Winter LS Storage

RigsLS

RigsLS

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Well then, now that the colder weather is closing in on some of us,
who's planning on taking the LS off the roads for the salty season ?

I'm currently shopping for a second hand newer model pick-up truck.
got rid of my 2001 Jimmy and 1997 1500 last year and have a need
for something newer.

Meanwhile, I plan to preserve FROSTY the LS. Too nice of a car to
ride around all this salty crap we get 4-5 months out of the year.
Plus, my job during the winters takes me out into the world a week
at a time and when I get back, most the times I have to shovel snow
out and around my ride to even get the keys in it.

Last year, I used a little 1993 Mazda 323 for the winters and got back
often to find the damn thing frozen and could not drive home until I spend
an hour defrosting it. (only reason on the 323 was free to me and best ever on gas)

So ... storing my LS for the winter.
I just finished having a conversation with my neighbor out here on the back farm lands.

This guys runs an Auto Restoration Business and is well known for his quality workmanship.
Mostly restores older Camero's but doesn't shy away from Nova's Chevy's and the likes ... large Power boats as well.

Anyhow, long story short.
this guys does it all, tear downs, sand blasting frames and rebuilds. Amazing hot rods leave here all the time.

So I spoke with him after he cleaned up the top of my hood and fenders cuz when I got
my LS it had some sort of light black overspray all over the front end.

We agreed that we would need to redo the front and rear bumper covers, mirrors and entire trunk lid.
Plus I'm looking for him to make me a custom rear spoiler with a third brake light in it.

My LS is going into his barn with a cover over it amongst all sorts of other nice rides,
anywhere from 60-70ish classic rods to some newer late models, including Cadillac,
BMW, boats and some bikes, Harley and a very old Triumph.

All the stray farm cats should keep the mice away from FROSTY.


In speaking with him, we agreed on keeping it up near the front so I can get
access to it, so I can cross the road with it and get it in my lane way from
time to time to work on a few things over the winter in my 'smallish' garage.

Over the winter, we are going to fix the cosmetics on it and do the rear custom spoiler.
Something different on the LS Grille as well. (if not McClaren)


Hopefully if everything goes as plans, I'll have my new TSW wheels and tires
ready in the spring to bolt on as soon as the roads clear.

Custom exhaust will have to be redone as well. (didn't like how it turned out, too low)


It'll be a long wait to get FROSTY back when the good weather returns.
You know ... that spring, summer is here feeling weather. Can't wait !!!




Anyone else planning on taking their LS off the roads for the winter months ?
 
Nope, she's my DD. Have too much invested in a winter setup to store her away.

Once I buy a new car, the LS will probably become my winter beater :D
 
Hey BTW M4rk, did you ever go back to Canadian Tire and see if they would give you another tire ?
The one with the small nail in near/on the side wall ? I thought that was your winter tires.


LS as a winter beater ? Ouch !!!


PS: you're 509 out of Bandwidth, Limit Exceeded on your sig pic hosting domain!
 
Except for a rare sunny / cold day without any heavy salt on the road, I will not be driving mine from around mid December til mid April.
 
BigRigLS said:
Hey BTW M4rk, did you ever go back to Canadian Tire and see if they would give you another tire ?
The one with the small nail in near/on the side wall ? I thought that was your winter tires.


LS as a winter beater ? Ouch !!!


PS: you're 509 out of Bandwidth, Limit Exceeded on your sig pic hosting domain!
Click to expand...

Ah yeah, I forgot to respond in my original thread - I didn't buy them at CT (never!) as they were about $150 more there. I actually bought them from 1010tires.com (BC based, no tire tax!), when the price for my size was at a seasonal low, plus the free shipping promo was going on. No such warranty with them unfortunately. And yes, those are my winter tires and they are great.

My LS is unfortunately in a rather bad shape (for my standards). For starters, the previous owner sandblasted the hood and front bumper, and I also have numerous chips behind the rear wheels, and lower parts of the doors. To top it off, the clear coat is peeling above the right exhaust tip, and along the top of the rear bumper where the plastic inserts are. My windshield is also horribly pitted, and rear end is horribly diseased with cancer, as well as the side rockers. The whole car could also use a serious two-stage polishing too! Overall I don't see myself keeping the car for much longer as it just hurts to look at it at times. I would rather keep it as a winter beater or whatever, because I would miss it too much :D

..oh and of course, my trunk lid is peeling like a banana. Paint comes off in chunks.

Yep, you guys caused me all my bandwidth by looking at my posts too much. :eek: Too much heat huh?
 
@M4rk,

Ohhh .... I didn't realize, always thought by your pics it looked in great shape.
Thanks for the 1010tires.com out of BC with no tire tax, 'bookmarked' and may
use when I/we need new tires for whatever car/truck.

(stick your sig pic on photobucket)
 
BigRigLS said:
@M4rk,

Ohhh .... I didn't realize, always thought by your pics it looked in great shape.
Thanks for the 1010tires.com out of BC with no tire tax, 'bookmarked' and may
use when I/we need new tires for whatever car/truck.

(stick your sig pic on photobucket)
Click to expand...


Thank goodness for Photoshop :)

Np, but they aren't the cheapest. I watched the prices for a few months prior to purchasing and got lucky lol. At the time they were absolutely the cheapest. I would suggest buying via TireRack, shipping to somewhere near the border and picking them up since you seem to cross over quite frequently. That will save you a few 100s compared to the ripoff prices in Canada.

I can't stick my image on Photobucket. It's a .php file that dynamically rotates between a few different images.
 
My LS wont quite be hibernating this winter, but she will see plenty of beauty sleep.
 
No storage here. Gonna drive it until next year, then off it goes. We don't have much of a snow and ice problem in Oklahoma, and my 4x4 will be fully on the road by then anyway. Already been driving it around some. If the initial MPG figures prove out, the 4x4 may be getting better mileage than the Lincoln so it'll be more cost effective to drive the truck. So far I've gone close to 250 miles on its first tank since the engine went back in and I still have around 5/8 tank left. Before I pulled the engine out last I was getting 15MPG, but the builder had screwed some stuff up with the internals. Those problems are now fixed. I also still have wideband tuning to do.
 
Nope, she's my DD. Ill be getting a set of winter tires and using the stock rims. Plan is to use my tax return to buy some Sentas before spring and keep the stockers as my winters.
 
I drive my cars. Don't get me wrong, I love my cars, but most of them are nothing special. If we lived outside the rust belt, I'd drive them for 20 years. Usually they are pretty soft in 10-15 years. I have snows for my CTS-V. The wife's LS could use them also, but it's fair with all seasons. At some point in the near future, neither will be worth much money anyhow. It looks like we're headed to a world of small/medium cars with turbos and small displacement engines. Saving the car IMO is just giving someone else the chance to buy a nice old car for cheap down the road. I payed for them. I'm going to enjoy them.
 
Still not decided. But if I do keep it out I only drive it on clear days, and over the 4 month period ill only put about 600 miles on it.
 
Here in Iowa my LS will be going in for the winter with the bike. It's too nice for me to keep driving. As of right now it's just a weekend driver anyways. My daily driver is a 98 2wd(does have limited slip) F150 step side. I live in the country and do get 3 to 5 foot snow drifts and that's when my 98 Expy comes out and play.

My LS came from Texas so it's rust free and would really like to keep it that way for some time.
 
BigRigLS said:
Still haven't seen a pic of your new rims dude!
Click to expand...

Nah man, I only have the 5 spoke 06 stockers at the moment. Hopefully in February or so ill be getting some new rims for next spring. No reason to try to buy them now since the stocks (which im currently using) are going to be my winter rims after my new set
 
Stopsign002 said:
Nope, she's my DD. Ill be getting a set of winter tires and using the stock rims. Plan is to use my tax return to buy some Sentas before spring and keep the stockers as my winters.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you. $197 a tire for blizzaks on stock wheels is killing me. I'm thinking about just keeping my stock wheels and getting the continental DWS all seasons, i heard they're decent in snow.
 
stugots said:
I'm in the same boat as you. $197 a tire for blizzaks on stock wheels is killing me. I'm thinking about just keeping my stock wheels and getting the continental DWS all seasons, i heard they're decent in snow.
Click to expand...

Yeah not looking forward to that. I just got a membership to Costco though, so hopefully there are some good deals to be had on their tires
 
Continental ExtremeWinterContact - great winter tires
General Altimax Arctic - great winter tires as well (I run them)

They don't break the bank either like Blizzaks, and offer better deep snow traction. Gotta weight the pros and cons of each.
 
stugots said:
Yeah I love that new costco. I visit family right down the street.
Click to expand...

Nice, yeah its pretty sweet. I went to get gas there and the attendant came over and started chatting me up about the LS. He used to own a Mark VIII and "always wanted one of those (the LS)". He also works in the tire shop there and offered to give me free nitrogen fill up if I come in when hes working. Ill have to hit that up for sure
 
I fuken HATE that new costco. they just happened to put it right between the mile and a half trip out of my way to the car wash on may way from the shop in the afternoon. it has tripled the traffic and doubled the time it takes to get there. :mad:

probably wouldn't be that bad if I didn't have to go there three or four times a week.
 
1LoudLS said:
I fuken HATE that new costco. they just happened to put it right between the mile and a half trip out of my way to the car wash on may way from the shop in the afternoon. it has tripled the traffic and doubled the time it takes to get there. :mad:

probably wouldn't be that bad if I didn't have to go there three or four times a week.
Click to expand...

Lol, do you go to that one on Ellsworth there? Zippy or something?
 
it won't let me change this thread title to: "Winter Storage and the new Costco" WTF ???
 
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