getting the fbody ready for winter..... - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

camarokev · 12-08-2005, 09:57 PM

alright, here's what ive done to get the car "winterized".... any other suggestions for safety at all? what does everyone else do?

My checklist:
- bought 4 snow tires... nokian hakkapelitta's... supposed to be the best snow tires in the world
- car cover for the snow, cuz im not lucky enough to have a garage
- bought 150lbs of sand to put in the back to even out the weight
- gave it a good wax to help prevent the crap from messing with the paint

BigAls87Z28 · 12-09-2005, 12:32 AM

Wait...Camaros see snow? I thought it said in the owners manual that no Camaro can be in the snow? Mine is tucked away, sorta cozy, waiting for pick-me up parts

How you winterize a Camaro? Garage it, mod it, get it ready for spring. I thought this was detailed in your owners manual.

As for winterizing a car, if anyone is gunna leave a car garaged over the winter, I would suggest purchasing a batter tender that keeps your battery charged while the car sits. Im gunna buy one for the 72, dont want that Optima to die on me!! Check anti freeze levels and tire pressure every week. Replace your blades cause you will need them, and they will be torn up from the cold. I suggest doing an oil change now as well.

ar0ck · 12-09-2005, 12:37 AM

It never said I couldnt drive it in the snow on the owners CD

I just put on regular wheels & tires and pray for the best.

12secondv6 · 12-09-2005, 08:56 AM

Prepare for snow:

Park bird backwards in the driveway in the corner.
Lock doors.
Take firebird keys and put them on the key rack.

Glance over at neon and benz and smile.... cause I'm not driving the bird in snow!

BigAls87Z28 · 12-09-2005, 11:04 AM

Here are a few things we creative service writers tell our customers to do...

Change out the spring/summer air in your tires for fall/winter air
Replace your blinker fluid with the new winter model so it doesnt freeze up
Rotate, repack or replace your muffler bearings
Recalibrate the flux capcitor for its winter settings.

All this can be done for a small fee of $59.99. If anyone is interested, please PM me and I will give you directions to my shop. And if you bring a friend to have it done on there car, ill take 20 bucks off both!!

Brando56894 · 12-10-2005, 07:57 PM

thanks for the tips al ill make sure to get right on that! back in highschool my friends told this really dumb chick (so dumb that she would cheat off of my tests and she would get a D and id get an A) to go to the store and change the fluid in her headlights. they told her to make sure and get the halogen fluid and she believe them

enRo · 12-10-2005, 08:05 PM

Well, for safety, id say park it. But if this is your only means of transportation, just take it easy around corners, down hills (especially since your from Hackettstown, the Rt 46 hill is a pain in my balls every time I go down lol) and avoid all black ice as possible. From my experience, more snow on the road is better, IMHO if its a thin layer of snow, I'd go sliding (the reason why I crashed my T/A) .... I also hit a patch of black ice on a bend and lightly Tboned a lincoln town car and sped off LOL cuz I did a 360 in the middle of a busy road.

IROCZBeast · 12-12-2005, 06:20 PM

Mine is parked on the side of the driveway up on ramps and stands, full tank of gas with stabil, and covered. Battery is out of car hooked up to a trickle charger.

And as Big Al said just part shop and wait for spring

.

NJSPEEDER · 12-12-2005, 06:39 PM

mine is under a pile of snow right now. replaced for winter driving by a POS affectionately refered to as "The Boat"

jims69camaro · 12-13-2005, 08:34 AM

that's a good thing. you did not want to drive the Lieutenant during the winter, anyway.

even if the car will sit for the winter months, assuming you've done all normal maintenance: change oil at regular intervals, change trans fluid and rear fluid once a year, flush and refill with fresh fluid - radiator, check and replace as needed - belts and tires, check and replace wiper blades, etc., it's more advantageous to do this in the fall before you tuck it away for the winter. add a bottle of sta-bil, top off the radiator/overflow bottle with winter mix of antifreeze and check the tires for proper inflation. it's better if the weight of the car is on the suspension/tires than up in the air on stands (ramps are OK).

this is all of the advice i've been gathering during the many nasty winters i've survived in NJ and NH/VT. now the trick is to get to a warm climate where i don't have to store the car for the winter...

bad64chevelle · 12-13-2005, 10:56 AM

I drive the Z28 when there isnt snow on the ground, but like all last weekend ice was killer. I almost took it into a curb when I found a patch of black ice. On the other hand I parked the Chevelle, disconnected the battery, topped off some antifreeze, almost full tank of gas, windows up, cover on, and take a mental picture cause i wont see it for another 4 months.

Pampered-Z · 12-13-2005, 11:15 AM

Mines in the garage under the cover ( being used to hide all the Christmas Presents ).

Tru2Chevy · 12-13-2005, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pampered-Z

Mines in the garage under the cover ( being used to hide all the Christmas Presents ).

Sounds like Santa has a pretty badass sleigh this year then

- Justin

foff667 · 12-13-2005, 02:10 PM

mines just sitting at the moment

Tru2Chevy · 12-13-2005, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foff667

mines just sitting at the moment

Still waiting on a muffler and wheels?

- Justin

foff667 · 12-13-2005, 02:12 PM

just the muffler...picked up the other two wheels a couple of weeks ago.

Tru2Chevy · 12-13-2005, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foff667

just the muffler...picked up the other two wheels a couple of weeks ago.

Ahh, ok. I think I remember you telling me about that now. I have an extra 80 series sitting in my garage that you could borrow if you want.

- Justin

foff667 · 12-13-2005, 02:21 PM

I'll wait it out a bit longer on grandmastercow hopefully he will come through on his word.

Brando56894 · 12-13-2005, 04:57 PM

my cars just sittin out in lot 6 along with kaseys... just took her to the carwash yesterday

camarokev · 12-13-2005, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

Well, for safety, id say park it. But if this is your only means of transportation, just take it easy around corners, down hills (especially since your from Hackettstown, the Rt 46 hill is a pain in my balls every time I go down lol) and avoid all black ice as possible. From my experience, more snow on the road is better, IMHO if its a thin layer of snow, I'd go sliding (the reason why I crashed my T/A) .... I also hit a patch of black ice on a bend and lightly Tboned a lincoln town car and sped off LOL cuz I did a 360 in the middle of a busy road.

thanks guys for the advice... wish I could stow her away for the winter.... and yeah, bigdaddy the Rt 46 Hill SUCKS... can't stand it... 45mph is ridiculous for that hill... gotta ride the brake almost all the way down.

enRo · 12-13-2005, 08:24 PM

I just pop it into 2nd with my automatic

I stay around 50 down the hill without touching the brake, plus i get to hear some nice sounds

I was actually down that area yesterday to chow down at Applebee's . Good food

camarokev · 12-13-2005, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

I just pop it into 2nd with my automatic

I stay around 50 down the hill without touching the brake, plus i get to hear some nice sounds

I was actually down that area yesterday to chow down at Applebee's . Good food

nice advice bro! i'll probably start doing that myself... save some on the brakes... I drive through that hill all the time on my way to school... and heck yes applebee's is some FINE food! I live maybe about... hmm... 3 minutes away from it, so I eat there quite often actually. It's addictive... and since its inception here I'm blaming ALL of my recent weight gain on it! haha

enRo · 12-14-2005, 01:46 PM

Tell me about it man. I had that 9 oz Sirloin meal with an extra 9 oz sirlon steak... then that triple choco desert... then I was full

Horray for fast metabolism!

ar0ck · 12-15-2005, 12:34 PM

Its official, my car is getting blocked for the winter...

Kinda a good thing!