Sacrifice a nice vintage car to the salt as a winter beater?

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?

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.

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.

With good oil spraying it'll last, but that wouldnt be my main worry, my main worry would be breaking down in sub zero temps. Your truck has remote start, heated seats and heated wheel. You gonna give that up? Get the truck oil sprayed each fall instead.

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.

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.

I have a 2009 Crown Vic PI that I drive as a winter beater...and spring beater...and a summer beater...and a fall beater...

Its a good car, easy to work, usually a few of them in the U-Pull It yard, and they are still pretty cheap if you are looking to buy one.

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!

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.

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.

since the price for plates title registration tax in Illinois went up winter beaters may be a thing of the past for some?? I bought a nice 500-dollar 02 jeep from taxes (had an engine knock) put a good engine in I had laying around. after it was all said and done it cost maybe 600 for the vehicle 450 for the plates. title. reg. tax. it's actually a nice jeep so worth it I guess? but at the price of plating a vehicle how much of a beater is worth it especially if only for a few months? ;(

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 .

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 !

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.

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...

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.

About 20 years back, a guy that I was selling machine services to did what I thought was the unconscionable. He picked up a very, very nice 57 Chevy 210 wagon down in Washington state. It was that copper color, with a white roof and white fin insert. Even had the stock deluxe wheel covers. 283 4 bbl, with a glide. Absolutely rust free. Used it as a daily driver for several winters, until it got wrinkled in a typical low-speed winter traffics collision. Just dumb. Not that the guy wasn't a dumb-ass anyways. I think he winter drove that car just to spite some people, to be honest.

Years ago I drove my coronets as daily drivers.

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.

Every now and then you see a kind of nice looking car that is collectible in a demo derby. Some people go bonkers about it. It's not really the same thing here cuz you're getting a lot more utility out of it, but there is a parallel.

I grew up with the winter "BEATER with a HEATER". I have a 14 year old Jeep (replacing my other older 97TJ). Reserse flush out the cooling system/heater core, change hoses, plugs, fluids and put on a good set of tires and enjoy driving up-north for years to come....

A few years ago I decided to use this thing as a winter driver as I have embarrassingly little money in it. Put a set of Blizzaks on it and it was unstoppable. But I came to my senses after a couple years, sold the Blizzaks and bought a Jeep. Just couldn't bring myself to be the guy to kill a nice survivor.

I agree on the snow tires. Rear wheel drive, Blizzaks, Glacier grips, etc. and some weight in the trunk and you will never get stuck.

Crown vics have dried up around here. I ended up buying one the other year that needed a bit of work to use as a beater and then future parts car for my good one. Haven't found decent parts in yards in ages now.

I daily drive my 51 Plymouth, year round. Now I don't live in the rust belt, but we do get snow on occasion. I don't generally get on the roads here, in anything, if they have snow on them. Too many can't drive as it is throw in snow and some doofus is gonna T bone someone, it won't be me.

I don't run snow tires, never have even when I lived on the shores of Lake Michigan.

You say "vintage" but keep in mind, a car built in 2000 is now almost 25 years old! I know, it's hard for me to believe, too!

I know I'm living in geezer land now, but to me anything built since 1975 is not a vintage car. Of course all the young pups think differently.

My winter beater, my spring beater, my summer beater, and my fall beater. This is winter #3. I saved it from the crusher and I've built it for this purpose, it is a 4x4 truck. I intend to drive it until I can't or it won't move anymore. I'm expecting to get at least 10-12 years out of it, at which time I'll be 78 + years old, and I probably won't be driving it much. I don't care what the next guy does with it.

The pic of it in the snow was last year. The 1st winter it was red oxide primer, I don't have a pic of it in primer in the show, but it spent the winter being driven.

I've driven my Swinger, my Hornet and even my Gremlin in the winter. Other than the Gremlin would randomly decide to swap ends and try to kill me.... all of them were pretty decent winter cars. The Swinger had the best heater of them all though, have to admit.

But I'm in search of another SX/4. I had one in my youth, but it was cobbled badly before I got it. The worst offence I found out only after getting it running is that somebody had swapped in a passenger car 258 instead of an "Eagle" 258. The key difference between the two is that the eagle version has bosses on the side of the block. Those bosses are for a bracket which locates the front axle housing. I got my car running and didn't even get out of the back yard before the housing tried making love to the oil pan.

Long story short, I want another one. A decent one. I passed on a super-rare Kammback earlier this year. Might have a line on the car I want, just waiting to see if the owner will finally part with it. The other reason I'm trying to find an SX/4 is that my second choice would be a 4.0, automatic, 2-door Cherokee. Those don't seem to exist anymore.

Even better, find a 4.0 and put it in the Eagle. FI is so much better in cold weather. And a HP boost.

I've been driving a '79 LeSabre the last couple years. 301 Pontiac, TH350, 2.45 rear end. Cruises nice in traffic, gets 22-23 mpg on the highway with the cruise set, and goes anywhere and everywhere. I paid $700 for the car with 101k miles in March of '22, OH car I bought in NY, was Ziebarted when new. The only downfall is the nickel and dime items. I'm on the second wiper motor, the cruise transducers keep taking a dump (on my second junkyard piece), Master Cylinder, heater valve, etc. Nothing overly expensive or hard to replace, just annoying. I've got a little over 140k on it now. I'll keep driving it I suppose. It's a weird car in that people [censored] at me when I drive it in the snow, but it's really not worth restoring, nor does anyone want to buy it and save it.

didn't that have a lime green "cell phone antenna" on it ?

It did! It got broken but I have both pieces and plan on gluing it back together. Still has the vintage bag phone on the hump, tho

Bought mine for $10k with 27k miles on it. Beat the dog crap out of it, hauled lumber, drag raced it on several occasions (got my first 000 green in that thing), didn't care where I parked it. Like driving a sofa down the highway. If Ford made them again I'd buy one tomorrow morning. Traded it in with 140k and damn near shed a tear.

After I moved back here around 94, I would regularly see a triple white 69 Chevelle SS convertible driving through the snow, salt and slush on my way into work. Appeared to be a nicely restored or original car, always puzzled me

The trick is finding the right car that's old and cool, but not rare. Reliable, but not worth saving.

you realize that had a lifetime guarantee until it broke, don't you ?
glad you have both pieces. you might have to add a splint so it doesn't break again..............

Buicks centurys last forever. 3.8 are the best but the smaller 6 they switched to is ok too.

I'd still have one if the nephew didn't turn 16.

So the solution I have now is my Silverado 4 X 4 that I bought new 20 years ago. It's been a great truck and no reason to replace it. It just got old like me.

There IS a place for ricers!

I no longer have any need for a WINTER BEATER so tp speak


BUT, I would have no issues driving some kind of front wheel drive car for such.

I used to think of anything prior to 1974 as vintage.

NOW, I think that has moved to mid/late 80s sad to say.

Eventually, the plan would be to swap in a 4.0 and the overdrive auto.... but for now, the 258/Torqueflite will do nicely. But, I think Holley has come out with a Sniper-style TBI setup that will mate to the BBD flange. Mostly for the Jeep people, but I've got a friend in Wa. State who did the swap on his SX/4 and said it worked very nicely.

I'm no stranger to the BBD. Lovely little carb if you ask me. My Swinger was a Super-Six with the BBD and I winter drove it for the better part of a decade.

My Gremlin has a Carter WCD and one winter it got so cold, the throttle shaft was stuck tight. I had to set the choke by hand to start the car. Sat there for 10 minutes idling before I had a usable throttle.
That was also the day the car tried to kill me.

There's a guy on the Canadian Poncho forum who has been winter driving his '67 Beaumont for years:

https://canadianponcho.activeboard....inter-cars-here-is-my-story-67-beaumont/

https://canadianponcho.activeboard.com/t67376231/winter-dirt-on-my-67-beaumont/

Used to see a really really nice blue 69 Sport Satellite running round town here, during middle of winter - finally one day was able to chat with the guy - "It's my car, I love it, and if it rusts, I will fix it" . . . ok. Also used to be a guy with a Ferrari GTB (??) - Magnum PI car, that used to drive it in winter . . . always would wonder why ?!?!?!?!?!

In our state to qualify for "historic" plates a car must be at least 25 years old.

That's 1998 (soon to be 1999) boys....

WOW, I have a historic.... ready for it..... neon.

I do have another 05 neon for a winter car since where im at we have mostly cold and light snow or heavy wet in the late winters but salt and mag are used a good bit. So I only need my 4x4 truck mostly to plow my driveway.

I have no problem sporting the neon in the winter, great heater and still semi modern vs older and a great heater, good mpg since im very rural... and at the end of the day if something happens to it.... well its just a neon.

I think an ideal winter car would be a well kept and cared for early OBD2 vehicle- before the tech became insane. A nice elderly owned mid/late 1990s to early 2000s 4cyl or V6. Ford Crown Vic/Marauder with the pushrod V8.

I watch local municipal auctions and it's surprising how much money Crown Vics sell for. They definitely have a strong following.

The last pushrod V8 in those cars was in 1990. They switched to the 4.6 SOHC motor in 1991 for the 1992 model year.

Middle East Uber drivers are who's buying them all up.

Here in florida Cleetus has the market cornered on CVs, somehow I think he has an agreement to buy any cvpi that goes for sale.

I have had quite a few winter drizen classics. A few 66 b bodies, some 70-71 c bodies and a 67 300. It was rather enjoyable for the most part. I stopped driving old cars in the winter 3-4 years ago. Between parts availability, other drivers and the diminishing supply of decent drivers it was an easy decision.

There is a nice 67 coronet 4 door for a good price within a few hundeed miles. While it is very tempting features the 3 speed wipers, pitiful charging system and leaky weather stripping have deterred me. Delay wipers, modern charging systems and a sealed up cabin have spoiled me. These items are often found on higherline cars however in my experience the luxury features rarely work. Old grease gets hard along with nylon clips creating issues with the window operation. Fwiw I don't look at post 76 cars as classic. The cars of the late 70's-early 90s are "earlt modern" in my mind. Antiques cars fall into the 64ish back era. to me because of the many left over design characteristics from the 50's (galactic looking cars with huge, smooth v8s).

My current winter daily is a 93 w250 12v. All of the gimmicks work, its sealed up and the wipers work at more than 3 speeds. That said I can see the writing on the wall now that it's 20 years old. 16" tires are grtting hard to find, OEM body panels are getting expensive/scarce etc. In ten years it will probably get replaced with a 08-18 Ram 2500 24v.


Between guilt and practicality I am a forced into being a fair weather classic car guy. This is justified by putting stroker big blocks in everything with the general understanding that they should not be messed with on wet roads.

I miss my muscle car winter beaters!

We had one here that was auctioned off last fall. A former police patrol turned traffic control car. A guy from Alaska flew in and drove it back home.

Many years back I always bought a winter beater. But they were beaters, not something from down South. My every day driver was a 65 Satellite and I was NOT going to drive that in the crap during winters. (Still have the Satellite!)

As has already been mentioned here, it's easy to get spoiled with more current vehicle features. Then looking at new car prices I decided it best to try and make my 2008 vintage vehicle last a bit more. Bought an 88 5th Avenue 4 years ago for $1200. It had about 90K on it. Figured if it lasted me two years it didn't owe me anything. The darn thing is still running and it doesn't bother me a bit to take it out on the worst of days. Always starts, engine doesn't burn a drop of oil and the transmission is one of the best shifting automatics I've ever owned. The grand kids love to rid in it and even call it grandpa's beater.

More than once I've thought of pulling the engine/trans for another project car, but just can't bring myself to do it. Once in a while I'll look at rust free stuff out of state and figure I could just drive the Chrysler there, close the deal, scrap the Chrysler and drive the new prize home. I just know I'd get there and not be able to bring myself to scrap the Chrysler.

A couple years ago I would see this 69 Charger on my way into work in the mornings. We would follow the same route for 5 miles or so. I'd run into him a couple times a week, all winter. It didn't matter if it was a snowstorm or not.It looked to be a solid car being fixed up with new quarters. And it was a four speed.I think the plates were from somewhere in the midwest and not here in MA. I always wondered what would make this guy drive this all winter.

This is a nice driver. It does have a set of steelies for winter.

Don't see very many of these around here and they fetch muscle car prices but this one is rusting away on the road.