The Beast shall awaken in March or April
 

It is a sad day......

Wow - you packed it in early. I had my Stang out today. It was nice weather in NYC today.

We may get a snow/rain mix tomorrow. The only good thing is I save some money on insurance and gas!!!! Put it away with 1,680 miles on it....averaging 15.8 mpg.

I had a tarp under mine last winter too

I have another week or so to go. We're supposed to get our first snow/mix this Friday, so my beast will ride it out in the garage, but next week looks better, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

One nice thing about driving in cold weather is that the stock pirellis suddenly turn into drift friendly tires. I got a bit sideways in a few corners this morning :D

Love the cooler temps as the car breathes better and the exhaust sounds deeper.

but my car feels slower because my tires can't grip :( so it's actually worse for me...

ugh... why do you have to show me a sad picture like that? :banghead:

Jeff, I'm about 99% sure I will put her away this weekend. I need to confirm with JDM that they're not sending me a new tune anytime soon :(

Tell me again why we live in the north??????!!!!!! Man, I hate winter......

Yeah I gotta move when I retire. Still got a ways to go though, I have to stick around NYC for another 12 years.

Once they are warm its good. Engine makes better power with those cool temps and that cold air going inside... it actually feels faster on a cool autumn day than it does a hot summer day

Just another reason to love Texas.

Yup, I parked mine last weekend and we had crappy weather all week. I woke up to snow this morning. :( Last winter I thought my car would be out by April, but the effen "polar vortex" in Wisconsin kept my car under wraps until late May. :doh:

It's snowing ( well, flurrying) as I type this....guess I timed putting the car away and doing the last mowing just right!!

And we have a wind chill right now of 16....

Ouch! that sucks, we'll probably get those temps in Jan/Feb.:(

You drop coverage on your car during the winter months? Never thought of that but it makes sense I guess. Unless of course something happens to it in the garage. Would homeowner's cover that? Just curious as I could save a hundred bucks a month by dropping mine during the winter.

Wouldn't you have to turn in your tags and registration too?
I guess if it's not financed then you could cut comprehensive and go with the barely legal plan.

I changed plan when I would store it for winter. Cost about 20 a month but was fully covered in case it got damaged while in storage.

Going to be doing the same this year, probably in a week or two... but various improvements will be made over the winter, so that helps ease the pain :)

I drop liability coverage...why insure for damage you may do to someone elses car/etc if you are not driving it....cut my yearly premium by $485, so if I store it for 6 months I save $242.50...not bad...

Very sad, mine is parked too. Had an inch or so of snow today.

Already putting it up for winter? One good thing about living in Texas is that you have almost all year around to enjoy your car.

I lived in Texas (Fort Worth) , the extended season is nice but the sun and 105 degree temps during the summer can melt the stripes off the hood. Not to mention the hail damage.

Mine's now in hibernation too. Battery out, cover on, tires pumped up and blocked. I still need to switch the insurance over to Storage (roughly 1/10th the cost of all-purpose) but I'll do that on Monday. :(

I didn't tarp my garage floor under it though.

I'm getting read to do the same. Any benefit to the tarp on the floor?

Also, I'm still debating putting the car on jacks to alleviate the rear Drag Radials, or just make sure I jack the car up 2x a month to roll the tires to a different spot.

Thoughts?

I've always pumped the tires up close to the max rating 45-50 psi or so for storing cars and never had a problem but not sure if DRs are different in that respect. Rolling the tires isn't a bad idea but 2x a month is a little overkill IMO.

Yeah that's what I plan to do too, as far as psi. And yeah 1x a month to roll tires is fine.

Two questions for you guys: Do you believe modern radials flatspot like the old poly corded tires used to? Do you think over inflating the tires may prove problematic to them over several seasons?

Not that it matters but for winter storage I've never over inflated the tires or rotated them periodicaly on any car I've owned and the only one to flat spot the tires -until they heat soaked the first time- was a '76 Firebird with nasty old school tires on it.

Just thinkin' outloud is all...

John

I over inflated mine... About 60 PSI... I have had customers on more than one occasion roll in with 80 plus asking why their car rides so rough and the tire light is on... Figure it may be a bit much at 60. But I did not have to dig out the air compressor before the first spring drive. And no flat spots. Just let some air out and roll!

Modern tires can definitely get flat spots. My 07 Mustang sat on the lot for months, on cold mornings the tires would feel out of balance until they warmed up. I'm don't know how long the car sat in one place but there was a wasp nest behind the fuel door. Not sure about over inflating the tires. I usually wait for a dry, sunny day and take the car for a spin once a month or so.

Buddy of mine has his in a heated ware house on jackstands with blocks underneath the wheels just the suspension doesnt slang down all winter.

I didn't do a thing to mine and my air pressure was rock solid all winter!

The heat is one of the bad things here with weather. Storms get pretty bad as well.

I had mine out today. The weather is still relatively mild in NYC for now. It was a bit windy, but sunny and about 60 degrees here. Hopefully I can drive it a few more times before it sits.

My Boss and my motorcycles can roll all winter. We have snow, but not much of it, just gotta check that the roads are clean. they do throw down that liquid salt and limestone pea gravel...............................but it is less injurious than that salted sand they threw down in CT, my prior state.

I did notice my tires were a bit slick the other day when it was 35 degrees, just gotta drive it like an SUV, nice and easy!

I don't know how you guys do it. I could never leave it sitting for 4-6 months. I like driving it to much. Blizzaks go on soon and will drive right through the winter. Just wish the recaros had heat.

This is what i might do. I gotta get some wooden blocks. Hmmmm where to get those. Hmmmm

Gathered from Yokohama:

Long term storage, or storage of seasonal vehicles; i.e. RV's, boat trailers and show cars requires special preparations. Storage area should be level, well drained. Care should be taken to avoid prolonged contact with petroleum based substances: oils, fuels and asphalt. Vehicles should be raised on blocks, so weight is removed from the tires.


If blocking is not possible, tire pressure should be increased 25% from inflation required for the loaded vehicle. Vehicles should be moved every three months to prevent flat spotting and ozone cracking at the tire sidewall flex point. Flat spots usually disappear, when the tires warm-up, after a 25+ mile drive. Flat spotting, which occurs on vehicles not moved for six, or more months may not disappear. Tires on vehicles stored out-of-doors, should be protected by opaque covers to prevent damage from sunlight.

Looks like I should change my long term tire storage habits…

John

Why wouldn't it work to just locate your jack stands under the suspention? Then it's not necessary to do the jack stands and blocks, right?

John

Its going to be in the mid to high 60's and sunny today here in NJ, I'm planning on driving home top down tonight.

It's the worst after the holidays. Plenty to be distracted with until the long, dark, cold middle of winter. You can only research mods so much! I may be driving year around next year, just for sanity.

Mine lives for the middle of Winter. Even more after Christmas this year. In all seriousness, I couldn't stand not driving it year-round. I don't see how y'all do it.

I can't deal with the car getting endless amounts of salt on it so I put it away. I wish I had the money to put in a real storage unit but a cover in my driveway will have to do.

Salt is why I put mine away too. It sits in the garage from mid-November till early April. I plan on keeping my Mustang a loooong time. And seeing the damage and rust caused by salty roads on my other vehicles is reason enough for me to keep the Mustang safe in the garage under a car cover.

I don't know. I feel a car is meant to be driven. I had a 91 5.0. Drove the car for 11 years as a daily driver. Through rainstorms, snowstorms, ice storms , you name it I drove through it. And did it with tires that were not even close to what's available today. I detailed the hell out of it all the time but it still looked new after 11 years. I figure this one will survive just fine. Just had my blizzaks installed yesterday and she is ready for the winter.

I wish I had a garage. I bought my 2000 in 2002 and for the most part I kept it covered from November to April until last year when I decided to sell it and buy a 2014. My 2000 didn't have a speck of rust and the paint looked new.

Then there is the driving in the snow. I didn't have snows on it and the few times I got caught in a storm it was a nightmare driving home. That's on top of all the idiot drivers around me making feel like a target. :D

I'm so glad I bought a 2002 Taurus as my daily driver. It should be a lot more fun in the snow. :)

Drive mine all year round, pffft getting my money's worth.

I like going out and lifting the cover up to take a look at it every so often!!!! went and looked at the 2015 today.....as others have said it looks a little better in person.....sits a lot lower than the 14, but maybe because of that it also looks smaller than my 14. They had a silver and dark gray one. Not bad....but will be keeping mine until I am 6 feet under or can't drive a manual any longer....

Fortunately here in Dallas the Mustang can be driven almost year-round... Of course, we do have a few cold days (and even ice/snow occasionally).


Last year, there was one day that was 18 degrees and a bit icy- I drove the Mustang with its Track Pack Pirelli Zero's (which are not designed for the cold- much less ice)- and decided I needed an "alternative" for rare days like that... which is the primary reason we purchased this little fellow (an '03 Jeep TJ).
http://38.media.tumblr.com/c2ea6b463...167o1_1280.jpg


It's odd, but I've found the Jeep to be strangely liberating! For someone with A-OCD (automotive obsessive compulsive disorder), it is nice to have a vehicle where I don't worry about water spots, scratches, or even dents! After all, it is "just a Jeep." We've abused the crap out of this thing (and even went 4-wheeling a couple of times), and it just keeps on chugging along. I am SO hoping for snow/ice this year- so I will have an excuse to fire up the Jeep!

Thats what I like about having daily driver "beaters"...mine are a 2010 Accent ( for MPG's) and a 99 Caddy (great in snow and hauls a ton of people/groceries). It doesn't bother me when they are dirty and it didn't bother me when the lady across the street backed into my Accent...needed a new rear quarter panel and door....now if it had been the GT...well that is a different story. For me it is not just the damage from the salt and the fact I may slide into something it's the fact I just know someone else will do it. This will be my toy for years and I just like having something that stays like new.

I put storage insurance on my mustang at the end of October until April, cost is $120. Well worth it, includes fire, theft and damage from something falling on it while parked in the garage. Highways department uses Texas gravel instead of salt, on the streets, so it's best to park your vehicle for the winter months. They also use a liquid solution which eats brakes, pads and calipers severely, as well as every thing metal, underneath the car!

Since it was 50 outside, I just had to start it up to hear it today...let it run for about 35 minutes......once everything cools down will put the cover back on.....4 more months or so!!!!!

I put mine up in the garage at the beginning of November and probably won't bring it out until about April. We had some great weather the last few days though with the temps in the 70's. My car is stored in another location about 30 miles away and I have other vehicles to drive so I don't miss it that much.

I didn't do anything special to mine, just put a battery tender on it and that was it.

Wayne

I put mine on the bottle (battery tender and Stabil) for the winter over the weekend - That Noreaster was it with the salt on the road. I did buy it a Christmas present on Black Friday though - A Steeda Ultimate Induction kit so It should be about 40 hp more fun in the Spring. I don't particularly like the new Mustangs but the new GT350 looks real interesting. I ran my Kelly Blue Book trade in value and my car is down about $8K already and i only have 2,600 miles on it so I put that GT350 right out of my head. I'm sure the dealers will be jacking the price up like they did with the Boss too so it's a no win situation. I'll be keeping my 2014 for a long time.

Scott

52 degrees here and I'm about to go out and hand wash mine. No pain, no gain.

Up here I see the odd Mustang being driven in the winter, but 99% of them are V6 base models...with rental stickers on the back bumper. And they're never newer ones. Up here you don't buy a new(ish) 400hp rear drive muscle car unless you can afford to drive something else for the other 6-7 months of the year.

Sadly, I'm now driving a truck, a 2011 Sierra. I've always hated trucks, but do appreciate the sheer utility. But they are USELESS when the roads are bad...as in snow/ice. I had Subaru's exclusively for the last 10 years. THOSE are cars that are designed for year round driving. Balanced. Good AWD system...particularly my last one, an 07 Legacy Spec.B that had a 40/60 front/rear AWD bias with a Torsen rear end. Even with next to no ground clearance, it would NEVER get stuck on the road. Overcook an icy corner? You have a choice between lifting or giving it a boot full. It'll come around. Trucks have no such driving dynamics. They don't have driving dynamics. All the weight is over the front, so even in 4WD you can't manipulate the brake/throttle to initiate some weight transfer. The weight is on the front, and that's where it's staying. When it starts to push, it'll push till it stops. And you usually don't know it's sliding until you've been sliding for 10 feet, and then it's too late. I'm tip-toeing around a city I use to shred in weather like this. Makes storing away my Mustang all the more painful.