Good winter cars /fun/ well galvanised
Discussion
My current fleet will be going into hibernation shortly I’m after a car / jeep that won’t bore me to death but won’t rot in 6months it wont be garaged
I imagine fair few people thinking like me at the moment
some rules
cheap as chips 6k and under
Has to have at least 2 redeeming features
Not likely to rust to death
Fast or good handling
Petrol or diesel
I imagine fair few people thinking like me at the moment some rules
cheap as chips 6k and under
Has to have at least 2 redeeming features
Not likely to rust to death
Fast or good handling
Petrol or diesel
Do cars rot over the space of 6 months in winter in the UK? I have owned plenty of cars stored outside all year round, cost under £6k, never had rust problems directly caused by a bit of snow and rain. I had a Celica GT4 for over 4 years stored outside no sign of rust. If you can get yourself a Celica GT4 in budget that is a hoot, or an Impreza etc. most will have been undersealed if looked after.
Gt four is already on the short list ! 3sgte engines are great an I’ve already got a spare sat in the shed !
I just don’t like cars sat out in all the condensation that this time of year brings . OCD .. it’s an expensive illness. My only issue is I think I may like the gt4 to much an it would end up in the shed !
I just don’t like cars sat out in all the condensation that this time of year brings . OCD .. it’s an expensive illness. My only issue is I think I may like the gt4 to much an it would end up in the shed !
I am similarly afflicted with the OCD but I do turn that into a hobby which is maintaining my cars to within an inch of their life! I have about 70 different products in the cupboard, a DA, tonnes of towels etc. My cars get very well looked after and they seem to survive no problem outside and always look gleaming 
Sold my GT4 earlier this year for £9k 
Sold my GT4 earlier this year for £9k Love a good valet session especially when it back in the carcoon (sad)
Typical don’t tell me it was a black one with the hi level spoiler an anti lag
I was toying with using the m3 compact but it’s a good excuse to buy something else easily justifiable to the wife . If that ever easy !!
Typical don’t tell me it was a black one with the hi level spoiler an anti lag
I was toying with using the m3 compact but it’s a good excuse to buy something else easily justifiable to the wife . If that ever easy !!
Weekendrebuild said:
Love a good valet session especially when it back in the carcoon (sad)
Typical don’t tell me it was a black one with the hi level spoiler an anti lag
I was toying with using the m3 compact but it’s a good excuse to buy something else easily justifiable to the wife . If that ever easy !!
Was red with hi level spoiler and no anti lag as I didnt fancy rebuilding the engine every 200 miles Typical don’t tell me it was a black one with the hi level spoiler an anti lag
I was toying with using the m3 compact but it’s a good excuse to buy something else easily justifiable to the wife . If that ever easy !!
Was a very nice car though, immaculate, hence the chap flying over from Ireland to buy it and drive it back!coldel said:
Do cars rot over the space of 6 months in winter in the UK? I have owned plenty of cars stored outside all year round, cost under £6k, never had rust problems directly caused by a bit of snow and rain. I had a Celica GT4 for over 4 years stored outside no sign of rust. If you can get yourself a Celica GT4 in budget that is a hoot, or an Impreza etc. most will have been undersealed if looked after.
From some of the posts we get on here you would think the UK becomes Siberia once we get to November. I for one am most looking forward to the annual "Have you fitted your winter tyres yet" and "Winter 4X4 hack" threads.Amazingly I drove through winter for years with no issues before I joined Pistonheads and was enlightened to all the preparation I was failing to do with regards to not driving a 4x4 on winter tyres.
Joey Deacon said:
coldel said:
Do cars rot over the space of 6 months in winter in the UK? I have owned plenty of cars stored outside all year round, cost under £6k, never had rust problems directly caused by a bit of snow and rain. I had a Celica GT4 for over 4 years stored outside no sign of rust. If you can get yourself a Celica GT4 in budget that is a hoot, or an Impreza etc. most will have been undersealed if looked after.
From some of the posts we get on here you would think the UK becomes Siberia once we get to November. I for one am most looking forward to the annual "Have you fitted your winter tyres yet" and "Winter 4X4 hack" threads.Amazingly I drove through winter for years with no issues before I joined Pistonheads and was enlightened to all the preparation I was failing to do with regards to not driving a 4x4 on winter tyres.
As for the OP, unless 80s Lancias are your thing I'd just carry on driving whatever cars you drive the rest of the year, they'll be just fine.
It’s not that , I run 4 company vans all winter . Not being daft but I don’t like using my collection in the wet , as I don’t usually bother with a car in the winter. I tend to use the vans and the wife’s 1 series baby mobile I’ve got 10 carcoons so I’m pretty keen on looking after things
I’ve got 10 carcoons so I’m pretty keen on looking after things Winter cars are probably a bit of a waste of time given that our winters, springs and autumns are pretty much identical unless you live a long way north or up a big hill. I live up in the Peak District and have had a few "disposable" winter cars, they tend to fall into three camps:
1) Massive 4x4 with intergalactic mileage - hard work and expensive to run
2) Little 4x4 (Jimny, Shogun Pinin etc) - rust like nobody's business quite good fun
3) AWD car (Audi, Subaru) quite good fun, handle well etc etc.
I wouldn't worry about rusting. It's cheap don't worry, just buy another if it fails it's MOT.
Old Imprezas, old AWD Audis etc etc, you could even look for an Xdrive BMW of some description if you felt like it. Stick winter tyres on and it'll get you through the inch of slush we might get.
1) Massive 4x4 with intergalactic mileage - hard work and expensive to run
2) Little 4x4 (Jimny, Shogun Pinin etc) - rust like nobody's business quite good fun
3) AWD car (Audi, Subaru) quite good fun, handle well etc etc.
I wouldn't worry about rusting. It's cheap don't worry, just buy another if it fails it's MOT.
Old Imprezas, old AWD Audis etc etc, you could even look for an Xdrive BMW of some description if you felt like it. Stick winter tyres on and it'll get you through the inch of slush we might get.
spreadsheet monkey said:
RSTurboPaul said:
my understanding is that the Japanese were overbuilding in the mid-90s, which means everything lasts forever and seems to never rust, even if never washed!
Plenty of rusty MX5s and Integras out there to disprove that point!This is a good point...
I bought a WRX as a winter car to protect my Mazda but then realised that they rust pretty badly as well 
Prevention with products like Bilt Hamber dynax-s50 is far better (and easier) than the cure, even just running a hose under the sills and arches to get rid of the salt can help quite a bit.
Lots of people use ACF 50 on their motorbikes to prevent corrosion over winter but people don't tend to take the same amount of car with their cars even though they generally cost far more.
I was under the illusion that Japanese cars were well protected from rust till I had mint looking RX8 less than a decade old and noticed a bit of bubbling under the sideskirt, pulled it off and found this!
Ended up getting a new shell as it was cheaper than fixing the rust, I did some preventative maintenance on the WRX last weekend to kept the rust at bay as they seem to all rust on the rear suspension turret.
Prevention with products like Bilt Hamber dynax-s50 is far better (and easier) than the cure, even just running a hose under the sills and arches to get rid of the salt can help quite a bit.
Lots of people use ACF 50 on their motorbikes to prevent corrosion over winter but people don't tend to take the same amount of car with their cars even though they generally cost far more.
I was under the illusion that Japanese cars were well protected from rust till I had mint looking RX8 less than a decade old and noticed a bit of bubbling under the sideskirt, pulled it off and found this!
Ended up getting a new shell as it was cheaper than fixing the rust, I did some preventative maintenance on the WRX last weekend to kept the rust at bay as they seem to all rust on the rear suspension turret.
Japanese imports (i.e. most exciting Japanese cars) aren't rustproofed as standard because they don't salt the roads in Japan, plus most people buy a new car after a few years when the value drops below the level when their equivalent of an MoT becomes uneconomical c. 900quid just for the test every two years. It's a bit like Transit vans which have a design life of 5-7 years after which they'll be mechanically shagged so Ford don't bother overmuch about expensive corrosion protection.
I can't think offhand of any really well galvanised car, Peugeots used to be back in the day (80s and 90s), but they aren't that exciting these days.
I can't think offhand of any really well galvanised car, Peugeots used to be back in the day (80s and 90s), but they aren't that exciting these days.
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