Being from california i may not understand, but i have to ask why do you keep your car inside in the winter, don't want to get it snowed on or rained on? Or is the snow always so deep and the roads so slippery that it is impossible to drive the car? The summer time is filled with just as many hazards, rocks on the road, semi-trucks, birds dive bombing your car, cats.. etc.

 

What's winter?

 

I hate you! jk
Its a time when it gets cold and rain becomes.....

Cant wait till mid-late april for the sweepers

 

Two words: road salt.

Salt causes uncoated ferrous materials to oxidize. Road salt in granular form will pit windshields, headlamps, hoods, front fascias, and other painted surfaces. Curb rash and other damage can be the result of slippery conditions. Low quality hot dipped metal surfaces can rust faster in the presence of road salt.

I agree that there are many hazards in the summer, but you can at least drive your car without worrying about sheet ice underneath the 3" of slush or if road salt is going to eat away the car.

 

I love Winter too! No bugs and mostly perfect weather for drag racing, at least here down south.

 

I lived in LA for 22 years, and last winter after moving to the Ann Arbor area in Michigan in Aug 2006, I didn't drive my car at all that winter. This winter I just couldn't take it, so I dug my stock wheels out of storage, 18x8.5's Bullits, and mounted Goodyear ultra high performance F1 eagle G3 all season tires with center seiping only on them.

I put on a good coat of wax on in December, found an underbody washing hose extension, and talked to many other fair weather winter drivers in this area online. You drive only in dry conditions after the salt has been mostly swept away by other daily driver cars and traffic. This is only during blocks of weather when a couple of days in the weather block are predicted to reach 32 degrees during the day in the sun. Then you are left with salt dust to wash away, with warm water and pressure under the car, and your wheel wells and wheels, as well as the normal washing of the body.

Dry salt dust will effect your car, but since it is not being exposed to moisture when the film of it is on your car, the effects are greatly reduced.
Many online have followed this pattern of limited windows of driving time in the winter, but they come around often enough in eastern Michigan to be worth it.

I'm sooooooooo glad I did this. I get to drive the car just often enough to enjoy long country drives, and tear around just as in the summer, as the all season tires grip just fine in weather 25 degrees and above, with only a slight compromise in performance to my Nitto 555 summer tires. Erik

 

Bah! Just got another 4" of snow. According to the 14day forecast we will be getting some more and no hope for warmer weather yet.

 

We were hit as well, and haven't had a driving window in 3 weeks now, all cold, overcast and snowy. It will be a while before I can drive. Erik

 

Sigh...Yeah. I gotta go out here and dig out again. Can't get down on her when I feel like it. Gotta watch where I drive after I wash it. Tired of being cold.. I could go on and on but you all know. Yeah, I'm tired of it. Come on spring. Sigh...

 

The problem with driving the Mustang on certain days of good weather in MI is that you may have to store it for a long period of time. That means refilling the gas tank, pouring in more Sta-Bil, hooking up the battery maintainer, and re-applying the moisture barrier underneath the car.

 

Actually, I've been able to drive and wash my car often enough so there is no reason to worry about the gas or battery. Every three weeks or so there has been a break and I've driven her long enough to keep the battery strong. Just recently the weather has been non stop crappy, Erik

 

Yeah really!

 

Today it is up to 40+ degrees in KC. Pretty dry and sunny. I do wonder a bit about residual salt left on the road - in the form of dust. Wouldn't it creep into areas you'd just as soon it not? I drove the GT today and boy do I enjoy it.

 

The city of Cincinnati is talking about using BEET JUICE in addition to salt and whatever that liquid stuff is they use. They were supposed to have tried it earlier this week but I didn't see any or drive through any. Doesn't beet juice STAIN, like really bad?

 

You got four inches of snow????? Look at what I have! I hate winter! Who would really drive their mustang in that! Not me it is inside a heated garage. I can't wait to get out of here. I hope they send me to Japan next so I can dust all of the ricers on their home turf!

 

Count me as one who is SICK & TIRED OF WINTER!!! I'm in SE Pennsylvania, so we don't get alot of snow, but just yesterday, we got about 2 inches of freezing rain/slush. Now its raining out. Just hoping the rain will melt the slush and clear all the salt away.

I routinely run my car in the winter every Sunday, as long as the roads are dry, and clear of salt/brine. Right now, I am suffering from a MAJOR case of cabin fever. I am so ready for the spring car show season to start up, its not even funny. I'm jonesing for a show to take my car to and hang out with my friends. Come on April, get here already!!!!

 

This is why I put it in the garage this winter. And that wasn't even that bad. I loathe winter and salt!

 

Beet Juice?!?! WTF? I know Michigan is poor and we're running out of road salt and can't afford plows for the major highways (I had to drive through 3" of slush and ice on the highway) but using beet juice?!? What's next? Melting ice using spit and good intentions?

 

I live in the northwest chicago suberbs. This is the first winter that my GT is going through. Its just my luck that this winter is one of the worst we had in years.

 

I live in Virginia, so...No. I kind of miss winter being originally from upstate NY.