bezanson88

Hey all i have a 1985 trans am, in great condition with little to no rust...the winters here tend to be pretty rough and the use of salt is very frequent, i know some people drive their F-bodies year round, but im just looking for some opinions id definitely first off get it undercoated to make sure....but what else would you recommend im not worried about the driving part in general...ie slipping around or anything i mean in terms of preservation of the car. i know ideally it would be best to store it but i don't know if ill be able to or not as i now have a job that requires me to get to work via car...and beater cars in the sense are not that cheap of an option in my province with all the safety things and such. im from Nova scotia by the way but yeah if anyone has any tips lemme know. thanks.

Guardedsoul

If you have a garage or something indoors to park, you should just wash off the undercarriage every week or so during the winter to wash away the salt. Being inside should keep the car warm enough that the water won't freeze after washing.

89transam*pearl

iTrader: (1)

With the amount of salt they throw on the roads in NS during the winter undercoating will help some but that sh*t's gonna get in every nook and cranny underneath.If the car is rust free then get a beater and store it at least from Dec - Apr or it's on the highway to hell.

Brennan

your best bet is to have it sprayed with krown the stuff works like a charm you just have to make sure the shop sprays it good but id really recommend storing the T/A and car pooling or something

TheLegedaryErin

F bodies are not good winter cars. I ended up driving mine through the bc Rockies winter a few years back and learned that the hard way. first thing is they are low and mine with the T top The doors where always freezing and i can easily go on.

As for undercoating, it is the quickest way to make a little speck of rust turn your car into a rust bucket. I have seen a few really solid cars turn to crap in any where from six mouths to a year because they where undercoated improperly.

Gumby

What engine???

I drive my Bird yr round most times, up till around 3ft of snow. then its just a plow. The V6 helps allot, not allot of push, good tires are a must.

Had a v8 2nd gen once with all nice stuff, sucked in the rain let alone snow.
But most winters my only problem is everyone else driving so slow.

Though having a stick helps also but I can stop and turn when I like in most conditions. Just get scared around ditches as it being lighter it can hook in a rut and drift off course easier. We got big deep ones around here that just scare me but on the open road I fear not. Its actually quiet fun in the winter.

I consider ever year about finding some narley off road knobbie to put on it for more bit in the rear and put some skinny ones on the front.

online170

the rubberized undercoat can cause rust.

Get it Krowned, it works well. Its a fluid thats oily but heavier than water. (normally oil floats on top). Cars have alot of "hook" shaped creases, where water and moisture collect, so when you krown it, it adheres to the metal and keeps away the moisture.

My freind does it to his truck that he drives year round, and it has served really well. The salt in Ottawa aint that great either.....

However, they SAY it lasts for 6 months, but i would get it done now, and again in february.

Frozer!!!

iTrader: (11)

Buy a $500 beater truck . It hurts me to see these cars being driven during winter. I dorve mine for 2 winters and the sound of salt rocks pinging against the underbody drove me insane.

WSX123

iTrader: (1)

Just save about a 1000 and buy a beater for winter something front wheel, anything would do as long as it runs thats your best bet. look on craigslist for one

Brennan

i work at a garage that sprays krown the stuff is awesome there are just a few thing to remember when you get it done: 1. it only lasts roughly 6 months like stated before, 2. when you get your car back check it for dry spots asap and have any dry spots fixed 3. make sure the shop sprays all the weather stripping with silicone spray krown will destroy weather stripping it swells up, deforms and eventually falls apart same thing with fiberglass except it will just come apart, and 4. make sure the underside is clean, if the bottom is dirty the krown just soaks into the dirt and is basically useless

sap

I drove my car through the winters 1997-2002 and 2006. In addition to it sucking in the snow, on the ice, and generally in the cold, I've got a nice little bit of rust starting around the passenger's side wheel well.

Get some good winter rubber, get used to shifting into neutral if you've got an automatic, make sure you know how to handle the car in skidding situations, and wash frequently. I suspect my bit of rust wouldn't be an issue if I'd hit the car wash more frequently. If you garage the car a wash won't freeze it up, but the warmer temperatures will speed up the salt a bit too (so don't slack on the washing).

Now that I think about it, I could have picked up a winter beater for the cost of winter tires ...