My Winter Car Beginner’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Survive 1999 Finland

Guide
Written By NLM Team

If you thought My Summer Car was brutal, get ready for a game where the air itself tries to kill you before you even find the ignition key.

A screenshot from My Winter Car showing three highly-modified rally cars racing and kicking up snow on a frozen track surrounded by a pine forest.

I have spent the last few days shivering in a virtual apartment, yelling at a frozen windshield, and figuring out why my character has the shakes. My Winter Car is finally in Early Access, and it is exactly the kind of punishing, janky, detailed simulation nightmare I love. It is not just about building a car this time. It is about keeping your body temperature above freezing while driving a rust bucket that hates you.

Getting started is genuinely confusing because the game explains absolutely nothing. I have compiled everything I learned the hard way so you don't have to restart your save file five times like I did.

First Steps: The Apartment and Survival

You spawn in an apartment that is freezing cold. The first thing I did was grab the winter jacket off the floor near the door. Do not ignore this. Equip it immediately by pressing F.

Survival has changed a bit since the summer. You still have Hunger, Thirst, Stress, Urine, and Fatigue, but there are new mechanics at play.

The "Problem" Stat

You might notice a bar called "Problem" creeping up. This isn't philosophical. Your character is an alcoholic. Drinking water does almost nothing for this. You need to drink beer or booze to lower the Problem stat. I found that hopping the fence to drink with the noisy neighbors at night is a great way to get free alcohol if you are broke.

Staying Warm

Cold is the real killer. You have radiators in every room of your apartment. You need to manually turn them on and set the temperature. If your apartment is too cold, you literally cannot sleep, no matter how tired you are. I learned this after staring at my bed for ten minutes wondering why the "Sleep" prompt wasn't working. Crank the heat to 30 if you want to catch some Zs.

Mastering the Sorbett (Your Daily Driver)

Outside your apartment is the Sorbett. It is based on a Talbot 1510 and it is your lifeline. However, starting a car in Finnish winter is a ritual, not a simple key turn.

The Cold Start Ritual

  1. Unplug the Heater: There is a block heater cord at the front of the car. Unplug it before you drive or you will rip it out. Conversely, always plug it in when you park at home. If you don't, the oil freezes and the car won't start.

  2. The Choke: Once inside, pull the choke (the little knob to the left of the wheel).

  3. Ignition: Hold LMB on the ignition. Give it a little gas.

  4. Defrosting: This is crucial. Locate the heater controls on the right. Turn the blower to max (click twice). Hit the "Window Heater" button until the light turns yellow.

  5. Scraping: The heater takes forever. Jump out of the car, look at the windshield, and hold LMB to manually scrape the ice. You actually have to move your mouse up and down to clear it.

BASIC CAR CONTROLS

Because WASD isn't enough when you're driving a manual on ice.

ACTION KEY / INPUT
Enter Driving Mode Enter (Do this first!)
Gears G (Shift Up) / B (Shift Down)
Clutch X (Auto-clutch is on by default)
Handbrake Spacebar (Or click it)
Push Mode J (For when you get stuck)

Buying the Project Car (Corris Rivett)

The main goal is to build the Corris Rivett (Ford Taunus). You don't start with it. You have to buy the frame.

Head to the PSK (the gas station/shop). Inside, past the sliding doors, check the notice board on the wall. There is an ad for the car. Write down the number.

Go back to your apartment or use a phone. You have to use your actual Numpad on your keyboard to dial. Call the number and wait until the guy hangs up. If you hang up too early, the script doesn't trigger.

The seller is the "Firewood Guy" (map location 9). Bring 500mk. You will need a vehicle to tow it back, like the tractor (Kekmet) or the truck (Gifu) if you can get them.

Making Ends Meet

You are going to be broke. There is a flea market table you can rent near the inspection shop. Put random junk you find on there, set a price, and wait a week. It is slow money, but it works.

There is also a job board at the PSK. Take a picture of it. You will need to call the numbers to start working. I recommend the office job or deliveries to start, but be careful with timings.

Now get out there and try not to freeze. And remember, if the car doesn't start, check the block heater. It is always the block heater.

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NLM Team
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