Northeast Weather and Elise

[rubbercow]

I currently reside in Texas and I've recently been offered a lucrative job in central New Hampshire and I have a week to decide.

After reading every thread dealing with snow and daily driving here and on SELOC I still have a few questions. Hopefully someone from that region of New Hampshire or nearby areas might be able to answer and if lucky perhaps even a Southern transplant.

• On average, how many months per year can I expect to be able to daily drive my Elise? 7? 9? I expect to get a second set of wheels with snow tires, and drive in the 3-5 inch range. I expect to have to leave my car at work periodically and have my spouse retrieve me when unexpected storms come.
• How frequently do the roads get cleared after storms and do they use salt every time? Those of you who have been daily driving in the salt and washing your car weekly - have you noticed any corrosion anywhere at all? Do you remove all the under-paneling when you wash?
• Snow/salt/weathering destroys roads. How well are they maintained in that area?

[s14roller]

While I don't have the answer to all your Qs, I can say you can prob drive the Elise for about 8-9 months in the NE...however, I don't think its a great idea to drive it in the snow due to both traction and rusting issues.

For the most part, at least in NJ, they do a good job of clearing major roads.

IMO, it's better and safer to just have a daily car. I have a TL and love it!

[AlanS]

+1 on the 8-9 months.

I personally don't drive mine in the winter because because aluminum is still susceptible to corrosion.

New Hampshire roads are VERY good, perhaps the best in the Northeast especially for major roads and highways. The road beds are designed to handle the weather. Some minor or lesser-traveled roads may vary somewhat.

[bayside blue]

i live in nh nad the roads are usually pretty good when it snows..it dont snow that much but it does snow alot when it does.. if u wanted to not drive the elise during the days it snows and up to a day after u might get away with not driving for a months or so time..i live in seavrook(seacoast area) and our plow team has won many national competitons(i never knew there were any) and our roads are always great..the highways are usually ok also but the state seems to think that the plows doing the highway should do one big loop rather then many small loops along the road so getting freshly plowed highway is rare. i have seen lots of exotics and rare nad even powerfull cars drive around in the snow up here but rust is the only big thing..the car washes will always be crowded a day or two after it snows.

if you get here buy oct 5th then i invite u to come on a cruise throughout northern nh on some absolutly amazing roads..there will be a lot of cars including a new gt-r

here are a couple vids of the cruise

[macdady2424]

I don't do it, but there are a few that drive every day, all 12 months. I try to take mine out once and a while during the winter, as long as there's no ice or snow on the road. I learned even the slightest black ice is bad with the yoko's. Spent 4 mins at a red light trying to go when it turned green.

[carbuff]

Originally Posted by macdady2424

I don't do it, but there are a few that drive every day, all 12 months. I try to take mine out once and a while during the winter, as long as there's no ice or snow on the road. I learned even the slightest black ice is bad with the yoko's. Spent 4 mins at a red light trying to go when it turned green.

You must have been trying to make the left turn from Main St/Flanders onto 206 South!


Last couple of years here in NJ the road department has been using LIQUID de-icer in winter, applied the DAY BEFORE. I think this stuff is MUCH more corrosive than the old rock salt.

Still, I like to drive my Lotus even in winter...I think it has held up as well as it has partially because I try to drive it every week.

[macdady2424]

Yeah, I agree. I don't like my cars to sit around to long without really driving them. I don't believe just starting them once and a while is enough, they need to move and have a load on the engine.

My car never sat long enough to need a jump or battery tickler.

On the other hand, my father never drove his 300zx during the winter and we were always using a trickler and when it wasn't on the charger, we were always jump starting it with the trickler.

And close on the location. It was Rte 10 near Morris County College going up the big hill with the read light at the bottom start of it. I was on my way to Flanders/work when I got stuck on the patch of ice in the major intersection at the start of the hill. I assume everyone just thought I didn't know how to drive and just kept spinning tires and not moving. Woulda been more fun under different circumstances.

[macdady2424]

What I normally do is check and log the weather. If it's been pretty dry for a few days, I would assume there's no chance of ice on the roads. I also make sure my route is pretty clean and salt free before I go out with the Lotus.

[Pengineer91]

The length of the driving season around here is a personal choice based upon how nice you want your car to be.

In a really bad winter, there can be snow more than once a week from late December through to mid-March. A really good winter maybe has only 2-3 storms worth worrying about. Also, New England weather varies widely from region to region. A good Nor-easter can give 3" of rain along the sea-coast and 2 feet of snow 25 miles inland.

Beyond the snow and storms, there are a couple of other impediments to keeping a car like the Lotus on the road all year. The first is the salt and sand. The roads aren't really clear & clean until late April. Until then, every trip is going to sand-blast the grill, hood and fenders. The other issue is the cold. In S. New Hampshire, we can get several weeks in a row where the day-time highs won't break 35F. Kinda hard to wash the car when the hose is frozen. This can even apply to the automated car washes, which, if you read your owner's manual, Lotus advises against using. After all that, be prepared for the snow-melt season, which brings gutters full of sand/salt/slush that can turn everything a dirty gray for several weeks.

Road conditions vary widely. All depends on your location. The state-maintained roads are usually pretty good, but some towns in central and northern NH and VT are tax-poor, and don't have the resources to keep them all billiard-smooth.

As for me, I intend to park mine sometime around Thanksgiving, then take it out again in late April or early May, depending on conditions.

Finally, Welcome to New Hampshire!

[Pengineer91]

Oh, and one more thing:

A car that frequently sees salt, no matter how many times it's been washed, is more difficult to service. Rims corrode onto to hubs, undertray bolts rust, brake bleeders freeze shut, Rotors corrode from the inside (I've had to replace them on my beaters due to deterioration well before they were worn to their service limits), etc. etc.

[exarkun1178]

i expect to drive mine through the winter, though i will swap tires to something more appropriate.

i have a blazer just in case,

maybe ill get tire chains for the front wheels.....

[Jeff Torrey]

As Pen. said the weather varies greatly from South to North. Concord, NH North weather is a different animal to Salem, NH and South.

Because the Lotus is fiberglass, body flex is much less in the cold air. Can lead to spider cracks in the gel coat. Depending on your philisophy and length of ownership that may play a factor in car care.

I usually try to get one drive per month in. Those are usually after dark when people are hudled by the fire. Less cars on the road means less sand bouncing off the front of your car.

There are periods where the wind blows the sand off the center of the roads and it's cold enough to keep the Interstate clean and dry. Most times Secondary roads s**k ...full of sand and salt.

[rubbercow]

I guess this settles it. I can't let it sit for months per year, the sandblasting of the paint, salt corrosion, spider cracks and the possibility of not being able to wash off the winter muck. If I accept the offer next week, the Elise gets a for sale sign.

I'm glad I asked. Thank you all.

[lotustt]

Its not that bad, why don't you take it along and see for yourself. Then decide if for some reason you really think its not doable, but there are plenty of people up in the northeast with Lotus'

[macdady2424]

don't sell it. any chance of getting a 2nd car to drive thru the snow?

[CertifiedCC]

u CAN'T drive thru the snow for sure. I am pretty sure this year we will have a HUGE snowstorm or blizzard since last year we had barely anything. All my 4x4's r ready 2 go!

o yea and just use rent-a-car and go by mileage not time since the times when u need a larger car will only be a maximum of 3weeks of usage total.

my .02


Edit: New hampshire? i take back everything i said. I live in VA thats 2 far up

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by lotustt

Its not that bad, why don't you take it along and see for yourself. Then decide if for some reason you really think its not doable, but there are plenty of people up in the northeast with Lotus'

Not that you couldn't do it, but I don't think there are that many owners driving year round in central NH. By year round I mean it's their only car. Like Jeff said, there's a big difference between central, NH and southern, NH/Boston. There's no comparison to NJ.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by bayside blue

if you get here buy oct 5th then i invite u to come on a cruise throughout northern nh on some absolutly amazing roads..there will be a lot of cars including a new gt-r

Looks like Hurricane Mt. Road.

Any details on this event? I didn't see it in the Northeast events forum.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by s14roller

While I don't have the answer to all your Qs, I can say you can prob drive the Elise for about 8-9 months in the NE...however, I don't think its a great idea to drive it in the snow due to both traction and rusting issues.

For the most part, at least in NJ, they do a good job of clearing major roads.

IMO, it's better and safer to just have a daily car. I have a TL and love it!

With snow tires, traction is not an issue.

[utopia]

Just buy a Mini and put snow tires on it.