best thing to do is buy yourself a cheap jeep or explorer or something and just sell it for just as much as you paid or more in the spring..... i've been driving for 4 winters now and have had a different truck every time... its kinda fun and ive made money off of all of them once i sold them.....
then you can garage the stang.... save miles... less insurance... no salt ... and once you get back in it in the spring it feels like a supercar compared to what you had all winter haha...
This is a good idea if:
1) You have a short commute
2) You don't have to invest any money into a beater with a heater
3) You're able to cover the tax, title and registration fees for selling the vehicle in the spring
4) You have the time to properly check over said beater to ensure it's safe and not a danger to yourself or anyone else on the road.
This is a bad idea if:
1) You work 12 hour days and don't feel like working in your garage on meantime transportation
2) After you work 12 hour days you actually want to spend time with your family
3) You drive a lot and can't afford to have a beater break down on you and jeopardize your safety or a potential client meeting
4) If your not a good gambler: i.e. you invest too much into a junk to keep it reliable.
5) If you don't like spending the time to look and haggle with people to talk them down as much as possible so you may actually break even in the spring: then buying old cars is not for you.
6) If you don't have a spare 2500 laying around with nothing else to spend it on
I have my 93
vortech equipped reef coupe nestled away in the garage.
The new edge is sort of a marriage type of car...through good weather and bad, we've gotta plow through it.
Salt is evil, but you know what, in ten years my Notch still will not have seen winter and I am sure to probably be on another daily driven car at that point.
My 04 GT is an everyday driver
1) You have to expect rock chips... touch them up
2) you have to expect an occasional door ding even when you park at the back of the lot: massage it out.
3) it's probably going to get a scratch or two at some point or even a scuff. Buffer?
4) I plan to undercoat the heck out of it in the spring to buy my some time with the war against salt.
5) No matter what: it's just a car that I want to enjoy all year round and with that comes the responsibility of understanding the pros and cons.
6) I respect those who want to keep their cars out of the salt--- I hate salt--- but I've already have one car sitting in the garage, I certainly don't need two.
I believe that a stang that is subjected to salt can still last a long time.
1) Regular cleanings when salt is attacking at above 32 F
2) Undercoat
3) I use anti seize under my rotors so when I need to change them at a later date I can: works like a charm.
4) if you find some rust... address it properly.. don't just paint over it.
5) Keep the vehicles paint and interior clean and properly protected as well.