Any of you yankees daily your E30 year-round?

[jmills005]

Hey folks,

I'm contemplating a move north - specifically to coastal SE Mass.
At this point I'm just mulling over logistics in my brain, and I'm curious about how and if you drive your E30 year-round.
Of course last year wasn't a typical winter for y'all, I mean you guys, but even a mild NE winter is more daunting than a rough Atlanta winter.

Right now, I think a Jigzaw-style quasi-rally car would work pretty well. Specifically, some E36 HD Bils suspension parts to get some clearance (which I'd need to get), a skid plate (already have that), some Hella fog lights (got 'em), a roof rack (got it) and, naturally, a good set of Blizzaks-on-bottlecaps (need those too). My 325 bastard is no IX, but the LSD helps and with the above things I'd like to think she and I could survive a few winters.

I'm really curious about the mechanicals and internals, though. Is there anything you do, or can be done, to insulate the battery/alternator, or other components? Generally speaking, how do you winterize?


thanks in advance - I'll let you know if I do end up changing my CCA Chapter of Record...

John


*Disclaimer: I'm a carpetbagger. I lived in Maine/Mass for the first half of my life, more or less. But it's been a while since I've thought about snow. Or sand and salt on snow. Or ice. Or a good cold snap.

[BURZA]

Winter tires would be your first purchase. The car otherwise will run.
And wash it often.


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[jmills005]

Winter tires would be your first purchase. The car otherwise will run. And wash it often. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sho nuff, good winter tires are first on the list.

[M-technik-3]

In all honestly I would not. Find a e39 or something else to be your winter bomber. If it's a decent e30 don't allow them to become extinct like 2002's have become.

[Butters Stoch]

In all honestly I would not. Find a e39 or something else to be your winter bomber. If it's a decent e30 don't allow them to become extinct like 2002's have become.

Yeah, I've been on the look out to buy a cheap one and do a turbo build. But, none even around that's not rotted out.
Hell, even the e36's and some of the 46's are rotted out.

[M-technik-3]

Butter's they don't exist anymore due to the Drift tax. I miss being able to buy one on c-list for $700 ish and fix it up and make a few bucks.

[jmills005]

Man, I wish I could say mine is a pristine or even remotely minty southern car that should be protected. It's a little bit thrashed (albeit no major rust issues).

But now y'all are making me think I should load up a transport truck with some rust-free E30s and make a run.

[Butters Stoch]

You would profit.

[Whatabout]

As in replies, the winters aren't usually cold enough that you have to do anything special in terms of mechanics, such insulating the battery, if you're driving regularly. Winter tires and LSD get you pretty far if you know how to handle the car on snow packed roads. Otherwise, road salt is the devil.
If you want to keep out rust, invest $150 every other year on undercoating from a place like http://nhoilundercoating.com/ I had my iX done recently.
If you want to keep up the exterior, get a good waxing before the winter, and clean it after driving in salt.
For the interior, get some easy to clean rubber mats to help with all the salty slush you'll be dragging in on your shoes.
If, like me, you don't have a garage to park in, invest in a quality car cover. Dragging the cover off in the a.m. is a much nicer way to start the morning than deicing or clearing off the snow.