made decision: I think........

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by yanfoo

hey @Tcoat I was about to say it wasn't all that true until I read your last sentence...

Hell yeah Mazda's are different, my wife's '09 is rusting VERY badly...

My son in law's 08 Mazda 3 looked like a 20 year old heap by 2014
Pretty sure it is a business plan they have. They install what they call the "anti rust modules" that I think are actually programed to create rust at a pre programed point.
Year 1 - perfect
Year 2 - flawless
Year 3 - pristine
Year 4 - doors fall off and wheel wells disappear so go buy a new one

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

This^
Cars made within the last 15 to 20 years just simply do not rust like the ones before that. The coatings and treatments have come so far it is amazing. My old 2003 Lancer that is now owned by a guy just down the road still looks brand new after 13 winters in the heart of salt country winter roads.
I have a big chip on my front fender that happened a week after I got the car last year and I have deliberately left it un painted to see how bad it would rust (I am weird that way sometimes). So far after a year, including one very salty winter, the bare steel remains untouched by even surface rust. I am extremely optimistic that the body panels on these cars are well treated and rust resistant.
Yes, uncoated bolt heads, suspension wear points, exhaust brackets, exhaust components, etc are going to rust but that is going to happen if you drive it in the winter or not.
I get where the fear comes from as I had 70s and 80s cars that had rusted so bad that after 5 years they were missing whole floor and/or body panels but those days are long gone. Unless of course we are talking Mazda then that is a whole different story.

I also mitigate corrosion in massive steel structures for a living , so I know a thing or 69 about this stuff lol

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Cole

I also mitigate corrosion in massive steel structures for a living , so I know a thing or 69 about this stuff lol

And that can be some of the scariest rust ever!

Over the years I have completed total restorations of:
61 Karman Gaia
58 Chevy
58 Ford
64 1/2 Mustang

The guys with anything made after 1995 or so don't know shit about rust (again with the Mazda disclaimer).

[86geek]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

And that can be some of the scariest rust ever!

Over the years I have completed total restorations of:
61 Karman Gaia

The guys with anything made after 1995 or so don't know shit about rust (again with the Mazda disclaimer).

Wow! Haven't heard about a VW Karman Ghia in a long time. I have a friend who's Uncle tracks a gutted out '68 Ghia every month. My best friend in high school had a '69 Ghia with brown metallic flake imron paint.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by 86geek

Wow! Haven't heard about a VW Karman Ghia in a long time. I have a friend who's Uncle tracks a gutted out '68 Ghia every month. My best friend in high school had a '69 Ghia with brown metallic flake imron paint.

Yep in all it's 1.2 liter 35hp glory!

[thill]

The car is not some collectors edition Ferrari or Porsche. Just put it the winter tires on it that you already bought and use the car for the intended purpose. Wash it regularly, but just enjoy it. I seriously doubt it will affect your resale value at all if you drive in the snow and properly maintain the car vs keeping it in the garage. I guess the only benefit is keeping the mileage lower, but in the end the car will depreciate whether you are driving it or not and then you are paying for something you are not enjoying.

People overthink this stuff. Enjoy it. It is a fun car in the snow with snow tires.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by thill

The car is not some collectors edition Ferrari or Porsche. Just put it the winter tires on it that you already bought and use the car for the intended purpose. Wash it regularly, but just enjoy it. I seriously doubt it will affect your resale value at all if you drive in the snow and properly maintain the car vs keeping it in the garage. I guess the only benefit is keeping the mileage lower, but in the end the car will depreciate whether you are driving it or not and then you are paying for something you are not enjoying.

People overthink this stuff. Enjoy it. It is a fun car in the snow with snow tires.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[stevesnj]

If your truck is capable in the snow why drive the car? Isn't the truck more of a sure thing?

[Sarlacc]

I've got a truck, too. A 4x4 Nissan with low gear series. I use it as a work horse in the forest and for supply runs.
I use my GT86 for everything else, all year.
I've had dents and scratces and rust spots. All taken care of by insurance and warranty. No worries.
The car is great in the snow, by the way. If you like that kind of spirit, of course :-)

[caliprep]

Lol even though I hate the cost of living, I feel lucky to be living in Cali.

[sledheadguy]

Originally Posted by stevesnj

If your truck is capable in the snow why drive the car? Isn't the truck more of a sure thing?

because the car is a blast to drive in the snow. up where I live its the common thing to store your summer driver its its a sports car. I am now second guessing it

[yanfoo]

Been driving mine for the past 2 winters, zero issues, 100% of the fun.

My old Suzuki Vitara (a real 4x4) was the only thing that was more fun, just because you could drift all 4 wheels at the same time...

I say enjoy it, on my part I just can't live without it...


edit: and oh, mine's a 13, 55000km, looks like out of the showroom floor. All it needs is care when spring comes around. A few ThOROUGH washes in wheel arches, engine bay and such. You need to go everywhere the pressure washer won't.

Of course it isn't perfect after only 1 wash, it usually takes me 3 or 4 to get it where I want it to be.

No rust, no nothing. I'm telling you it's still brand new, even cleaner than some that are put aside for winter months.

[sledheadguy]

Originally Posted by humdizzle

If you are driving the FRS in winter why the hell do you need a truck. Thats like having 2 daily drivers...

whats wrong with that? been doing that since jan. kinda like it

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by sledheadguy

because the car is a blast to drive in the snow. up where I live its the common thing to store your summer driver its its a sports car. I am now second guessing it

I am a huge advocate for driving a car all year round... usually.
I drive mine year round because I bought it as an inexpensive, fun, nice looking DD and have no expectations of keeping it looking nice or having it more then 5 years. If you want to keep it a long time and not having it look like it went through a meat grinder then storage is the better option. These cars are more then competent in the snow but if you do have the option of driving something else it should be considered. Now if you don't mind the little bit of wear and tear the winter causes then it is indeed a blast to drive in the snow.