how cold out is it before you garage?

[jwbond]

I have had my 96 gts for a week and love it. I am hesitant to bring it out in cold weather for safety and long term reliability.

So how cold are you willing to drive your viper where you still feel confident the stock tires will stick?

How cold are you willing to dip down to to ensure the car runs happily forever?

 

[viperdude118]

It's 75 F here in Florida,no problem with traction yet. Maybe someone up North will chime in.

 

[jwbond]

I'm near Philly...It was mid 60s yesterday and today (rainy today though). I felt extremely safe/confidant in the mid 60s. My guess is 50s should ok as well if you dont push it too hard, but I have yet to drive the car in less than 60.

I think under 50 and she's hibernating until warmer weather, but i guess we'll see...


others thoughts?


PS - I am very jealous of your FL weather as I am itching to drive it!

 

[Detlef]

Got caught by surprise in the snow a few times on club drives in the mountains. No biggie as long as it isn't deep, just watch the go pedal. So low 30's for temp comparison.

 

[CitySnake]

What am I missing here?

I drive my Viper all year round, subject to road conditions...NOT temperature!

If your car is warm when it starts (heated garage) it makes virtually no difference if it's reasonably cold outside. Of course, arctic conditions say below 20 degrees, may cause some rubber and plastic to become brittle.

Safety is certainly an issue as your traction will reduce drastically while your HP will climb.

Long term reliability is not an issue in reasonable cold as long as the V10 intitially turns over somewhere near room temperature.

 

[Ivory]

Have driven in the 20's on a clear sunny day with good road conditions.

Clean clear roads are what is most important. Yes, my garage is heated so nothing gets brittle or cracks.

 

[ViperJoe]

Mine doesn't go down until the first road sanding.

 

[mad0953]

I drove to work where it was in the low 20's in the morning. It warmed to about 38 by noon and it started and ran fine. I don't park mine until it snows here. You need a tank around here in the winter because of the way most of the other people drive (idiots).

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Outside year 'round (approaches 5F) and drive when roads are cleared. 85,000 miles and going fine.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

78 degrees here in SoCal today, year round driving

 

[RedEnuf93]

Low 20's is OK, no grip with the tires, but heater works well!!!

 

[Leslie]

Outside year 'round (approaches 5F) and drive when roads are cleared. 85,000 miles and going fine.

now I AM IMPRESSED!!!

whoah, 85K miles?


welllll, I live in Northern Indiana (Notre Dame country) and on the St Joe river, so we get a lotta 'lake effects' from Lake Michigan...I take my Viper out at 30 degrees if the roads are clear I just make sure the tires are warmed up and so am I before I get on it

 

[IEATVETS]

Outside year 'round (approaches 5F) and drive when roads are cleared. 85,000 miles and going fine.

now I AM IMPRESSED!!!

whoah, 85K miles?


welllll, I live in Northern Indiana (Notre Dame country) and on the St Joe river, so we get a lotta 'lake effects' from Lake Michigan...I take my Viper out at 30 degrees if the roads are clear I just make sure the tires are warmed up and so am I before I get on it

We REALLY need to find Leslie a boyfriend....................and fast!!!

 

[Leslie]

uhhh.....YEH!!!

hahahaaa

you find me a car guy and I OWE ya'

 

[FE 065]

The 60deg temps here in MI have finally ended and Winter's here to stay. I'm going to fog my engine, and put a car cover on it in the next few days.

 

[IEATVETS]

Well actually..........

 

[LETHAL GTS]

The colder it gets the easier it is to spin the tires.
I have a ball up here on cold pavement being able to slip the tires at will in second.
Ever drive down the road with your back end hangin sideways at 50-60mph?
It's a blast!

 

[syldogRT/10]

As every one said, just be careful with the tires! I try to get my cars out atleat every 2 weeks even in the winter just to keep the fluids moving. I have never 'stored a car' I drive them.

 

[handyman_321]

I'm near Toronto and as soon as the salt/sand trucks hit the streets, my car goes into it's bubble for the winter. No salt will get near my car.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Outside year 'round (approaches 5F) and drive when roads are cleared. 85,000 miles and going fine.

Looks like your the king of cold Tom. I've never never been able to test the bottom end of the temp. range before big snow and salt come along. Once the snow and salt is here, it's all over until at least mid-April. We're in the 250"-350" snow belt region. I remember a 23" storm on May 11th back in the mid 80s.

I have been out in 26 degree weather. Viper heaters work great! ..not much space to heat. ...Just always need to be careful with the cold tires. At that temperature, they don't ever really warm up under normal driving. If not for the heavy salt and snow, temperature would not limit when I drove the car. Ok, I'll amend that a little........I probably would not go for a cruise when we hit 30-40 below zero with wind pushing the chill factor even lower. I've seen 45 below here with the chill factor at -60.

Steve

 

[Brian 95 RT]

Put mine away yesterday - winter is finally here in Michigan. They use way too much salt on the roads here to even consider driving a Viper in the winter. Even if the roads are clear of ice and snow, they are covered with salt. My red RT/10 would be white after a spin around the block, and since I can't take it through a car wash...

 

[jwbond]

ok so it sounds like the general consensus is you can drive it in the colder weather (provided clear roads), but be careful witht he tires spinning. I guess something I will have to slowly and carefully learn where the limits are in different temperatures.

Keeping the car off the salted roads is a great idea as well. They throw gravel on the road for traction by me, ****** me off!



My garage isn't heated (will be in the next house for sure). Anyone have any recommendations as how cold is too cold to prevent brittleness and cracking?



Sorry if these are lame questions, but I want to baby my car, but more importantly I want to drive my car!

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

OK, I'll admit that at 5F you know really quick where all the holes and air leaks are. Cold air comes up from the shifter cover and the soft top has a row of vent holes over each window. Even with a small cabin, it doesn't get that warm and I wear my ear muffs.

But seriously (if you can take this topic seriously) the cold is the reason I put in a door popper. The vinyl windows don't want to bend at that temperature and even when you do unzip it, the zipper catches on your glove or sleeve. I've had one window crack right where it would fold.

Yes, 85K and the first 20K was a previous owner in Montreal. So it's a cold weather car...

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

OK, I'll admit that at 5F you know really quick where all the holes and air leaks are. Cold air comes up from the shifter cover and the soft top has a row of vent holes over each window. Even with a small cabin, it doesn't get that warm and I wear my ear muffs.

I guess there's a definite difference between GEN I and II. I get cold air from the shifter, but that's about it. Real windows and a hardtop and our car is toasty warm. I don't think we have vent holes over the windows on the soft top either.

Steve

 

[Leslie]

Well actually..........

if he's single and can deal with my car addiction...hook me up!

 

[AviP]

I have had my 96 gts for a week and love it. I am hesitant to bring it out in cold weather for safety and long term reliability.

So how cold are you willing to drive your viper where you still feel confident the stock tires will stick?

How cold are you willing to dip down to to ensure the car runs happily forever?

The stock tires will stick as long you don't have a lead foot. I don't winterize my Viper. I drive it whenever possible unless there is snow on the ground (+2 days for the salt to wash off).

 

[PDCjonny]

The stock tires will stick as long you don't have a lead foot. I don't winterize my Viper. I drive it whenever possible unless there is snow on the ground (+2 days for the salt to wash off).

All year round here unless wet or too heavily salted. Cars love the cold weather, and a heck of a lot more comfortable in the cockpit than 90 degree summer.

 

[agentf1]

uhhh.....YEH!!!

hahahaaa

you find me a car guy and I OWE ya'

With your garage I don't think you are going to have any problems finding a "car guy".

 

[PaViper]

Mine doesn't go down until the first road sanding.

Exactly, temp should have nothing to do with driving your Viper...I think a car sitting all day in 100+ degree heat will suffer more ill effects than one that is being driven in 20 degree weather

 

[ViperJames]

Mine doesn't go down until the first road sanding.

Exactly, temp should have nothing to do with driving your Viper...I think a car sitting all day in 100+ degree heat will suffer more ill effects than one that is being driven in 20 degree weather

Agreed...Precipitation and road condition are the only 2 factors for me. Not temperature. I would drive in 0 degrees. As long as the antifreeze is right, you are fine.