Use your car in the winter

[JJDraper]

Summer/Winter, I like driving my car, a +2. I don't have a garage, so the lady is a street girl and needs to keep moving, or else she seizes up and goes mouldy! I spent a not inconsiderable amount of cash to get it looking good, but there are cars parked in the same street which cost more and look less for it. I have now covered nearly 10k miles since getting back on the road for the Malvern bash earlier this year and it still looks good. Sure there are a few chips in the paint, but it still gives me pleasure to wash it every week or so. As for rust, I have used the car for the last eight years or so in the same way and the only thing that suffered from rust (it literally disintegrated) was a pattern air filter housing supplied 6 years ago by Well Known Lotus dealer in Bromsgrove. My rebuild was only supposed to be cosmetic. Most of the parts from the pre-rebuild car were cleaned up and re-used. Not because no one would know, but because they were still fit for purpose - Neil would not even consider refitting crappy old bits. Yes I did get a lot re-chromed, but not because of rust, more 'in for penny, in for several hundred pounds'. Even the chassis was rust free, but it had suffered from fatigue cracks around the front cross member, so was binned.

The point is, the car is a car, and can be used day in day out, but you don't have to. I use mine in sun, rain, ice and snow - sometimes all four in the same day, and I always get a buzz from turning the key in my Lotus (no its not a dodgy solenoid). If we are talking about cost, why spend a fortune (either money or time or both) on a car and not use it for half a year? You are never going to make money from your 'restoration', if you include your time, and if you sell it, you will lose money - check out ebay. However you enjoy your car, keep it and enjoy it.

I agree with Bob, I do get a perverse sense of satisfaction from the disbelief in people's eyes when you turn up in a forty+ year old, 'unreliable' sports car in all weathers.

So far this year I've driven in +42 to -16DegC, and enjoyed it all.

Jeremy

PS keep a mobile to hand, just in case!

[stovekjj]

this is why we moved to San Diego 3 yrs ago, and have not yet put the top up on my daily driver.. ok, lousy weather this AM with scattered showers and mid 50s, so there is a towel on the drivers seat..
For 26 years in Toronto and Connecticut volvo 245s replaced the elan over the winter. and now the volvos are gone...

[nebogipfel]

..... with scattered showers and mid 50s, so there is a towel on the drivers seat..

Call that lousy weather! if that was winter around these parts my Elan would be an all year car

[peterako]

This morning (17th Dec) about 10 miles from home. Made it down the hills from my home.....and thankfully made it back! Albeit sideways

[terryp]

No snow or salt here so both cars are used year round.....apart from when its very very hot

Terry
PS Peter , that looks like great fun!

[peterako]

Hi Terry,

Tomorrow will be a real test of nerves

Have to bring the kids to school in the morning.....the school is at the top of a hill....the road from here to there is now ice and compacted snow......had trouble walking on it today

(No salt or snow ploughing anywhere near our roads too.... )

Fingers crossed.....

It is fun though

Peter

[JJDraper]

OK, I chickened out yesterday... 8" snow & -17DegC.

Jeremy

[gordont]

hmmm, I must be getting old as starting to think the plus 2's in these pics don't look so bad after all.... arrrgh whats happening Imust be getting old!

[terryp]

Peter / Jeremy

I'm now praying for Snow!!!!!!!

Still 10 degrees here...........

Terry

[peterako]

Don't pray too hard Terry!

Got the car set to go this morning (1 hour of a fan heater inside the car de-iced the windows inside and out nicely).

BUT....couldn't start the car

OK, it was -12C and the car hadn't run since last Thursday....and it hasn't been over -7C since.....

So I can forgive that

Roads are treacherous so it might be for the best....

Peter

This is what our view from the house was like on Sunday:

[terryp]

Peter
It looks fab! Also just in time for Father Christmas to arrive on his sleigh........
You may be right about not using the car. I can always recall going down Caterham hill in my Ginetta G15 with the wheels turned into the kerb and just slipping down ..... very scary ....no weigh on the front wheels at all!

Terry

[Foxie]

Peter,

Next time, put the fan heater under the bonnet first....

Got the car set to go this morning (1 hour of a fan heater inside the car de-iced the windows inside and out nicely).

BUT....couldn't start the car

OK, it was -12C and the car hadn't run since last Thursday....and it hasn't been over -7C since.....

[peterako]

Hi Se?n!

Out much with the Elan in the Sunny South East these days?

I want to get at the battery to put it on the charger after the attempt to start the other day.....

But that'll have to wait for a thaw. -12C again here today and I don't want to rip rubber and paint off the boot...

Peter

[Foxie]

Peter,

With all this snow, I have to paraphrase the Rubberbandits:

"F*** your Lotus +2, I've a horse outside"

The Patrol might not have air con, electric mirrors or heated seats etc., but it is some horse !

I almost always charge the battery in the Plus 2 from the engine bay: one charger clip on the solenoid + terminal, the other on any convenient earth, like a cam cover nut, or in my case, the heat sink of the Luminition unit.

Hi Se?n!

Out much with the Elan in the Sunny South East these days?

I want to get at the battery to put it on the charger after the attempt to start the other day.....

But that'll have to wait for a thaw. -12C again here today and I don't want to rip rubber and paint off the boot...

Peter

[peterako]

Was considering that method for charging but was a bit uncertain....

Now I will! Thank you Se?n!

(I sort of miss the Freelander and Discovery I had a loan of last winter....but only a tiny little bit )