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10-05-2009
Hey ya'll Im in the CLE ohio area and I just bought my 01 GTP this summer and was wondering do you guys buy a winter car and store ur Prix's for the winter?? I have a storage place but I dont no if I should store it or not.... I only have 47k on my ride cuz the guy I bought it off of stored it but Im just kinda wondering what everyone els does....
10-05-2009
I use mine all year round still
When i get my car paid off, ill be getting a dd
10-05-2009
I plan to use my GP as my winter when I get a second car sometime next year.
It depends if you want it to last. If you do, get it undercoated (assuming you actually HAVE a winter where you live. Ohio should have a pretty nasty one.) and make sure you check the underbody for salt buildup. Also check any and all areas where water can sit. Rust loves to grow there.
If you can afford a winter car, and you want your GP to live, get a winter. If not, who cares?
10-12-2009
Originally Posted by matt5112
Wher is a good place to buy undercoating, or where can you get it done? Last but not least, how much roughly would it cost to have a professional do it? Or can the do it your selfer do it cheaper with the same results? Thanks
10-12-2009
its funny how you all treat these cars so well. i hit things with mine, beat the crap out of it, never washed it, and drove it every winter. i understand if you have a multi thousand dollar build on the motor and you want the body to last with it, but for people who are lightly modded i dont get it. its still just a grand prix and you can pick one up just like it for $3000.
10-12-2009
My car is stored all year round. You want to know how I prep it?
Simple.
I don't. I drive it backwards into it's space within the garage, shut it off, lock it, and leave it. None of this making sure the gas tank is full, or empty, airing the tires down or taking the wheels and tires completely off and setting it on block and all that bull. Starts fine every time.
10-12-2009
I can't say because it changes based on location. Around here, these guys (KROWN RUST CONTROL) are who most people trust. $100-$150 seems to be the average price as well.
Doesn't seem like they're anywhere outside of Canada either.
10-12-2009
No point in driving the Grand Prix in the winter when I got a Jeep to drive. The GP's getting parked.
10-12-2009
nothings worth storing except my rims, everything else can take mother natures ass whooping.
10-12-2009
I Have stored mine in my garage the last two years after driving it through a couple winters, I decided I wanted it to last and keep looking good, So i got a 3.4 Impala to beat the sh*t out of in the winter. Buffalo winters are Nasty and I can't see Cleveland bein much better. GP's are actually great in the snow and hold up reasonably well, so unless you are a freak like me and want to keep your car OCD in perfect condition for as long as possible, you don't NEED to store it.
10-12-2009
My GP is my Winter/Rain beater and Daily driver...I do take car of her though..Here's what i found....
Originally Posted by TimM
Do not use a "trickle charger". Trickle chargers constantly charge at a low rate and will destroy a battery over time. Buy a Battery Tender/MINDer/maintainer [edit]AKA a "Float" charger[/edit]- they are designed to charge the battery at a low rate, and more importantly, monitor the charge. When the battery is fully charged, they stop charging, when the battery charge drops, they start charging. They "float" the charge and are designed to be plugged in and maintain the battery for extended periods of time - like winter storage. Additionally, some of them, like the Battery MINDer have additional circuitry to "condition" the battery - apply pulses to the battery to reduce/eliminate sulfation which is the main thing that degrades the battery.....
To store the car:
* Change the oil and filter before you store it. The "impurities" in the oil can form acid, and this can degrade the engine's internals. The impurities are caused by the fuel/combustion/dirt/moisture that gets past the the piston rings, seals, and filters. A fresh oil change removes the gunk and gives you clean oil. If you don't change oil yourself, having it done and driving home to part the car will be sufficient.
* Inflate the tires to the maximum pressure on the sidewall. This will reduce any tendencies for the tire to flat spot - although this is not a real problem with modern/radial tires. Don't forget to lower the air pressure in the spring.
* Wash the car. A clean car is always better. A cover helps to keep the dust, etc. off the car.
* DO NOT "jack the car up". Don't store it on jack stands raised off the ground. That is a carry over from ancient times when old bias belted tires would flat spot and go bad. Storing a car with the suspension "drooped" is very bad on the rubber bushings, and will greatly accelerate the degradation of the rubber bushings. Even if flat spotting tires was a problem (it isn't), new tires are much, much cheaper than replacing the bushings in the suspension.
* DO NOT START THE CAR. Starting the car every couple of weeks is bad for the engine. Most of the impurities in the oil happen when you start the car. Running the car for a short time does not warm things up to the point that the impurities will be evaporated. In order to properly warm things up, you would need to take the car on a spirited drive for 30 - 60 minutes. Running it in the garage does no good at all, and is very bad on the engine.
* Add Stabil to the gas - this prevents the gas from going "bad" and/or forming varnish in the tank and fuel system.
Now, all that being said, the reality is that you can most likely just pull the car into the garage, connect up the battery Tender/MINDer/conditioner, and call it good. That's all most people do, and it's more than the typical car gets at a dealer (think about it, the typical car is made in Japan, loaded on a boat, transported for weeks, unloaded at the dock, loaded on a truck to the dealer, and parked - often for months - until it's sold. The someone buys a "brand new" car.
10-13-2009
GTP has seen snow twice...never seeing it again after this build. Getting parked. Then getting a Grand National or a C5 Z06...decided. The GTP is still a Grand Prix after all. I've got a Cobalt for the DD and with the GTP being stored and turned into a show piece I can make a stupid heads cam Z06 or huge turbo GN.
11-10-2009
Changed the oil last week and took my GT out for the last time this past sunday and filled it with gas. Brought it back home and washed it, cleaned the fenderwells of all the leaves and dead worms, over inflated the tires 10psi, and quick misted detailed it. Vacuumed the interior and dusted the dash. Parked it in the garage and removed the battery.
Its gonna be a long 5 months.
11-10-2009
mine is my winter beater......
11-10-2009
its a grand prix, unless you have a massive setup it should be a daily driver/beater.
11-10-2009
I have a Jeep, so trying to fight a grand prix in the snow is kinda pointless.
11-10-2009
X2
And
X2 on what bio said, a GT can't possibly be worth storing for the winter.
11-10-2009
Jeez people am I the only one who takes pride in what I drive?
11-10-2009
There are better choices for a summer car just as there are better choices for a winter one.
I look at my car as something I'll enjoy and take care of, but don't plan on keeping it forever. Its going to be winter driven so its going to rust.
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