Hi guys,

I picked up a 2001 s2000 last week So I'm pretty new to s2000s and rwd in general. For the people that daily drive their cars in the winter what do you guys do to get your cars ready for the winter? I just picked up some snow tires and i'm wondering if there is anything else i can do. The car i bought came with a glass window but the defroster isnt hooked up. would it be worth it to invest in the wiring kit to get it working? Thanks, and looking forward to the chance to meet you guys!

 

Keep your car clean as possible. Especially after it snows, the mag chloride will eat your car. Adding a defroster will definitely help.


BTW, not a ton of active people on this forum. You could probably post this on s2kca and get a few more responses.

 

thanks for the advice and the headds up!

 

Many of Colorado’s S owners drive year-round. All is needed is some tires on all four corners that work on snow and ice along with the recognition that deep snow and the car’s low ground clearance may be incompatible. Because of the s2000’s low ground clearance, winter month interstate roadway driving guarantees windshield and paint chipping -- constant sand on the roads during the winter months may dictate a protective shield on the cars frontal exposures and rocker panel; it all depends upon how anal you are about your car’s appearance.


For myself, I would install the rear window defroster kit -- it’s a nice creature comfort.


Good guidance from spa01s2k, “Keep your car clean as possible”.


No social activities have ever been successfully launched from this forum. The other site’s Rocky Mountain S2000 Owners forum still posts a limited number of get-togethers.

 

Greetings from NYC
I've daily driven an S for the past 7 years. Although I'm sure my experience will be somewhat different from yours there are some things you can benefit from. You already have snows that's a good start. Make sure that you change them out immediately once the weather warms up. The will wear down faster on the warm pavement. If you mount them on a separate set of wheels it will make changing them over much easier. In fact the cost of another set of wheels will easily be recouped after a couple of seasons cost of dismounting and remounting tires. Tip: Get yourself a used set of AP1s or oother cheap 16 inch wheels. The 16 inch size will be better for winter traction. Some guys put a bag of sand or even salt in the trunk for added wieght for traction. Get a good set of snows tires. Run taller, skinnier tires for winter. Skinny tires will cut through the deep snow better and taller will give you some more clearance under the car. The car will not handle like it does in the summer so keep that in mind. After all we're talking about driving in the winter so don't drive like an a$$hat.
I found that once the temps really get down the convertible top will be a disadvantage. If you plan on keeping the car and driving it in the cold you will find the that a hardtop will greatly increase the comfort of your winter driving experience and will be well worth the money spent.
And yes keep your car as clean as possible. My neighbors think I'm nuts when they see me with my rubber gloves and bucket of hot water but "Hey?". When I can't do that I take it to the local detailer. Make sure you put a few coats of good wax on before it gets too cold.
Hope this helps
Happy Motoring
PS Yes get the rear defroster fixed and if you can afford to get an invisible bra it would help protect the paint chipping from the sand and salt.

 

^^^ Perfect break down to get ready for winter.

 

Keep up with my new winter tire search here:

Winter Tire Research