Its true! And I'm sure most if not everyone else stores their beautiful third gen away for these long cold months. Im still gonna keep mine out for....well until we get first snowfall i guess, so ive got some time. But i was wondering what kind of winter car some of you may have. Im looking to buy one, and i would deffinately like some imput on some nice winter cars. Im open to suggestions.....but im a teenager and gas is bad enough on my budget, im thinking around 3 grand.....i know it isnt much but hopefully ill be able to get something decent with it. Anybody have any good suggestions? I want fwd or awd and a decent amount of power, i know the odds arent exactly in my favor, but i hope so.

 

I'm just throwing some winter tires on and praying to the anti-rust gods. After driving last winter with the camaro, the underbody looksthe same as it did before the winter - some slight surface rust. However, I usually wash it about once ever two weeks, and high pressure wash the underside each time.

I know the only way to avoid rust is not drive in the winter, but I don't have the greens to buy a winter beater.

This year will be a little better, as my job is two blocks away and I don't need to drive the car daily, as I did last year.

BTW zdc, good luck with the winter car search.

 

I've been pretty lucky in terms of rust too. My underbody is 100% clean (not even surface rust) but I did have two small holes in one of the wheel wells that I had to cut out and replace with fresh metal. Before winter hits (hopefully by the end of the month) I plan on stripping the wheel wells, washing the bottom of the car, and then painting everything with a few layers of por15. I would have money for a daily driver/winter beater if I wasn't so busy spending it on the TA. I've probably broke $10,000 this year on it if you count stereo stuff and you couldn't tell by looking at the car. No carpet + red and black body = ugly bird

 

Haha, im more worried about the backroads i drive, some rarely even get plowed after it snows, and my non posi rwd wouldnt fare too well i think. Good luck to you guys though.

 

my baby goes away for the snowy months, november 1st to b exact. my daily is a acura integra, the old body style(90-93) not the ugly newer 4 round head light ones. lemmie tell ya i love this car. i had a 99 cherokee before i got it and that was a hog on gas. my integra pulls down 37 mpg easy, which is considerably better than the camaros 10ish. lets just put it like this, i havent been to the gas station in a week and a half, my gauge is at half full, and ive gone 210 miles, sweet.
matt

 

mines gona probbly quit seeing daily use in early december or just before the first snow whichever comes first. last year it saw 2 weeks or so total winter use. on a decent week i had it out once, and when my lumina was broke for a week i got to play with it in the snow.

but i use my lumina as a winter warrior for now, it sees use all year long, just cause i can throw some snow tires on it and and it will go anywhere i want it to. once i can store my z34 and camaro, i will, but that probably won't be for a little while longer.

 

mine's going in the garage for winter in a few weeks. the ram is my daily driver. my wife recently picked up a 94 saturn off a friend of ours for a winter daily driver. they are cheap and pretty reliable.

 

I usually make it to late October or early November before they salt the roads for the first time. My Corvette usually gets driven even a bit beyond that, just as long as the roads are dry so that the salt doesn't get up on the car, but the Camaro doesn't move once they salt.

Unfortunately, where we just moved to gets a LOT more snow (and salt), and it comes earlier in the season, so my driving season might get cut shorter now. A couple nights ago it was already down into the 20s overnight.

So anyway... my winter vehicle.

87 GMC Sierra Classic 3500 with a 454, TH400 and a nicely equipped interior. Unfortunately, it gets 8mpg, and I just moved 30 miles from work, so there's NO WAY I'm driving it daily anymore. I just picked up a 91 S15 Jimmy beater for that.

 

You'll need a front wheel drive V6 vehicle if you are looking for something with a little giddy-up. Preferably a 2 door on the smaller mid size of things. A manual tranny would be a big bonus (both for performance and gas mileage). The reason I suggest domestic is because if you'll ever need parts they (for the most part) are readily available and cheap .

My daily winter driver is a '92 Merc Topaz. 2 door 5 speed with a 3.0 V6.

 

 

Oh trust me, i know we can easily get a cheap car, i got my maro for 500. I just wanted to say i couldnt exceed 3000. Sadly everytime i look for cars i always end up looking at camaros for sale, just today i went to go see a z28 with a vette motor in it......if it hadnt been so beat up on the inside i would have jumped all over it

 

Deals are everywhere, I seen an oldass blazer up the road, surprise to me there's no rust at all. Think my friend is using that as a winter beater if it's cheap enough.

 

yes just get a truck or something for the winter ... something that will survive ... that leaves ... chevy ... and o .. chevy =D so yes just wrap your car up for the winter and just check on it every now and then it should be fine what i do is i bought the biggest tarp i could find i put my car cover on then i put the tarp over it and packed it in around the wheels and everything so that moisture had a tougher time getting in there seems to work =D

 

Run a 3rd or 4th gen...studded snows and away you go...I'll use my 98 z28 or a 91 firebird in the winter and my girl will be using her 92 firebird while her 85 trans am rests

 

yes im getting some money put aside to pick up a car off the ads here so i can have some winter fun =D i totally forgot about studded tires hahaha ... i more of the drive it till it blows kinda guy ... dont like messing around with tire often did alot of that while working at garage

 

My camaro comes off the insurance the first week of december, it hasnt seen much road time this summer anyway because I let the inspection run out to play with some things. Anyway, my winter beater is a 1993 Toyota Paseo, a massive 1.5L 4 banger, and a 5 speed. 203,xxx and still running. She's a tank too, I feel better driving that in the snow than my moms Land Cruiser. Also, 40mpg around town is great, and closer to 45 on the highway...all for just $800 bucks

Look around, you can pick up a decent little junker for 1000 or so, its all you really need for the winter.

 

Yah The winter is coming but we still have a while yet. I usually drive my car until October some time. When the salt hits I get out my "winter beater". I love my Tahoe, I am the 2nd owner and the lady before kept this thing cleaner than my Camaro!

PS this pic was taken on my honey moon in August at Cade's Cove in Gatlinburg TN.

 

I usually pull the Camaro off the road late october/early november.

As for a winter vehicle, I recently bought this.


V6, Auto, 4X4 - has all the creature comforts, handles great, OK on gas, can tow nicely (obviously) - its in RWD normally, and I can choose 4HI/4LOW whenever i want.

I paid 3gs for mine. I love it.

 

thats a great deal for 3g's. nice boat too!

 

My uncle got this car for 200 bucks. Some old pontiac. It was virtually flawless except for the heavily faded paint. Put on new tires and away it went.

Good deal although it was just some old Bonneville. Now a TA in that condition for 200 .... I'd be on that like a fat kid on a cake.

 

Chevy Corsica Baby! It's cheap and is FWD. And I dont care if somebody tbones me!

I drove my camaro to Wisconsin last Thanksgiving in a snow storm and got stuck a few times in the snow. It was fun but man I regret it this year. There is a coating of rust on EVERYTHING because the snow got all packed in everywhere.

If you care about your thirdgen you wont drive it in the winter.

 

Jeep Cherokee. They handle the snow like you wouldn't believe, indestructible drivetrain, and those 4.0 sixes have some decent power. When I had my '90, I was averaging about 17 mpg with 5 inches of lift and some heavy mud tires. A little better when it was stock. You will not be dissapointed.

 

i had a 99 cherokee before i bought the teg. i loved that friggin truck, incredible in the snow and unstoppable in the mud. i only got it stuck off road once and the mud was up to mid way on the doors. only complaint i had was it only got 13 mpg which promped the switch to the 4 banger. but damn that 4.0L had some get up and go. nothin like my 1.8 liters of pure honda furry tho, hehe.
matt

 

haha, think your 1.8L is packing some punch? How about my 1.5L of nothing but excellent gas mileage in my Paseo...40mpg on average

 

My IROC is my all year round car, no going in the garage for storage any time soon. I just power wash the bottom after driving it on the salty roads and dry off everything. I'm that commited. But for around three grand you could get a decent Jeep cherokee. My friend has one of them and they rock in the snow, and it has over a 150k miles and still running strong.

 

Badass. Those cars haul... and that's a rare car too! The V6 and 5 speed were rarely mated... and in a 2 door? Damn man, use the 3rd gen as the winter car!


My MR2 gets parked soon as the snow hits. I drove the Corolla last winter... but I think I'll be pimpin my wagon this winter before I yank the sorry V6 out in the spring

 

Dont flame me haha, a 1996 Toyota Avalon XLS, 3.0 V6 is my winter car. To tell ya the truth its the most reliable car i have even owned, and i'll go cross country right now without thinking twice, even with 231k on it!

 

1994 2.2L 4 banger Chevy Corsica. 211,000 miles. I just got back from a cross country trip to Colorado. Definitely the most reliable car I've had!

By the way speaking of snow we are supposed to get some snow showere here tonight and tomorrow damn winter is coming fast!!

 

i've got a 94 buick park ave as my winter car. i paid $2000 for it and its got the superchaged 3800. its a great daily driver and its beats my friends 2000 v-6 bird

 

What kind of mileage do you get with that PA? I just bought a 98 park avenue with a supercharger. Kind of scared to check what my mileage is going to be

 

if im on the highway going to and from school i get about 24 mpg but around town its a whole differnt story and i get 17 or 18mpg

 

My winter vehicle? Oh, you must mean the black Camaro I have parked out front! Jersey winters can be unpredictable, so I just put a new set of rear tires on the car each winter ( wonder why ) keep her really clean and use common sense. Some days I just know not to go out, but so far I haven't been let down. That's not to say I haven't had my share of uber-exciting off-ramps and such. Used to have a 93 Protege that I would use. Sold it a few weeks ago....I must have been crazy....one of the greatest cars I have ever owned.