Who's driving a beater instead of their 3 for winter?

[thanu31]

So I been thinking on what im going to do for winter.

Either I take off all the parts, or get a beater (Anything under $1000 saftied and etest).

But then I think its only a Mazda3. But it would be much easier then removing the parts.
Removing the parts would not be too bad, but im also worried that when you unscrew and screw parts back, the hole could get bigger, and require me to make new holes.

So im just wondering who else is going to be driving a beater or planning on doing so? And what do you guys think about it?

Thanks

[S.F.W.]

I'm swapping parts as I do every winter. Lip comes off, coils get raised. This year, side skirt extensions will come off as well, and still thinking about swapping back to OEM hood. When I consider the cost of acquiring another vehicle, insuring said vehicle, and living without the creature comforts of my 3...it does not make sense.

[SilentJay]

If I had room for a beater, I would. Problem is, you'll also have to contend with getting the 3 ready for winter storage and whatnot as well, might as well just take parts off.

[aris]

I drive my mazda 3 all year round.

For 7 years i never drove my truck in the winter and drove winter beater during the winter....it can get expensive to own 2...2 stickers every year 2 insurances etc

[Pokey]

Depends on how long you spend in the car. A $1000 car will just suck - especially if it came cert/etested. Maybe you'll have a nice 1993 sunbird - are you ready to be stranded by the 401 in the middle of February?

Remove whatever parts you feel may be damaged by salt/snow and drive a reliable car.

[SilentJay]

LoL - Sunbird


I remember when my aunt's Sunbird had her doors fall off in the middle of that huge underground tunnel in MTL.

[Soyabean]

I'm too lazy to remove parts. Although i dont really have much. I can just take off front lip, side skirt extentions, and rear flares but i really dont want to put them back on next season which is why i just bought a beater but am debating on it

[Cosmo77]

My Mazda3 is the beater....

[n00bMeiSter]

I only have an open mouth grill right now, so I'm pretty set lol. I contemplated it too, but you gotta find storage for your 3 for the winter, and then store your beater during the summer (and maybe spring/fall). plus the double insurance and double stickers. too much work.

[towelsnap]

buy an 04 CWP from the junk yard and just swap plates hahaha jk jk I'm with Aris... it get's wayyy to expensive with two cars.

[-RJ3-]

Unfortunately I will be driving the 3. Agt least it's ready for winter lol

[dj_lj]

I store my car during winter (free in my boss's garage) , cant risk the custom paint. one wrong move with an ice scraper and its ruined + its too low. So I drive a 91 Tercel mostly during the week and in winter full time. its not bad 120 a month for insurance and I got the thing for $600 cert. also gives me peace of mind when modding, knowing I have a back up vehicle if anything goes wrong.

[prinsesa]

Will rent out my garage for you who wants to store your 3s!!! :D lol

[thanu31]

Storage isnt a problem, my 3 will be in the garage, and the beater is outside lol

In terms of insurance I was thinking it wouldnt be too bad, as i would just get 1 way, and put the 3 on storage insurance. But yea, it does get costly when you factor in stickers :(

Still on the fence...

Might just end up taking off the front lip with the splitters attached, and swapping the hood.

[insaini]

i had my lip .. side skirt and rear flares molded into the body this summer .. so i wont be taking any of it off ... will be driving my 3 around just like i did in summer but without the rims ...

o man wish me luck ahahhaah

[jonjon72]

Wish I could get a beater but no space either. But ya, for a $1000 you need to factor in insurance, suprise mainternance costs and some winter tires.

This winter, I'll remove the MS front bumper, 3m shield the hood, fenders and side mirrors, throw on the snows and be good to go.

[FoXy]

Oh Lord, its a mazda 3, its worth not very much, I dont get why ppl sink SO much money into their car that they dont want to drive it. There are certain things I will never do to my car because it just seems silly, at leaast rims I can switch easily enough. Its a 3, not a ferrari lol

[KenYork]

Get a used 3 hatch and don't mod it(well just a little).

[thanu31]

Oh Lord, its a mazda 3, its worth not very much, I dont get why ppl sink SO much money into their car that they dont want to drive it. There are certain things I will never do to my car because it just seems silly, at leaast rims I can switch easily enough. Its a 3, not a ferrari lol

its not SO much money
we can drive it, but we are lazy

how is it silly if it looks good? (Regarding most mods that people do to their mazda3 or anything I have)

[Dreamliner]

Depends on how long you spend in the car. A $1000 car will just suck - especially if it came cert/etested. Maybe you'll have a nice 1993 sunbird - are you ready to be stranded by the 401 in the middle of February?

Remove whatever parts you feel may be damaged by salt/snow and drive a reliable car.

Amen! People who drive junky cars in the winter so that they don't drive their "good" car are stupid. I'd rather drive a safe, functioning, and non-destructive/cop bait modded car all year round!

[x_o_k_x]

Its a 3, not a ferrari lol

Believe it or not but I seen Ferraris driven in snow. :P

[DumpInfo]

Just a mazda nothing too special. Take off everything and put those ugly steelies on and your set!

[AS RomaMazda]

you can find a good beater for $1000, just don't get killed on insurance..

[Dave_The_BMXER]

Oh Lord, its a mazda 3, its worth not very much, I dont get why ppl sink SO much money into their car that they dont want to drive it. There are certain things I will never do to my car because it just seems silly, at leaast rims I can switch easily enough. Its a 3, not a ferrari lol

One big reason I hate driving in the winter is that other people can't drive so you can just be sitting at a light and boom no more car and while this can happen in the summer it happens way more often in the winter.

That being said I plan to drive my car in the winter (again), I don't even know if I will raise it.

However if my dad sells his place (on the market now) and moves back to Jamaica I get a 97 Maxima for free which I will drive in the winter.

[-RJ3-]

With all these companies making body kits, and such, why couldnt they make body kits made out of rubber tires for winter lol... fender bender? not a problem you just bounce back LOL

[JSI]

My Mazda3 is the beater....

Mine too.

[Gizzmo_jr]

My car has heated seats, some 5-10yr old beater wouldn't. End game, Mazda wins.

[Pokey]

My car has heated seats, some 5-10yr old beater wouldn't. End game, Mazda wins.

Therefore my 3 is the beater - a) it's 5 years old. b) it has no heated seats. A $1000 beater will be in the 10-14 year range :( and it will say Sunbird on the side. NOBODY wants to see that.

I can see the concern if you've spent thousands on paint and other exterior mods, but worrying about what until this year has been the least expensive offering from mazda just complicates your life. Spray it and drive it.

[aris]

The way these cars rust it almost sounds like a good idea to park them for the winter..hahah

[insaini]

its gonna be a warm winter again and not much snow ... so everyone just relax

[shu5892001]

I am just going to remove my lip maybe grill and eyelids... and swap on winter tires.... Not gonna raise the car since I don't have coils..

[thanu31]

Therefore my 3 is the beater - a) it's 5 years old. b) it has no heated seats. A $1000 beater will be in the 10-14 year range :( and it will say Sunbird on the side. NOBODY wants to see that.

I can see the concern if you've spent thousands on paint and other exterior mods, but worrying about what until this year has been the least expensive offering from mazda just complicates your life. Spray it and drive it.

i would never buy an American POS, there are a lot of good beaters for a $1000 or less.

could easily negociate these
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1998-Mazda-Protege-DX-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ227548824

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1998-Nissan-Sentra-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ230277600

Just a little over 1000
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2001-Mazda-Protege-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ229993713

[thanu31]

but yea, i think im just going to swap the front end and deal with it.

[Riftler]

i had my lip .. side skirt and rear flares molded into the body this summer .. so i wont be taking any of it off ... will be driving my 3 around just like i did in summer but without the rims ...

o man wish me luck ahahhaah

Same here, too lazy to take anything off, staying as is, just gonna go stock rims with winter tires....wish me luck too....kinda scared

[thanu31]

Same here, too lazy to take anything off, staying as is, just gonna go stock rims with winter tires....wish me luck too....kinda scared

i was thinking of that too, but i dont want to ruin the CF :(

[laksman91]

I neeedz a winter beater!!!


i was thinking of that too, but i dont want to ruin the CF :(

you gotta chain the hood for winter man!

[Riftler]

i was thinking of that too, but i dont want to ruin the CF :(

Just change the CF then. I hardly go anyway during winter so thats why I dont take anything off my car, but if you go out often....different story, especically CF stuff

[stormin84]

i'm storing my Speed for the winter

[Rob23]

deffinatly will end up costing way more money for a beater than to just drive your car and deal with the maintenance. also its a mazda 3, why bother.

[stormin84]

deffinatly will end up costing way more money for a beater than to just drive your car and deal with the maintenance. also its a mazda 3, why bother.


Actually its cheaper, to do...well for me that is.

[swales]

I laugh when I see people putting away their 3's, Civic's etc for winter, the cars aren't worth much to start with (and don't keep their value) so why pay for an economy car and only drive it for 6 months a year? Makes no sense. I'll be driving my modded Speed 3 again this winter.

[Dreamliner]

I wouldn't trust a 250,000KM car that's 12 years old in the winter myself. My view is a car is meant to be driven, not idolized (unless it's like a rare sports car or whatever). To me modding the car so that it is not drivable in winter is pretty stupid and I really don't quite get it.

[gretzky]

how much damage will happen from driving a 3 with a lip in the winter, im not lowered i only have the lip, will it be fine?

[Rob23]

how much damage will happen from driving a 3 with a lip in the winter, im not lowered i only have the lip, will it be fine?

could get scrached up really easily in the winter, even crack possibly from the cold. ill be taking mine off for the winter.

[gretzky]

will that not put wear on the screw holes, possibly having to make new holes later on

[thanu31]

thats what i was worrying about too

but i dont think it will be that bad, since its a one time thing

[dentinger]

I wouldn't trust a 250,000KM car that's 12 years old in the winter myself. My view is a car is meant to be driven, not idolized (unless it's like a rare sports car or whatever). To me modding the car so that it is not drivable in winter is pretty stupid and I really don't quite get it.

+1
i drove my mazda every year thru winter. i actually get excited for it. it makes driving more interesting/fun.
i had a buddy drive his '03 cobra during winter (his gf drove him when it snowed).
and im going to be driving my GTI thru winter as well. if someone hits me, big deal. it gets fixed. you just gotta be extra precautious (leave extra space, drive slower, brake sooner, etc etc)

[Cosmo77]

My summer vehicle is a) a race car b) a blackbird

[Rob23]

will that not put wear on the screw holes, possibly having to make new holes later on

that wont happen haha, or you could use a nut and bolt if your worried.

[DruidB]

i would never buy an American POS, there are a lot of good beaters for a $1000 or less.

could easily negociate these
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1998-Mazda-Protege-DX-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ227548824

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1998-Nissan-Sentra-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ230277600

Just a little over 1000
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2001-Mazda-Protege-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ229993713

Dont be so quick to hate on american cars..

If your not worried about gas milage you can get some extreemly reliable comfortable cars for very cheap. Go and find a used crown victoria (not an ex taxi) and have a blast drifting around corners, steering with one finger while sitting in a living room with wheels. I just scored another one (my 4th) for less than $500. Runs perfect 206k, the 4.6l/Aod combo is very very reliable. It has full power everything and it all works including the A/C, rides like a cloud and does huge burnouts. These cars are excellent finds that are almost allways driven by older people who take care of them. Nothing will be this reliable for this price, and if it does happen to need anything parts are insanely cheap. Mine needed a tie rod for cert... $14 passed etest with flying colours.

Find me another cert + etested car for less than 500 that will easily last another 150 000kms. And this isnt a fluke.. this is my 4th one for this very reason.

What more could you want?