General LSX Automobile Discussion - Buying (X-Car) To Save My F-Body Argument

I was thinking about the whole "Buying Another Car to Save My LS1" and thought:

If you buy a cheap car. $2,000-3,000
Cant you just save that money and drive the LS1 till something gives?

Transmission you can get for around $2,000 or Forged/New Engine For $2,000-$3,000.

Then you can drive the LS1 all you want, right?

Anybody that can tear apart the theory, or is it pretty solid?:secret2:

well yes, but then you have to worry about regular wear and tear, paint chipping/fading. and if you spend 2-3K on a little honda and get 25+ mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, on regular gas, it's evens out things in my mind. replacing 185/50/14s will be a lot cheaper than replacing 275/40/17s. just my .02

My opinion is, unless the F-body has less than 10k miles, you should be driving the damn car. I understand a winter vehicle for salt ridden roads but other than that, drive your car.

I agree with cookba. Drive the mother f'in car. It's a f-body not a 1 out of 10 $200,000 car! I drive my ls1 6 speed all year round. After a snow storm, I wash it! It looks great and shows NO signs of surface rust or anything.

lifes too short to drive a honda. You cant take yourcar with you when you die. You might as well enjoy it while your on this earth

I'm with the OP, cookba and 98LS1.... These are just f-bodies, nothing too rare.... Why spend 2-3K on another car that needs: insurance, gas, wear and tear upkeep, registration, etc and just isn't fun to drive?

Just drive your Camaro,T/A, 'Bird or whatever.....at least that way you'll be guaranteed to LOVE what you drive.

At least that's what I considered before I just decided to drive my favorite car.

I would like to have a decent something to pull my car with.. But if I have 2500 extra right now I would pay some debt off... If I didn't have the debt I would buy a beater.

It isn't easy keeping a car clean.. And if I had something to drive when it rained/snowed/etc I would do it.. Also if I'm just going straight to work and straight home, I wouldn't want to drive the TA because of the miles/wear and tears (rock chips) on it.

More miles on a car the harder it is to keep things solid and what not.

if you drive long distances to work everyday it may be a good idea to have a car with better fuel economy. i have a beater dd that i use to go back and forth to work and only drive my TA to work once or twice a week just because it's more fun than a sunfire. it's also nice to have an extra car for when you are working/modding your fbody so you don't have to get everything done in one day.

I agree with buying another car. If its a low mileage, good condition f-body, why not preserve it while you can? The rest of you can drive your f-body's till they stop moving, then do a rebuild. But I'd rather drive it lightly now and have minimal repairs in the future for the day's I take it to car shows...

I know I wouldn't want to have to drive my rear wheel drive muscle car in any type of Winter weather. We get plenty of it here in Southeastern Iowa and I can only imagine the lake-effect snowfall you have to deal with in Chicago.

My vote is to do the responsible thing and have an extra set of wheels. Whether its primarily a Winter/Shitty weather car or "I broke my OPSU while pulling my intake and need to run over to Autozone" car, having a second vehicle is never a bad thing.

Depending on your daily commute, you should look for either a good mileage front wheel drive car or, the route I chose, a reasonable mileage 4 Wheel Drive.

Good luck, man.

I agree with cookba. Drive the mother f'in car. It's a f-body not a 1 out of 10 $200,000 car! I drive my ls1 6 speed all year round. After a snow storm, I wash it! It looks great and shows NO signs of surface rust or anything.

It wont be long before the underside of your f-body is a rust bucket. It doesn't matter how much you wash it. Trust me I do know. My v6 f-body isn't going through its 4th winter, I wash it every other day religiously and it is rusting like god hates these cars and wants them to die. I put it though an auto washer and do the under carriage blast. I wax it at the beginning of the summer and at the end. Bother rear quarter panels have paint chipping and surface rust starting.

I was thinking about the whole "Buying Another Car to Save My LS1" and thought:

If you buy a cheap car. $2,000-3,000
Cant you just save that money and drive the LS1 till something gives?

Transmission you can get for around $2,000 or Forged/New Engine For $2,000-$3,000.

Then you can drive the LS1 all you want, right?

Anybody that can tear apart the theory, or is it pretty solid?:secret2:

Your sig says you also own a pontiac bonneville. Well I'm guessing thats a bunch of :bs: otherwise you wouldn't of made this thread. Might want to update that. Its leading people into a false position to help.

But really, if you still have to have fun and preserve the life of you 02 T/A. Buy another f-body with a 6 banger. Yes there slow, but you wont care when your taking a corner side ways with the engine reving at 6k rpms and that engine blows. Low mile 3.8l v6s go for $250 to $500 all day long in comparison to LS1's that go for $1500-$3500. Trannys for the 3.8l are again $250-$500. The LS1 4l60e goes for far more again.

Sure with a second car you have to put gas in it, register, mantain it but in the long run. It will save you money. Again, I do know this from direct experience. Its dirt cheap to keep my v6 firebird on the road cause I care less about it than I do my z28. Basic maintaince is cheaper cause I dont' have to go get performance replacement parts. I just buy some used parts of a fellow forum member, or I go to a junk yard. Again it doens't matter cause its a daily and its only a 6 banger.

For those that said these are just 4th gen f-bodys and not 1-10 $200,000 bentley/ferrari/lambos. They dont' need to cost a fortune to mean a lot to a person. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Every day you make your car less numbers matching higher mileage cars. The more mine will be worth :D

Same thing with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gens. All it takes is time.

Mark my words. In 20-30 years, a 50k mile or less numbers matching 4th gen LS1 f-body will be worth 50-100k dollars. Its going to be us, the current owners of these f-bodys that will pay that kinda money when we get older, after selling our current cars to get our feet back into one of these beast cause we're ganna miss them so fucking much. Its called late on set sellers remorse :D

Your sig says you also own a pontiac bonneville. Well I'm guessing thats a bunch of :bs: otherwise you wouldn't of made this thread. Might want to update that. Its leading people into a false position to help.

The hell is your problem? :confused:

Read my initial post. I had a thought about the argument and wanted to know what everyone else thought so I made this thread.

That's got nothing to do with me also having a Bonneville, so check the bullshit calling, because there is none. I never said "I'm thinking of buying another car."

I have a beater which is a 93 civic. It's not any more fun driving my camaro when my drive to work everyday is stoplight to stoplight with 30 mph speed limit

The hell is your problem? :confused:

Read my initial post. I had a thought about the argument and wanted to know what everyone else thought so I made this thread.

That's got nothing to do with me also having a Bonneville, so check the bullshit calling, because there is none. I never said "I'm thinking of buying another car."

Umm. Is it bs or not? You still haven't answered, I'm trying to help but theres still this misunderstanding whether or not you acutally own that bonneville. If you do own it; drive the shit of of that for your d/d and keep the miles off your t/a. If you don't own the bonneville. Update your sig (You don't have to if you don't want to) but it is leading people into a false sense of understanding. Like I said the first fucking time. I want to help, I gave lots of good info from direct fucking experience. You seem to be stuck on just the bonneville part. Read through the rest of my post if you get a chance. :D

But again. Buy another car and keep the miles of your T/A, Its a beautiful car and deserves to be driving for fun. Not to get to and from work. Miles on a car serverely decreases the value. Expecially now that no one wants these 4th gen f-body's for right now. Ya know. Since the 5th gens came out.

I only own both 6 banger and 8 banger f-bodys. WTF do I know?

Umm. Is it bs or not? You still haven't answered, I'm trying to help but theres still this misunderstanding whether or not you acutally own that bonneville. If you do own it; drive the shit of of that for your d/d and keep the miles off your t/a. If you don't own the bonneville. Update your sig (You don't have to if you don't want to) but it is leading people into a false sense of understanding. Like I said the first fucking time. I want to help, I gave lots of good info from direct fucking experience. You seem to be stuck on just the bonneville part. Read through the rest of my post if you get a chance. :D

But again. Buy another car and keep the miles of your T/A, Its a beautiful car and deserves to be driving for fun. Not to get to and from work. Miles on a car serverely decreases the value. Expecially now that no one wants these 4th gen f-body's for right now. Ya know. Since the 5th gens came out.

What the hell are you talking about dude? Is what BS? Who gives a flying shit if he owns a bonneville or not? You are talking about something that is totally irrelevant to the thread, simply because he was asking others opinions, not if he should or shouldn't own a DD. He has obviously made his mind up. He was by no means asking what he should do.

Umm. Is it bs or not? You still haven't answered, I'm trying to help but theres still this misunderstanding whether or not you acutally own that bonneville.




That's got nothing to do with me also having a Bonneville, so check the bullshit calling, because there is none.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Dude I know you can read, so please read my posts. Please?

I read the rest of your post and it makes a good point, just like everyone else. Thanks for your input man, I guesss it boils down to how you feel about it.

I edited my post to take out the profanity/insults, so try and do the same and chill bro. No need to start arguments and all that stuff.

This thread is actually interesting, so lets not get it locked fighting with each other. Thank You! :chug:

I only own both 6 banger and 8 banger f-bodys. WTF do I know?

And you think this makes you special? I bet 75% or more people on here have. I have owned 2 V6s and 3 ls1s, some at the same time and some different times. Does that make my word the end to all? Hell no, just like yours is no more important than anyone elses. Chill out a little bit man.

Whether or not you should buy a dedicated daily driver has nothing to do with what car you drive, but what the purpose of the car is and what would be the most advantageous to what your goal is for it/yourself. Ultimately, it's still your decision.

Stock f-body, 8 second dragster, honda civic, monster truck, $250,000 lambo, doesn't matter. If you bought the car to drive every day, by all means drive it every day. If you have the money for gas, tires, maintenance, etc, who am I to say you can't drive what you bought?

If you bought the car to be an all-out race car, or as a collector item/investment, it could easily be reasonably argued that it would be advantageous to you to buy a dedicated daily driver. However, when it comes right down to it, it's nobody's car except yours. If you want to rack up miles on a mint condition rare car, or go get groceries in your 1,200HP dragster, do it.

And you think this makes you special? I bet 75% or more people on here have. I have owned 2 V6s and 3 ls1s, some at the same time and some different times. Does that make my word the end to all? Hell no, just like yours is no more important than anyone elses. Chill out a little bit man.

Again half of my post qouted to make me look like an half an ass. Thank you sir. Qoute the whole thing next time if you can to make me look like a complete ass :D

All I wanted was the gaps to be filled in. Is it the swearing? Are we not all men here? :eyes:

Fine; my bad..

I say get another, get a truck every guy needs a sports car and a truck, thats how i feel. Dont have to worry bout it gettin messy and your car is always cleaned up and ready to go whenever you are. Thats what i do, of course im a brickmason and get a little muddy and filthy at work, its nice to come home clean up and jump in the clean car and haul ass

I think you're worried that if you DD the F body it'll start to break down. Now, these cars don't have the most stellar quality or reliability in the world, but they're not as bad as others would have you believe either. I say drive it, if your only concern is that your F car will start to have problems-your car should be fine. Are there any guarantees? Of course not, but there're a bunch of us on this board that DD their cars and we're doing alright...

Again half of my post qouted to make me look like an half an ass. Thank you sir. Qoute the whole thing next time if you can to make me look like a complete ass :D

All I wanted was the gaps to be filled in. Is it the swearing? Are we not all men here? :eyes:

Fine; my bad..

Umm. Is it bs or not? You still haven't answered, I'm trying to help but theres still this misunderstanding whether or not you acutally own that bonneville. If you do own it; drive the shit of of that for your d/d and keep the miles off your t/a. If you don't own the bonneville. Update your sig (You don't have to if you don't want to) but it is leading people into a false sense of understanding. Like I said the first fucking time. I want to help, I gave lots of good info from direct fucking experience. You seem to be stuck on just the bonneville part. Read through the rest of my post if you get a chance. :D

But again. Buy another car and keep the miles of your T/A, Its a beautiful car and deserves to be driving for fun. Not to get to and from work. Miles on a car serverely decreases the value. Expecially now that no one wants these 4th gen f-body's for right now. Ya know. Since the 5th gens came out.

I only own both 6 banger and 8 banger f-bodys. WTF do I know?
You edited the post dumb ass, you didn't have that in there the first time I posted. Is your comprehension not up to par or something? I quoted that because thats all I wanted to talk about, I had already talked about the rest of it. What is so hard for you to catch onto?

I say get another, get a truck every guy needs a sports car and a truck, thats how i feel. Dont have to worry bout it gettin messy and your car is always cleaned up and ready to go whenever you are. Thats what i do, of course im a brickmason and get a little muddy and filthy at work, its nice to come home clean up and jump in the clean car and haul ass

Fbodys are not sports cars, they are muscle cars. Big, big difference between the two.

Fbodys are not sports cars, they are muscle cars. Big, big difference between the two.

damn. really gettin technical here- just sayin its nice to have a truck and a fast car- sports or muscle

If all else fails, a GTP can be a good DD and still give you the power you want.

:corn:

INBSSTGTFYM!!

(In before someone says they're going to fuck your mom, lol)

wow! people sometimes get a little too offended here

i daily drove my 02 z28 for 3 years. Barrett Jackson will never be setting record sales with 4th gen f-bodies....so...i drive the crap out of mine everyday because i love it!
however, you will need something to get you to work if your car does break(i learned this the hard way). i got a 91 rcsb S-10 with a 4.3 and 5-speed for $1200...it's great on gas and gets me around while my car is broken.
i recomend buying a cheap beater.

i daily drove my 02 z28 for 3 years. Barrett Jackson will never be setting record sales with 4th gen f-bodies....so...i drive the crap out of mine everyday because i love it!


I believe people said that about hemi cuda's back in the day....

btw, that 4.3/5-speed s10 is another hard combo to come by.

damn. really gettin technical here- just sayin its nice to have a truck and a fast car- sports or muscle

Nothing technical about it. They are not sports cars, so no reason to call them that. It will just make your seem ignorant to people that know what they are talking about.

:corn:

INBSSTGTFYM!!

(In before someone says they're going to fuck your mom, lol)

I was thinking, "I hate when idiots put up a bunch of letters like we know what it is supposed to mean". I continued to read on and LOL'd! :lol:

i realize my car isn't a Ferrari, but it still means alot to me. seeing it get covered in dirt and get hit by salt, sand, rocks, and whatever because i have to drive it in the winter pisses me off. if i could still afford it, it would most definitely buy another DD. what if some dumb ass decides to run a stop sign while your driving home from work one day, t-bones your car and totals it. would you rather be in a POS, or the car youv'e put time and money into?

these cars are meant to be driven yes, but having a DD doesn't mean you have to keep your car in the garage and drive it once a year. drive it as much as you want to, but with a daily, you have options. driving a 120hp honda to and from work everyday, getting home, and hopping into your f-body for a drive really makes you appreciate what it can do.

First, everyone needs to calm the fuck down. There is no right or wrong answer here. There is only ONE correct answer, and this guy has it figured out:

Whether or not you should buy a dedicated daily driver has nothing to do with what car you drive, but what the purpose of the car is and what would be the most advantageous to what your goal is for it/yourself. Ultimately, it's still your decision.

Stock f-body, 8 second dragster, honda civic, monster truck, $250,000 lambo, doesn't matter. If you bought the car to drive every day, by all means drive it every day. If you have the money for gas, tires, maintenance, etc, who am I to say you can't drive what you bought?

If you bought the car to be an all-out race car, or as a collector item/investment, it could easily be reasonably argued that it would be advantageous to you to buy a dedicated daily driver. However, when it comes right down to it, it's nobody's car except yours. If you want to rack up miles on a mint condition rare car, or go get groceries in your 1,200HP dragster, do it.

Nothing eles needs to be said really. I'll just add the fact that anyone who thinks it's possibile to keep any car show quality, just by cleaning it, while still driving it in all weather, is crazy. I can prove this with my own two F-bodies. One is a DD, one is not, and it shows (even though I go above and beyond to keep the DD nice).

Mileage and weather wears a car no matter if you accept, beleive, or even notice it. Doesn't matter how well you care for the cosmetics; if you drive it, all you can do is slow the aging process, but not stop it.

personally I do own 4 cars none in which I choose for DD. I have a 03 Mountaineer for family hauling and long trips it has 117k on it with the 4.6 its not the best on gas but heated seats do work well when its cold. My 95 Eclipse I have just because its been with us for 10 years it has 96k and id a blast in the snow with awd. My 96 Z28 I dont give a hell about it looks nice and drives nice but will never be worth a dime with a salvage title 114k on the clock. Same for my 98 T/A granted no salvage history but with 136k miles itwill never bring high dollar. So I will drive them till the wheels fall off. When the wheels fall off I will put them back on and drive some more. I dont care about salt, snow etc. If the floor pan rusts out or any other panel for that matter I will replace it. So for none of the above have rust issues they all have under coating get cleaned very well and get inspected for issues regular. I dont buy cars to let them sit in the garage. I beat them when ever I feel and have a blast while doing it. I dont ever plan on bringing best of show or big money at barrett jackson. I just plan on having a big grin on my face for years to come.

truck and car is the way to go.

I had a GTO for a daily and a WS6 for the weekend cruiser, sold the ws6 after I got that I could not refuse, and then now am looking for a truck/tbss for a daily, to retire the GTO to pleasure driver.

Ryan

truck and car is the way to go.



why not have both. Its called an elcamino

I am with these guys, We have an elantra (POS) and a buick century. People may laugh but they're paid for lol. And then we have my toy. I drive my car don't get me wrong, but with more mods, the less comfortable it is to do. So get a beater, nothing special, and have your car for when YOU want to drive it.

If I daily drove my Camaro it would look as beat as all the other DD F-Bodies around here. But I'm fortunate to have multiple vehicles that all serve a purpose and A newer 274 hp turbo AWD is as much fun in the winter as the Camaro is in the summer.
The Camaro was purchased as a fun car for fair weather. If I had to DD it and park it outside or on the street and money was a consideration for a 2nd car, I never would have bought it!

Nothing technical about it. They are not sports cars, so no reason to call them that. It will just make your seem ignorant to people that know what they are talking about.


It dosn't matter what we call them. Insurance companies list them as sports cars and is the catagory we pay under.

Last winter I drove my GTO all winter long. Shitty tires and a 6 speed sucks. But I liked it. Now I don't have to cuz I have a truck. If I had the extra money I would off diffently bought anothor car.

well i bought my 96 buick century with 74k miles on it for $500 off my grandma, and its been little over a year now and serves it purpose as a winter beater work car. im sure if anyone of your family members was selling the same sale i bought, everyone would jump on it.

I vote to own as many cars as possible. I have always enjoyed every car I've had, whether they were a POS or not. I've always been lucky enough to have an f-body, and I've always had another car to DD as well. I've driven a 96 Grand Prix with a zillion miles on it and thought it was a blast just b/c it didn't matter what I did to it, a 97 GTP which was fast but still decent in snow, a 99 Dakota 4X4 that I did some crazy off-roading with cuz it didn't matter if I tore it up, and a few Z71s. It's nice to have a back-up ride if one breaks down/flat tire etc. You can mod and not be in a big hurry to get done. Plus, u can change your f-bod over to recreational on your insurance, which can cut the rate in half.
Do what you want to do, but if you're a nutcase like me about cars, you're happy to have as many at your residence as you can fit in your garage/driveway.

I vote to own as many cars as possible. I have always enjoyed every car I've had, whether they were a POS or not. I've always been lucky enough to have an f-body, and I've always had another car to DD as well......

......Do what you want to do, but if you're a nutcase like me about cars, you're happy to have as many at your residence as you can fit in your garage/driveway.

If I daily drove my Camaro it would look as beat as all the other DD F-Bodies around here.....

.....The Camaro was purchased as a fun car for fair weather. If I had to DD it and park it outside or on the street and money was a consideration for a 2nd car, I never would have bought it!

Agreed. I'm with these two guys, I see it the same way.

It dosn't matter what we call them. Insurance companies list them as sports cars and is the catagory we pay under.

None of that seems to matter once you're 25+ and married. I pay less to insure my '02 Z than my '04 Cavalier, same company same coverage. I feel bad for the younger guys around here. I read stories about $2-300/month for insurance and I just can't imagine how anyone can afford one of these cars at a young age. No wonder kids starting buying/modding Civics. It's a shame. :nono:

None of that seems to matter once you're 25+ and married. I pay less to insure my '02 Z than my '04 Cavalier, same company same coverage. I feel bad for the younger guys around here. I read stories about $2-300/month for insurance and I just can't imagine how anyone can afford one of these cars at a young age. No wonder kids starting buying/modding Civics. It's a shame

You get your car under your wifes insurance with her as the primary driver. I'm less than 25 (so is my wife), but full coverage on the car is only like 70 bucks a month.

why not have both. Its called an elcamino

or down under a ute, if the G8 ST made it over here, I would probably have purchased one.

I like the elcamino's but I do not want to have a 30+ year old daily driver for as many miles as I drive a day.

Ryan

or down under a ute, if the G8 ST made it over here, I would probably have purchased one.

I like the elcamino's but I do not want to have a 30+ year old daily driver for as many miles as I drive a day.



I liked that idea too, damn the bankruptcy.

As for driving a 30+ year old vehicle as a dd, just do a ls swap and call it good.

I've always had an extra driver car. Right now I don't, but I will just to have a backup. I did the honda DD thing for a year and that was great, if you drive a 100hp honda all week, then jump in a cammed 6 speed trans am, you feel like its a rocket. I'm against the hondas now though, last year mine had a malfunction...at 45mph...and I ended upside down charlie brown. I could have had a few more race cars for what medical bills were, not to mention that if I woulda been in a f body, I wouldnt have happened, or wouldnt have hurt me as bad if at all

I have a 95 del sol I drive every day and there is nothing better than the feel of Vtech torque throwing you back in your seat. Seriously though, I like having an extra car in case something happens. If my TA breaks, I can park it and take my time on it. There are many reason why having an extra car is a good idea. I dont get mad at the almost 40 mpg's I get either.

It dosn't matter what we call them. Insurance companies list them as sports cars and is the catagory we pay under.
It isn't what "we" call them, that is the category of the car.

Autozone says I have a 350 in my car but I don't go around saying that.

None of that seems to matter once you're 25+ and married. I pay less to insure my '02 Z than my '04 Cavalier, same company same coverage. I feel bad for the younger guys around here. I read stories about $2-300/month for insurance and I just can't imagine how anyone can afford one of these cars at a young age. No wonder kids starting buying/modding Civics. It's a shame. :nono:
All of my Ls1 cars have been under mine and my mothers name. I'm 21 so it would be just north of 275/month for me. As long as we are both on it she can be the primary and I am still fully covered under the insurance. The loans are in my name only as I have much better credit than her anyways.
My payment with it in her name and full coverage is like 95$/month.

Needless to say, my mother has owned a lot of fbodys in the past couple year. One was a 10 sec NA car... ;)

Considering not all 'sports' cars are 2 dr, rwd, open roof only 2 seaters...

What defines a 'muscle' car to a T? Technically an F-body is even mid-engine if you want to get down to the nitty gritty. Corvettes were solid axle at one point, some mustangs have IRS.

It could be argued that the only REAL sports cars have 2 seats....but have you looked in the back of a porsche?

Why do you care and who gives a shit; much less what 'noobs' think?


For the argument having a DD is hands down the way to go. Come cry to me when you deal with 10" of standing snow in a an f-car, or some lady drags her malibu or some shit down the side of your car because it was icey. If you've put $10 towards making your car any nicer than factory you are an idiot for driving it through salt. When I invest $ into a toy, I'd like to maintain it. Furthermore it's entirely unpractical for hauling anything, picking up any more than one person and frankly quite dangerous for anyone in the back if you were in an accident in the winter.

The dude who said a truck/suv and a SPORTS car (like it really matters) is spot on. Can't remember the last time I had an old oily engine block wedged in the trunk of my mustang or my trans am.......

Maybe only sports cars can haul old blocks around lol.

insurance should only be paid on a car until you have paid the ins company the price of the car in NADA/kbb value, then you shouldnt have to pay to insure your car anymore, just to pay to be insured for whatever your hit/kill.

I don't have the extra money for a reliable daily, nor do I have room for another car.

Here's my daily:
http://i49.tinypic.com/16iw3gx.jpg

i wouldn't describe it as "beat" from any standpoint. 103k miles. driven 12 months a year in all weather. not a show car but i'd rather daily this so i can afford than settle for something else. i wash and wax it frequently, and keep up on maintenance.

it's modded. i know i'm not getting my money back anyway. i keep it clean and have fun with it. i don't think that's a bad investment at all. not saying i wouldn't get a beater if i could, but i certainly don't think it's stupid to daily one of these cars if you take care of it and aren't careless.

Well, in my case, when i drove my previous 02 t/a everyday, it started feeling boring and slow, but when i didnt drive it for a week, it felt like a beast...
In my current case, for a dd i drive a slow mustang. As for a weekend cruiser, i would have to pick up something with more punch to it, ex: another t/a

I drive the shit out of my monte on the daily. It's not an overly rough daily driver, but its also no ferrari. Part of ownership, at least for me, is motoring around, breaking shit, then replacing it with better parts...I enjoy knowing that putting miles on the puts wear on certain items, and with that wear comes replacement/mod parts.

If you don't like driving your car, then you should get a honda or something that isn't designed for someone who is automotively inclined.

i wouldn't describe it as "beat" from any standpoint.

You can keep them decent for a while with constant daily driving, but over time the winter will take its toll.

This is my 96k mile daily driven '02 Z28. It's seen every sort of weather and driving you can imagine:

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o180/RPM_CamaroZ/2002CamaroZ283-1.jpg

This is my 15k mile perfect weather only '98 Z28. The wipers have never been turned on:

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o180/RPM_CamaroZ/98Camaro8-31-081.jpg

They both look pretty nice in those pics, but upon closer inspection, the '02 really shows the wear in comparasion. If you see the engine bay, or undercarrige, or compare the paint/glass/trim up close, you can clearly see what all-weather daily driving will do to a car. I wash and wax my '02 car constantly, but you just can't keep up with the deterioration of an upper-midwest climate.

RPM WS6 It sure looks like it could enter a show though. Very nice! It takes a lot of effort to make a 'close to 100k miles car' look like that.

You can keep them decent for a while with constant daily driving, but over time the winter will take its toll.

very true. my car came from florida just before i bought it so it's only seen 1 winter so far. hopefully it will only see a few more until i can afford a second car, but for now it works.

RPM WS6 It sure looks like it could enter a show though. Very nice! It takes a lot of effort to make a 'close to 100k miles car' look like that.

Thanks. :) During the nice months I'm constantly washing and waxing it. I go to an extreme; I've restored the headlight lenses many times, I use various chemicals on every surface of plastic, paint, and trim to inhibit aging as much as possibile. The car looks good, but no amount of cleaning or paint & surface protection will prevent all the effects of Chicago weathering though. It's all in the details, and though it might not show in pictures, this is more noticeable when you see my two F-bodies in person side-by-side.

I just bought a cavalier and it's great. Sure it's an extra insurance payment, but I'm saving money with the gas mileage I get. 287 all out in the ta. close to 400 in the cav. premium in the ta. regular in the cav. I would fill up 3 times a week in the ta. I fill up on average 1-2 times a week in the cav. Cavalier also has a smaller tank than the ta. Plus this cavalier is a hell of a lot easier to drive in the rain/snow.

id find a cheap 500buck beater to slop around if you lived in a snow state.

I know some guys say drive it all year round and youll have fun with what you drive. BUT i have my Fbodies to enojy their power and speed, cant really enjoy either in the snow/ rain

Thats why i have my 97 silverado. Its a v6 and it doesnt eat gas like the t.a or camaro. I can drive it in the snow and the reain, park it where ever i want, and never have to worry about a door ding, shopping cart, ect ect.

I take the insurace off my ta, and camaro in the winter and the truck is much cheaper to insure, so if you got a 500 beater it would almost pay for itself with the cheaper gas, and insurance..

I could never think about driving my camaro in the snow, its not me i worry about its all the other assholes out there that dont know how to drive in the snow

i drove my t/a for 2 years as dd, then i got a 1500 silverado and i say get another dd, i love having the option to drive two different cars/trucks, it also comes in handy with having a truck, if i were you i would look at getting a cheap truck, my truck has 186,xxx miles on it and my car has 102,xxx, my car is meant condition for having the amount of miles on it, i got it with 50,xxx and besides one scratch and some front bumper wear there is not a mark on it, i would like to keep it that way so i love having my truck to drive during bad weather and such, i am also still modding my car and being able to drive the truck while my car is down allows me to take my time and do things right on my car

just .02 cents

therealcreeper

i wouldn't describe it as "beat" from any standpoint.


Either would I. But about all the F-bodies that I see in terrible weather around here have owners that bought a cool car and don't properly maintain any vehicle. The enthuasiasts cars are home in the garage.

The wipers have never been turned on:


Mine have been turned on but never used.

Either would I. But about all the F-bodies that I see in terrible weather around here have owners that bought a cool car and don't properly maintain any vehicle. The enthuasiasts cars are home in the garage.

Mine have been turned on but never used.

Pretty vague statement.. I drive my car EVERY day. It is VERY VERY VERY rare that you will catch it dirty. And by dirty I mean enough for me to notice it, not someone else driving down the road. My car is pretty much spotless 24/7. It gets washed around 3 times a week and sprayed off the other days.

Just because somebody drives it everyday doesn't mean they want to. Sadly, I don't have enough money to have a beater and my car at the moment, I will soon though. But as of now priorities are else where and money can't be blown on an extra car when I have a perfectly good one sitting there.

lemons12; Pretty vague statement.. I drive my car EVERY day. It is VERY VERY VERY rare that you will catch it dirty. And by dirty I mean enough for me to notice it, not someone else driving down the road. My car is pretty much spotless 24/7. It gets washed around 3 times a week and sprayed off the other days.

Just because somebody drives it everyday doesn't mean they want to. Sadly, I don't have enough money to have a beater and my car at the moment, I will soon though. But as of now priorities are else where and money can't be blown on an extra car when I have a perfectly good one sitting there


I did'nt think I was being vague. The beat looking F-Bodies around here are owned by people who bought a cool car but only use it as a mode of transportation and treat it as such.

I bought a 2006 vehicle this year that had obviously only been thru car washes and never been hand washed or waxed.

And I don't care what anyone says....I know winters show on every vehicles appearence no matter how well maintained.

I'm old enough and established enough that the cost of letting a car or two sit for the winter is not a factor. Someday you will be doing the same!

They both look pretty nice in those pics, but upon closer inspection, the '02 really shows the wear in comparasion. If you see the engine bay, or undercarrige, or compare the paint/glass/trim up close, you can clearly see what all-weather daily driving will do to a car. I wash and wax my '02 car constantly, but you just can't keep up with the deterioration of an upper-midwest climate.

Both of them look the same to me. Ones got black mirrors and shiny wheels though. Looking Good.

There's a white 95' camaro around here and the guy must have bought it new, because I've always seen it since I can remember. It sits outside mostly, but when he washes it it looks just fine. Drives it all year.

And who's going to look at the undercarriage? :lol:

I guess this is reeeeaallly one of those "Its How You Feel About It" Topics. :chug:

And I don't care what anyone says....I know winters show on every vehicles appearence no matter how well maintained.


:nod: Most definitely. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.

Both of them look the same to me. Ones got black mirrors and shiny wheels though. Looking Good.

Thanks, the '98 no longer has those wheels though. It's now sitting on TT2s.

There's a white 95' camaro around here and the guy must have bought it new, because I've always seen it since I can remember. It sits outside mostly, but when he washes it it looks just fine. Drives it all year.

It's not just about washing a car though. For people that only have one, and/or don't remember what they looked like new, sun and weather ages them more than many realize. Wiper blades draging across the windshield leaves scratches over time, the sun fades the cowl panel plastic over the years, the window sweeps get dried out, sun faded, and damaged by the use of window scrapers, the rear glass trim fades, the grille fades, the headlights get cloudy (Camaro), you get stone chips on the front clip and hood, and overall the paint just loses some of its luster. If you came to my house and saw my '02 car after a recent wash & wax, you'd think it looks as nice as it possibily could. Then, if you stepped into my garage to see the '98, you'd understand the difference. ;)

And who's going to look at the undercarriage? :lol:

Me! :) Seriously though, undercarrige rust is a problem. If you drive them in the winter, the floor pans WILL rust and given enough time they'll just rot away. Undercoating will help with this, but needs to be redone every so often.

I guess this is reeeeaallly one of those "Its How You Feel About It" Topics. :chug:

Thing is, I understand that some people have no choice but to drive them every day, since it's their only car, and that's fine. Or, for some people they don't worry about the car being cosmetically perfect and they'd just rather drive it as much as possibile. That's fine too. To each his own, it's your car...do what you like. BUT, none of that changes the fact that no matter how hard you try, a daily driven car will never stay as nice as the same car that's been spared the elements. It's just all about your goals with the car. I enjoy driving an F-body on a daily basis, so I bought my '02 car for that reason. I also enjoy having a perfect F-body that I can keep as perfect as humanly possibile, driving it only on the nicest possibile days, so I bought my '98 car for that reason.

Either would I. But about all the F-bodies that I see in terrible weather around here have owners that bought a cool car and don't properly maintain any vehicle. The enthuasiasts cars are home in the garage.



Mine have been turned on but never used.

Or maybe we're just broke. You shouldn't assume people like their cars any less just because we can't afford another vehicle or house with a garage to put our ls1 in.

I'm like Jay Leno, if I had his money I would have a warehouse full of cars and bikes.

My 99 GTP HADNT been winter driven when I picked it up in 03, I had full intention of driving it whenever(it was just a bit of an added bonus the car had never been winter driven). Anyways I undercoated(the THICK shit) and power sprayed weekly and still noticed rust by the summer of the next yr! The car has been rustproofed yearly and doesnt look like is ever been done! Ive come to the following conclusions about driving a car in snow/salty conditions:

-undercoating only does so much and MUST be reapplied yearly(esp if power spraying all the time)...even then good luck
-stone chips happen a lot more frequent, salting trucks throwing it at your car doesnt help, this happened twice on monday and could not be avoided.
-washing your car with a washmit/sponge/anything=scratches
-It takes the better part of a month to get all the grit/shit out of all the crevices in the car and multiple(4+) washes

To me, it makes no sense to kill a vehicle that I want to have for the next XX years. Esp now, finding a beater thats actually not bad isnt as hard as it used to be.

Ive come to the following conclusions about driving a car in snow/salty conditions:

-undercoating only does so much and MUST be reapplied yearly(esp if power spraying all the time)...even then good luck
-stone chips happen a lot more frequent, salting trucks throwing it at your car doesnt help, this happened twice on monday and could not be avoided.
-washing your car with a washmit/sponge/anything=scratches
-It takes the better part of a month to get all the grit/shit out of all the crevices in the car and multiple(4+) washes

To me, it makes no sense to kill a vehicle that I want to have for the next XX years. Esp now, finding a beater thats actually not bad isnt as hard as it used to be.

:nod: Agreed on all counts.

did'nt think I was being vague. The beat looking F-Bodies around here are owned by people who bought a cool car but only use it as a mode of transportation and treat it as such.


Lynnmh;12706707]Or maybe we're just broke. You shouldn't assume people like their cars any less just because we can't afford another vehicle or house with a garage to put our ls1 in.

Please don't take offense. I'm talking about non-car people that a mod to them is having a problem that makes the car inoperable repaired. Young, broke, student with a 390ci 67 Mustang 2x2 as only vehicle in eastern Pa. winter, been there.

This thread started about choice and resources.. two cars to preserve one....we all would if we could it seems to me.

And now the Camaro sits on the carpeted area of the heated garage. Cause someday it's going to be parked where I can look at it from my window at a gereatric care facility!

Mines sitting out on the street with ice on the hatch and salt on the side. Honestly, it's so damn cold out I'm more worried the water will just freeze up on the car with the salt and grit below. I washed it underneath about two weeks ago and will hit it again tomorrow.

I'm a broke college kid with no garage and no cash for a beater. I'll push the Camaro along through this winter, but don't really plan on doing it next year. I don't think one year will kill it. When I do finally get something else to daily in rough weather, I'll have more time to take this one apart and fix all the little bullshit problems that have accumulated throughout the last 100k miles.

Please don't take offense. I'm talking about non-car people that a mod to them is having a problem that makes the car inoperable repaired. Young, broke, student with a 390ci 67 Mustang 2x2 as only vehicle in eastern Pa. winter, been there.

Mistook what you said then. Hopefully i can be in your shoes in the near future so I can afford to treat my car they way i want to rather than the way i need to.

dd and trans am here.

i will not drive my 99 ws6 as a dd ever. can but will not do it

-dd paid $3000
-2005 Maibu classic
-67,000 miles
-all i have had to do it change oil and taillight
-30mpg
-every part on the thing is cheap to fix

-99 ws6 money invested $24,000
-68k miles
-8k miles on new drivetrain
-m/t et street...pricey
-drivetrain..... pricey
-wear and tear on brakes and suspension..... cost more then dd
.....everything bout my trans am cost more the dd plus gets like 11mpg compared to 30+!

i voted dd and garage car!

I bought a winter beater and keep the T/A in the garage and gave it a winter vacation.

Here is my beater in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K61XxhxLSmE

I bought a winter beater and keep the T/A in the garage and gave it a winter vacation.

Here is my beater in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K61XxhxLSmE


Why the hell arnt dont you have your 12 gauge semi auto with BB shot shooting them geese? i dont see em but i sure do hear em!!!

I use to DD my car lucky enough I never had to drive it through the winter because my fam always had an extra car. Once my little sister was able to drive that changed real quick. I got lucky and picked up a 94 camry with low miles and dirt cheap from a customer of mine. I use to put about 18k miles a year driving 45 miles each way to work with the TA. This past year I only put 4k miles on it and drove the camry every day minus nice weekends. Now when I am able to drive my TA its like a treat from going from a slow familly car to a nasty muscle car. The fuel milage dropped on the TA since I dont drive it every day though. That I noticed quick, but thats probably because now everytime I drive it im driving it like it was intended to be driven. The car always stays clean and I just appriciate it so much more. The camry is no truck when it comes to snow but it beats having to buy an all season or snow tire to replace my Mickey Thompsons. Plus I get 30 mpg's and run regular gas not premium. And Oil changes are dirt cheap now. So for those fortunet to afford a second car, DO IT! It makes everything better. For those who cant, keep saving your money and one day you'll get there.

willizm wasted his money. get a TBSS AWD but make sure you get snow tires, i have summer tires AWD and got stuck twice so far lol!

i have the car and a 90 silverado. neither one is really officially the dd. i'd dd the firebird. but i like to run the piss out of it, so its nice to have the truck so theres no rush on gettin parts and fixing it when its broke. i drive the truck to work since im in construction and a little mud and tar aint gonna hurt it. but once im home from work im in the bird. im backwards tho, the car gets 20+ mpg while the truck gets about 14 on a good day goin downhill with a tailwind, and i drive the truck 50 miles a day for work lol

Why the hell arnt dont you have your 12 gauge semi auto with BB shot shooting them geese? i dont see em but i sure do hear em!!!

Trust me, I would have. Was kinda hoping that the geese were lined up at the end of the parking lot. I would have tested the door panel durability by sliding into them if I could. Those sons of bitches are mean.


willizm wasted his money. get a TBSS AWD but make sure you get snow tires, i have summer tires AWD and got stuck twice so far lol!

Haven't gotten stuck yet. You get what you pay for.:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e36ZkaGA7m4

Trust me, I would have. Was kinda hoping that the geese were lined up at the end of the parking lot. I would have tested the door panel durability by sliding into them if I could. Those sons of bitches are mean.




Haven't gotten stuck yet. You get what you pay for.:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e36ZkaGA7m4

Outch, burned.

Last nite it snowed one inch of powder at most in my hilly area of east Pa.

The only slippery areas on my drive to work was the 1/2 inch of gravel laid full width of the road along with the deicer. You just can't wash away that damage done to the paint.

Outch, burned.

All kidding aside, I like the TBSS. My neighbor has one that is AWD and smoked my g37 w/ full exhaust and CAI. He had all bolt ons and I couldn't catch traction.

A bit more snow. My buddy with a 4x4 f-150 was impressed that I didn't get stuck :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbVB1p3XKHE

The only slippery areas on my drive to work was the 1/2 inch of gravel laid full width of the road along with the deicer. You just can't wash away that damage done to the paint.

:nod:

I've been stuck behind the gravel/salt/plow trucks on the expressway before with my '02 car. The front clip has certainly taken some paint damage from that.

One time I got stuck behind the gravel dumper for about 5-10 miles before I was able to pass. The entire front of my car was caked in rocks, to the point where it looked less like a car and more like an unpaved alley. Thankfully, the front had first been caked in ice and snow before I came up on the plow truck so all those rocks never hit the paint. Coulda been ugly otherwise.

I don't know about you guys, but my car doesn't get around at all in the rain. I bought a Trans Am because it is built for performance, not driving around in the rain/snow/sleet. I drive it whenever I can when I KNOW it is going to be nice out while I have it out. Besides that, it sits in the shed. I've got other things to take care instead of cleaning up my car every-other day just to keep it nice. My $2,500 beater does its job getting better gas mileage and saving my paint/under-body :D

*Not having enough money is no excuse if you currently own an F-Body. If you are truly poor, do the economical thing: sell your car, buy a Civic. You didn't get in this game to save money, because these cars cost a lot to properly maintain.