RUST NEVER SLEEPS
What to do with the Mopars in the winter time...and beyond!
I'm sorry to say but winter is on the way up here in the great North West. Actually, I'm not that sorry--as a Florida raised boy I still love actual seasons, even if it means no drag racing for a while. Driving an old Mopar during the winter has several drawbacks, not the least of which is that modern creature comforts become so much more alluring when old man winter rears his ugly head. Consider heated seats, for example. My newer Japanese minivan came with them and I thought it was a waste of money until I had to go somewhere on a twenty five degree morning. And while there is room for debate about the value of anti lock brakes, AWD, and other modern driving control devices vs. snow tires, a Sure Grip and good old fashioned driving skill there is no arguing about which car you'd rather slam into some idiot, a ditch or a phone pole with. With AAA and decent insurance, that '07 minivan will be as good as new in no time. Try that with a '64 Polara! So none of my old irons see road time during the winter anymore.
The biggest problem with winter is that as a Mopar collector I have to make the tough decisions about who gets to stay inside and who has to put up with the elements. I have a sweet two bay shop but at last count I had forty something Mopars in my yard, with approximately ten being projects in some stage of activity that may or may not benefit from ninety plus days of relentless rain and snow storms. The decision making process can be agonizing but it has to be done.
Some cars must be indoors. For example, I spent four months doing body work and painting a '66 Plymouth Belvedere deep glossy black and it may never feel a drop of rain again, no matter how long it takes to finish. It's a big fat work space hog but at least it's a gorgeous Mopar. Many years ago I had to work around a crappy old Datsun 280Z until I wanted to torch it. What's the point of even having a shop if you fill it up with cars you don't even like? Another car that must remain inside is our '64 Savoy Stock Eliminator car. It's got a sleazy paint job and a complete interior, both of which would not fair well outdoors for a winter. It's also due to get our new NHRA legal Max Wedge and all our good stuff so we can finally start racing Stock again in 2008.
