I'm considering buying an FB (12a).
I think it sounds great and looks amazing but I'm concerned about maintenance and Winters. It comes with an lsd, if I put in proper snow tyres would I be able to drive in toronto snow? My brother had a stock Miata without an lsd on all season tyres and he managed to drive in the winter a couple times (granted it was not easy). Would an FB with winter tyres and an lsd perform better. It would be a daily for me.

 

I would have to say no to a daily driver if you will be driving it in the winter....

Traction/tire issues aside, these cars are now 35 years old. The reliability through winter for a 12A or 13B GSL-SE FB would be a big worry.

I daily drive my FB in the summer, and do not really think it would be feasible to count on it 100% of the time, especially through a winter. Even as a summer daily, you need a second car as there may be something here or there that the FB will need. And if you can't work on the car yourself, you will be getting into some $$ labour charges.

I am sure it would drive OK with snow tires (LSD is only on GSL and GSL-SE models.. more rare). But lighting, visibility, heat, defrost etc etc are not suited for a Toronto winter. I am trying to imagine getting my carbed FB started after it sat outside all day at -15degC.

Expect to pay 3-4K fora clean FB, and then expect the first winter to kill it haha.

 

 

The problem is not traction or reliability in the winter. The problem is salt.

As long as the car is in good shape, a set of snow tires makes it very sure footed.

Rust however, never sleeps.

 

It's been decades since I last had to daily a Gen I in the snow. There really is nothing to "special" to it. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't give it a second thought. That said, Aaron Cake brought up a very important point with the salt and rust, and Gen I cars are notoriously susceptible to rust on the undercarriage and suspension mounting points - and under the storage bins.