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moving to MN from TX

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Foreverzero89

New Member
need to know what i need to do get the miata ready for winter. selling it is not an option, garaging it and getting a beater is not an option i also won't have the money to get a hard top.

my biggest concerns are: rust, starting the car in 20F and below. can someone help me keep the car rust free, keep my top in good shape, and any and all snow related stuffs? thanks.
 
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JP5

Active Member
First off welcome. Second off have you ever been through a winter here before? You're going to need snow tires without a doubt. Rust will be the least of your worries as you spin out in front of a bus doing 70 on the freeway :)
 
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Foreverzero89

New Member
not really, only what my GF tells me and the winters i've seen when i visited wisconsin years ago( my dads side of the fam is up there)
 
AJ

AJ

110 HP of FURY!
Why isn't garaging it an option? Just don't want to purchase another car? There are lots of storage options.
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
Foreverzero89 said:
my biggest concerns are: rust,
Click to expand...
Rust is almost a given at some point. But a good coat of wax in the fall (don't skip things like door jambs!) and touch free car washes on a weekly basis will help delay it as long as possible.

starting the car in 20F and below
Click to expand...
Going down one grade in cold pour viscosity will help immensely. If you use 10W-30 in Texas, switch to 5W-30 before it gets too cold. It makes a huge difference in how well the car cranks in cold weather, as well as reducing wear on bearings before the oil starts to warm up.

Snow tires will be a definite must to drive a miata in the winter. DONT skimp out and just buy two for the rear wheels. The only thing worse than a car with no traction is a car with extremely unbalanced traction.

Also, check your coolant mixture. In cars that have never seen freezing weather, it's not uncommon for people to run lower percentages of antifreeze to get better heat transfer. Make sure that ish is 50:50 (freezing point ~ -35F).
 
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Foreverzero89

New Member
i won't have the money to store or buy a beater this winter. i'll be looking for snow tires and doing a oil/trans/diff fluid change also before winter hits. what about a block heater or a deeper cycle batt?

also i can't find a snow tire in size 195 60 14. i hope to just get some steelies, but if i can't find or afford both steelies and snows then i'll have to find a snow tire size that will fit on my BBS's from a 90's M edition.

here are some pics of my NB:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4545273794791.182421.1379653171&type=1&l=e710736d81


i also had a NA:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2026378743989.122876.1379653171&type=1&l=3af80775bc
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
I don't think block heaters or special batteries are necessary. A modern fuel injected car in decent running condition with a Wal-Mart battery will have no problems starting on 99.5% of winter days in MN.
 
ohsixspeedsix

ohsixspeedsix

Owl Exterminator!!
It is possible to overestimate mn winters. Temps that drop below 0 are more rare. We may only get a few of those days in a winter. As long as its like 10 degrees there shouldn't be a big issue getting the car to start. As far as rust goes, as its been said, its just gonna happen. Welcome to mn. Lol. But you definitely can delay it by doing your normal body care. Wash it, wax it, and of you are worried about the harder to reach areas (rockers and fender lips) grab yourself a can of plasti-dip and spray a few coats on there. It will help prevent the salt from eating the paint.
 
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Foreverzero89

New Member
what about under carriage coating for helping to deal with rust? also is there any place that i can get 14 inch snow tires? i've looked on tire rack and searched google but i haven't found anything yet.
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
I have a love/hate relationship with mine. It's been mostly hate lately, but once I start driving it again it will probably be love until I spin a bearing or something.
 
AJ

AJ

110 HP of FURY!
look thorugh mnautox.com as well. There is a guy there, John, who goes by the screen name 'the tick' that daily drives a miata all winter long. The only thing I'd do if driving a miata in the winter is have a 2nd battery kepted charged and inside the house just in case, for those really cold ass days (handfull usually only). the miata battery is simple enough to swap, even in freezing weather, that this could be a great safety net if you don't want to willingly remove your battery 'just in case'...

John is a great guy and always willing to help people, head that way and ask what he does for tires and such as well, best to get info direct from someone who has been doing it a while. I would not be surprised if he has parts you could use, like wheels.
 
AJ

AJ

110 HP of FURY!
Minnesota law doesn't allow studded tires or tires with blocks, flanges, cleats or spikes. Though you can use them on the ice as desired. :)
 
mOjO

mOjO

Member
Studs are illegal, chains can only be used in very inclement weather.

Since we do lots of salt/sanding you could potentially get like a 3M clear bra put on the front to prevent dings and chips.

Perhaps it's too obvious, but get a good ice scraper and pair of driving gloves.

Spend a few hours in a local empty parking lot, and practice your starts/stops drifting to get a good feel for the car when grip is at a minimum. I do this with any new car I own, just so I'm familiar with it's handling dynamics.

Depending on how cold it gets you may have to get colder rated washer fluid.

It's illegal to let your car run with your keys in it. The caveat is if you have a remote starter system.

Depending on where you move to, there may be snow emergency routes that would prevent you from a) parking on the street at all, or b) parking on one side of the street. Failing to heed these warnings would mean an expensive trip to the impound lot.

Depends on where you work compared to where you live, your winter commute time could quadruple.


I suppose not all of this is exactly stuff to do/with your car, but good to know in general. Welcome to MN!
 
Tauni

Tauni

I'm confused.
You poor soul. I lived in Texas for awhile, and I know how badly everyone down there gets their panties in a bunch when it snows, like, an inch, so I feel your pain.

I think Hayden (ohsixspeedsix) has it right - it's pretty easy to freak yourself out over winter, but in reality, the majority of winter days really aren't that bad. You just have to be a little extra careful, and leave a little earlier.

My two suggestions are this: get a remote starter and get the no-freeze wiper fluid. They are both very helpful.
 
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Foreverzero89

New Member
yea. we get ice? we got people doing 80 down the freeway. snow? OH HOLY EVER LOVING SHITBALLS! WHAT'S THIS WHITE STUFF?! SHUT. EVERYTHING. DOWN.
 
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