NE was really lucky (for once) we had a very warm and sunny Saturday moring this weekend. So I took the opertunity to change my oil for the last time this year, placed fuel system stabalizer into a full tank of gas, and pulled the car into the spare garage spot, removed all my CD's, stuck the keys in the ignition and pulled the battery terminals. So my baby is now parked until next summer-safe from all the horrors of NE Ohio's aggressive use of road salt and gravel cinders.

Just thought I'd share, I've done this for the last 3 winters and it still makes me sad I did this with my old Dart before that, damn Ohio winters!!!

 

Is there any reason for putting the keys in the ignition?

 

ugh I'm doing this with my Integra soon. Not looking forward to it either

 

In Oregon they don't believe in using salt...so we just get gravel...and I mean GRAVEL...like damn near "marble shooter" sized.

 

Probley so he does not lose them!

 

WOW!

I had thought that my brother was joking when he told me about people locking up or garaging their nice cars for winter. He told me it's usual to also own a junker or clunker for winter driving.

But it's only the end of October. Winter starts early in Ohio? (My brother lives in Minnesota, where in December it can be bone-numbing cold when one is outside for only a few minutes.)

Nosy question: So what do y'all drive instead of your nice cars during the winter?

 

this was my beater last year. Only cost $400



beat on it mildly durning the winter. Then when winter was over we beat the shit out of it.

Shocks were shot, springs were pretty much the same. Could only fill the tank up half full otherwise it'd leak. Then the dash went out (all electronic) and I could never tell how much gas I had or should add. It was pretty much a crap shoot so I kept a gas can in it. but it ran and had 4wd so thats what it mattered.

Whats really fun is waiting until it snows 3-4 maybe 5 inches. Then going to the mall after they plow and go flying through all of the asles of piles they have. Wish I had taken a vid of that.

Beating on it http://www.imagestation.com/video/vi...226595908&dl=1

I dont think I'll be beating on my new beater though

 

E-lectro is right, I put my keys in it to not loose them.
Battery is disconected any way so it still won't start.

My beater, is a 97 S-10 2wd(rear snow tires) I bought just over 2 years ago, no-rust, 50k mi, no option but and Auto. Seemed like the perfect winter beater--and the color is road salt white

I put her away early because we have already started using brine up here on some roads.

 

This has to be one nice accord for you to go through the trouble. I mean I've heard of this for roadsters or a car not designed to handle the winter but an accord? I just rather be safe with an accord in the winter time rather then something that leaks fuel. Yeah salt sucks but just take it after a storm to a place to get the undercarage washed.

 

Im in CA, dont have to go through that!

 

You just don't understand. :P

 

lol I'm going to have agree. I care about my Integra too much not to put it away. Besides the tank only leaked if it was filled over half full :P

I dont know if you live where theres snow but you have alot more then just after the storm to worry about. Once they start salting the roads the roads turn and stay white from the salt until the 2nd sometimes 3rd rainfall of spring

 

Aren't you going to flat-spot your tires when you let your cars sit all winter?

 

The guys with roadsters are using accords as their winter beaters

 

True.

 

Prior to owning an S2000 I would hate for my Integra to get beat up by the winter weather and salt on the road but I took car of it even so. I've had it since 94 and it still looks great. Right now I commute in with my gf in the Hybrid so I have my Integra under covers. So I hear where you are coming from but I'm going to end up using my Integra w/ snow tires come winter.

 

Yeup, I get all the crap and then some. New England weather... plenty of snow and plenty of salt.

 

No, my Accord is pretty much just a summer daily driver, except its lowered, has 18" wheels, full aftermarket suspension/Type-S conversion and a body kit. A Wing Wests/OEM body kit would pretty much be a giant snow plow come winter.

I basically don't want the road salt to eat away at my under carriage. I had to have Honda install my type-S front sway because the endlinks were so rusted from one mild winter in 2000. I drove the car the first full year I had it when I was still in school. Then when I started to 'improve it' first year at work, I quit driving it come winters.

My Winter Beater isn't exactly a true beater:
I work as an engineer for a steel company. This requires me to drive my car into the mill past steal scrap and gaint fork trucks and Tonka like dump trucks hauling slag and scrap. (Remeber the mill at the end of Robocop?) So I purchased a 1997 S-10 base model with automatic with 50k mi on the clock used. She sold it to me for around $5000.00 at the time, Nov 01. It's completely devoid of rust or any non-working features, I think this alone means its not a true beater.

I drive the S-10 to work all year, but full time in the winter, I park the Accord (I have an extra garage space) and save money by pulling insurance on the Accord come winter. I really like my Accord, I bought it new, and would like to keep it for some time. Not driving it in the snow belt helps the issue.

My S-10 has a vinyl floor, no A/C--but a super good heater, Automatic tranny, heavy duty tow utility package, and big knobby snow tires. Currently has 80k on the clock, leaks no fluids, and has been fairly reliable, I've replaced a steering box and fuel pump since I bought the truck 30k mi ago.

The best feature is getting into the truck covered in nasty snow and not caring how wet and slushy you get the floor. I'd dare not do that in my Honda.

As for flat spotting the Accords tires, the Accord only sits for 6-months, spotting was an issue in the days of bias-ply tires, but properly aired a car would need to sit for a long time to flat spot a radial tire.

Sorry for the long reply. Moda_way and our mutual freind give me shit about the beater truck and the worshiped Accord all the time but I don't car.

Accord or TSX, I'd still do the same

 

Either put it up on jacks or in my case fill the tires to just under the max and drive the car around a little bit in the underground garage every few weeks

 

I like this idea about putting away your ride until summer. My problem is that I have to travel 250 miles through the mountains in Dec when our baby is supposed to be ready. I'll wait for a good weekend to go get it.

The TSX will be our road trip car and my wife will take it to work once a week. It will never go to a public parking lot. No smoking and no drinks or food either. It will for the most part stay in the garage until we head out for a road trip.(We travel to Vegas and Denver quite a bit)

Call me anal but I keep cars for a very long time and this one will last!

 

A TSX owner after my own heart