What do you do with your rigs in the winter?

[scotty1998]

This will be my first winter with my Wag in the Northeast. Here, the locals use salt, cinders, sand and anything else that provides a little traction to keep the roads clear. I originally bought my Jeep for just this purpose. Something with well renowned 4wd; a do anything, go anywhere vehicle. However...

I bought mine with absolutely no rust. Plus, the more I tinker with it, the more I appreciate it and don't want anything to happen to it. Call me a puss puss but I'm now afraid to drive it this winter!

I also run into a lot... and I mean a lot of people who ask me, "what are you going to do with it this winter? Keep it in the garage?" At first I thought these comments were absolutely ridiculous but when my wife said the same thing, I really started thinking long and hard about it.

I've worked hard on this thing and now I want it to last! It isn't meant to be a cushy ride but I didn't buy it to go mudding either. It is a 21 year old vehicle after all and it's by no means a show piece. Am I being too wimpy here or is this just typical fixation that everyone gets once they've been bitten by the FSJ bug? What say you?

[Kali]

If you want it to stay nice, you have to park it for the winter. There is simply no way around it when you live in the northeast. My 82 doesnt leave the yard from late Nov. til May-ish. Definitely the worst part about owning a nice FSJ... it essentially forces you to run 2 vehicles (or relocate haha)

[misfittom138]

Winter is when we wheel the most! Ahhh life in the desert! :D

[Tonka J200]

Yep - My '91 GW goes in my garage (heated garage, no-less!), under a cover from about Nov. 1 to mid April some time.

I do drive my J200 once in a while in the winter if the roads are dry, but that's just because I occasionally need to use it for something that can only be done with a truck.

My daily winter driver is a '95 XJ Cherokee: great in the snow, great heater, fairly economical and they're a dime a dozen these days. That reminds me; I need to get the floor in it patched up before it gets much colder...

[men in black]

My 90 GW goes in a friends barn with about 10 other cars and trucks for
winter storage. I don't cover it.

There is one guy who puts his C6 Corvette in one of those ziplock bags
with moisture pelts. Thats going tooo far. :rolleyes:

[scannman70]

here in Pa if you are going to drive it all winter, the best thing to do is get a garden type sprayer and do the whole under carriage in used oil. makes a mess at first. BUT by the end of winter trust me it will be long gone. Also hit the car wash ofter, If its a bad snow and they salt everything, usually we get a brake with a few sunny days in between storms, hit the car wash hose the undercarriage down..

ITS Gonna rust if you drive it,,,TRUST me..:eek:

[pineymike]

:D I have a '79 cherokee it was a phila police vehicle with a plow.It was used by the city for about 10yrs I bought it at acution. by brother used it for about 6yrs as his family truckster all year round,when I got it back I cut out the rust and welded in patches at that time I opened the rockers and rear inner fenders and cleaned out a ton of sand! most of it was wet I know it never had a thoro wash out,I think if a vehicle is washed thoroly I t would fair pretty whell here in the last 2 winters I have washed my cherokee wenever it gets real salty some times I only wash underneath I think wen people around here buy a new car and then only wash it at the end of winter it sets up the rustout that we see so often??? if your waggon is not a perfict show pice it would be a shame not to enjoy it all winter!:drivin: If it it is then put it away and buy a winter rat to flog all winter!:fsj:

[hockeydawg]

Winter? Isn't that the time of year when the temp drops all the way down to the 70s? :D

[ComancheRob]

For the O.P

Buy another one, this time one with rusties so you wont feel bad :thumbsup:

[addicted]

I bought mine without any rust and it has only been in the snow once since I have owned it and that was on my way back from VA. Beach where I bought it on April 1st and drove home through fricken OH where it looked like they used up the rest of the salt for the season for 2 inches.:mad:

It got a good bath and hasn't seen the stuff since. Then again it hasn't had an engine in it for over a year either.:huh:

[Tad]

Winter? Isn't that the time of year when the temp drops all the way down to the 70s? :D
I saw ice last year.
Might have been when I was defrosting the freezer :eek:

[CustomWag]

Irony of ironies;)

[bushwood44]

In the winter I use mine to go hunting,no snow here though.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Drive it! Use it what it was bought for. Its not like its going to only last 1 or 2 winters. Undercoat everything and spray the salt off about once a week and itll be fine for years. Plus when it does finally rust into nothing just buy another one for a grand or 2. Great thing about these things is that theyre CHEAP...I say theyre disposable in my book but MattMopar440 Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogleys a brick every time I say that...he thinks theyre GOLD :rolleyes:

[AlsChopShop]

mine loves the snow and its 100% rust free. course we only use sand up here on the roads, no salt!

i love oregon. :D

Al

[dlowrance]

I'm struggling with the same thing, and I went the route of multiples...one for work and one for play. My glad is the workhorse, and I'm in the middle of winterizing her for the anti-salt deal now...

[TPICherokee]

Move to Oregon or Washington and that will solve your winter problems... Plus you will be closer to BJ's Off-Road so it would only take one day shipping to get to you!!

[Snowbird_Hunter]

I saw ice last year.
Might have been when I was defrosting the freezer :eek:

mmmm ... an ice cold one ...... be back in a minute ................

[El Jefe]

We use salt, heck the capital is Salt Lake City. I drove mine for about nine winters. and never got bad. just like whats been said, wash it on the nicer days and enjoy it.

[JPSwapMohn]

I swear, every time there is a mention of ice or snow here, the DOT covers every paved surface with that chemical salt solution crap. It barely gets cold enough here to HOPE for snow. Occasionally we get a little storm.

I am also considering parking my GW. Maybe THAT is what this old 78 NT was meant for...to my Winter fix!

Hey, I gotta go tell my wife that I finally figured out why I bought the thing!

[frank_c]

here's a hint

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t296/fccdmc/snow007.jpg

[Gambler68]

play games :D

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z94/Ouray07/462952573-main.jpg

go wheeling:

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z94/Ouray07/winter07/th_100_2630.jpg (http://s194.photobucket.com/albums/z94/Ouray07/winter07/?action=view&current=100_2630.flv)

create snow free zones in the driveway:

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z94/Ouray07/winter07/5f489ff9.jpg

and gather christmas trees:

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z94/Ouray07/winter07/sundogsnow3.jpg

[Crossbones]

When I finally get mine road worthy it will be my main winter vehicle, I bought it for mudding, deer hunting, heavy haulin, all around tough truck, This thing will be so tough that before I take it out I will have to shave the hair off the bumper.

When I get the brakes done,
the heater working,
the electrical fixed,
the steering figured out,
the lift kit done,
the master cylinder replaced,
the door panels built,
the headliner installed,
Holy crap, does it ever end?

[cavalryman40]

I have always driven my vehicles in the winter. Just hit the local car wash after and hose down the wheel wells and under carrage good. Never had a problem with rust.

[TexTJ209]

Winter? Isn't that the time of year when the temp drops all the way down to the 70s? :D

We prefer to call it Early and Late Summer here in Texas. Since Summer is the only season here.

[men in black]

As long as you keep the snowy side down.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n192/pixelhound/rolled1.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n192/pixelhound/rolled2.jpg

[fulsizjeep]

http://www.frontier.net/%7Emystkblu/gotsnow.jpg

HUH? We drive them! Lordy, they were made for winter driving. Here is a rule of thumb I use for prep. If I can't remember the last time I changed the antifreeze, it is time to do it. Same with wipers, hoses, belts. The other prep is really for survival if you end up stranded and don't want to freeze to death. :eek:

Speaking of which. I can only remember the last time I changed antifreeze in 4 of these rigs here. Got some things to do... :rolleyes:

Move to Oregon or Washington and that will solve your winter problems... Plus you will be closer to BJ's Off-Road so it would only take one day shipping to get to you!!Yer crackin me up Brent! :D We are tearing that tailgate down this weekend. Would be nice to get that wipe man. :confused:

[scotty1998]

Wow. Seems like a hotly contested debate! At least I know that I'm not in the minority. Luv the snow pics by the way. I guess the problem in NYS is that, they salt just about every day. The roads are always wet. I think many of you are right though, I bought the darned thing to drive, not sit in shelter. My wife wants to get our Christmas Tree with it (something about Norman Rockwell) so I guess you can't do that with it mothballed. I think the bottom line is that if I take care of it and spray it off periodically, I'll be ok.

I'll extend this thread by asking what about that rubberized undercoating? There's a guy up the road who will do the whole undercarriage for $200 and guarantee it. I always thought that aftermarket undercoating hides a lot of problems and traps moisture. Anybody ever done this before?

[youngjeeper]

Well thank goodness I moved to FL since I'll be cutting the top off the Waggie! Wouldn't of been too nice out in Utah!

The locals say it does get "cold" here. I'll miss walking to school in 2ft of snow..NOT.

[Gambler68]

I grew up in Woodstock, CT which had a very healthy budget for snow removal and sanding. I don't think they used much salt. Regardless the 88 Grand Wag Limited I grew up with was rather rusted out by the mid 90's..I would definitely coat the undercarriage with oil if the factory option wasn't enabled. We garaged ours so it wasn't that bad but still..

[Ristow]

i drive mine. that's why i have them,great winter drivers. we have a wash bay here in the shop,so i keep them clean,especially underneath,which keeps mine solid.

[Yeti]

Plan on driving and wheeling it.
Did it with my XJ the past winter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v392/TheYeti1775/Jan%2019%202008%20Private%20Run/DSC01732.jpg

Hope to do so with the FSJ as well.

[Mikel]

As fun as it is to drive a FSJ in the snow, I would never expose a vehicle I plan on keeping to New England winters.

My Honda Civic is my FSJ's sacrificial anode :rolleyes:

[fulsizjeep]

Well thank goodness I moved to FL since I'll be cutting the top off the Waggie! Wouldn't of been too nice out in Utah!

The locals say it does get "cold" here. I'll miss walking to school in 2ft of snow..NOT.Well Sonny, way back in the winter of 77 I saw 2 feet of snow in Tallahassee... Buckle up! ;)

[fulsizjeep]

I'll extend this thread by asking what about that rubberized undercoating? There's a guy up the road who will do the whole undercarriage for $200 and guarantee it. I always thought that aftermarket undercoating hides a lot of problems and traps moisture. Anybody ever done this before?I am skeptical. Driving the beaches covered in salt for many years I saw a lot of vehicles with undercoating that indeed did trap rust up underneath. I found that regular power washing and spraying used motor oil on the bottoms side at least once a year helped a lot. You can pour it right in the doors and tailgate too.

[El Jefe]

Well thank goodness I moved to FL since I'll be cutting the top off the Waggie! Wouldn't of been too nice out in Utah!

The locals say it does get "cold" here. I'll miss walking to school in 2ft of snow..NOT.

Oh come on Dan, its fun. Its only cold when the inversion sets in and you dont see the sun for a month straight.

[youngjeeper]

Oh come on Dan, its fun. Its only cold when the inversion sets in and you dont see the sun for a month straight.

Oh don't get me wrong, I loved the snow..when I was on a board up in the mountains. I just hated walking to class in it..then it would get plowed..then every sidewalk and step would be ice. I dig the cold air though.

[El Jefe]

last winter sucked for me cause I didnt have my beast. just my hooptie mazda, they'd plow me in at my apartment at least once a week. but that litle thing did pretty good in the snow.

[Tonka J200]

I found this photo in a Craigslist ad in Michigan.
The ad described this Waggy as having "some rust".
http://images.craigslist.org/010111011502010306200809114bb4d6e50bf985cc5e00e422 .jpg

Imagine what we describe around here as "rusty". :eek:

This is why I WON'T subject my rust-free waggy to Michigan road salt. The salt just get's into everything, especially those hard to clean places, like the inside of that dog-leg.

When I bought my '91 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the original owner commented that it should do really well on the snowy, icy roads. I told him that I was sure it would, but it was never going to see them. I think he was kind of puzzled by my response.

[scotty1998]

Yeah, that's why I had to go to Florida to buy mine. Every one that I looked at in our area was completely bombed out. Of course I could buy one for <$1,000 but I wanted something that I wouldn't need to do any body work on. I'm a good shade tree mechanical guy, :sawzall:not a miracle worker :huh:

[addicted]

Mine came from the west coast by way of VA. Just like Tonka's it will not see the salty roads in winter if I can help it. I should've taken pics of the 82' I bought for parts from MN. I locked the doors on it before I made sure the key worked andhad to reach in through the floor of the back to unlock it.

[Marvin Gates]

Drive it, we don't have salt on the roads here. :D :D :D

[Emissions dude]

Just drive thats what they were built for, drove my 79 J 10 for thelast 3 winters and loved it She got where I needed to go no matter the road conditions this year Ill be driving the 77 chero i just bought and laughing at all the people with their brand new trucks that get stuck

[Gambler68]

Well Sonny, way back in the winter of 77 I saw 2 feet of snow in Tallahassee... Buckle up! ;)

'77 huh...I can just hear the disco and see the bell bottoms now. :eek: :D

[scotty1998]

I had my wag at work the other day and needed to go up to meet one of our construction crews on a stretch of muddy road. If the caked mud is any indication of how salt will behave in the winter, I may feel better if I do something about the fender walls. The way the quarter panels are formed, stuff really gets hung up in the crevices in the rear. If anything, I may just undercoat the in those areas with that spray on rubberized stuff and just work to keep the thing clean in the winter.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

mine loves the snow and its 100% rust free. course we only use sand up here on the roads, no salt!

i love oregon. :D

Al
I think it helps that it doesnt get driven either :rolleyes: :p lol

[Casey]

it essentially forces you to run 2 vehicles (or relocate haha)
:thumbsup:

Great wheelin' here in the wintah! :p

[fulsizjeep]

I think it helps that it doesnt get driven either :rolleyes: :p lolI was waiting for that... ;)

[crispyboy]

I won't drive mine in the salt, snow or ice. I drive our little econo-box in the winter. It would hurt a lot less to have someone wreck into the econo-box. I do take them to work on dry days or hunting which keeps everything working like it should. I guess it depends on how much you like it or how long you think you will keep it. I'm starting to see a lot of cars around our area that are less than 10 years old starting to rust through - especially pickup trucks.

[jtr]

I like to wheel mine in the winter!

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i137/justinroose/IMG_1177.jpg

[fulsizjeep]

'77 huh...I can just hear the disco and see the bell bottoms now. :eek: :Dexcuse me? :rolleyes: It was Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Led Zepplin, dual glass packs on a 72 J4000 and bell bottoms. :D That was the only time I drove on the beach in the snow too. :fsj:

This is where I take an opportunity to mix snow, a FSJ and ZZ Top...
http://frontier.net/~mystkblu/got_snow.wmv
5 megs
:D