So there I was.... Hungry with only a Z28 to drive that has been sitting for the past two weeks. At first I think to myself "How can this be"? Normally I have at least a few customers cars to drive or the truck, but not today.

I looked at the 6 inches of frozen snow covering the hood and body, and with a grumble of my stomach I grabbed the broom and started knocking it off. Only problem was the snow had sat there for two weeks and had frozen up quite well. Finally get all the snow off the front of the car and scrape the windshield. Moving to the back of the car I check the drag radials to ensure there is proper pressure, mind you there is snow and ice on the road.

I go to unlock the door and the damn key wont unlock it. Go around to the passengers door but not without slipping on some black ice behind the car and falling flat on my ***. Jumped up real quick like nothing happened and made sure no one was looking. It was almost 2am and I was safe, no on-lookers. Get the door unlocked and almost rip the door handle off trying to get the door to open. Once it opened it made this god awful roar like a 10 inch spike getting pried from a stack of 2X4's. I then put my knee on a frozen solid seat from where the T-Tops apparently must have leaked. Have to fidget with the lock on the drivers door and give it the ole linebacker shoulder to get it open.

By now I am so cold I could not feel my face. Finally get the key in the ignition and vroooom! Fired right up! The starter did not flinch or crank slow. Just a quick spin and she was running. I was impressed. While I have seen so many cars die the past few days the ole' Z did not leave me stranded and hungry at work. Driving to get food proved to be rather scary. The frozen chassis made some sounds I would rather not describe but it got me there and my belly is full.

 

It was 0 degrees here all day yesterday. I waited until about 7:00 to try and fire it up. When I did, it didn't want to start. It always starts a little hard. When it did start, it made a weird noise, don't really know how to describe it. So, I just hopped in with a friend and left the car at home. After I got back home, I started it again and it made the same weird noise for a few seconds, then ran fine. It kinda sounded like the belt was frozen and rubbing or something. I don't know. And yeah, I hate the sound of the frozen chassis hitting bumps. I feel like my t-tops are just going to shatter into a million pieces whenver their frozen too and I hit a bump.

 

good stuff, I did the same a few weeks ago, only to notice the inside of my z smells like a barn. I investigated and found a mice nest under one of my rear seats, ugh.

 

the sound you probably heard was the power steering pump, it was close to -30 here last night and i decided to go for a ride in the Z and low and behold she also started right up no questions asked

that is if you dont count the ignition which was a bit hard to turn since it was so cold, the moaning of the power steering pump, and the fact when its that cold my alternator like to pretty much peg the voltage guage at almost 18 volts, confirmed with a voltometer at over 16! yup and it definitely decided to pop one of those 25 dollar headlights!

 

ya if my car hasnt been started for about 8 hours or so when its this cold out it will fire right up, but the power steering pump whines for about a minute till it warms up... and i also have the alternator spiking problem when its cold because i just bought new silverstars about 3 weeks ago... and the other night when i started the car up i flip the headlights on and they are on the brights... sad to say my drivers side went out on me as soon as i turned them on... and my gauges were reading at about 18 or so, but it went down after it warmed up... so off to the parts store i go now to get another headlight lol

 

A couple weeks ago the high miler wagon stranded me one day but I strongly suspect wet gas as a week earlier it fired at the same -16f no problem and since has been fine at those temps too.
The station I got gas at does not take care of anything but the beer cooler and they have riverfront property so I think water is very likely. Ran a couple tanks of E10 since to flush it out.

The wagon has 224K on it and receives light maintenance, since I bought it at 172K a few years ago it got an ignition tuneup at maybe 185K and a waterpumps since. Thing is quite reliable all things considered.

High here yesterday was like -7f and it fired right up.

The Caprice fires at zub-zero temps after sitting weeks at a time. I do not drive it this time of year because traction on cold salty roads is not going to happen anyway and the tires I have for it are summer only. A dusting of snow and I have had to rock it over a 1/2" lip in the driveway.


They both will make that yetti howl in sub-zero weather, as stated it is the power steering, GM has a cold weather fluid to solve that but it cost prohibitive for this climate. If it did it every day all winter I would fork out the coin but not for a dozen or so mornings a winter.

 

My car was parked three months ago before the snow began. It has headers that are leaking, stock tubing after that and no muffler. (all soon to be fixed)

I cranked it and it started right up after 3 months of nuttin but sitting behind the garage chillin....

 

Damn! I am glad I live in the south. That is way too cold up there!!!!

 

When you live in it you get used to it. On those warm days when it reaches 30 degrees I will actually work outside in a t-shirt long as I am doing something physical. Halogen lamps or those bathroom infared bulbs put in a aluminum flood light with the clamp work great to heat the objects you are working on. Most of us from the north would melt in Texas summer heat.

 

**** I thought it was cold here today and im sure it prolly atleast 50 or 60

 

I never get used to the cold. Damn Illinois weather. One day its 5 and the next 3 days it 45. And then its 5 for the next 3 days again.

 

x2 we enjoy a snow down here. people can't drive in it though so the whole town shuts down for flurries.

 

Well right now im in the *** crack of virginia (south west) for school, funny thing down here is its 15 one day with a 30 mph wind thats always blowing in your face, and then 75 the next, car runs fine though...gotta hate that cold steering wheel though

 

Normally my Camaro sits in the garage all winter, but I needed to use it yesterday. Was picking up a new rolling tool chest from Sears and it didn't fit in the trunk of the Grand Prix. I hadn't driven the Camaro in about a month, and it was about 0 degrees yesterday, but it started right up. Took awhile to get the exhaust hot enough to spool the turbo, but I drove it like an old man anyway.

 

Mine sat for a little over a month and then my fuel pump went out in my '86 Cavalier so I had to get it back out while I worked on my Cava. The weather here has been cold (0-20 degrees) but last night it hit -5. I've been driving the Z on the nice days when it is clear outside. It starts up every time I need it, but yet again we have a heated garage for all of our cars.

 

It was in the low 70s here this weekend, drove the TA, no issues

 

I know how you feel, we had about 2 inches of freezing rain then another 5-6 inches of snow one night. Went out in the morning, car started beautifully in -5F(the wind chill was like -40, i was freezin my *** off). Took me forever to get all the ice off, most of it just shattered into peices and I slid it off (yay for v8 engines warming up quick, hehe).

 

thats a lot like here with the weather in Colorado. It sucks when a nice day is 35 degrees or above, but somehow the ol lt1 stays in it, I love my car!

 

+1, screw that cold crap. It was 70+ here today.

The only time I've, "seen" snow was December of 1989 and I was under 1 years old. It snowed here and they shut the whole town down. All the bridges, roads, and the airport were closed because nobody in Florida knows how to drive in the snow.

 

this seems to be one of the worst winters we have had, the roads are terrible, they called it the year of the potholes. I just want it to be warm so I can drive my z. even tho we have pretty bad winters i would not want to live anywhere than here.