Nope not correct.

 

It's your money

block heater for the S - 75-80 bucks from hardtopguy

install maybe another 100 or so

drian all the coolant, remove plug, screw in heater, run and tie wrap heater wires (a 120v plug) out to the nose- install new collant, bleed coolant lines

if you keep it plugged in all the time expect a HIGH exlectric bill

Xviper - what are your thoughts - is this needed in Boston?

 

oh ok. I was jw cause I knew the regular tires were def not. I wonder why tirerack had it that way. Thx

 

Very true, but not necessary to do so. Use an outdoor timer and set it for 20 or 30 minutes before you plan to start your car. It heats the block as much as it's going to in this length of time, even at 30 below.

 

I don't typically plug the block heater in unless the forecast is for temps going to below about -10*C (14*F). If it's going to be warmer than this, it's not really worth it except to get heat to the interior right away.

 

I haven't had any trouble starting my car in some very cold wisconsin weather days. as for wear and tear on the car, i'm not sure how much harm it really does or doesn't do.

we certainly get more than a handful of days that are in the single digits Fahrenheit, with 20 or 30 below wind chill.

 

I don't have any lab reports to quote but I do have an anecdote:
I worked with a guy who had a '60s Olds convertible. The actual brand of car is not relevent. He installed a second block heater in his motor and anytime the temps got even near -5*C overnight, he'd plug them both in. His engine is original and it has close to 300,000 MILES on it and it's still running strong. He attributes the longevity of his motor to it being plugged in when cold. He says it gets the oil moving faster and warmed up quicker and it brings the engine up to running temp much sooner than if he had to rely on its own BTUs.
Most certainly when I've had my car plugged in, the engine starts easier, stabilizes idle better and runs much smoother in the intial few blocks of driving. I'm not professing that this is good on the engine (or not). I leave it up to you guys to be the judge.

 

This is the cold city of Milwaukee - right now it is a frigid -5 degrees. Burrrrrr.