Driving your classic / older car through winter. Cruel?

[MJK 24]

My daily driver is a 30 year old Volkswagen Scirocco. I've owned it for 15 years now. It's been driven through the last 15 winters and has spent every single night of the past 15 years under the night sky. The car is 100% reliable and has a superb heater the likes of which seems to be unavailable at any price on modern cars which was handy when we had ten days of -10 night time temperatures a few years ago.

Problem - despite all cavities being drowned in Bilt Hamber Dynax S50 and the floor pan and rear arches being fully undersealed, I've now got to the stage where there's a hole the size of a 5p in the rear valance, surface corrosion near the rear axle mounts etc. I treated both of these and and undersealed them with S50 UB a few weeks ago. It is however very sad to see some (admittedly minor) envitable deterioration of my car which lets face it, isn't going to be helped running the car through winter. We're not taking the odd run on a Sunday, more continual daily use through winter for commuting no matter what the weather. It did nearly 12k miles last year.

Possible solution - my brother had treated himself to a new Audi and I have first refusal on his 2006 1.2 Fiesta, 37k and 'museum piece' condition. Ideal winter transport? The idea bores me to tears - my interest in modern cars is zero.

I'm beginning to think that if I want to keep the car long term, it might be wise to accept I can't drive it November to March anymore? PH'ers, what would you do in my position? I also have an old W124 (much more rust prone than the Scirocco) and an Elise (laughably poor heater) so neither is an option for winter duties. I am feeling cautious about the expense of running a fourth car too!

Cheers

[varsas]

I really enjoy running classics through winter but I've seen too much rust develop in too many places on too many cars. From now on I'll make a real effort to see that my cars are kept dry and salt-free.

[TooMany2cvs]

All you're doing with wax etc is delaying the inevitable return of steel to ferrous oxide. Sciroccos liked to rot when they were new.

Using a car in cold, damp, humid conditions is inviting condensation on all sorts of surfaces that you've inevitably missed with the wax - so, whilst you might delay the common rot spots, you may well find rot working from the inside out in places that you didn't even realise were there - double-skinned seams, hidden box sections.

[Shezbo]

The damage to the VW - has already been done!

15 years of use (good for you by the way) will have ensured rust will have got a hold. I would continue to run this car...I am sure you will have more fun using it - laying it up in the winter now - will not help.

[MJK 24]

The 1985 onwards Scirocco's (smaller spare wheel, larger fuel tank) were much much better rustproofed than any that came before. They were pumped full of cavity wax and I'd estimate make up 90% of the survivors today. Earlier models were indeed very rust prone!

The thoughts of driving a modern Fiesta leaves me with the impression it'll be a long and boring winter! I need to accept that if I want the car to last me another 15 years, November to March may be prohibited from here on in!

Thanks for your collective thoughts.

[sunbeam alpine]

As Shezbo said, the damage is probably already done to some extent, so why not continue enjoying it a long as you can? Once rust has got a hold, it will continue anyway.

I also have a few classics which stay inside over the winter, but if I understand your OP, you don't have garaging available for the Scirocco, so you may as well make the most of it.

[Hooli]

I wouldn't drive that age of fiesta if it was free.

[BritishRacinGrin]

It will not realistically last another 15 years without welding. Just use it, and deal with the inevitable rust properly when it needs it.

[truck71]

BritishRacinGrin said:

It will not realistically last another 15 years without welding. Just use it, and deal with the inevitable rust properly when it needs it.

This. Use the cash you'd spend on the Fiesta to get the Scirocco up to scratch next spring when you can use the other cars. Other than the rot it will be much better to use it than store it.

[windy1]

I've been running a MK2 escort for the last 5 years all year round. It even has winter tyres fitted. I went to replace the rusty front wings on it a few weeks ago but when I took them off it opened a can of worms.
6 weeks later and I'm still getting over the amount of work needed on the front end to get rid of all the rot. I'll be trying not to take it out in all the salt again.

It'll still come out for dry days over the winter and only if I get really desperate for suitable snow capable transport to work will I use it.
I am also going to have to resist the temptation of "steer from the rear" antics which can be very fun in such an old car!!!!

[Sardonicus]

1979 on was the point VAG got its corrosion issues sorted IIRC

[V8 Fettler]

Corrosion is a moving target with mature vehicles. Need to get in everywhere with Waxoyl or equivalent once a year, at least a gallon for Scirocco size. Top up the vulnerable bits with aerosol once every couple of weeks in winter (I've used cheapo penetrating oil from Tool Station or similar)

[Faust66]

OP; invest the money you'd spend on the dull Fiesta into curing the rust issues you mention on your VW and all will be well. Every time I think of owning cars like a 2006 Fiesta I make an involuntary 'eeuuggghh' noise (similar to the one you'd make if you found a really big spider when you weren't expecting it).

There is no reason at all why you can't run a classic through the winter… as long as you don't expect it to be a pristine show winner come spring. It does depend on the car to a certain extent though - I wouldn't run a 1970s/80s Alfa on winter roads in this country, for example.

I run my 1970 Volvo Amazon as my only car and it lives outside. There is the odd bit of cosmetic rust here and there but I'm gradually getting that sorted as funds allow. Underneath it as solid as a rock though (to the best of my knowledge the only welding its ever had was an outrigger I had replaced earlier this year). Running a car rather than leaving it in a damp garage is always the better option IMO. Of course all the rust preventing in the world won't preserve a car for ever: if it's made of steel it will rust eventually. My car will never be concourse and I wouldn't want it to be - a dent here, a patch of rust there and the odd oil leak all add character and tell the story of the car.

This weekend I'll be pressure washing the underside and then touching up the underseal with Bilt Hamber UB (got the aerosol and brush types) - the sills, cavities and nooks and crannies have been well protected with BH Dynax cavity wax. I keep the body fairly well waxed at all times to protect the paintwork and I normally give the underside a good hose down every couple of weeks in the winter to get rid of muck and salt build ups.

It's easy to get too precious about your car and turn into one of 'those' people you see cleaning tyres with a toothbrush at shows, but cars are designed to be used. Sliding a classic around on snowy roads is one of the better pleasures in life…

Also, with the ever encroaching threat of type & usage approval rumoured to be on the horizon, I strongly believe that we should enjoy using classics as much as possible whilst we still can. In 20 years' time we will look back on this period as a golden age of owning older cars: easy (ish) to find parts & advice on the 'net, relatively cheap fuel, unlimited use, free VED, no compulsory black boxes for insurance...

Drive and love your classic whilst you can because it won't last forever.

[Hooli]

I'm still confused by what I think of as a modern car (ie no points etc & younger than me) is being treated as a classic.

[dbdb]

These things are personal I guess, but I consider a 30 year old Scirocco to be a classic car. I'd say it has been one for some time.

[Hooli]

I know they are old, indeed older than my MG when I had it, but it seems a modern car in my head for some reason.

Odd as you say. I'm the same with Jap bikes, even when they are older than my Bonnie I don't think of them as classics.

[MrMoonyMan]

There's no two ways around it - Winter ruins your classic.

Sadly my 900 is going into storage, cleaned and waxed on Monday. It will remain road legal and driven once a month on clear dry days just to keep it healthy.

I have got a slightly more modern Saab and a classic Range Rover to keep me amused during the winter months.

I think it's just a case of prioritising which car is most precious to you.

[dbdb]

Is having the car rust proofed effective? - Does it greatly delay the return of rust after a car has had the rust cut out and repaired properly? Or will it return with a vengeance as soon as the poor thing is shown a moist road?

[Markgenesis]

dbdb said:

Is having the car rust proofed effective? - Does it greatly delay the return of rust after a car has had the rust cut out and repaired properly? Or will it return with a vengeance as soon as the poor thing is shown a moist road?

If the rust has been cut out and repaired properly then the repairs should last as long as the original steel.

In a lot of cases all you can do is slow down the process, my Land Rover chassis has sections of surface rust, still solid but surface rust, i've wire brushed it, treated it, painted it, underseal and it just comes back after a while. Once the rust is in the surface of the steel that's it really.

I nearly killed a 3.0 Capri running it through two Scottish winters years ago, despite looking after it the best i could, was tidy when bought but really scabby when i sold it, usual places, arches, wings, bonnet etc, last i heard it was being restored though.

Trouble with this time of year is the tempeature never gets high enough to dry it out so it's pretty much constantly wet.

[slk 32]

I've got a 2006 slk 55. It's been garaged from new and has done 38k and only ever used as a second car prior to me buying it

Whilst not quite a classic it is immaculate underneath. I don't need to drive it for work and I will keep it in the garage over winter apart from the occasional spin out

I've bought a cheap 2008 polo bluemotion to use as a snotter. Never thought I'd be like this but saw the damage the salt did to my old slk 32 and don't want to go throughthat again