Winter drive or store?

[fast_dude]

That's right a winter beater is the best option for the winter.

[Mr.Impreza]

Originally Posted by fast_dude

That's right a winter beater is the best option for the winter.

Yeah just use your 400whp mazda....that way you could even plow some roads for the public hhaha

[STI-ish]

Storing the BRZ again this year. This time will be nice to have her at home in our own garage!

[Mr.Impreza]

Originally Posted by STI-ish

Storing the BRZ again this year. This time will be nice to have her at home in our own garage!

Good boy 😍
Its always an awesome feeling taking a car out after the long winter in the spring and driving it. Its the same feeling as getting a brand new car. love the feeling. Also you can do mod shopping during the winter months.

[Gords_zenith]

Store it. Here's my reasons:
1) I HATE RUST
2) if you financed, then your depreciation will be lower as people will pay more for a car that's been stored for the winter
3) it's a nice feeling getting it out after a longer winter
4) cheaper maintenance - did I say it won't be corroded.
5) steel rusts no matter what anti-rust provisions the manufacture adds (double sided galvanizing) or you add (krown, dealer crap, rust-whatever).
6) think about how hard it is to find a clean Datsun 240Z with no rust!

Just my two cents, but buying a winter beater that is RWD is just as fun....aka a Ford Ranger or something.....but when it's gets really shitty you just have to select 4x4 mode.

[FA5]

I stored my BRZ at the last two winter. My Odyssey would be my snow tank.

[Scracho]

Originally Posted by Gords_zenith

Store it. Here's my reasons:
1) I HATE RUST
2) if you financed, then your depreciation will be lower as people will pay more for a car that's been stored for the winter
3) it's a nice feeling getting it out after a longer winter
4) cheaper maintenance - did I say it won't be corroded.
5) steel rusts no matter what anti-rust provisions the manufacture adds (double sided galvanizing) or you add (krown, dealer crap, rust-whatever).
6) think about how hard it is to find a clean Datsun 240Z with no rust!

Just my two cents, but buying a winter beater that is RWD is just as fun....aka a Ford Ranger or something.....but when it's gets really shitty you just have to select 4x4 mode.

Bingo!

I just bought my FRS this year and intend on making it my "old man" car. Winters in general don't ruin our cars, salt does.

Have you ever seen a JDM RHD car? My brother has had a couple and these cars are 15+ years old with NO RUST and they get winters in Japan, but they rarely use salt.

[pushrod]

Originally Posted by Gords_zenith

Store it. Here's my reasons:
1) I HATE RUST
2) if you financed, then your depreciation will be lower as people will pay more for a car that's been stored for the winter
3) it's a nice feeling getting it out after a longer winter
4) cheaper maintenance - did I say it won't be corroded.
5) steel rusts no matter what anti-rust provisions the manufacture adds (double sided galvanizing) or you add (krown, dealer crap, rust-whatever).
6) think about how hard it is to find a clean Datsun 240Z with no rust!

Just my two cents, but buying a winter beater that is RWD is just as fun....aka a Ford Ranger or something.....but when it's gets really shitty you just have to select 4x4 mode.

1) agree
2) not sure this is useful. It'll depreciate either way. May as well get as much seat time before it's worth $300.
3) small reward. I wouldn't want to be making payments on something I'm not using all winter.
4) Things will corrode anyways.
5) repeat
6) repeat

The twins are great cars, but they are not classics. Buy it to drive it. Death is part of the cycle and it'll happen regardless. What happens if a well cared for, garage-kept car gets t-boned after 3 years and written off? I'd rather have driven it for all 36 months than half of that.

[drewbot]

Would be nice to store but too cheap to buy and insure and maintain a beater. This car ain't a 100k timepiece

Sent from my OnePlus One

[nyfries]

Sooo solve my debate. Got this to hoon around in the winter instead. Have to say it's not any less fun to drive than the 86! No more constantly worrying about salt and I can start putting expensive part on it without worring the salt will eat it up!

[Gords_zenith]

Originally Posted by pushrod

1) agree
2) not sure this is useful. It'll depreciate either way. May as well get as much seat time before it's worth $300.
3) small reward. I wouldn't want to be making payments on something I'm not using all winter.
4) Things will corrode anyways.
5) repeat
6) repeat

The twins are great cars, but they are not classics. Buy it to drive it. Death is part of the cycle and it'll happen regardless. What happens if a well cared for, garage-kept car gets t-boned after 3 years and written off? I'd rather have driven it for all 36 months than half of that.

Trust me, I drive my car a lot, I'm at 60k so far without driving it in the winter. As for 2) people will pay more for a car that's been stored, so if your making payments then chances are your car will be worth more then your debt....if you choose to sell it. It would also be worth more then a newer one that's been driven in the winter.
As for 4) it'll require less parts for maintenance thus cheaper

And as for your quote that these won't be classics did anyone think that the original AE86 would become a classic or the Datsun 510, Supra, or 300ZX, or even the beetle? Of course not they were thinking the same as you, it's a great car but won't be a classic, you wait and see. I bet they will depreciate but will level off and maintain that figure indefinitely providing its stays in reasonable condition. I'm not saying I'm looking to get rich with it, but just preserving some of its value.

And as for your last point-true, that could happen at any point really but that's what insurance is for - replace it with a new one.

[pushrod]

Originally Posted by Gords_zenith

Trust me, I drive my car a lot, I'm at 60k so far without driving it in the winter. As for 2) people will pay more for a car that's been stored, so if your making payments then chances are your car will be worth more then your debt....if you choose to sell it. It would also be worth more then a newer one that's been driven in the winter.
As for 4) it'll require less parts for maintenance thus cheaper

Those kind of miles are cutting into value on their own. Even if they're all highway miles, wear is wear. Your cylinder walls might be fine, but the odds of the door handle coming off in your hand one day are going up and up. My old Honda Accord had about 300k on it, and was in perfect condition mechanically, but all the 'little things' started happening. It wasn't winter's fault. It was the fault of being 19 years old and having 300k.

Originally Posted by Gords_zenith

And as for your quote that these won't be classics did anyone think that the original AE86 would become a classic or the Datsun 510, Supra, or 300ZX, or even the beetle? Of course not they were thinking the same as you, it's a great car but won't be a classic, you wait and see. I bet they will depreciate but will level off and maintain that figure indefinitely providing its stays in reasonable condition. I'm not saying I'm looking to get rich with it, but just preserving some of its value.

I think we can agree that most cars value will bottom out at around $500-$1000 at a certain point, but that the twins will be worth quite a bit more. It's a hit car among the people that are into that sort of thing, and it likely will continue to be. Good ones will probably never go below $3000, especially if they go out of production soon. But even with that, the best you can expect is a few bucks in your pocket at the end.

A bigger question might be, if someone can only stand to be a couple k ahead by buying a future classic, babying it, not driving in the winter and so forth, is it really worth it? Don't forget ancillary costs, like owning a whole other vehicle for the winter (for all those years), storing the car, and so on. You'd never get that money back.

Originally Posted by Gords_zenith

And as for your last point-true, that could happen at any point really but that's what insurance is for - replace it with a new one.

If the car is out of production, you'd only be getting a cheque. Anyone that wrecked their fabled Supra after 1998 was walking.

My last point, and probably my biggest point, is that any car that has been modded, is going to be nearly worthless at the tail end. Buyers looking for a twin in 20 years are going to be looking high and low trying to find one. In fact, I think that would go to your point, the twins will be valuable in 20 years, but only because there won't be many unmolested ones to choose from.

[STI-ish]

Originally Posted by Mr.Impreza

Good boy 😍

You mean "Good girl"

But I did speak too soon....there won't be space for my car in our garage this year....we have a lot of work to do in there (hoist, furnace, flooring..etc) so it will likely be hanging out at my hub's shop for the winter...this will give him the chance to install my turbo I got last year for Xmas anyway

I think the value of your car...or anything for that matter....is all in the eye of the beholder. Its what YOU value and what is important to YOU. I'm sure my car holds more value to me than any insurance company anyway...regardless of what time of year I drive it!
I have a lot of money invested in my car so therefore I choose to winter store my car (and was the game plan before I ever ordered it). I don't judge anyone that chooses to drive theirs in the winter...that's their choice to make. In the end, it is just a car. I am fortunate to have alternative vehicles to drive during the winter months so I take full advantage of that. And they are just as fun to drive in the winter as I'm sure the BRZ would be!

[Mr.Impreza]

Well today in Vaughan, the first snow fell, my car is officially going off insurance and into hibernation haha. Taking the Honda to work