[fiathead]

Does anyone have anything they turn to during the non-driving months to pass the time? My big plan for this winter is to go through my '69 Spider and restore/fix/update a few things. The list includes new seat covers, carpeting, dash, dash face and door panels. For the engine, I'll replace the timing belt, tensioner and fuel pump. I also need to restore the Jerrari finish back to how it was when Jerrari turned the car out in 1972. I'm thinking of having the alternator rebuilt at a local shop that does good work. It's not showing any signs of trouble, but it's one of the last original parts under the hood and I'd feel better if it were freshened up for the 2016 driving season.

Another project on the Spider will be to rebuild the rear suspension and driveshaft. The only real update will be to swap all signals out for LED bulbs to improve the visibility of the brake lights and turn signals. By the time I get all of that done, it should be pushing close to April when it normally comes out of hibernation. With the new Spider coming out at the same time, I don't need to rush the old girl.

Anyone else have a winter project or hobby planned to pass the time?

 

[Greg]

As long as you have heat in your garage, you plan sounds good to me. I had a chuckle when you mentioned your car still has the original alternator. For some reason Fiat alternators seem to last a really long time. The new Spider also has a Fiat alternator, which makes me happy.

In my garage I have quite a few winter projects. Some of the work is on my 85' supercharged Alfa Spider. It's off the road right now as I am upgrading the pistons, but it's almost back together. I have several development projects for the 2017 Spider. I wish I could tell people about them, but I can't. I will say however that something new is coming next week.

Greg

 

[JFernald]

Look for a place to live where you can drive year round?

 

[Stelvio]

Look for a place to live where you can drive year round?

With plenty of hilly, twisty, freshly paved back roads. Have I died and gone to heaven?

 

[JFernald]

With plenty of hilly, twisty, freshly paved back roads. Have I died and gone to heaven?

I have lived in or visited almost every state in the U.S. and most Canadian provinces, and I have not found a better year-round driving state than New Mexico. Colorado and Utah are great, but many of the mountain roads are impassable for much of the winter. California has some great vistas and twisty roads, but it is too crowded. Texas has some great twisty roads, but they are not as well maintained, no mountains, and too hot for open air driving much of the year.

 

[ItsyBitsy]

My winter hobby is of the non motorized variety; snowboarding. From the sounds of it, I should get myself an old car for some winter wrenching.

 

[Stewie]

My winter hobby is of the non motorized variety; snowboarding. From the sounds of it, I should get myself an old car for some winter wrenching.

Tried snowboarding once and hurt myself terribly.. like the little baby that I am, I gave it up and immediately turned to winter wrenching :nerd:

 

[ItsyBitsy]

Lol, I've wrenched my knee snowboarding before and still kept at it. Time to wrench something other than a body part.

 

[fiathead]

Heat in the garage can be an issue from time to time, so I'm trying something different this year. Instead of working in my own garage, I'm doing the winter chores over at my mother's house. She lives 5 doors away from us and since she does not drive during the winter, her garage will be warmer than mine is. At my house, my wife drives into the garage with a snow and ice covered car and then the whole garage turns into an icebox for days. Working over in the unused half of my mothers garage not only gives me a warmer place to work, but it also lets me keep tabs on how she's doing every day, so it's a win/win. She turns 80 this month and loves the idea of having my '69 take up winter residence at her house as long as I take her on back road drives during the summer.

 

[spilner]

This is the sort of thing i'm into although the below clip is not mine.

Me and a few buddies of mine always go drifting and go where the snow is worst. It helps that I have an old 240sx i don't care about, fun for times of year like this