Winter: Should I drive it?
12-12-05, 10:08 AM
#1
Radioactive Rotary Rocket
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Winter: Should I drive it?
In 19 years my RX7 has never been driven in the winter, and this year was it's first year to ever drive in any rain. It's very clean and I absolutley love my RX7 even though it isn't the best. My winter beater Jetta just broke down and it's going to take at least a month to fix it. My dad is really nice and loaned my his car, but he has to drive this old truck now and I can tell he really hates driving it.
If I took my RX7 out of the garage, how fast would it rust? It has no rust right now. Is there any way I can do this without wrecking my RX7?
If I took my RX7 out of the garage, how fast would it rust? It has no rust right now. Is there any way I can do this without wrecking my RX7?
12-12-05, 10:18 AM
#2
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Hey cool I never drove mine in rain too. I store mine in the winter, I purchased this car down in Georgia state with NO rust back in 2002. I plan on keeping it that way. Buy a beater if you can for the winter.
chris
BTW I had a first gen. before that and HAD to drive it one winter, rusted out really quick for me and it was undercoated.
If you have to drive it make sure you have ever inch of bare metal fixed otherwise your screwed.
chris
BTW I had a first gen. before that and HAD to drive it one winter, rusted out really quick for me and it was undercoated.
If you have to drive it make sure you have ever inch of bare metal fixed otherwise your screwed.
12-12-05, 10:19 AM
#3
FC4ME
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If they use alot of salt on the roads then you will start to notice some after the season is over. I'd reccomend taking your car to a power washing place once a week if your going to drive it around. Make sure to take some ramps or something to lift the car so you can clean the undercarriage too.
12-12-05, 10:20 AM
#4
The Cause of Death
The only advice I can give you here is to be very easy on the throttle, put some good tires in the back so you can grip. Also you might want to clean her up, undercoat it, and if it gets really salty by you I'd say every couple days spray down the underside of the car, and make sure you get all that **** out of there. Also don't forget to spray off the rear quarter panels, right behind the wheels, and under it.
Basically keep the salt off it as much as you can. Good luck.
Basically keep the salt off it as much as you can. Good luck.
12-12-05, 10:21 AM
#5
I "lost" my emissions....
got a friend with jacks?
jack it up or better lift it and spray some rubberized undercoating on it, you can get cans at advanced auto or auto zone for like 2 bux, (its in a spray paint bottle). and just coat that **** in rubber.
that'll do it for the winter, you really should do it everyyear anyway
just dont drive in any snow and wait 1-2 days before driving on the salt.
in the end it up to you, its your car and yours alone. mines been winter driven and hell parkes outside 3+ years through winters (not by me) with out damage. i personally think winter is overrated so long as you do no salt or snow driving, but thats me.
props for a clean 7 tho
jack it up or better lift it and spray some rubberized undercoating on it, you can get cans at advanced auto or auto zone for like 2 bux, (its in a spray paint bottle). and just coat that **** in rubber.
that'll do it for the winter, you really should do it everyyear anyway
just dont drive in any snow and wait 1-2 days before driving on the salt.
in the end it up to you, its your car and yours alone. mines been winter driven and hell parkes outside 3+ years through winters (not by me) with out damage. i personally think winter is overrated so long as you do no salt or snow driving, but thats me.
props for a clean 7 tho
12-12-05, 10:25 AM
#6
Hey, I'm from MN also. I have not driven my car (FD) in the winter at all either. If you have no rust on it, I would not drive the car. Rust, once started, won't stop without some body work.
Given how old the car is, there's assuredly some spots that are now missing any undercoating they once had. The salt spray off the road here is pretty brutal on the bottom of the car even with undercoating in place. It's only brutal when it's wet on the road though, the issue is the salt/water solution, not just the crystalline salt. I have driven my car once or twice as long as the roads were 100% dry.
It really depends on your goals for the car. If you want to have the body last another 20 years in good condition, find another beater for a month and let the 7 sit or only drive the 7 when the roads are very very dry. If you expect to get another car in 5 years then by all means drive it (but be real careful in the snow!) because one month isn't going to immediately destroy it.
Given how old the car is, there's assuredly some spots that are now missing any undercoating they once had. The salt spray off the road here is pretty brutal on the bottom of the car even with undercoating in place. It's only brutal when it's wet on the road though, the issue is the salt/water solution, not just the crystalline salt. I have driven my car once or twice as long as the roads were 100% dry.
It really depends on your goals for the car. If you want to have the body last another 20 years in good condition, find another beater for a month and let the 7 sit or only drive the 7 when the roads are very very dry. If you expect to get another car in 5 years then by all means drive it (but be real careful in the snow!) because one month isn't going to immediately destroy it.
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12-12-05, 02:32 PM
#15
Radioactive Rotary Rocket
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My dad says he won't let me drive it because he knows i'd crash it. Probably true considering what I was able to do with my Jetta:
I just get excited when I see snowbanks.
I just get excited when I see snowbanks.
12-12-05, 05:57 PM
#16
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if you made an IGLOO out of your Jetta,I would not even take your 7 out in the winter..you'll end up inside a mail box!!..save the car and relax for a month..no sense in taking a risk with your GOOD CAR!..
12-12-05, 06:35 PM
#17
powerwash it at least once a week and you will be fine. I live in PA and I have driven mine in the winter. Undercoat it once a year and it will be good to go. But remember driving a rearwheel in the winter could be dangerous if you are if you ar not careful.
12-12-05, 09:33 PM
#18
Where did my 7 go?
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have fun like me and drive your car. I bought mine WITH rust on purpose so I wouldn't feel bad driving it in the winter. So far its been a great winter car, and with the LSD rear, I have plenty of traction, and have tons of fun sliding around corners. I don't even have snow tires or sandbags in the back.
12-12-05, 11:01 PM
#19
If your area uses salt, DO NOT DRIVE IT! You can power wash it all you want, the salt will still do damage. It’s not just the body/chassis you have to worry about. Every nut, every bolt, brake lines, brake cables, fuel lines, exhaust… all of them will freeze or fail sooner as a result of winter driving.
If your area does not use salt… have fun! IMO, RWD cars with LSD are much safer than FWD cars or RWD trucks (bested only by AWD). Just make sure you have adequate tires.
If your area does not use salt… have fun! IMO, RWD cars with LSD are much safer than FWD cars or RWD trucks (bested only by AWD). Just make sure you have adequate tires.
12-13-05, 05:23 PM
#21
Originally Posted by eyeoutthere
If your area uses salt, DO NOT DRIVE IT! You can power wash it all you want, the salt will still do damage. It’s not just the body/chassis you have to worry about. Every nut, every bolt, brake lines, brake cables, fuel lines, exhaust… all of them will freeze or fail sooner as a result of winter driving.
If your area does not use salt… have fun! IMO, RWD cars with LSD are much safer than FWD cars or RWD trucks (bested only by AWD). Just make sure you have adequate tires.
If your area does not use salt… have fun! IMO, RWD cars with LSD are much safer than FWD cars or RWD trucks (bested only by AWD). Just make sure you have adequate tires.
12-14-05, 03:53 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by GodSquadMandrake
My dad says he won't let me drive it because he knows i'd crash it. Probably true considering what I was able to do with my Jetta:
I just get excited when I see snowbanks.
I just get excited when I see snowbanks.
12-14-05, 04:11 PM
#24
Your FC is way too nice to take the abuse of MN winters man. Show it some respect. I drive mine in the winter but I live in NC haha... we have snow on the ground about three days a year here, and everything shuts down so I don't drive it anywhere during that time.
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