Why do you store your vette during winter?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 843
Likes: 1
From: Carlisle PA
Not all of us "store" our vettes during the winter. We drive ours (we live in Carlisle, PA) when the roads are dry and free of ice and salt. Newer vettes (C5, C6) were made to be driven not be garage queens. If you maintain it properly, keep it cleaned off and don't drive it when road conditions are unsatisfactory, it will last a long, long time. There are many C5 owners out there who have 150-250,000 miles on their cars with few major mechanical problems. They are built solid and can take it.
We normally drive 10-11,000 miles a year with our 99 coupe. It still looks like new and runs great (knock on wood).
That's my two and half cents.
We normally drive 10-11,000 miles a year with our 99 coupe. It still looks like new and runs great (knock on wood).
That's my two and half cents.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,155
Likes: 44
From: If you wanna live life on your own terms, you gotta be willing to crash and burn Florida
I dont live in Wisconsin anymore, but it is amazing to see what that road salt does to cars, the wheels the engine, exhuast. A car that has been stored in the winter in the midwest looks amazing.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,816
Likes: 16
From: Anchorage Alaska
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
I store mine for two reasons...
One, living in Alaska means really brutal, long winters. Our roads are often sloppy, slippery, and salted. I would have zero opportunity to enjoy the horsepower, and plenty of opportunity to run the risk of salt damage.
Two, I don't trust other drivers. Even though I feel I am a safe driver when the snow falls, I don't pretend that everyone else is. The likelihood of me being hit by some bozo not paying attention during the wintertime, is sufficiently higher than during the summertime, for me to not risk taking my Vette out. A lot of folks here CANNOT drive to save their lives, in the wintertime. I prefer them to hit my truck, if they're going to hit me at all.
One, living in Alaska means really brutal, long winters. Our roads are often sloppy, slippery, and salted. I would have zero opportunity to enjoy the horsepower, and plenty of opportunity to run the risk of salt damage.
Two, I don't trust other drivers. Even though I feel I am a safe driver when the snow falls, I don't pretend that everyone else is. The likelihood of me being hit by some bozo not paying attention during the wintertime, is sufficiently higher than during the summertime, for me to not risk taking my Vette out. A lot of folks here CANNOT drive to save their lives, in the wintertime. I prefer them to hit my truck, if they're going to hit me at all.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 382
Likes: 1
From: Whitby Ontario
From reading other peoples posts, snow and salt doesn't effect your car short term, when its getting into the 15-20 years old, you will be able to tell a difference between the snow driven cars and the ones just driven in the rain, I guarantee you that.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,728
Likes: 142
From: Iowa
We don't get much snow here, but it doesn't matter. I bought the car to have fun in it. I don't get any satisfaction from just sitting in the car. I didn't buy it for that, driving in the rain or snow is not fun.
So...it stays in the garage the entire rainy/winter season because I couldn't care less to drive it then.
So...it stays in the garage the entire rainy/winter season because I couldn't care less to drive it then.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 436
Likes: 0
From: Chatham Ontario
I have a truck on the road all year round, its my daily driver and I enjoy driving it. The vette is a fun car that I drive when the mood strikes me. If I drove it all the time it would not be as much fun. Yea...its a garage queen and only gets about 3-5,000 miles per year on it. Plus canadian winters suck!!! tons of snow!
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,903
Likes: 0
From: I finished a Marathon, did you? Michigan
CI 6-7, 9-10 Veteran
This plus in Michigan as well as a lot of other states, we get snow, sleet, ice, salt is piled on the roads, impossible to drive in more than 2 inches of snow (I did that once), and the rest of the numbskullz that drive like the roads are perfectly dry out and put everyone else in a ditch!
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,233
Likes: 21
From: Baltimore suburbs Maryland
Have you ever Tried to drive a High Horse Power Rear Wheel Drive Car in the snow Before? Yeah it doesn't work.. Don't get me wrong, someone Here will say YES you can with Snow Tires..etc. But that's their choice, and it's still not very safe.. Just don't Touch the Gas Pedal in a Turn.. Plus It just isn't worth getting stuck everywhere the Snow is deeper than a 1/4 inch!
OHH HERE don't take my Word for it see for yourself.. Notice there is very little snow on the ground in these video's..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF6yo24VjCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMuyQXKjK9M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulVtNdClhb8
OHH HERE don't take my Word for it see for yourself.. Notice there is very little snow on the ground in these video's..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF6yo24VjCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMuyQXKjK9M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulVtNdClhb8
Those videos are with running the summer tires. Put those same tires on a SUV and see how far you get. Almost like hiking in dress shoes.This discussion comes up every winter time. As mentioned, I drive my car in the snow. It works fine up to 4". I haven't gotten stuck yet, or wrecked because of the snow. Just gotta be smart about it.
As for being able to tell if I've driven it in the rain and snow- well to me... it's a daily driver not a show car. Is it riskier? Yes. I ride a motorcycle too, is that risky? Yes. Life is too short NOT to drive a corvette
two words...SNOW & ICE
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,995
Likes: 61
From: Fort Wayne IN
I live in Indiana where we get our fair share of winter weather but I don't really put my car into storage. I might put the cover on it but that's about it. It's in the garage ready to go at any time. I just have fewer opportunities in the winter. If the roads are dry and there's no precip then I'll take it out being extra cautious with those cold tires. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,615
Likes: 142
From: Lake Simcoe..... Back in Black baby!!!
Toronto Events Coordinator
I bought mine used in 2004 and have driven it every winter up here since then. I have no intention of selling this car, so I don't care if the value of it has dropped since I put so many miles on it (approaching 100k any day now) or if it's not 100% perfect underneath because of being winter driven. For me, I simply enjoy driving the car too much to put it away. I won't drive it in deep snow, but it goes just fine through the light snow up here. There usually are only 4 or 5 days each winter when I don't drive the car, the rest of the time I continue using it as my daily driver.
A lot of people (that don't know Corvettes) still think mine is a brand new car, so obviously winter driving hasn't hurt the car too much.
A lot of people (that don't know Corvettes) still think mine is a brand new car, so obviously winter driving hasn't hurt the car too much.
You mention you have no intention to sell it....good thing, Vettes driven year round in snow/salt don't sell well
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
I drive all winter,,,but it does stay put when the road conditions are crappy. I live in the general area of St.Louis and usually the snow doesn't stay all that long at any one time. If the roads are decent I'm usually driving it!!
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,518
Likes: 37
Just curious. What is the main concern with salt? I certainly understand how salt can effect a 1970 or before car, they rust out big time all over.
What is it on a C5 Corvette that is such a concern?
Maybe people can answer this fill-in-the-blank question:
I drove in winter with salt on the roads and my "blank" rusted out!
What is it on a C5 Corvette that is such a concern?
Maybe people can answer this fill-in-the-blank question:
I drove in winter with salt on the roads and my "blank" rusted out!
Former Vendor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 18,293
Likes: 137
From: Hazel Green, Wi www.doubledmods.com
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Same here with all the snow it would be stupid to even try to drive the my vette or the wifes Sky in the winter.
I still drive my DD 06 Charger and the wife drives her 4x4 Blazer
we dont need them so why drive them
Mine is in storage now and hers goes tomorrow night
I still drive my DD 06 Charger and the wife drives her 4x4 Blazer
we dont need them so why drive them
Mine is in storage now and hers goes tomorrow night