Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
#3195591
12/06/23 12:20 AM
12/06/23 12:20 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489
Minnesota
|
I ran into guy a couple winters ago who was driving a clean Arizona mid 60's 4 door Buick as his winter beater here in Minnesota. He figured it would be good for 5 years or so and then be totally rusted out, then he'd get another one.
I'd love to drive a nice old car in the winter, but I just can't bring myself to destroy an old survivor. It's weird, I won't sacrifice a $6000 50 year old car, but I will my $50,000 late model pickup.
How bout you other rust belters?
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#3195593
12/06/23 12:53 AM
12/06/23 12:53 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,547 Eagle, Idaho
Neil
The Doctor is in.
|
The Doctor is in.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,547
Eagle, Idaho
|
Have relatives in Minnesota who also buy winter beaters, usually imports, and use them up. Nice stuff stays in the garage, or in the driveway under a car cover.
No significant road salt here, but they now use some sort of chemical de-icer stuff that is not very nice. Attacks raw aluminum pretty good, and makes lugnuts grow rust all over them.
Years ago I would run across a lady in traffic who had a pretty decent looking red 56 Chevy that she drove all year around apparently. I saw it even when it was raining and snowing. Not crazy deep snow, but still snow.
Maybe 10-12 years ago or so I was sitting in the snow waiting for traffic to move one morning and saw a white Barracuda/Cuda way up a side street slowly crossing the road in a neighborhood. It had the 71 style billboard on it so assume it was a 71, but people put those decals on any 70-74 car. It was too far away to get an accurate assessment.
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: Neil]
#3195594
12/06/23 01:07 AM
12/06/23 01:07 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489
Minnesota
|
Winter beaters are fairly common around here. But usually cars 10-25 years old that have fully depreciated out, but still have some life left in them. Not normally a nice car that has reached "collectible" status.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: Dart 500]
#3195607
12/06/23 06:38 AM
12/06/23 06:38 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,812 ohio
ruderunner
master
|
master
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,812
ohio
|
Salt belt member here. I used a few vintage vehicles as winter beaters. Usually as drivable parts donors. They weren't nice to begin with and when the rust got too bad I'd yank drivetrain and interior etc..
I did have a Waggoner that I put together as a winter driver, fairly solid and well rustproofed. Lasted about 1o years. But the heater sucked bigly.
I've got an 80 Ramcharger that I think I'll put together for the same, but better rustproofing and rear heater.
I'm actually fixing the heater in my Roadrunner to use as a backup vehicle this winter but hoping not to need it. Car needs all new metal anyway.
Angry white pureblood male
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: ruderunner]
#3195615
12/06/23 09:15 AM
12/06/23 09:15 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,816 Between Houston & Galveston TX
SattyNoCar
Smarter than no class Flappergass by a mile
|
Smarter than no class Flappergass by a mile
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,816
Between Houston & Galveston TX
|
With a budget of $6K, what about a Crown Vic? Hundreds of thousands of them built, parts shouldn't be a problem. If you crash it, so what? Down here, even police spec ones go pretty cheap.
I moved here from New England almost 30 yrs ago. I always had a winter beater or two around, but back then was before prices got stupid. All my beaters were free to a couple hundred dollars.
John
The dream is dead, long live the dream.......😥
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: GregY]
#3195634
12/06/23 10:49 AM
12/06/23 10:49 AM
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,672 Wichita
GY3
master
|
master
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,672
Wichita
|
Older Buick LeSabre's and Park Avenues used to be our car of choice for this. 3800 Buick was bulletproof. We counted up we have owned 7 over the years.
I recently bought a Lucerne from an Elderly neighbor for $4k. It's the last year of the 3800 and has all the comfort of leather, heated seats, heated steering wheel, air ride and had brand new Michelins on it when I bought it.
It's a great daily and cheap to own and drive!
'63 Dodge 330 11.19 @ 121 mph Pump gas, n/a, through the mufflers on street tires with 3.54's. 3,600 lbs. 10.01 @ 133mph with a 250 shot of nitrous an a splash of race gas. 1.36 60 ft. 3,700 lbs.
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: GY3]
#3195675
12/06/23 01:22 PM
12/06/23 01:22 PM
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,769 Holland MI Ottawa
2boltmain
master
|
master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,769
Holland MI Ottawa
|
Best A to B daily for someone looking to get the best car for their $$ is the late 90s /early 2000s Crown Vics, Lesabres, Park Avenues. Anything elderly owned and maintained. Even more selection when willing to own a used Japanese car. But Ill mention only the domestics by name to avoid the criticisms.
Keep old mopars alive.
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: 2boltmain]
#3195685
12/06/23 01:48 PM
12/06/23 01:48 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489
Minnesota
|
THis guys perspective, and why I brought it up for discussion, goes beyond just having a standard old winter beater. It is his passion for driving and enjoying a nice collectible car, something you might see at a car show in the summer, even though he knows he is destroying it. A car collectors care about. That's different than a disposable normal winter beater.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: ink]
#3195692
12/06/23 02:18 PM
12/06/23 02:18 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,977 new jersey usa
11secdart
master
|
master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,977
new jersey usa
|
I used to do it years ago ....now I drive a 2016 Honda HRV AWD not really an old beater .. even though my 21 Ram 1500 is " Zeibart " rust proofed I still don't want to drive it in the salt and snow.. I don't use it much anyhow mainly just for towing having only 10,000 miles on it in 2 1/2 years . I operate a front end loader plowing snow and I have to be at the plow site regardless , its only about 5 miles from my house and the HRV has always gotten me there even in 10 inches of snow .
68 Dart 410 / 904 92 D150 original owner 21 Ram 1500 Quad Cab, Big Horn , Hemi ,4x4 23 Audi Q5 16 Honda HRV
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: ink]
#3195693
12/06/23 02:23 PM
12/06/23 02:23 PM
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,396 north of coder
moparx
"Butt Crack Bob"
|
"Butt Crack Bob"
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,396
north of coder
|
around here, they use a salt brine on the roads - super rust producer ! my 99 caravan came from arazona, and had zero rust, so for the last 9 years since i bought it, my buddy has oiled the pi$$ out of it every fall. i drilled several 3/4" holes in the doors and the hatch, plus several above the foam in the dog legs. i take out the tail lights and all the rubber body plugs, as well as pull up the plastic carpet sill plates so he can slather those areas as well. by removing the tail lights, he can blast the quarters and get a bunch into the area where the wheel house and quarter lips come together. he also gets the front fender area at the bottom where the foam used to be, then does the underside. that thing marks it's territory like an old harley all the time ! but to this day, it still isn't rusty !
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: moparx]
#3195699
12/06/23 02:28 PM
12/06/23 02:28 PM
|
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,900 Puttin' on the foil in Charles...
not_a_charger
Mr. Big Shot Moparts Moderator
|
Mr. Big Shot Moparts Moderator
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,900
Puttin' on the foil in Charles...
|
A nice vintage car? No way. A beater vintage car? Not my cup of tea for winter driving, but I would if I had to.
Earning every penny of that moderator paycheck.
DBAP
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: ink]
#3195702
12/06/23 02:31 PM
12/06/23 02:31 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,765 A collage of whims
topside
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,765
A collage of whims
|
Since I know y'all are waiting for my input here ya go: Using up a nice, let alone collectible, vehicle for salty winter abuse is IMO criminal. Get a sacrificial beater, do whatever preventative (like oiling it up) measures so it has some lifespan & repairability, and use that. Like Neil says, even the de-icer in areas where salt isn't used is hard on stuff. Some undercarriage fasteners on my old Breeze were essentially welded on from corrosion after 18 Idaho winters. The FWD was great with winter tires, up until the front bumper would become a snow plow @ 5" of snow. Agree, the GM 3800 is good. And there are plenty of older non-collectible Japanese cars & SUVs, too. Another factor is who's gonna slide into you. I used a 2000 Taurus one winter - cheap, relatively common a few years back, and anonymous & disposal enough to never worry about it. That said, in freezing temps, the door latches would freeze up...
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: Hemi_Joel]
#3195717
12/06/23 03:09 PM
12/06/23 03:09 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,844 S.E. Michigan
ZIPPY
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,844
S.E. Michigan
|
Last vintage daily for me was the '72 Polara AZ car, had about 75k miles at the time.
At the time, mid 2000s, I asked the same question here. nobody cared. Drive it until it's rotted out and then junk it was the general advice provided.
I didn't take that advice and near 20 years later it still survives.
Rich H.
Esse Quam Videri
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: Greenwood]
#3195726
12/06/23 03:32 PM
12/06/23 03:32 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,372 NJ
rdrnr6970
Your #1 source for current events
|
Your #1 source for current events
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,372
NJ
|
Years ago I drove my coronets as daily drivers.
OWNER OF EVERYTHING FROM 1956 300 B,IMPERIAL,NEW YORKER HEMIS,AND NEW HEMI TRUCKS.....5TH GENRAMS.COM... 1969/70 ROADRUNNERS ,DARTS/CORONETS, NORTHEAST HEMI OWNERS ASSOCIATION.....WWW.PHANTASMCUDAS.COM....MOPAR FAMILY FOR 50 YEARS AND STILL GOING!MOPAR OWNER COAST TO COAST!!!!
|
|
|
Re: Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?
[Re: 73DAD]
#3195733
12/06/23 04:11 PM
12/06/23 04:11 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,489
Minnesota
|
Yep. Best winters I've ever enjoyed was 2014-2016. I drove a '73 Challenger Rallye with a couple pounds of bondo in the quarters year round. Sold it in the spring of 2016 and actually made money on it. It's funny you bring this up, I've been hunting the last couple weeks for another classic to abuse this winter since hunting for "normal" daily drivers has been so frustrating. Ya know, that is a thing. The cost of anything that runs and drives now is just about the price of buying an average condition classic.
|
|
|
|
|