Do you use your Zed through the winter?

[PerryGunn]

No I don't, I don't really use it through the summer either :lol:

In fairness it's insured and taxed all year so I have used it on those cold frosty sunshiny mornings but never if the weathers bad

I'm the same taxed & insured all the time but I commute to work on the train and we have the X3 as a general runabout so #320 lives in the garage under a soft cover and only comes out to play for fun runs on nice days - I've averaged about 1,500 miles a year for the last 3 years although that does include over 1,600 miles for the Skye trip so if I exclude that it's under 1k p/a

At this rate the car will be 20 years old before it gets to 50k miles

The Skye trip must have been a shock to your Alpina then Perry :lol: . . . .will you do another long trip like this in the future?

Oh yes, I don't have an issue with putting mileage on her - it's just that I want them to be 'fun' miles... if we had been able to work things out time-wise we'd have done the Alps run with Bing & the porker bunch earlier this year

 

[paulgs1000]

Yes always used whatever toy during winter BUT, it has to be dry and salt free, otherwise no, I refuse to drive it in salt. Many's the time I've gone out for a night run and gone through the village only to find the gritters have been out on the main road so have turned round and gone home again. A shame as a run on a crisp winters night is great. It's a silly problem, unless you're going to keep a car for life then a few winters won't kill it, just my OCD to keeping it mint won't allow it, I want to get over it as I'm missing out on a lot of fun, you're a long time dead and does it really matter if a car gets filthy?

So the interesting thing is how long do you wait for the salt to dissipate. . . .how long does it stay on the road surface do you think? :?

 

[paulgs1000]

I'm the same taxed & insured all the time but I commute to work on the train and we have the X3 as a general runabout so #320 lives in the garage under a soft cover and only comes out to play for fun runs on nice days - I've averaged about 1,500 miles a year for the last 3 years although that does include over 1,600 miles for the Skye trip so if I exclude that it's under 1k p/a

At this rate the car will be 20 years old before it gets to 50k miles

The Skye trip must have been a shock to your Alpina then Perry :lol: . . . .will you do another long trip like this in the future?

Oh yes, I don't have an issue with putting mileage on her - it's just that I want them to be 'fun' miles... if we had been able to work things out time-wise we'd have done the Alps run with Bing & the porker bunch earlier this year

That's great - seems like a good approach to managing mileage

 

[jamie_z4]

The only reason I bought a Zed is because I have a daily mk4 golf diesel

I wouldn't have it if I had to use it every day

Interesting that some do use their Zeds as dailys - how often do you use it then Jamie and do you use it though the winter?

I used to have a 3 series convertible Paul, i used that all year round but I thought I want something I can just use at the weekend so it feels special, it's nice having the economy of the golf & properly enjoying the Zed at the weekend & keeping the miles down, plus never have to worry about going out in it in treacherous conditions

 

[rossonr]

That was mine last winter. Used all the time. Just takes a little while to defrost

 

[Nictrix]

Used all year round since we got it.
Fortunately the winters havnt been really bad with hardly any snow.

Yes we have been lucky with the weather though we had to cancel two runs at the beginning of this year due to ice on the roads (probably more to do with the chosen high route :roll: ). The cold doesn't put you off then . . .

With having to use a bike for years travelling to and from work in all weathers having 4 wheels on the ground is a pleasure even in the iciest conditions. If its too cold the roof can stay up.

 

[Taz]

the advantage of having both a coupe and a roadster is obvious

 

[paulgs1000]

The only reason I bought a Zed is because I have a daily mk4 golf diesel

I wouldn't have it if I had to use it every day

Interesting that some do use their Zeds as dailys - how often do you use it then Jamie and do you use it though the winter?

I used to have a 3 series convertible Paul, i used that all year round but I thought I want something I can just use at the weekend so it feels special, it's nice having the economy of the golf & properly enjoying the Zed at the weekend & keeping the miles down, plus never have to worry about going out in it in treacherous conditions

I'm guessing that most of us have that approach with our Zeds - I'm lucky to be able to use my Zed mid week as well but wouldn't necessarily take it out in treacherous conditions - (but I wonder how many remember this Lakes run by Ste and Tom? :lol: )

 

[paulgs1000]

That was mine last winter. Used all the time. Just takes a little while to defrost

Yep - I remember a few mornings like that - isn't it amazing how the Zed can cope in the extremes from such a low temp to operating temp - staggering really.

 

[paulgs1000]

Used all year round since we got it.
Fortunately the winters havnt been really bad with hardly any snow.

Yes we have been lucky with the weather though we had to cancel two runs at the beginning of this year due to ice on the roads (probably more to do with the chosen high route :roll: ). The cold doesn't put you off then . . .

With having to use a bike for years travelling to and from work in all weathers having 4 wheels on the ground is a pleasure even in the iciest conditions. If its too cold the roof can stay up.

In comparison to a bike I can see the many advantages but it takes a lot for us to have the roof up - heated seats, a good hat, scarf and gloves and we can still enjoy the open air motoring . . . .

 

[paulgs1000]

the advantage of having both a coupe and a roadster is obvious

It must be a sod heading home to change Zeds every time it rains when your out though Taz . . . . :lol:

 

[paulgs1000]

the advantage of having both a coupe and a roadster is obvious

Thought you'd sorned the Coupe Taz - you going to use the ///M through the winter?

 

[john-e89]

The salt issue is hit an miss Paul, I normally wait until it's rained and washed the salt away then dried up, hence the winter runs are a bit few and far between.

 

[paulgs1000]

The salt issue is hit an miss Paul, I normally wait until it's rained and washed the salt away then dried up, hence the winter runs are a bit few and far between.

Hmm - Needs some heavy rain though? Wonder if there would be a market for under car steam/wash available through the winter - simply drive over and whoosh :lol: - I'd use one

 

[mr.tourette]

bikes and zed will be tucked up for winter, the accord already has its winter boots on in preparation, this is the first time I've had a 2nd car and i will be gutted to take it off the road as I'm quite smitten with her, however i bought it as a fair weather motor and thats how she'll stay, I intend to keep her as well cared for as I can as I also like to keep that feeling of having something special that only comes out for fun rather than getting from a to b. I also despise handing my hard earned over to the tax man for something i won't be using... screw that
The feeling of the first run out after the winter break and knowing you've got 8 more months of fun ahead... magic

 

[john-e89]

Yes it needs to tip it down Paul. I'm sure it was PVR who had an under car Karcher pressure wash, you just push it under like a trolley jack, hose it and put it away, looked a great bit of kit, that would keep the underneath salt free.

 

[Taz]

the advantage of having both a coupe and a roadster is obvious

Thought you'd sorned the Coupe Taz - you going to use the ///M through the winter?

its not winter yet lol

 

[flimper]

Sure do

 

[Bing]

Yep, mine gets used in winter, it's my only choice if I have to drive as Mrs B uses her car every day... Though it didn't snow last year so I haven't tested the 'new' Z in snow yet. Actually, it's probably never been tested in snow :lol:

I commute by train a lot more now, so it's kind of a part-time weekend car unless I'm going somewhere outside London. 47k now - in about 1k miles I'll have driven it more than PVR.

 

[ronk]

No, my car goes away at the end of November - I bought the car as a summer toy knowing i would run it this way.
My wife's car is 4wd but as yet without winter rubber - My Disco is the tool for the job and has winter rubber and as we love at the bottom of a good hill its the Disco that will be getting more use.

As a personal choice , if its winter, it gets winter rubber - Winter rubber is said to be best under 7C
Ive used the Disco with std Pirelli rubber and Vredestein winters and it really is chalk and cheese.