sick leave days for the really bad storms. :cheers:

This is not some rare supercar.. Throw some snow tires on it and enjoy it in the snow. These cars are a blast in the snow.

you just missed out on a ton of fun driving it through some snow. I have all seasons on and managed my daily drive just fine even with a snow storm here not too long ago. but then again you're snowstorms are a little different from ours...

I'm from eastern Ontario and I don't regret storing my car for the winter at all. I got my FR-S in July and put it away in Oct on thanksgiving weekend. Driving in the snow with the FR-S doesn't appeal to me. I prefer driving in summer conditions. I also like to work on my own cars so I'd prefer to avoid the hassle of rust/rustproofing on winter driven cars.

So we just got another 3 or 4 inches of snow today, and I know my shopping trip today would have been a nightmare in the FRS. I guess deep down I know Im grateful that its tucked safely away. This thread was probably a knee jerk reaction haha

The winters truly are unpredictable here, and between potholes, chunks of snow/ice/sludge falling off peoples vehicles, icy and snow covered roads, and the ridiculous amount of salt they lay down on the roads here, Im probably doing the right thing.

And I'd rather not drive it on the "clear days" simply because of the salts on the road and whatnot; not having been winter driven is a major selling point up here when it comes to resale value. Not that I plan on selling it, but I just cant bring myself to make my car suffer I guess with it still being brand spanking new (less than 10,000kms).

Atleast your ranger is a "sport"

Its not the snow that bothers me its the newer blend of chemicals used to treat roads. Again like you said depends on where you live. But in my area much similar to some areas of Canada these blends are starting to destroy cars within a few years. Even our local municiple trucks are rotting much faster than ever before. Our roads are much more clear now but no car is safe. Its not even ok to drive when there is no snow because of how coated pavement is calcium chloride or other by products unregulated.

With automakers using thiner metals and cheaper paint process cars dont hold up and it sucks

Hellzzz ya, complete with the speed triangles going down the side!!! :burnrubber:

But honestly, its the biggest POS I've ever owned in my life, as least aesthetically. But hey, it gets the job done, and having an FRS in storage erases any occasional feeling of shame that creeps up! I bought it this year for $1100 from a buddy who was meticulous abut caring for it. Its a 93' with 180,000km, 4x4, MT.

It was this beast or a set of decent winter tires for the FRS. I've already sank another $400 on it just keeping it going, the most recent mishap being the key breaking off in the ignition... Gotta love having a beater... I've needed a truck forever though, so no regrets yet.

This is actually my first truck ever, and seeing what its like with RWD (when out of 4x4) and being able to slide around the corners sure makes me think the FRS would be one hell of a fun time :sigh:

QFT.

The biggest factor in the decision to store my car.

In Rochester they use copius amounts of salt. You end up with a car may look nice topside but is a rusted mess underneath. If you are gonna drive in the salt, this is the stuff you want to spray once a year. It makes a big difference.
http://www.kellsportproducts.com/AS&NAS.html

I store mine because the winters in Michigan get pretty bad. I do miss it terribly everyday though when I am stuck driving my Camry lol

Not one bit considering that they spread CINDERS in my area instead of salt or other chemicals that remove paint faster than rubbing compound.

I also prefer the better visibility and traction in my FJ Cruiser 6M/T with it's full-time 4X4 system (A/T's have part-time only) and BFG A/T KO's.

Of course I'm looking forward to rolling with an FR-S in April, but until then I'll be content with watching the Dakar, WRC, 24 Hours of Daytona, F1 and Indy cars and dreaming.

I stored my frs for winter time too... I wanted to buy some snow tires (my stock tires are down to the tred bars >6500 miles) but didn't have the extra money. Don't regret not putting the car through all the nasty salt and gravel that's for sure, but I miss it like crazy!! I'm driving my 97 Subaru outback MT and the AWD rules for the snow... But I'm selling it so I can buy my exhaust :)

I also put my car away for the winter but don't regret it. I do miss driving it so much that I have erotic dreams about it from time to time but don't regret putting it in storage for the nastier months. I live in the oil booming part of Montana so we got allot of people coming up from nevada and Texas that have never driven in Montana winters. On top of that I watched an individual slide of the off ramp, glance of a semi and into another vehicle the first time we got snow here . After seeing that I decided i would rather them hit my 96 dodge then my baby.

I'm with you. ^

The winters here are so harsh and the other drivers often unpredictable, I didn't think it would be worth it. After getting my truck stuck in a friend's "driveway," I know I made the right decision. The ice rain we've had so far this winter would've destroyed the paint all on its own.

Oops posted twice

Don't regret storing my car for winter. Rather it be safe not in a ditch or worse totaled

I rented a storage unit to put the FRS into for the winter, and I have to drive by it every time I go to work. That makes me feel sad.

My plan was to drive my Prius for the winter but then I got really bored with it and traded it for a used BMW 325xi which is much more fun to drive in the snow with its all wheel drive, but it still has a rear wheel bias.

I'm sure this car is fun in the snow if you're not in a hurry to get somewhere. However, where I am in upstate NY they dump salt all over the roads every day in the winter which destroys everything it touches. I understand why people put their cars up for the winter even if there are nice days randomly.

Mine is in storage. And I miss driving it. But when I look out the window at work and see all the salt and grime and potholes staring back at me, I don't regret it. Every car in my parking lot looks like it was just pulled out of salt mine at the moment. Over time, it just eats away at the body. The FR-S isn't my daily driver and I plan to keep it for a long time.

I used to do the same with my 2nd generation MX5 a decade ago. Come spring, it was this wonderful ritual of taking it out on the first 'warm' day of April and driving with the top down (and usually with the heat still blasting).:thumbup: I won't need to wait quite so long anymore. But it makes that first spring drive every year, quite special. :burnrubber:

I regret not storing mine 70 miles away like I was going to. But to each their own.

I drove it last winter with stock summer tires. But after I dumped a bunch of $$ in it I hard parked it in front of the house. (wasn't far enough away...) We had a random 60degree day in between snow storms and I wrecked it that night.

No it isn't a super car but not everyone likes to get it all salty and gross.

It is "just a 30k sports car" but I bust my ass for my money so I'll take care of my stuff the best I can. Shit still happens though.

Could not imagine living anywhere up north. I have summer tires on my car all year long. I respect any of you who do.. although I will say the FR-S is probably the last car I'd buy if I lived in Ontario.

I bought mine and moved it from the Dealer lot to my garage without even letting it touch the roads, maybe next winter I will consider driving it, but at this point I want to keep mine low mileage and pristine for years to come.

I bought mine in July and did a bunch of mods then parked it in my garage nov 20th. I'm in NJ so winters are awful here... but i try to take her out like once a week even if its to the gas station. If the roads are clear and no salt or white debris chalky stuff it's fair game. Thankfully I've kept miles down to about 1800 as of today.

I have kept my 95 Stealth as my winter car. With the front wheel drive, and a set of Michelin snow tires, it goes in the snow extremely well. Still performance driving and good looking. But the Firestorm comes out anytime streets are dry. Which is quite often in Denver.

:burnrubber:

Sometimes I regret it, but how can you be upset driving a Maxima around with 366,000kms on it?? Right??

I drive mine through winter and don't regret it at all. It's the only time I get to go sideways in it regularly since I don't have the money to burn on replacing tires all the time. It`s also because I still live at home and don`t have the space for an extra car. Plus seeing people winter-drive their carreras and maserati GTs around where I work makes me not wanna be a such a crybaby about it.

I also store mine, I go nuts too. But I think the snow is the least of the worries. The amount of salt and shit they spread, and the shit roads falling apart. I'll stick to my shitty 4x4 Tahoe during the winter.

Ugh... exact same problem...

My winter beater is my car I've had since high school. She is chock full of problems... so many that I have an "avenger repair kit" full of items that it commonly needs. (1/2" bolts for instance that I use to plug the hole where the EGR return pipe broke) ... (($0.39 is a lot cheaper than a new downpipe ...no judging :P)) ... and the key likes to stick in the ignition on occasion and the sunroof leaks and the paint is garbage ... but the heater works ;)

I've been considering getting something more safe and less jank though. There are spacers on the rear wheels so that the slightly too big used tires I bought in college will fit. There is no ABS, and this thing is pretty underpowered... you always pray when making a pass. Despite how much I bitch about it ... it's been a pretty capable DD. I take it on 500 mile roundtrips every other weekend or so.

In the end though, I'm usually glad when I see the horrible road conditions/salt/winter grime that accumulates on cars ... and I know it's not happening to my baby.

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...85924818_n.jpg

Maybe we need a "show off your beater" thread :P