Spring 2012 - The Beast is out of hibernation
 

Hey y'all...

Well, I couldn't take it anymore, so as of this weekend, Marilyn once again LIVES :) The weather has been in upper 30's and 40's all week and looks to be that way from here on out, with a few good rainfalls to wash away the remaining salt and debris from the roads. This was the shortest time I have ever had my car stored... 1-1/2 months. What a weird winter. I hope spring is here to stay because it sure feels like it. So given that, I got too excited, so Marilyn is now officially out and about for 2012. How many of you got your baby out and can share a similar story? This was also a big weekend because this was Marilyn's FIRST oil change, at 792 miles on the clock.

It just felt SO good to start her up again, drive her, hear that booming exhaust and engine, and feel that MGW shifter in my hands again... two words to describe it, PURE BLISS.

Things I got done this weekend:

1) Activated insurance to full coverage (non-storage)
2) Charged her up fully.
3) Changed oil/oil filter (FIRST OIL CHANGE!!! 792 miles on the odo.)
- Amsoil Sig Series 5W-20
- Amsoil Oil Filter EA017
- Magnetic drain plug (M12 x 1.75) and nylon washer

(biggest thing to point out, I used the ziploc baggie trick for the oil filter, first time I did that. What a great idea. No oil spill whatsoever. I also wanted to test out a couple new goodies I got from Sears over the weekend... my new aluminum low profile jack and creeper. Since going with K springs, my older jack couldn't get under. My jack had a LED light!!! It really helped me locate the jacking point pinch weld. Pardon the pic of the jack, that was taken with my smartphone.)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...n/IMAG0432.jpg

Some pics of Marilyn's coming out party... these are just simple pics, non HDR. I forgot my tripod in my excitement... lol...

In the very last picture, I thought I held my own against a white Shelby??? What do you think? I do know that I DO want that Shelby wing for sure. The rims would be nice someday...

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...on/spring5.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...on/spring2.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...on/spring3.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...on/spring4.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...on/spring6.jpg

For those of you wondering, btw, yes I know..... she is still dusty, and I will still need to give her a full detail soon enough. A more in-depth photoshoot is forthcoming ;)

Nice congrats man! Mine lasted less than a month with the insurance off. It's been too nice out.

Btw that's a great idea having a light on the jack! I'm going to have to check those out.

Great looking car and glad you got it ready to go. I have the same jack and love it

I hope you didn't just jinx us!!! Car is looking good...as always! Mines been stored since the Friday after Thanksgiving...can't wait to drive it again.....only got 490 miles on it so far...

Good for you. Car looks great. Where are you located?

Thanks John! So yours is activated already? Dang... here I was thinking I was early. LOL. Btw, did you get Roush springs for the rear now too?

And yes, that LED light thing I thought was a gimmick when I bought it. Then when I was jacking up the car in my garage today, I thought to myself, dang, that's a good idea. LOL.

Thank you! Yeah, I was debating between the 1-1/2 ton jack or the 2-1/2 ton jack of the same kind. I decided on the 1-1/2 ton jack because of course it was cheaper by like 150 bucks, and also because the low point is 3.5" vs 3.75" with the larger one. I needed something lowwwwwwww. Also, I wasn't worried about the 1-1/2 ton rating because I only jack up the 1 quarter of the car at a time, then put it on stands.

Thanks JC. Yeah, I HOPE I didn't jinx us man... lol. Yeah, I have 800 miles on her now... I will put on a lot more this year for sure. Just waiting on my clear bra appointment which is this Thursday.

Thank you sir! I am located in Iowa. This is the mildest winter I have ever experienced.

So glad I live in Florida where I can enjoy my Mustang 365 days a year! It gets almost 200 miles on it per day, Monday through Friday. No reason to store it for the next owner...Ford will sell me another one when it's time.

In Minnesota, winter is usually not over until early-mid April, so it will be a while before the Coyote howls again. FromZto5, it sounds like you take good care of your Mustang but there's one thing I'll point out. The owner's manual recommends that if you store your Mustang for the winter, you should change the oil before you put it away, rather than after you take it out of storage. That way, you don't have "contaminated" oil sitting in your crankcase for months.

I definitely envy you, sir. If I lived in an area with that weather too, I'd drive Marilyn everyday. I too, am not worrying too much about miles anymore. I have to admit, I WAS for my prior cars. My Z had 2k miles after a year, and my G had 13k miles after 7 years. You're right, why save the miles for someone ELSE to enjoy it? I WILL ENJOY IT :) And you're right too, I'll just buy another one off the factory floor again when the time comes.

Yeah, hopefully this particular Iowa winter will remain short and completely over.

As far as oil before winter, don't worry, I change oil twice a year. Once in spring (after winter storage) and once in fall, prior to winter. The only reason why I did NOT change it prior to this winter was because the car was NEW, and delivered to me at the end of Nov/early Dec. Being that new, and just off the factory floor at that time, it made no sense for me to change it. Hence why I did it Feb.

It's been great here in South Central Pennsylvania!! I've had both the 09 Shelby and the 65 Fastback out a few times this winter!! :banana:

Congrats!!

**** i love living in southern california

^ darn you guys!!!!! :D

Glad the Ziploc trick worked so well; it's definitely a "duh" moment where you say "why did I never do this before?"

You are one highly optimistic guy, for having lived in IA and WI. I was thinking about taking off my winter tires and going back to the all-seasons, but even down here in KC, I'm not buying that winter's over yet. Knock on wood...

Nice. Looking good.

It can feel like torture not getting to drive your baby for awhile! Which is why I'm getting snow tires for the 2013 Boss and driving it year round here in Colorado once I get it. The latest gen snow tires are amazing, my winter car right now is a Miata, rwd, no ABS, with the newest snow tires from Continental. Not only does it get me everywhere I need to go, but it's the most fun winter car I've ever had. Yeah, I'll wash the Boss more often in the winters. I'm trading from a 2008 Z06 since I pretty much had to leave that thing garaged for months at a time.

Kyle, was it YOU you made that suggestion? If so, you deserve all the credit. I knew I read it on somewhere here...wasn't sure where. But heck yes, that baggie trick saved my garage floor again :D

And yeah no biggie if it continues to snow. I just won't drive it during those times....and wait for a good rain to clear the debris.

Thanks man. You are lucky to be having a 2013 Boss. I envy you!!! :D

Yeah, if I had a garage floor drain and a heated garage, I would drive it in the winter too.... but alas, I don't :( So driving my toys in the winter is a no no :(

Maybe you just need a winter toy! Jeeps make awesome, AWESOME winter toys. That rubicon in my driveway, along with hunting up north, make me wish we had colder winters here in Texas.

Its been really mild here also, ( Buffalo)...

This is the first time ive ever been able to take one of my Mustangs out and drive it during a winter month ...we had a couple high 40s to 50 days in December..

I think I posted it in that Oil Change thread you started, though I saw it somewhere else so can't take all the credit. Wish I'd known it all these years though - I'd have saved myself a lot of mess and a few bags of Oil-Dri!

Yeah i've had mine out several times. The winter here in western Pa. has been a mild one too. However they are calling for snow later this wk.:mad: