Winter: Do you really park/garage the 8?
12-20-2007, 01:13 AM
#1
Winter: Do you really park/garage the 8?
Meaning you don't drive it during the winter?
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
12-20-2007, 06:35 AM
#2
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Meaning you don't drive it during the winter? If theres no snow , I might take it out for a drive ..
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used? You still have to have insurance specially if you making payments on the car .
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast. If you want to support me and the family, I will move with you . Otherwise I have a job , house , and family that I just can't uproot and leave ... If , we all move to a warm climate we wont fit .....We will have a few empty states , would'nt we ?
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used? You still have to have insurance specially if you making payments on the car .
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast. If you want to support me and the family, I will move with you . Otherwise I have a job , house , and family that I just can't uproot and leave ... If , we all move to a warm climate we wont fit .....We will have a few empty states , would'nt we ?
12-20-2007, 07:27 AM
#4
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1) No...I don't drive it in the winter and you wouldn't either if you lived here.
2) You can drop your insurance to just Comprehensive if you garage your car, as long as you don't lease the car. Cost me $46 for 5 months. YIPPEE
3) Born and raised here. I don't think I could live somewhere without snow in the winter.
2) You can drop your insurance to just Comprehensive if you garage your car, as long as you don't lease the car. Cost me $46 for 5 months. YIPPEE
3) Born and raised here. I don't think I could live somewhere without snow in the winter.
12-20-2007, 08:30 AM
#5
12-20-2007, 08:49 AM
#6
Registered User
Not everyone drives an 8...so not everyone would need to move to a place where it's warm all year long...
Besides, I still drive my 8 and there's lots of snow right now.
Besides, I still drive my 8 and there's lots of snow right now.
12-20-2007, 09:09 AM
#7
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Hell no! My RX-8 is driven year around. I think its actually funner to drive on snow covered roads as you can get a little sideways at slow, safe speeds. Its probably not as bad here in Colorado Springs (as long as you stay out of the mountains) as in many other states but you could of fooled me with the 3 or 4 blizzards we had last year. The only factor that would impede my winter driving would probably be ground clearance. The RX-8 has fairly good traction and with a set of decent tires, getting around is not that bad as long as you know how to handle it.
I lived in Texas for 29 years and moved to Colorado to get away from the hot, humid, sweltering, sticky central Texas heat and finally got tired of having to wear shorts on Christmas. I also lived in Galveston for a bit and it may be 75 in the winter but that's not worth putting up with the 110 degrees in the summer. I love Texas but I'll save it for a few yearly visits. 35 degrees here with the sun out can feel like 65 degrees in Texas with cloud coverage. Take the humidity out of parts of Texas and it wouldn't be that bad.
I lived in Texas for 29 years and moved to Colorado to get away from the hot, humid, sweltering, sticky central Texas heat and finally got tired of having to wear shorts on Christmas. I also lived in Galveston for a bit and it may be 75 in the winter but that's not worth putting up with the 110 degrees in the summer. I love Texas but I'll save it for a few yearly visits. 35 degrees here with the sun out can feel like 65 degrees in Texas with cloud coverage. Take the humidity out of parts of Texas and it wouldn't be that bad.
12-20-2007, 10:43 AM
#8
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I drive my 8 year round, but if it's snowing or threatening to snow I'll take my '87 Accord instead. This keeps me from needing to buy snow tires and wheels. Keeping the Accord was part of my plan.
I'm in Virginia, so there aren't that many snow days each winter. When the Accord breaths its last, or is donated to charity, I'll be springing for Blizzaks and cheap wheels. In the meantime, it's nice that Zoomy isn't seeing salt or skidding morons.
Ken
I'm in Virginia, so there aren't that many snow days each winter. When the Accord breaths its last, or is donated to charity, I'll be springing for Blizzaks and cheap wheels. In the meantime, it's nice that Zoomy isn't seeing salt or skidding morons.
Ken
12-20-2007, 10:48 AM
#9
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I still drive the 8 during winter as long as theres no snow on the ground. In chicago, snow means theres a lot of salt on the roads and thats the bad part of winter driving.
12-20-2007, 11:19 AM
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1. yes I garage it
2. drop to storage insurance
3. plan to move from here in Jan 09 to Raleigh NC
they can have winters too but nearly as bad as here in michigan, and should def. be able to utilize the 8 more.
2. drop to storage insurance
3. plan to move from here in Jan 09 to Raleigh NC
they can have winters too but nearly as bad as here in michigan, and should def. be able to utilize the 8 more.
12-20-2007, 11:42 AM
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12-20-2007, 11:55 AM
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Meaning you don't drive it during the winter?
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
12-20-2007, 12:12 PM
#15
Having owned and driven cars in full-blown, Rocky Mountain winters for 33 years, here's my take on it. Longish, get comfortable.
I garage my 8 for winter. I'm ready to tuck it in on Nov. 1, but this year November was mild and dry so I actually drove it right up to 11/29. I don't plan on pulling it out again until about March 1st or when the spring rains come to clean the roads up.
I used to have an RX-7 and winter driving ruined the finish. It wasn't just salt, but I'll get back to salt in a minute.
Sand and grit applied to the roads here by the state DOT was the biggest, most immediate damaging factor. At highway speeds, even when the roads are dry, the grit is tossed-up off the roadbed and effectively sandblasts every forward-facing surface of the car, as well as the underside. Our cars are very low, and this makes it worse. The effect isn't as noticeable on my Explorer above about 2 feet high. Not driving at highway speeds and staying on city streets helps reduce the effects of sand damage. It's as if every highway and freeway is a construction zone all winter long.
A mask or bra helps, but only for the extreme nose and it won't help the windshield at all. The grit finds it's way into every nook and cranny of the car and under the hood. It's not always possible to wash it away no matter how thorough you think you are.
The effects of salt are more insidious. If you keep your paint clean and waxed, the white, crusty salt residue on the exterior won't hurt much if you wash it off regularly. Salt does most of it's damage on unseen surfaces, in between sheet-metal seams, behind panels, on top of horizontal surfaces under the car, that even thorough spraying can't reach. It's a longer-term corrosion that may take 4, 5, or 6 years to be noticed, but by the time it becomes visible, it's too late to take preventative measures and it's time for the bodyshop.
Even when roads are dry, a fine salt dust is present and this is kicked-up by traffic. Like sand, it finds it's way into every little niche and crevasse. As soon as it's activated by water or even high humidity, it starts to corrode. Many cars also can accellerate salt-induced corrosion because of electrolytic action induced by the electrical system of the car itself. That dusty salt residue all over the engine compartment and any unclean surface, is always conducting a very small charge which accellerates the corrosion.
You may not notice winter damage for years, but if you drive in winter and live in an area where sand, salt, and similar materials are used on the roads, sooner or later it's going to become apparent.
So when I bought my '07 last March, I had already made up my mind to tuck it in for the snow season. I warm it up about once a week to operating temperature, roll it up and down my salt-free 100-foot long driveway if it's dry, and give it a quick check. I park on double-thick carpet to avoid developing flat spots on the tires and keep it covered between warm-ups. There are a few other little things I do that I've already posted about elsewhere.
Yes, I still make payments for those 3 or 4 months that I'm not driving it, and I keep the insurance coverage just in case of emergency and it must be driven for some reason. But insurance premiums at my age aren't bad at all.
There it is. YMMV.
I garage my 8 for winter. I'm ready to tuck it in on Nov. 1, but this year November was mild and dry so I actually drove it right up to 11/29. I don't plan on pulling it out again until about March 1st or when the spring rains come to clean the roads up.
I used to have an RX-7 and winter driving ruined the finish. It wasn't just salt, but I'll get back to salt in a minute.
Sand and grit applied to the roads here by the state DOT was the biggest, most immediate damaging factor. At highway speeds, even when the roads are dry, the grit is tossed-up off the roadbed and effectively sandblasts every forward-facing surface of the car, as well as the underside. Our cars are very low, and this makes it worse. The effect isn't as noticeable on my Explorer above about 2 feet high. Not driving at highway speeds and staying on city streets helps reduce the effects of sand damage. It's as if every highway and freeway is a construction zone all winter long.
A mask or bra helps, but only for the extreme nose and it won't help the windshield at all. The grit finds it's way into every nook and cranny of the car and under the hood. It's not always possible to wash it away no matter how thorough you think you are.
The effects of salt are more insidious. If you keep your paint clean and waxed, the white, crusty salt residue on the exterior won't hurt much if you wash it off regularly. Salt does most of it's damage on unseen surfaces, in between sheet-metal seams, behind panels, on top of horizontal surfaces under the car, that even thorough spraying can't reach. It's a longer-term corrosion that may take 4, 5, or 6 years to be noticed, but by the time it becomes visible, it's too late to take preventative measures and it's time for the bodyshop.
Even when roads are dry, a fine salt dust is present and this is kicked-up by traffic. Like sand, it finds it's way into every little niche and crevasse. As soon as it's activated by water or even high humidity, it starts to corrode. Many cars also can accellerate salt-induced corrosion because of electrolytic action induced by the electrical system of the car itself. That dusty salt residue all over the engine compartment and any unclean surface, is always conducting a very small charge which accellerates the corrosion.
You may not notice winter damage for years, but if you drive in winter and live in an area where sand, salt, and similar materials are used on the roads, sooner or later it's going to become apparent.
So when I bought my '07 last March, I had already made up my mind to tuck it in for the snow season. I warm it up about once a week to operating temperature, roll it up and down my salt-free 100-foot long driveway if it's dry, and give it a quick check. I park on double-thick carpet to avoid developing flat spots on the tires and keep it covered between warm-ups. There are a few other little things I do that I've already posted about elsewhere.
Yes, I still make payments for those 3 or 4 months that I'm not driving it, and I keep the insurance coverage just in case of emergency and it must be driven for some reason. But insurance premiums at my age aren't bad at all.
There it is. YMMV.
12-20-2007, 12:19 PM
#18
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12-20-2007, 01:17 PM
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Meaning you don't drive it during the winter?
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
...
WORST.THREAD.EVER
12-20-2007, 01:26 PM
#20
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funny thing is as long as it don't snow to long or is not to deep i drive in it but if it gets more then two inches i park it and drive the accord untill all the salt is off the roads.believe it or not the eight has a lot of hiding places for rock salt that don't do your car any good under in and around the wheel wells.and unless you have a power washer it's hard as hell to get it out of the grille and wheel wells.have fun out there and be safe for the holidays!
12-20-2007, 01:32 PM
#21
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Winter driving!!
Winter driving is one of the main reasons why I drive rotary. With thier 50/50 weight balance, and snow tires they are extreamely predictable if you ever get into anything hairy.
With the low torque the RX-8 puts out, you can go the speed limit in 6" of unplowed snow, and cruise on by the SUVs and trucks struggling to go 30 with all the torque and crappy weight balance.
It does not matter how deep really (within reason), I have gotten vans, fwd cars, and trucks all stuck. I have never gotten a rotor powered car stuck yet!
Hell no it does not get stored - it gets new shoes and I go out and have some fun!!!
(I do worry about rust and salt some, but comes with living in MN. I was going to rust proof my car - but with the new rotary engine in the works and I am on a lease - probably wait until I actually purchase my next car to add the additional winterization.)
With the low torque the RX-8 puts out, you can go the speed limit in 6" of unplowed snow, and cruise on by the SUVs and trucks struggling to go 30 with all the torque and crappy weight balance.
It does not matter how deep really (within reason), I have gotten vans, fwd cars, and trucks all stuck. I have never gotten a rotor powered car stuck yet!
Hell no it does not get stored - it gets new shoes and I go out and have some fun!!!
(I do worry about rust and salt some, but comes with living in MN. I was going to rust proof my car - but with the new rotary engine in the works and I am on a lease - probably wait until I actually purchase my next car to add the additional winterization.)
12-20-2007, 02:06 PM
#22
Hepcat, if you wait 2 years to rustproof, some damage will already be done. The sooner, the better.
I have no argument with the driveability of an 8 in winter. My only concern with winter driving is with long-term preservation and staving-off wear and corrosion. Read my post above, I've been driving in winter for a long time.
Be careful going the "speed limit" in 6" of snow. Terrific handling and balance may help you go- but it doesn't help you stop.
I have no argument with the driveability of an 8 in winter. My only concern with winter driving is with long-term preservation and staving-off wear and corrosion. Read my post above, I've been driving in winter for a long time.
Be careful going the "speed limit" in 6" of snow. Terrific handling and balance may help you go- but it doesn't help you stop.
12-20-2007, 02:19 PM
#23
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True
Stopping can be an issue - tires help with that quite a bit.
I do not mean to make myself sound reckless, I am not. I just push myself a little harder than an average driver, when the car is capable of it.
I agree about the winterizing bit - I am waiting to see what will happen in the next month or so regarding the new "refreshed" RX-8 and 16X developments ( I also sell Mazda cars so I am waiting with baited breath), that will determine if I am going to keep my current RX-8 or turn it in at lease end.
I do not mean to make myself sound reckless, I am not. I just push myself a little harder than an average driver, when the car is capable of it.
I agree about the winterizing bit - I am waiting to see what will happen in the next month or so regarding the new "refreshed" RX-8 and 16X developments ( I also sell Mazda cars so I am waiting with baited breath), that will determine if I am going to keep my current RX-8 or turn it in at lease end.
12-20-2007, 02:37 PM
#24
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Meaning you don't drive it during the winter?
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
If so, then do you still pay insurance and car payments on something not being used?
Strange concept for me. Why then don't ppl move to places where it not so cold in the winter. Heck, its about 75F here in Texas, Gulf coast.
12-20-2007, 02:44 PM
#25
^^Oh, I can drive a car in the snow, that's not the issue for me...but I take one specifically built for it.
But Myrador's question is naive on another level.
Many people own more than one car, even people in Texas.
What's the big deal if the interval between driving different cars is one hour, one day, or a couple of months? You can still only drive one car at a time.
But Myrador's question is naive on another level.
Many people own more than one car, even people in Texas.
What's the big deal if the interval between driving different cars is one hour, one day, or a couple of months? You can still only drive one car at a time.