bezanson88

Hey all, again another hypothetical question as i still yet to own my camaro. But i know most store their camaro's for winter and yet some do have daily drivers for year round use. , im from halifax nova scotia and we use lots and i mean lots of salt each winter and our winters are pretty crap. its pretty much a two part question.
1st i know its a RWD and for the most part these can have a harder time in the winter and some advise putting sandbags in the back to weigh it down to allow for traction. But all things considering is it alright to drive them around in the winter or should it be avoided as it can im assuming drastically diminish its value/make it rot away that much quicker.

and 2nd, if i do, do this what would be some fundamental steps i would take to ensure that even though its on a salty road it has the best preventative measures taken so that its not a rust bucket come spring :\

Any info or general input on the subject is welcomed as my knowledge is lacking.

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

I drive mine in the winter. You need to be gentle. Don't speed. BRAKE EARLY. Our winter here is mostly rain, but occasionally we have icy mornings and evenings. These cars like to get away from you on dry ground, let alone when they lose traction.

For the rust question, find a car wash that has an undercarriage wash (jets of water that clean your undercarriage) and you'll spend a bit of cash doing it, but wash your car through it after you drive on salted roads. Maybe even wash under it with a hose at home. Or you could POR-15/Undercoat the underside, but shipping is expensive here in the states, I'd hate to see it across seas.

82 Iron Duke

iTrader: (21)

Simple question simple answer, don't drive your third gen in the winter unless you can bear to wreck it IMHO it is easy enough to find a $500 front wheel drive car to get you through

F41eatsFords

I have to drive mine in the winter, and in my personal experience, I've found sand bags a bad idea. They help you get going, but when you hit the brakes, it makes it more prone to slide. I think it may have been cuz mine were in the cargo area behind the rear axle, and too far back. I just go without bags and take it easy on the gas to keep from spinning out. Another thing I've found is if you start to slide when you hit the brakes, push the gear selector in neutral, so your rear wheels don't push you further (I found this out the hard way). I live in the Detriot area, so wee have tons of snow and even more salt.

And about rust prevention. When I got mine, the floor pans had surface rust, but were still solid. After the first winter, I had to patch some holes that had formed (Michigan used WWWAAAAAYYYYY too much salt). I painted the entire underside with RustBullet, expensive, but said to neutralize rust for at least ten years, and then undercoated. If your pans are pretty clean whenever you get yours, you could probably just undercoat them and be fine. Wash it once a week at least when there's salt on the ground. I can't speak from personal experience, but from hat I've heard, these handle way better than Mustangs in the snow. Either that, or Mustang drivers just can't drive, lol.

TIMMYS89GTA

iTrader: (28)

yeah,luckily he doesn't own one yet.
I can't imagine parking my car and getting into a fwd. piece of crap even just for winter time lol.

90BlackGTA

iTrader: (1)

Being from Regina, Saskatchewan...I know winters just as good as you if not better haha...anyway I bought my 1990 Trans Am GTA last summer and while I had so much fun driving it and would've like to drive it year round, being from Canada and where I live its just not reasonable or smart to do for many reasons:

1) Because our cars are RWD it makes the drive in icy conditions much more hazardous and prone to accidents
2) If you haven't realized it yet, most accidents during an entire year happen during the winter (at least where it snows) and therefore there's so much more of a chance of someone ELSE hitting you therefore causing an accident
3) Rust - This speaks for itself...if you love your car and want it to last you, don't drive it in the winter period. Although you do see some TA's and Camaro's driven in the winter most will have a good amount of rust already on them so they don't car when they drive it. Our cars are "muscle cars" just like corvettes but for some reason you don't see really any corvettes driven in the winter so why should we? It would make more sense that more corvettes are driven in the winter since there whole vehicle is practically fiberglass and won't rust...
4) The last reason is something you'll only realize if you DO store your car during the winter. One thing about storing your car in the winter is that you really get to realize how much you actually do love your car. I mean if you thought you liked it when you bought it, wait until you store it. After a month or so you'll start to get the bug. I call it the "Can't Wait for Spring Bug" lol because you want it to be spring already so you can drive your beautiful thirdgen...It also gives you a chance to do some work on your car or think about what you want to do to it,etc...so in this regard I don't mind storing it but obviously I would like to drive it year round...but trust me...store your car during the harsh winter. Not only will you be saving your car, you'll be saving your wallet, and you'll enjoy your car more once you get to drive it again in spring!

Hope that helps...sorry for rambling, just myself I cannot wait until spring! Josh

82 Iron Duke

iTrader: (21)

We have 3 inches of snow on the ground right now and it is coming down hard, I haven't driven my Camaro since this Summer and I wouldn't even think about it. I have too much time and money invested in her to wreck it, like I said I would rather wreck a Hyundai than have to replace parts on my Camaro, my

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

If you have the funds available to drive two cars and store one, do it. I personally live in an apartment, where storing a car would only take out the accident half of the downsides of driving in winter. It still gets just as rained on. That, and I can't afford a second car, although it would be nice. Be able to drive something to the parts store while working on the 'Maro.

90BlackGTA

iTrader: (1)

Just get a second car for the winter, something cheap ($500-$1500)...I mean if you can afford your car first of all and afford mods and routine maintenance, then theres not much reason why you can't afford a cheap car to get you through winter...Josh

v10viper04

I know the feeling! I just got my Camaro last summer and i stored it this winter and i NEED to drive it!!! lol i love that car!! but before i stored it i had to drive though the snow once and no even little throttle she would spin (my tires were kinda bald) but i will never do that again. Save your car and wallet store it.

90tararebird

iTrader: (4)

I've had my Trans am 18 years and drove it every winter in Mass. I've gotten stuck i few times but genrally if you are carefull you can get by. I think the most important thing is good tires. When my car was new and had Gaterbacks on it and it sucked in the snow. It was like having racing slicks on. I always planned on getting a winter beater but life got in the way. Sure the car is only $500-$1000 but then theres insurance and maitaniance on a piece of crap. Now as result of driving it in the winter its got its share of rust. But at least its in one piece.

90BlackGTA

iTrader: (1)

See this guy knows what i'm talking about lol....

Kevman

I'm doin' it. I have brand new michelin Pilot X's on 16" Iroc-Z rims.. I've been stuck twice.. Once in my driveway in an inch of snow, and once in front of my brothers house on a small chunk of ice.

82 Iron Duke

iTrader: (21)

If it's your only car then be very careful, if you wreck it at least be kind enough to tell us what JY it is at so we can get parts before it is chrushed

90tararebird

iTrader: (4)

One thing i forgot. Heres what you do if you get stuck in about 6 inches of snow. First put car in drive, next get out and push. no need for a driver it probably won't go any where anyway. No lie i've done this plenty of times. At least two this year alone.

v10viper04

Dang straight! lol It nice to be able to have that first drive after a long time. Just like when i first got her.

bezanson88

wow, lots of replies and again thanks all for the info, im a university student right now so finances are probably going to be tight to even pull the camaro itself, so ontop of that getting a secondary winter beater is probably out of the question. But its still a possibility if something works out with my parents. seems like the best idea would just to store it due to the fact the rusting that would occur and along that the expense of undercoating etc. we will see what happens though anything can happen between now and next September. Thanks again for all the info.

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Quoted for emphasis. Sure, I could buy a $500 winter Geo Metro, but it will have the maintenance record of a $500 Geo Metro. And it would probably come with bad heads. Or a destroyed clutch. Or my favorite, "Blown head gasket." So that adds to the $500, then getting it registered, getting it to pass registration, general maintenance, paying insurance.... It's a lot larger financial hit overall than having one car.

90BlackGTA

iTrader: (1)

Take the bus lol

Anomaly

I drove my car 2 winters, and stopped after seeing the effect it had on my previously clean rust free undercarriage.

v10viper04

Well people who know how to buy a good cheap car won't have any problems.... there can always be trouble but i would dump money into a winter beater any day than have my Camaro rusting on the salt saturated roads of NY.

83Firebird420

i cant wait till spring. my GTA's been under a cover for the last 4 months. spring isnt coming fast enough. lol.

p.s. i also agree with spending money on a winter beater, rather than getting the nice car salty.

Rusty91o

I hear you. My Z/28 has been in the garage since Mid November. I took her back out on a very nice day about a month ago for a car meet, and make sure that everything is still perfect. Right now shes in a garage, I got the battery out, its under a car cover, and still shines from the last wash I gave her. Mmmmmm...

v10viper04

Wish i could take her out on nice days but i can't Insurance policy is on road for 6 months then she goes off the road for 6 months. kinda suckey but it saves my car.

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Eh. Maybe I'd be more motivated to do it if our winters had salt and ice. Other than the temperature, our winters are just rainy summers. :P Viva Arizona!

v10viper04

Your luckey, i wish we only had rain, here in NY when they salt the roads your not even driving on road anymore! Your driving on salt!! lol

The White Knight

I drive mine in the winter :

On my drive home from work about 2 months ago, it misses Summer duty



Some other wintery shots :

The White Knight

Snow tires + sand bag = great

I do 1000km a week on like back roads, and its an animal! I wouldnt drive anything else

RS Reaper

andand my If you want to be comfortable install a heated seat kit in your seats there all over eBay and you’ll be toasty going down the road.

BlackSunshine84

winters in pittsburgh is why i bought my '90 honda civic hatch 5-speed. we dont get hammered like im sure you guys do further north, but they love to dump the salt and cinders all over at any hint of snow and ice. so i let my little honda take that kind of abuse during the winters. not only that, but the honda gets amazing gas milage which gives me a break from my camaro and road runner gas guzzlers that i drive during the spring/summer/fall months! plus it gives me time to do things to them while they are in the garage that i dont want to do during the nice months when i should be driving them.

89CamaroLover

I'm in northern IL. This is my first winter in my Camaro, well at least on the roads, I bought it last November and didn't have it on the road untill spring. I don't have another car nor could I afford one this year but wanted to have one. Next year I'll probably go that route, but it is kinda fun to drive the camaro in the winter. As is I'm not too worried about rust the car has seen at least three winters around here and there is not too much body rust anywhere on the car its mostly on the passenger door, underneath looks pretty good still. Its just the mainly exhaust that is a rust bucket. I don't think that the car being rwd is a good reason to box it up for the winter, the rust and the idea of that other idiot hitting you is though, I highly doubt it will see winter next year just because of what I'll have into it, but I don't doubt the idea of another rwd vehicle or even a third gen to drive through the winter, just one thats rusted and/or crap. Take it to a parking lot learn how to handle it in the snow, not a great idea for regions getting feet of snow at a time though, we get no more that a foot on the ground at anyone time during the winter.

racing geek

iTrader: (5)

I just bought my IROC in November I think, and I have it put away for the winter. I went out and bought a $750 Ford Tempo 5-speed (see pic below). I'm glad I got it... I now know how to drive stick, and my IROC will be as good as when I put it away. Like many have said... waiting for Spring is killing me!!



I'm pretty fortunate to be able to afford my IROC and a beater at the age of 16.

--------------------------
I'm also happy I put it away because I'm going to be getting 10"-14" of snow by tommorrow morning.

5-0 Blackbird

I drove my 91' firebird this winter, only got stuck twice, both times being on ice in my driveway (and my tires are bald as all hell, lol. It's fine if you just take your time and wash your car at a car wash like someone mentioned (washes underneath) whenever you can. The only other problem I had was once I couldn't stop, but I just down shifted (5 speed) and all was fine. If you take the proper steps you'll be fine, but if you have the money, get a winter beater. I drove mine this winter, but I'm looking for a winter beater for next year.

v10viper04

Well said my friend

Fyrstorm

iTrader: (1)

I succeeded for 12 years until November last year when I had no choice but to drive it a couple of KM to get the motor swapped, and back in 97 when a JUNE snow storm surprised us in Edmonton when we drove it across Canada.

Trying to move with 1/2 used up tires was almost impossible, there was 10" of snow on the ground and I could barely touch the gas without spinning the tires hehe!

After having my beloved Jeep rust apart before my eyes (10 years, 380k km) is when I said to myself, if I were considering keeping a car for a very long time I'd do everything I could to keep it away from those winter months. We use a ton of salt here too, and I cringed when I saw a white firebird next to me on the highway while it was freezing rain out.

RS Reaper

Another thing is here we get little snow but lots of rain the only think I'v had is going to fast and hit a big spot of water and haveing the car die from to much water geting under the hood. I just wait about 2 min and then fire her back up hehe then off again. It's only happen one in the two years I'v had it.

v10viper04

WOW! THat must be some deep A** water! but it driving off again right after thats a third gen for ya!

RS Reaper

Yea you got to love road construction it turned the road in to like a small pond. Hehe my friend behind me got the kick up from my cars and it was like a blast to him.

AMigs87IROCz

Yikes!!! Driving ANY 3rd gen in the winter is TORTURE!! If you ABSOLUTELY MUST drive it and can't get anything else.....be the best "Granny" driver you can be......LONG braking distance.....BIG reaction gaps

BEST ADVISE: Though it may SOUND like its playing around....Take it into a big parking lot and spin it aound, fishtale and then learn the amazing art of COUTNERSTEERING. My first two cars were Monte SS....super sleds.

As far as salt/debris is concerned...well you can TRY to fight the battle, Any tip I could give you is as long as water won't freeze on contact...wash it ASAP after the messy stuff....remember it's not the water or the painted surface to look out for...its the salt getting into the crevasses that will f*ck you. A TOUCHLESS carwash that has an underbody spray will help you out

...by the way for all you hardcore roughin' it camaro snow drivers...where do you live??

86NiteRider

iTrader: (10)

Once you spend upwards of $3000 on just paint alone you will store that Camaro or Firebird. If you drive in the winter you will have tons old rock (salt) chips in your paint that you won't see until springtime.

v10viper04

Thats deff true! i don't drive mine in the winter and my car has chips in it from freakin rocks! And i have a huge chunk of paint missing since last october from a bigger rock hitting my chin spoiler. Ticked me off!

F41eatsFords

I live in Michigan, Detroit area. We prolly don't get as much snow as in northern Canada, but it's enough where if I can afford to next fall, I'm getting an old S10 or Caprice classic to get her away from the salt.

And yes, take it from personal experience, leave a lot of breathing room.

83camaroMN

I drive mine in the winter, only thing is these cars rust really bad so you have to wash it at least 2 times a week if not more if your worried about rust.

As for sliding and stuff good tires and sand bags would help don't really need them but they will help. For me I have no issues I have bald tires and no sand bags never been in the ditch yet. I trust my camaro more then the 2000 monte carlo we have, those things are **** in the winter almost had 4 accidents this year because it likes to slide and do 180's fing POS.
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Minnesota

Benny K

iTrader: (1)

I used to drive my 84 Buick Regal Somerset in the Winter, same with my 1974 Electra Estate Wagon...

Put on nice Winter Tires (not that four season **** you got a lot in the states) and if you have a positraction rear axle you're fine!!

I've never been stuck with the regal (posi) but the estate didnt have a posi so it was easier to get stuck.

Remember, BMW's and Mercedes are RWD too...and the older ones don't have traction control as well...same goes for older Volvos...and they're from sweden!

Kevman

I don't have to worry about rust on the floorpan/subframe. The previous owner undercoated EVERYTHING. Plus, the leaky rear main seal keeps everything nice and oiled.

racing geek

iTrader: (5)

Yeah it was kinda funny... It was the first snow fall of the year and I still only had my temporary license. I was driving home from church with my dad and little brother in our truck and we are coming up to an MATC and he tells me to pull in there. I'm like what the... ...school doesn't start until Monday. He laughs and says "I'm going to teach you how to drive." I'm thinking "oh great another time where I will be told to slow down, take a left, make sure I look over my shoulder" and all that other stuff. He has me stop in the middle of the parking lot, tells my brother to tighten his seatbelt, and tells me to get up to about 10mph then turn the wheel a little and step on it. The first time I tried it, I spun out and he said we aren't leaving until I can drift all the way around the parking lot.

All in all, it was the best driving lesson I have ever had!

Titan85

iTrader: (1)

lol, same thing with me. I had a smile from ear to ear the entire time.

I am going to jump in and also say to go with a winter beater. I am driving an 87 Crown Vic and am extremely glad I decided to put the camaro away for the winter.

I have already scraped up the side of the car by sliding off my driveway, hit the front bumper on the side wall of the driveway when I made a quick turn coming up it (you really have to see it to know how this is possible), drifted through a blind corner, slid out in front of a jeep, and slid through a red light sideways (best experience ever).

The bottom line is, winter beats the crap out of your car and the salt finishes it off.

winter problems example: buried her up to the floor pan

v10viper04

Nice picture
, good thing you did put her away! i've seen that happen to some of my freinds before. My one friend acted like he could fishtail down a snow covered road with a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2wd doing 40mph. Guardrail proved him wrong.

Titan85

iTrader: (1)

lol, those darn guardrails are so inconveniently placed!

That was not my finest hour driving . I came in my driveway fast because I have to in order to make it up without getting stuck. The back of the car decided to slide out and I brought it back (feeling pretty good about myself at this point), but got a little to far to the side. Hit the mud and it was all over. Fun times

86FireTA

I definately have to say, don't drive your third gen in the winter. If you know it's going to be a fairly nice day or whatever then sure it's fine, never ever ever drive it in the snow! It was sometime in early December 07, it was around 3 in the morning and I was coming home from my girlfriend's house. The first snow of the winter, it was only a quarter inch to an inch. I thought I could make it home if I went really slow and took my turns real nice. I got onto the main road with a 45 mph speed limit, I was going 28 mph. I was trying to drive on the dotted lines, in between the two lanes. I couldn't see anything, next thing I know I'm up on the median, saying "oh ****" to myself and being a retard, I cut the wheel way to hard. I spun the rear of my car, brakes locked, next thing I knew I was goin 30 mph into a guard rail. My front end was messsssseeedd up. Luckily there are some good junkyards around here and it's all replaced now, I need a new bumper, hood, bumper cover, fender, headlight, turn signal, fog light, and that other light. With that being said, just don't drive it in the winter.