[gtfoxy]

Originally Posted by zaimer

Yep! Other than the highways (once the sun finally melts it clear), very little pavement can be seen right now.

Then there’s the flash snow storms. 16yrs ago I was coming up from Prairie Du Chien with a new ‘05 350 4x Dually hauling a car trailer with my wife’s Taurus on it. When I left it was mid 30’s & sunny. I hit just north of Lacrosse & all hell broke loose. By the time I was to Galesville there was 5-6” on the highway & coming down hard. From there to Arcadia I saw the trailer sideways in my side mirrors a few times.

Didn’t see a plow truck until I hit 93 just south of Eau Claire. Just before then there was probably a foot on 93.

Storm didn’t break until I was almost to Rice Lake. Took me 9hrs to get from Lacrosse to home. I don’t remember how many cars, trucks & semis I saw off the road on 53. I was absolutely fried & exhausted.

[MR's 2SS]

Yea. Im the guy who calls out the plows. Often Im driving in when its really blowing. Its not so much the diameter of the tires but the width. Skinny tires dont look cool but they work best in the snow. I had GY Duratracs on my GMC and they were phenomenal in the snow. We had a 30 inch storm a few Januarys back and I got my guys out early... but I fell asleep for a couple more hours. At 5am they were calling me wondering if I fell off the road somewhere and warning it was so bad I might not make it in. I live near Round Valley Reservoir and the wind whips out of the west across the road. There were drifts from the guardrail on my right up to the top of the fence on the left. I was at times plowing through drifts high enough that it was coming over the hood. Those tires were the best in the snow. But wore fast.
Thats why I went with the 245/18s all around for snows on the Camaro. I know it sucks but its going to be fun as hell transportation. Not a toy. It will kill me so I understand. But if we wait any longer these DC clowns will have us all in golf carts.
A V-12 Merc.... damn I love a V-12. Those are 300 Verados. Blown inline 6s. They are very quiet but when you get everything trimmed right and cruzing the sound of the blowers whining is a good sound.
Thats not my house build. Thats the neighbors across the lagoon. I wish I could afford what they did. But tbey lost their house in Sandy.
Our previous boat was a Searay Sundancer 260. We lost that in Sandy but the house was ok. A lot of my friends lost houses. We did ok.

[MR's 2SS]

Originally Posted by mrgoodwrench

MR's 2SS,

Those are some nice toys - especially the boat. Congrats on the house build as well...that will be a sweet place to end up! All my cars have been DD's. I had an 85 Suburban to pull our 94 Bayliner. I would drive that in bad weather but its primary purpose was to pull the boat to the river in the spring and return home in the fall. When we upgraded to the Maxum, which we keep in winter storage near our club. We sold the Bayliner last summer and then sold the Suburban. I have the extra rims w/ an aggressive all season tread for the winter so I am good for the storms.

My wife is expecting to be retiring sometime soon - I am not as fortunate and will have many more years to go (12). When she pulls the trigger, I will then be looking to find, secure and then transfer to our facility in Jupiter, Fl. Hence the purchase of the His/Hers convertibles for the future.


I do like your comments regarding our vehicles as appliances - they are to be used but we will enjoy them while we use them...they are not really anything special (other than being ours) in terms of a limited edition or numbered car like a newer Z28 (the only car I would put into a garage) or ZL1.

In the meantime, We will continue to drive and enjoy the cars with a trip to the car wash after the snow to get rid of the salt...

Yea my earliest retirement is September 2022. But I also started late into this pension plan after 30 years in the trucking business. Each year I stay on the job gets me closer to 20. If I go in 2022 Ill have 17. But were talking a N.J. Government pension.... I could end up screwed by Trenton so at times I think the earlier the better. The wife is 9 years younger. The big defining issue will be health care. Plus she wants to retire in Fla... and Im into south eastern Tenn. So we still have some debating to do. Plus my folks are 94 and relatively healthy... But they wont leave the house I was born and raised in unless its in a bag... They cant be left alone... so wont retire until I can leave the state.
In the trucking business you spent a huge amount on a truck. Then had to take it out in every imaginable weather and on the crappiest roads this country has to offer. In the last 12 years I was hauling heavy over dimensional machinery so a lot of the time I was off road and heavy as hell.
You really can keep a vehicle looking nice for 10 or 15 years just by proper care. Of course each time you drive it deteriorates a bit. Im thinking the guys who are tracking the car are putting it at greater risk than driving in light snow and salt. Although having a way better time at it.
I have to say after bringing the vert home the worry about salt and crap set in. I brought a chain saw home and lopped off a big branch from the tree in our driveway... And Ive already spent hours waxing and swapping tires and checking underneath for places to spray Fluid Film... Found some scratches in structural braces that I touched up with black paint... and we dont have 500 miles yet. So its going to be a lot of work keeping it the way I like my vehicles. So far seems worth it though.

[MR's 2SS]

Originally Posted by GroundhogSS

Nice boats there. I saw yesterday where Mercury announced a 600 HP V12. Should be a killer. It steers by only turning the lower unit. Going to look funny when the boat is turning and the top of the motor is pointing straight ahead.

I can see two V-12s on a cat... our Searay had a single engine and lots of freeboard... made it very difficult to maneuver in wind. After having the 2 engines I dont think I could ever go back to a single unless the boat was 21 feet or less.
I cant imagine what a V-12 Merc will cost... Probably close to 40 Gs each.
Stuffs just getting too expensive...

[seethruya]

Here you go:

[Vtor_ZL1]

Normally knee deep in snow, but this WFH has resulted in lazy ZLE sleeping indoors. Last year.. different story.


If this continues, I can sell the snow tires, wheels shown below

[MR's 2SS]

Originally Posted by GroundhogSS

Nice boats there. I saw yesterday where Mercury announced a 600 HP V12. Should be a killer. It steers by only turning the lower unit. Going to look funny when the boat is turning and the top of the motor is pointing straight ahead.

Opened up my email this morning and there was the V-12 in an email from Merc. That is really sweet looking. If it turns out reliable it really turns the industry on its head.
I believe Ford teamed up with Keikhoffer to build engines for those SHO Taurus's....
Imagine a Camaro with a Merc DOHC V-12 under the hood??
600 naturally aspirated HP and reliable?
Now theres a keeper..

[Crushin_LT1]

How quickly after the salting recedes should I get my car washed? We don't seem to consistently salt up here, its before/after ice storms.

I shan't get it done this week as we expect heavy snow Thursday and they were salting this morning for freezing rain...

[zaimer]

Originally Posted by Crushin_LT1

How quickly after the salting recedes should I get my car washed? We don't seem to consistently salt up here, its before/after ice storms.

I shan't get it done this week as we expect heavy snow Thursday and they were salting this morning for freezing rain...

Truthfully, I don't think the timing is going to make much of a difference. As far as your paint is concerned (assuming it has a decent layer of protection, i.e. wax), chipping/pitting is going to be culprit for most of the damage there. The rusting/corrosion (that is typically associated with salt) is going to happen where you cannot see; the underbody and your mechanical parts are going to take a beating. AND unless you get an underbody wash, spraying off the exterior with a typical car wash is really doing almost nothing, other than making the car look pretty.

[Crushin_LT1]

Originally Posted by zaimer

Truthfully, I don't think the timing is going to make much of a difference. As far as your paint is concerned (assuming it has a decent layer of protection, i.e. wax), chipping/pitting is going to be culprit for most of the damage there. The rusting/corrosion (that is typically associated with salt) is going to happen where you cannot see; the underbody and your mechanical parts are going to take a beating. AND unless you get an underbody wash, spraying off the exterior with a typical car wash is really doing almost nothing, other than making the car look pretty.

I suppose I should've clarified specifically WRT undercarriage wash, thats the main thing I try to get done - there's a few no-touch undercarriage equipped washes around me.

[Paintslinger16]

I do this once it’s safe to get the hose out, if you already have a lawn sprinkler set it under the vehicle and let it go for awhile.

[LTwin86]

Heavy snow and about -4F more than a two weeks in Moscow. So happy to drive this car in such conditions, ESP is totally OFF and drifting all the way in each corner Damn, this car is amazing for snow drifts.

[Crushin_LT1]

Originally Posted by Paintslinger16

I do this once it’s safe to get the hose out, if you already have a lawn sprinkler set it under the vehicle and let it go for awhile.

Sadly, I am in an apt building with underground garage. Previously I would do just that, hose off under the car with a sprinkler or a nozzle - but now I am in a different city in a building.

[seethruya]

Originally Posted by seethruya

Here you go:

After