Hey guys,

Just trying to beat some winter boredom and keep the thread alive, so I was wondering if some of you guys winter drive your Rx's?

I was heading down to tim's for a coffee the other day and see this forest green Fb cruising along side of me. With temperatures sometimes dropping to below -40 here in Saskatchewan and plenty of ice and snow, I couldn't imagine taking any of my 7's out for a cruise. That being said 5 years ago in Nova Scotia around Christmas time I took my Fb out for about a week to treat myself and had the worst time with my nikki carb due to some cold winter nights. I never did that again..

I had also bought a Fb a while ago with the most aggressive winter tires on it and just wondered if people actually enjoy winter driving these beasts.

I mostly always see just Fb's and Fc's being winter driven, so what's your thoughts?

 

Maybe the FDs are too low to drive in the winter. Also too rare.

 

I have not seen any RX7 being driven in winter in my area.

My 2 cents: winter driving = rust spreading.

 

Not only the nature of the Rx7's but also what if someone slides into you. It would be my nightmare.

 

I drove an fb and an fc in a few winters and they were very good cars. I never had any trouble starting and never really got stuck (stayed on main roads). The fuel injection made it easy. The old nikki was a pain on really cold days to keep running once the choke kicked out.

I often consider purchasing an n/a fc for some winter fun.

 

My first car was a 1984 300ZX (NA), loved the car and then I drove it for a winter... Drove alright but the body rusted so bad with all the salt we use in Montreal. Recently bought an FD and it will obviously never see road salt.

Lesson learned...

 

Drive my RX-8 R3 all year, winter is when it's most fun to drive. My FD is in hibernation till spring, I could not imagine driving it in the winter when it's trying to kill me all summer long!

 

If you think you look Cool in the Summer in an Rx7..

you'd look ICE COLD ..lol...in winter.. Rico Suave!

 

Would have to agree it would certainly be fun! A n/a fc would be the most practical winter beater for sure.

In Saskatchewan they mostly just put a sand mixture on the roads but in nova scotia, once an inch drops they go ahead and drop 2 inches of salt. Sometimes feeling like youre driving on those salt flats in the states lol

 

I winter drove my fb for 2 years and never had a problem or got stuck. Went off roading on twisty, icy gravel roads too. I also never had a problem with my carb nor used winter tires.

I still take my fb out in the winter from time to time. Sometimes it's a matter of necessity, sometimes she just needs to strench her leggs. But more likely to be the case I'm looking to perform a delicate dance on an iced over parking lot. I still never have issues with my carb even at -40.

 

My FC has never been winter driven - the upside, it is completely rust free, the paint hasn't been salt-and-peppered with rock chips from the gravel, and it is amazing how easily suspension and brake parts, etc come apart never having been exposed to road salt. I removed the front control arms to rebush everything a couple summers back, the job took a couple hours - I spent longer than that trying to remove a single tie rod end from the hub on my daily-driver Passat last summer to replace it, and it doesn't have a whole lot more mileage on it.

That said, for many years, I had a 80's vintage 200SX that I daily drove year-round, including ski trips and snowshoeing and backpacking deep in the backcountry. I had snows on the back only, but it was a lot of fun in winter, and rarely got stuck (twice that I remember, both times in the back lane behind my place, when snow had drifted in 2-3 feet deep). A rear wheel drive car can be perfectly usable and very fun in the winter.

 

Yeah I agree, that would certainly be the upside to not winter driving. My Fd has always been stored in the winter and I don't leave garage if its raining or if the road is wet but I have been caught in the rain a few times and made the most fun of that on the way home. Its a nice feeling working on something clean and easy, unlike my ole dodge pickup where you would need the cutting torch always near by.

I do still have the old primer grey Fb with the aggressive winter tires on it that would be fun for the winter roads as I only kept it for parts. It ran when I parked it and is all intact.. hmmm

 

Most people with FD's usually have money for another car. The FC and FB guys are generally broke lol.

 

Not true, it was my dream to have an fd only after owning my first 84 fb. And then after owning over half a dozen fb's I finally later in life could afford a fd. and I'd say it was the most proud moment of my life.

 

Salt is the only reason I don't drive mine in the winter.

 

I'm so lucky to live on Vancouver island, My son drives his fc year round. I take my fd out regularly on sunny days. When the temp drops close to 0 degrees they dump a salt solution on the roads, then it goes away! The turbos love that cold dense air!! lot's of fun!

 

In my younger years I drove my SA in the winter but it's not an experience I'd like to repeat. No traction to speak of and easily stuck. My carb would also ice over something fierce in temperatures around 0 to -5 C. I had to carry a case of de-icer so I could pull over, douce the venturies to thaw the ice and then proceed.

Now that I'm looking my RX-7 every day in the garage, sadly sitting and waiting for summer, I have fantasies of taking it out for a spin, but I'm way too paranoid about getting hit. You'd think that Saskatchewan drivers would be used to winter driving, but they're all terrible.

 

MosesX605, I'm with you on that one. All the same experience I had with mine and yes, I do the same thing. I do think a few winter night pictures would be kind of nice for a change but like you said and I agree, SK drivers still haven't got the hang of it yet.