Hello everyone. I just moved from New Mexico to Indiana with my S, and winter is approaching and I know it snows quite a lot here. Especially compared to NM, where I used to get 1 or 2 days of snow on a year. I should note the S is my only car. I am very scared as to what might happen rust-wise, I love this car to death and plan to never sell it, it's a 2001 with 106k miles btw. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to avoid the rust? Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Arthur

 

1) Remove the black plastic guards on your rear wheel arches.
2) Get a spare set of rims and mount winter tires to them.
3) Look into getting an under coating.
4) Accept that road rash will accelerate.
5) Train your eyes to watch for pot holes.

 

Might want to get a beater. Driving there can be brutal. It will take its toll on the S if it is a DD and you never want to sell it. That is why I refused to consider an S from the east coast/mid-west. Only from the SW. It shows.

You are going to have to spend extra time in the engine compartment detailing and keeping it clean. That is the first thing I notice when I see an eastern vehicle. The second is the corrosion under body.

Good luck.

 

Our S2000 is protected by a special NASA program.


Third snowflake and they close NASA, my wife gets to stay home. S2000 remains in the garage.

 

Drive your other car. Simple.

 

I agree 100%. Once the salt is spread my S is put away till spring.
Levi

 

Do whatever you can do to get a beater, like the cheapest car you can afford. You won't want to keep the S2000 forever driving it through winter, it will get tortured by salt. Your car can last forever if you put it away for winter, with less miles travelled too.

The S2000 will be a bit tricky over patches of ice. If you've never hit black ice in a vehicle, trust me when I say that you don't want to be in an S2000 when that happens. I live a bit north of Indiana, we don't get that much snow, but black ice is what we fear most in our region. The s2000 can turn into a snow plow in just a few inches of snow, then you won't get very far.

 

Getting a beater is the best option! But if you must drive your S, look into an oil based annual rust protection like known or rust check. That stuff is messy but works very well. I krown my daily drivers every year and my 12 year old civic is rust free. Admittedly though, I am a bit OCD. I would pressure wash my under carriage every spring and line the inner rear quarters with grease. This has worked very well for me. But note that any oil base product is hard on rubber and will swell your weather stripping.

 

+1 on the winter beater. Even if its a $1k car, which is about what you'd pay for winter tires and spare wheels to mount them on.

Plus then you have a car to haul messy or big stuff in, helping preserve the S.

Also a spare car will let you fearlessly do more of your own maintenance on the S, knowing you have a way to get to work should you not finish working on it in time. This also saves you money.

 

My car has been a daily driver in the Midwest and I don't have any signs of body rust. It's well protected from the factory , although you can take steps to prevent problems:
- Wash it when you can to remove the road salt
- Keep it in the garage when not traveling
- Detail the car often. Wiping off all hems and seams on all closures really helps. That's the most likely place for rust to take place.
- In the worst weather drive something else.