pros and cons of a winter beater

 Old man winter definitely wasn't a car guy. How else could you explain the brutal suffering of automobiles at the hands of old man winter? If the cars can survive the icey roads and the sub-zero engine killing cold starts, Theres always the ever present road salt which will surely turn your pride and joy into a rusted hulk in a few years time. As much as I would like to drive my Challenger year around, The latitude I live at makes that nearly impossible. So to preserve one of the few nice cars I own I employ the use of "winter beaters" for those unfamiliar with the concept,It's simple: park your nice car and buy something cheap for old man winter to abuse. I have three criteria for a winter beater:(1) It needs to have a functional heater (2) It needs to be somewhat reliable (3) It needs to be cheap. Sometimes you can ignore 1 and 2 if 3 is a killer deal,But that often backfires when the repair bills start racking up. I typically don't pay more than $1000 for a winter beater, The Cash for clunkers program a few years back dried up supplies considerably,but deals are still out there. The downside to purchasing a winter beater is that it's a cheap car and you get what you pay for. If you're hung up on luxuries like functioning gauges,windows that roll down and a radio that gets more than three stations, You better keep driving your shiny new car. Owners of modern automobiles are so coddled these days, They seem lost without their myriad of cupholders,satellite radio,and heated seats. The people who drive beaters are in some ways automotive masochists,We love telling stories of our vehicular hardships (my favorite story is driving my 73 Fury in a rainstorm with no wipers and sketchy brakes)

I've often resorted to desperate measures to keep junk on the road. When the passenger door on my 95 blazer broke, I simply welded it shut General Lee style. Duct tape and zip ties are a beaters best friend. My current beater is a 1995 Olds cutlass,purchased for $600 from my dad (family discount) It's actually the nicest beater I've ever owned, It's even got a functional cassette player,I've never had it so good. I think I'm ready for a few more months of winter.........maybe not.