TrueWhiteBoy Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Seems I managed to convince a university to take a chance on me Kinda nice at the age of 32 to finally get to this point after dropping out a number of years ago. Looks like I'll be driving out there next month. Ah I really hope I can find a place to stay by then (I was waitlisted, so this is all rather last minute). Regarding what appear to be horrible, horrible winters. 1. Any suggestions for a desert dweller coming to live Syracuse? 2. Will winter tires fit with H-tech springs? I'm hoping to go back to a stock suspension before the snow comes, but I don't know if I'll have the money to do so. 3. Anyone familiar with the area have suggestions on neighborhoods to check out? I'm hoping to find a cheap, but nice 1 bedroom apartment that's near campus, but slightly far from the partying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Congrats and good luck!! I grew up in Syracuse but have been in Cali for over 30 years now. You shouldn't have any trouble fitting 17" snow tires with the H-Techs. Ideally you would want an extra set of wheels for your winter tires 17" BRZ/FR-S wheels are a dime a dozen and you can get a great set for $300 easily. They will fit your car fine. IIRC they use salt on the roads in Syracuse, so prepare for the underside of your car to get rusty fast. When they do get snow, the storms tend to be bad because of the "lake effect" from the Great Lakes. Buy stock in UnderArmor and Columbia. GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dispatch20 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Congrats on getting into SU! I've lived in the Syracuse area for the past 11 years. The local Subaru guys have the facebook page "CNY Subies" (CNY is for central NY state). I do think you might be crazy to leave CA to come to SU, though. We have beautiful Summer and Fall seasons, and a lot of outdoorsy things to do with hiking, waterfalls, and a racetrack reasonably close (Watkins Glen). However, winter gets pretty old quickly so finding a hobby (weightlifting, indoor volleyball, indoor soccer, basketball, skiing/snowboarding, going to SU b-ball games, etc) helps. As GTEASER mentioned, they use a TON of salt here. We have plenty of snow plow trucks so you'll rarely run into any deep snow. Big storms are never really a big deal here like they are in NYC and Boston. The part that gets irritating is the Lake Effect. Sometimes it snows a little every day for weeks. It's almost always too cold to wash your car without your locks and doors getting froze shut, so things get really dirty. Corrosion is always a problem! A lot of the foreign students just walk or bike to class, so it's not absolutely necessary to drive anywhere. A lowered suspension is a pain in winter here due to pot holes, snow building up in the wheel wells, and your front bumper may push snow if you have to drive in a poorly plowed area or mid-storm. I survived a winter here on RCE Tarmac coilovers and it wasn't a big deal. You might be fine with the H-techs. Winter tires don't need to be any larger in diameter or width than your other tires. You buy them the same way: i.e. 215/45/17 is the same size summer or winter. I do recommend snow tires if you have to drive a lot here, although 50% of the people just drive 5mph with all-seasons to get through snow. I don't have any recommendations on housing locations but Craigslist is a decent place to start. Syracuse is a pretty small area overall, and there is a ton of housing options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueWhiteBoy Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Nice! Thanks for the recommendations. Well, I think I have some stock springs in Vegas which is on my way. I'll pick those up and try to find a shop in Syracuse once I'm there for the installation. Any recommendations on a shop to swap springs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dispatch20 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Nice! Thanks for the recommendations. Well, I think I have some stock springs in Vegas which is on my way. I'll pick those up and try to find a shop in Syracuse once I'm there for the installation. Any recommendations on a shop to swap springs? Swapping springs is pretty basic so any shop can do it. There is nothing Subaru specific or tricky about it. I've done it a few times myself. Unfortunately, I don't have any recommendations on garages. I just DIY everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ripstik Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 The winters are straight brutal in syracuse. take it from a UVM alum, learn how to layer, get yourself a nice puffy coat and some long underwear it will do wonders for your comfort. congrats on returning to school. as bad as the winters are there it is a great school and the spring/fall will be gorgeous if you can get outside the city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueWhiteBoy Posted October 27, 2015 Author Share Posted October 27, 2015 Alright, managed to pick up a parka, but could use some winter boot recommendations (especially Amazon links if available) I'm also quite happy that I managed to get out a bit while the weather is still nice and check out Green Lakes State Park which was rather beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubz Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 If you have coilovers I would highly suggest winterizing them such as taping off the threads. As stated before the salt they use here is brutal. I just took my car up to Ziebart in Syracuse to get it undercoated. I'm from the Utica area an hour away from you. Because your car's from the desert I'd just check out everything on your car before the winter comes so you won't suffer later in the cold. Change the coolant if it's pretty old or is mostly water and check your battery. If you have a Facebook check out Finger Lakes Car Enthusiasts to look for local meets to meet people also Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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