I want to get a TII, but am a bit concerned since I'd have to drive to a subway to go to university daily. I can't afford a winter beater right now. Is it practical to drive a TII all year long - especially in the winter? I'm sure some of you are doing it, I just wanted to get some feedback.

 

It is cheaper to get a TII for the summer and a beater for the winter than it is to drive the 7 year round. Here's why:

Buy the 7, and store it in the winter.
Buy a $500 civic or corolla (FWD Japanese being the key). The 7 goes in storage and you transfer the registration from the 7 to the beater. This means that all year you only pay for one registration - so it costs the same as if you were driving the 7.

Now, the insurance for the beater will be WAY cheaper than that of the 7, so for those 5 months a year you will be saving money on insurance! Also you will spend WAY less in gas too! In all you will spend likely over $100 a month less on the beater than the 7. Now, fall comes and you sell the beater for $500 (as any running Japanese car is worth that) and you are laughing.

All this and there is no wear and tear on your 7 - so you wont need to do as much work to it in the spring and its value stays constant. I did this for 9 years, and it was worth it! The 7 stays nice and you save money. Win Win.

And you'll be amazed at the fun you'll have driving a POS all winter! lol.

 

is it ture rotorys dont like the cold?

 

My GSL-SE starts every day in the winter...no matter how cold.

 

If you value your Rx7,You wouldn't take it out in Canadian Winter(Salt and "Yahoo drivers!")..But,On the other hand I did Have an MX-6 GT that had the 2.2litre Turbo in it.I noticed that In the Cold that Baby Wanted to get up and Dance!..I agree with Nick86.If you buy the Beater,consider it a vital Rust Proofed Part for your RX7.After all it will be Extending the Driveability of your RX and the time you get to Enjoy it,Rather than having to do a Body and Paint Job after the Road Salt attacks it.

 

get a DSM for winter.

It'll make you appreciate your rx7 that much more.

As far as being realistic, though, yes, it is. As with any car (especially anything RWD with torque) You'll want snow tires. my Carb'ed 12A powered RX7's always easily started even in /really/ cold weather and aside from some slow cranking issues my 87 T2 was a decent winter beater as well.

 

Winter beaters are nice because they are cheap to fix when they break. An Rx-7 breaks its usually weeks before its running again. As seems to be the trend.

Break it and forget about it.

 

Thanks guys. I'm going to try and find an S5 T2, and around november, get myself early 90s accord or something.

 

That is a perfect plan. You will appreciate the 7 that much more in the spring too!

 

If you want the perfect winter beater, pick up a late 80's Jeep YJ with a 4 cyl. They can usually be found pretty cheap, they are cheap on insurance, and it will easily go through 1 1/2 feet of snow. Trust me, I know. The only time I ever got my 91 stuck was when I high centered it while offroading in the snow.

Oh ya, another thing, the running gear in jeeps is bulletproof, escpecially the 4 cyl. equipment.

 

find me a "cheap" jeep YJ and I'd be all over it.

My beater this year is going to be a 325i, 300 mercedes or audi quattro coupe

 

I don't need a beater anymore. The weather out here means I can drive the 7 365 days a year. If it does happen to snow, I just leave the car in the garage and take the wagon.

My last beater was an '86 Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro wagon - it was awesome.

 

I've only had one car for 5 years, my TII. I absolutely drive it in the winter. There's no reason why they can't be a daily driver. I find that most of the unreliability it has ever had has been created by me messing with it more than anything else.

I recommend that you get a set of winter tires, but I recommend the same thing for any car.