Buy a beater! You'll thank me. Especially if you live in Michigan (the saltiest of all states in the winter).

 

If u want more traction go faster.......those spoilers work at 75 mph.

But you rwd is just as good in the snow. If even more fun in the snow as well.

weight will help. also you could buy tank treads and those cow catchers/snow plows work well too.

always use ur e-brake when braking........fun times.

 

Done (95 LeSabre). So I've got the beater thing covered. And I do live in Michigan

But here's the rub. Car port only at my apartment complex. NO GARAGE. Sure she won't get overly salty and the snow won't exactly pile on, but she'll still be exposed somewhat. My question is, should I invest in one of those car cover things, or do they generally do more harm than good (I've heard rumors of them trapping moisture and dirt, leading to accelerated oxidation etc etc.) In all likelihood, I'd prolly have the Stang off the insurance (and out of commission) for at least 4 months (1 Dec to 1 April). Should I nix the cover idea altogether and look for cheap local storage?

Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated.

 

I've driven RWD and FWD cars through winter up here in Ontario...
believe me, its not as bad as everyone thinks.

As long as you don't drive like a tool, you will have no problems.

If you have a beater...great...
If you don't, don't worry..just take the car out to parking lot when it snows, and learn how the car handles, and drop the 'aggressive meter' down.

As for the salt, if you wash your car down at a coinwash once a week, your fine.
It doesn't snow 24-7 anyway....
Common sense goes a long way...

 

If you are going to buy a cover, get a good one. The manufacturer tells you its attributes (like good ding protection, good wet weather or sun protection etc.). They will damage paint if you put them on and off frequently. The car should always be clean and dust free as possible.

IF it were me, I would store it if possible. If not, get a good cover, clean the car late in the fall, cover it and leave it alone til spring when the weather is better. I would at least carry comprehensive to cover damage (vandalism, theft, snow plow running into it, etc.).

 

I agree with Boomer. And that was with the old car. This new car is supposedly designed even better designed to handle snowy conditions. Now RWD is still RWD, so its still the same old same old, but maybe a good T/C system could help out here and there.

 

I drive a V-8 T-bird rwd thru the snows and hills of Pittsburgh. Only had trouble on a hill once. The rest of the snow was fine. That was only my second year of driving in the snow.

I tried to keep my car washed, but the temp was below freezing for almost three weeks the previous year. The water froze before hitting my car.

 

I've had my '98 v6 since 1999... wait, I've actually never driven a FWD car more than 3 times at all, let alone in the winter. This car doesn't have much horsepower, but the tires are 225 width so it's not far off from the '05 GT's tires.

You definitely are more prone to oversteer versus understeer in a FWD car. This being said, I've dealt with crappy conditions in NW Ohio, SE Michigan, and drove from Columbus to Cincinnati when the freeway was actually a sheet of ice. I found this out when I gently tapped the brakes and heard all 4 wheels immediately lock (kind of a scary whizzing noise) while getting closer to several cars in the ditch. Yikes. It's easy to break the rear tires free from a standstill, but that's really not that different from FWD...

I don't know if it's luck, skill, or just driving sensibly when the conditions warrant. In fact, I would recommend going to a deserted parking lot after a fresh snow and goofing around to get an idea for what a car is going to do when the back end breaks loose. Better to do it in an empty parking lot than into oncoming traffic...

 

A well calibarated foot and common sense is all that's needed. It's just the other idiots that you have to weary of. People here in NE Ohio are pretty much morons when the first snow falls...they act as if they've never driven in the stuff before....happens every year!

 

Just make sure it is a parkint lot w/o islands or stops at the ends of each space... -as foolish as it sounds, you would be amazed at how many people forget about things like that when it snows. I have 2 Jeep Wranglers and have played in un-plowed parking lots for years only to find the occasional Soccer-Mom SUV trying to do donuts like me and cracking a rim against on of those... or even the plows getting jammed up on islands w/o bushes... sad but true...

 

I've said this before... but its funny around here, the first cars I see in the ditch are the idiot SUV drivers who think they can go as fast as they want.

I think all season tires are ok for the winter, but if I do put my stang through that, it is best to invest in a set of steel wheels and quality snow tires.

 

so true

 

I really hate driving my Mustang in the snow, although I do it. If I continue to live here, I may buy a Subaru for the winter. My parents had two of them in Idaho, and they made me feel a lot more comfortable in winter driving. Or just get some better all season tires.

I don't carry any extra weight in the trunk for all the above reasons.

 

Here's my take on it. I had an 86 GT that I had to store outside for two winters. I had a good cover for it (some are breathable and some are not, if you are storing outside, you probably want a breathable one). I didn't have any problems with the cover hurting my paint. I just made sure to wax it before I put the cover on. Wax is good protection against oxidation.

Also, if you are going to store outside, I'd at least put storage insurance on the Stang (I always did), it's cheap and if someone hits it or something falls on it, you are covered.

 

Here's my take on it. I had an 86 GT that I had to store outside for two winters. I had a good cover for it (some are breathable and some are not, if you are storing outside, you probably want a breathable one). I didn't have any problems with the cover hurting my paint. I just made sure to wax it before I put the cover on. Wax is good protection against oxidation.

Also, if you are going to store outside, I'd at least put storage insurance on the Stang (I always did), it's cheap and if someone hits it or something falls on it, you are covered.[/b][/quote]
Thanks for the advice. Yeah I was definitely planning to keep comprehensive on it regardless of whether I stored it or not. As for the covers I think one of these "breathable" types would fit the bill. Hopefully I'll only have two winters where the Stang will have to sit outside...

 

I have a lot of experience driving in the snow and driving a Mustang GT in snow as well.
I do not regret buying my Explorer 4x4 - Thats for sure!

BUY A WINTER BEATER!!