lemons12

iTrader: (71)

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.

sundaydriver

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!

Mr CHI

iTrader: (3)

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?

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

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Most definitely. Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves.

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

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.

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.

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.

Lynnmh

iTrader: (1)

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.

KENS_SS_4

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

NDFORSPD

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 ****) 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/**** 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.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Agreed on all counts.

sundaydriver

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.


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!

RaggedRides

iTrader: (8)

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.

Lynnmh

iTrader: (1)

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.

archerandsons

iTrader: (17)

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!

willizm

iTrader: (10)

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

02ws666

iTrader: (1)

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!!!

LS1crazy01

iTrader: (14)

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.

Gordon0652

iTrader: (4)

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!

ls6firebird

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 **** 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

willizm

iTrader: (10)

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.

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

Gordon0652

iTrader: (4)

Outch, burned.

sundaydriver

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.