MAKC7

Exactly my thoughts and plans, put in storage once the salt is laid down the not brought out until good rains wash the streets and chuckholes are patched. Usually Dec 1 thru Apr 15th here.

Woodson

That is so cool that your Mercedes is immune to all that.

mksz51

Not immune but the reason we acquired the SUV is to use it as a DD. We turn that vehicle "line" every 30K-40K which is about every 3 years.

It's unfortunate you aren't financially stable enough to be able to afford to have a second vehicle to drive in bad weather.

Yeah - I can play that game too.

Vetteman Jack

We've had one snowfall so far and the city went nuts with the salt and cinders they tossed out. While it did a good job with the snow and ice, it also meant that my Vette stays in the garage for quite a while.

Woodson

Well played but I have a Tundra for when it's slushy and gravelly, or on those very rare occurrences where the snow is too deep. If it's fresh snow or cold enough, I'm out playing in the Vette. I have ppf, wash the car when it's dirty and it still looks brand new.

6spdC6

I live upstate NY and we can get some serious snow and very cold weather. I see -30F at times! My DD is a 4x4 PU for a very good reason. My wife drives a SUV as a DD also! As I type this it is snowing and the weather guy said it will be over a foot!

Its not only the snow its the heavy amount of sand the DPW uses. That stuff is like being sand blasted and it will stay on the road for weeks/months after a snow fall or ice event.. Its also VERY slippery. Of course we get serious amounts of salt and some other chemicals they spray on the roads!

Even if your the worlds best driver there are plenty of kamikazes around to run into you or put you in trouble.

This is my 7 Vette and only once with my first Vette did I drive it in winter. (believe it was the winter of 87)

Hey its your car do with it want you want, I prefer mine to sit under a cover in the garage under my house for the bad weather

DickieDoo

I rather enjoyed that! i just love those drivers that don't see a car comming and just pull right out in front of them, usually they wait until your right on top of them before they pull out !

Bill Dearborn

When I lived up North I drove my first two Corvettes as daily drivers all year long. The visible issue I had with those two C3s were sand blasting of the sides of the car and the literal rounding off of the door opening edge of the rear quarter panel. The main issue was with rusting of the frame. The C2/C3 frame design had some good places to capture NY State's mix of sand and salt and that led to the frames rusting out. After that I only drove the cars on nice days. I drove my 86, 97, 03 and 08Z any time the roads were dry. If there was salt dust on the road I avoided it to the best extent possible but I never noticed an issue driving any of those cars in those conditions. All of them were driven in the rain during warm weather and they were tracked which meant I spent a lot of time under then doing preventive maintenance. They all had solid frames with no evidence of rust except where there was some surface rust due to scratches in the paint. I had the 86 for 10 years, the two C5s and C6 for 6 years each with no signs of corrosion on the frame. Of course the Z06 had an aluminum frame as do all C7s. The plastic bodies don't rust and like the old dig against competitors goes, "When it is quiet out at night you can hear metal cars rusting". The big issue with any C7 is making sure the sides are protected from road debris damage whether or not you drive it in the winter. The body won't rust but the paint will start to look milky and lose its shine along the rockers, lower doors and rear quarter panels.

The best way to store the car is to drive it since the car was not designed to sit around and sitting around for extended periods of time is an abuse of the car. Abuse, because it is doing something with the car that it wasn't designed to do.

I bet you have at least two days per month during the winter where the roads are dry and you could drive the car. One thing I found about driving the car then is it is more rewarding than in the summer. Think of it. You don't get out of work until it is just about dark, you have cabin fever big time and then you hop into the Vette, hit the starter and that snappy roar brings a flow of endorphins into your blood stream and you take the car for a 40 mile joy ride. When you get back you have a smile on your face and feel good for the next week. Why wouldn't you do that.

As for potential salt making your aluminum dull it really doesn't matter because aluminum is supposed to do that. That dull look is a layer of oxidation (corrosion) that protects the metal underneath it. Iron doesn't react the same way.

From http://www.aluminiumdesign.net/desig...on-resistance/

Aluminium corrosion resistance is very good in untreated aluminium. Untreated aluminium has very good corrosion resistance in most environments. This is primarily because aluminium spontaneously forms a thin but effective oxide layer that prevents further oxidation.

Aluminium oxide is impermeable and, unlike the oxide layers on many other metals, it adheres strongly to the parent metal. If damaged mechanically, aluminium’s oxide layer repairs itself immediately.

This oxide layer is one of the main reasons for aluminium’s good corrosion properties. The layer is stable in the general pH range 4 – 9.

A plastic and aluminum vehicle seems to fit your thinking nicely.

Bill

Dif

I know what you mean
It's bad driving anytime of year the way people drive now.
Just don't enjoy driving the Vette in winter unless the roads are dry and clean and then just to give it a run.
I do have everything needed at home including my shop and the SUV in winter for errands, food etc.
The past 8 years I put 3 times more Summer miles on the corvette/s than my last 3 daily drivers.
Only put 3000 miles on the SUV since 2012 and just put 6500 on the C7 in 12 months
The Vette is for travel and enjoyment.
On the other hand, eventually moving to Florida full time

Foosh

It's only horrible if you try to drive it on summer tires. It's great on proper tires.

Foosh

No one here is suggesting that the car is fine in deep snow. It's obviously not, and that would be moronic. We're talking about driving it on very cold DRY pavement on UHP all-season tires, which work great. Driving the PSS is on cold pavement is like driving on ice.

A question to all those who are worried about a little salt turning the aluminum chassis dark--when is the last time you had a car appraised for trade-in that someone examined aesthetics of the underside of the car? Moreover, the difference on a trade-in price between a pristine-appearing car and a good condition car is usually maybe $1K at best. Mileage is the primary determinant of trade-in price.

If you want the best trade-in price, you do what a lot of Corvette owners do and leave it in the garage just to look at like a museum piece. Actually driving it is going to really ding your trade-in value because of mileage, but it's going down whether you drive it or not.

Supersonic 427

Even though the C7 can be driven in light snow and cold (providing use of All Season or Snow tires) I just as soon keep mine stored in the garage till Spring time. I enjoy this car most in the Spring, Summer and early Autumn months with the top down and the sun shining. Keeping the car stored for 4 or 5 months keeps it out of harms way, keeps the miles low and gives me something to look forward to in the Spring time. To each their own!

Foosh

Sonic,

You see that's the part I really don't understand. Driving it only in summer does not keep it out of "harms way." In my view, I think it much more in harm's way during summer driving. In winter weather, people tend to stay home and hibernate, thus there is far less exposure.

Steve_R

Bingo! It's depreciating whether you drive it or not. To each their own, but I buy cars - including Vettes - for ME to enjoy, not to keep them pristine for the next owner.

Garret

Z06 for the summer and a Jeep Rubi for the winter....2 fun vehicles made for certain seasons

Supersonic 427

True, you do have a point as far as other drivers! The 'Harms Way" I was referring to was the road salt and cinders that chip the paint and corrode things.

Foosh

I don't think salt has any meaningful effect on the trade-in value of a Corvette.

Maxpowers

Us guys that drive our vettes year round are not trying to convince everyone to do it. If you like your SUV in the winter and storing your C7...more power to you.

The main point I try to make is its a very capable and fun car to drive past November with the right tires. I'm not too concerned if the bottom of the car looks weathered when I trade her in. Xpel keeps the outer parts looking brand new year after year.

ForbiddenRooster

There are risks driving it or storing it. I met a guy at a cars and coffee that shut his garage door one day and the sheet rock from the ceiling crashed down and destroyed his car.

rkhegler

I live in Nebraska and will be driving my C7 whenever the roads are dry and the weather permits. My C5 was a garage queen, but I will be driving my C7 whenever possible. Not going to winter my Vette. It depreciates regardless so why not drive it?