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Winter Mini Doldrums.......

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Xracer

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OK Basil....you wanted some more activity, so let's see if this works.

Well, winter has arrived in The Great White North (aka, Mini-Sota, the Land of Lutefisk).

We've had our first snow, and the DOT has spread it's usual gobs of salt....so most of our Minis (and many of our MINIs) have gone into hibernation until spring.

For those of you who put their Minis into winter storage.....what do you do to alleviate the Dreaded Winter Mini Withdrawl Symptoms?????
 
Well,

Winter has struck up here in the great white north, although I did see one Mini still on the road in Calgary, I saw it parked on a street in one our local industrial parks but it is obviously still in use.

And I know one of our Saloon Car Club members out in the land of salt (aka Sarnia, Ontario) runs his Mini all winter, and saves his 1968 Wolseley 6/110 for summer driving only.

I do know that neither of the two Mini's mentioned are in pristine condition so they can get away with it to some degree.
 
Speaking of salt and rust, my "Unit 512" (with "styling" that Sir Alec Issigonis would surely have approved of) lived most of it's rolling life toiling for the FDNY in Manhattan (where salt is used by the tons).
Not a bit of rust on the body anywhere....of course it helps when the body is built from 1/8" aluminum.
I use a power-washer on the underside of my other cars several times each winter. The Spridget will stay indoors.
Where I live, they tend to use sand more than salt...is that what's used in Western Canada?


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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Aeronca65T said: Where I live, they tend to use sand more than salt...is that what's used in Western Canada?
<hr></blockquote>

Out west it used to be just about 100% sand only on the roads (many "western" classics end up in Ontario as bodies on them tend to be more solid), but with winters being slightly warmer in recent years there is a little more salt sneaking into the mix.

The other thing from my time out in Ontario is that everyone oils their cars to help protect against rust sneaking into the frame underneath and other hidden spots.

[ 11-18-2003: Message edited by: Sherlock ]</p>
 
"Everyone oils their cars to help protect against rust sneaking into the frame underneath and other hidden spots."

Well, Minis kinda do that naturally, all by themselves....the front subframe never rusts, but the rest of our li'l beasties sure do!
 
I do recall a friend who lived in New Hampshire who had his car "oiled" once a year. I recall that they just sprayed on used motor oil.
A colleague I work with here in NJ drives his '80 MGB every day. He has it "Waxoyled" once a year. Seems to work.
 
When I was in Ontario,

All the rust-proofing shops charged big bucks for the priviledge of having them oil your car, anything from about $100 up, I was told that anyone who wanted their car to last for a long time had this done every year... maybe they were just fleecing all of us Ontarians...
 
Hi Mini-fans - just wanted to report a Mini sighting here in Augusta, GA. I believe it was an 1100, red body with a Union Jack on the roof. Parked at Sherwin-Williams paint store. The store manager owns it and drives it daily, throughout these mild (ahem) Georgia winters and hot summers.
 
Ya really had to do that....didn't ya? Ya really had to tell all of us northerners about those warm climates where ya can run Minis all year 'round.

I guess some people are just incredibly cruel...
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Summer down here is cruel to those without air conditioning. I read the posts of pleasant evening drives in August and have similar thoughts but in reverse.
 
The weather??
In this neck of the woods the dys are starting to get to a lovley average of 18-25 digree,celcus,so it is out for night tripping & watch the sunset on what can be lovley in a Mini
 
Yeah Tony....but you guys on the bottom of the world are driving upside down.

How do you keep all of those oil drips from collecting on the underside of your bonnet?
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Xracer.
You are still south of here.I don't know what you are complaining about the weather.I like winter.at least we can go skiing and thats not an option when we can drive in the summertime.
Yeah I know you get dumped on with the white stuff.Did you get some this weekend?
sunny and dry here but cool.
 
Yeah, Beamer.....we're gettin' dumped on right now. Got about 6" already (don't know what that is in that Canadian centimeter stuff), and it's supposed to snow all day today and all day tomorrow.

Anyway, my Mini, "Dudley DoRight" is snoozing out in the garage, curled up in his car cover. He's content until spring....but I'm going thru Mini Withdrawl Symptoms.
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xracer.
6" and more coming is enough wherever one is.We have virtually no snow left as it melted about 10 days ago but it is minus 4F this AM.
But every day is sunny.Not neccessarily the weather.
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Well, yesterday in north Alabama I was out in the MG with top down having "fun in the sun"...it raied all night & the temperature has dropped to 37F this morning....D@MN!
 
Tony.
I have to agree with Xracer.Man 37F is pretty nice and it would be top down driving for sure.
 
Hey, guys...when I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska )F was tee shirt weather....'ceptin' there's lots of humidity here in north AL & 37F just feels colder....whine over!
 
Tony
You don't live there now Tony.I think memory improves things as more time goes by.
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