General LSX Automobile Discussion - year round 6spd daily drivers

I'm wondering how your guys with Camaros, TransAms and GTOs w/6 spds do during the winter time. Those who drive them year round. I know its all in how you drive, just curious to see who does drive them year round and what has been the worst condition they have been in.

I have had some thoughts on trading my truck for a GTO.

Thanks

ive only had mine from march so i havent seen much snow in my area but the one or two times it did snow i did just fine. You just have to be light on the throttle and if its really bad start up in second

Im in Texas. Winter = cold air.

Im in Texas. Winter = cold air.

touche'

It's the driver, not the car. You will be fine if you are careful.

I would never drive a V8, RWD, manual, sports car again, drove a 99 mustang gt and that was a pain in the ass, it does snow here though and is pretty cold the high's have been below zero for the last couple weeks, depends on the area your in I wouldn't recommend it if you have to drive through snow, salt, ice etc.

I leave mine in the garage when it snows. You can only baby it so much... I usually try to borrow a relatives front wheel drive when I can. I have tried driving and although I got around , it just puts me at peace of mind driving something with a lot less power. Front wheel drive is the way to go.

I do just fine here in PA. We've gotten some snow at least once a week the past month and it isn't a problem as long as I take it easy. I just stay under 1/4 throttle and I don't have any issue that I wouldn't have in another car.

I agree its all driver. I used to drive my 88 Firebird and a couple 2wd S-10s (all 5 speeds) through some serious snow. I think its a benifit to have a manual. If you clutch it the wheels just roll, no engine brake or accell. Plus rwd is fun in snow/rain.

That said I do store my 02 in winter. Its a Texas car and has never seen snow/salt. And hopefully never will. I feel it is money well spent to buy a winter beater 4 the winter. Saves wear/tear & rust on the good car. Just buy something you can easily turn around (make $ on) come spring. If you get something low dollar, try to pick something a teenager will like-easy sell.

I'm in CA, where winter just means it's going to rain, and it might get as low as mid-40s.

dude....i live in florida, need i say more, it's in the 70's right now, year round daily in FL means more time with the tops off

:wave-fing :upyours: :thefinger :takethat: :moon: :flipbird: :321:
Thats for all you guys in the warms states :).

Man, 70 degrees :drool:

I wish I lived in a warm state :bang:

I live up north, but it doesn't snow here a lot. I drive my GTO year round, and it's a 6-speed. I just have to settle for it staying pretty dirty this time of year, no sense in even washing it.

:wave-fing :upyours: :thefinger :takethat: :moon: :flipbird: :321:
Thats for all you guys in the warms states :).

Man, 70 degrees :drool:

I wish I lived in a warm state :bang:


Yeah but then you sweat your ass off in the summer.

What sucks is this shithole the AF stuck me in New Mexico.

You sweat your nuts off in the summer getting a nice case of skin cancer and then when winter rolls in your nuts are f#cking frozen to your leather seats.

BTW I got my poor Z06 stuck in the rock hard ice covered snow. My wife doesn't know how to work a manual so she got stuck pushing the car while I ran the wheels.

It really sucked for her because the C5's exhaust is a center set-up so she got stuck breathing in all the fumes.

We were out in the middle of absolute nowhere, I am talking 20 miles from the city. Freakin' hate this state...

Two things:

driver and winter tires.

I find rwd no different than fwd when trying to get around in the snow, and actually find rwd easier thanks to throttle control aspect rather than the whole fwd steer where you want to go and pray the rear follows.

Winter tires just make things easier. I'd take a rwd car with winter tires over a fwd with all seasons. Traction is night and day.

Other tips, 2nd gear launches work in bad situations like hill + deep snow. Feathering the throttle is mandatory. RPM above 2500rpm is virtually useless thanks to torque > traction at speeds <60mph.

Its not that bad you just need snow tires and some common scence. It really sucks to keep it clean too.

For my car snow equals ditch so i try to stick to the ol stroker until its pretty

get some skinnier wheels (~6.5-7") and winter tires and you'll be fine

The car, tires, and how you drive all come into play. My old cavalier was great in the snow. My eclipse will hardly move cuz of its tires and it is FWD. I drove my camaro home from the dealer with snow on the ground and all it wanted to do was spin. Even in my driveway it doesnt like to move in the snow. It can be done. People have been driving RWD cars in the snow since they have been made but it can be a PITA. I remenber when I was lil my whole family stored winter tires in the basement for the RWD cars. Dont have to do it so much anymore with FWD

Not a fbody driver but I drive a 6 speed all year round regardless of weather conditions. Love it and wouldn't have it any other way.

Im in Texas. Winter = cold air.

same here in louisiana

I much prefer a manual to auto in snow/ice. The clutch gives you another means of controlling vehicle dynamics. But an A4 can be pretty decent with 2nd gear start and throwing it into neutral.

car does well, i just recently made over 500rwhp on stock bottom end with STS and :secret2: cam, all i have to worry about right now is replacing the stock clutch :bang:

A lot of FWD cars also have REALLY high front compared to rear weight ratios. A lot of those compacts have up to and sometimes exceeding 60% front ratios.

Plus they are usually equipped stock with generic all weather (or just generic) tires as opposed to high-speed summer tires.

It doesnt look like this is going to happen. The wife doesnt want a 2door, its not a "family car". Maybe a 5.3 TrailBlazer, if I can find one. Until then, I'll just enjoy my HD, and watch it enjoy every ounce of gas it consumes, lol.

i drove my 99 trans am 6 spd in salt lake city snow for two years....surprisingly not bad at all if you are careful....nice and light with your foot....the only time i had a problem was when it snowed like hell a few years ago after christmas, my car was stuck at the airport for 2 weeks, but so was everyones cars...

400whp+ m6 hear and it gets driven year round rain,snow under 5"!

i actually have a hard time driving my saturn in the winter. the damn throttle steer is retarded.

i come from a stop and the front of the car goes to the right... but that's only on roads that are completely covered in snow.

so i think if you have decent tires, the 6spd cars should do decent.

Well I don't have a Camaro, Trans Am, or GTO, but it's no big deal to drive the Z06 in the winter. Then again, like Ell Ess Won said, in Texas, winter is pretty much cold air. There were 2 days so far this year when it snowed/iced that I wouldn't want to drive my car, but it was mostly due to the sand on the road, not the conditions themselves.

DD my car in seattle when it rains 24/7..

DD my car in seattle when it rains 24/7..

That must be rough. My LS1 TA sucked to drive in the rain. Surprisingly, the vette feels a little more stable in the rain, despite being a lighter vehicle.

i do and it's fine, i just have the bfg gforces and they do well all around, rain, dry, and snow. Very good traction. the only thing that sucks is traffic but i have a racing clutch so it's really heavy

That must be rough. My LS1 TA sucked to drive in the rain. Surprisingly, the vette feels a little more stable in the rain, despite being a lighter vehicle.


BTW you suck for being in Texas this winter.

I left Texas right at fall for this sh&thole called Albuquerque (Kirtland AFB). F#cking cold and nasty 99% of the time but still with enough UV to shorten your lifespan by a good six decades.

Now for the real question what tires do you have on your Z06, mine don't feel right in the rain with the stock tires compared to my Z28 with Kumho something but with dual water channels.

Both cars had the same wheels but the Z06 runs stock F1's. I want a good rainy weather tire to run when I am not using extreme dry traction ones.

It doesnt look like this is going to happen. The wife doesnt want a 2door, its not a "family car". Maybe a 5.3 TrailBlazer, if I can find one. Until then, I'll just enjoy my HD, and watch it enjoy every ounce of gas it consumes, lol.

thats too bad man. depending on the size of your family i would ask her to reconsider. there is pleanty of room in my goat for babies, kids, strolers, diapers, etc. find a decent beater 4 door for daycare duties and get the GTO anyways. you wont be upset you did. she may be, but thats a whole nother story...

i live in wisconsin, and every car ive ever owned since 16 yrs old was rear wheel drive. it just takes practice and good tires to get you through the winter. besides, unless you live in the boonies, most roads get plowed a day or two after a snow storm anyways, so you will only have 2 days most to tough it out. good luck man and talk her into it. :drive:

Im in Texas. Winter = cold air.

I second that! :drive:

i have to be vary careful when driving in the rain, plus i run on MT ET Streets all the time and that makes it a challenge in itself. but on cool days, my car wants to break stuff...... ha ha

It snowed a couple inches here about a week ago, and I was driving my Bonneville aka the beater. There's a decent grade hill on my street before you get to my driveway, and the only way that I could make it up was driving in reverse. So whoever says FWD is better can kiss my ass.

I drive mine year round but I also live in Florida, and the winter is the best time to drive down here.

one word...ARIZONA. The place i live in (yuma) hardly even rains, let alone snow. i think it snowed here one time ever like in 1957 or something.

I'm wondering how your guys with Camaros, TransAms and GTOs w/6 spds do during the winter time. Those who drive them year round. I know its all in how you drive, just curious to see who does drive them year round and what has been the worst condition they have been in.

I have had some thoughts on trading my truck for a GTO.

ThanksManuals are better in the winter than autos. Neutral with the clutch; downshiting helps slow the car so you don't have to use the brakes as much, etc., etc., etc.

I hate autos in the snow, specially if they are idled too high and feel like they are driving themselves or when going around a corners.

Actually, I hate driving autos period. Almost put my friend's in park before stopping all the way last night. Fuckin things are too complicated.

As MANY others have said (and I've stated multiple times) it's ALL about;

TIRES, TIRES, TIRES!!! Specifically, great winter/snow donuts.
If you even attempt to go out in the $h!t with DRs (Nitto or otherwise) you deserve what you get. "Summer" only max performance stuff is not much better, and even the best all-seasons will only get you through a little more than a "dusting".
If you put some REAL winter/snows on your stock wheels (instead of selling them for very little $$), in a 225/55 16 size, with 100# + of speedy dry in the hatch area, you could get through almost anything! (Save for an almost vertical uphill.) I've taken this setup through about a half foot of fresh snow (I could probably go through deeper, but my car is lowered :( )

If you got 16x7/7.5 "steelies" and put Nokian Hakka 4s in 215/60 16 on them, along with the aforementioned hatch weight, you would be unstoppable, and able to get up those "vertical" ice walls.

I drive mine year-round every day. No problems here, Texas weather is usually mild. It did ice a little this year but wasen't a big deal.

Manuals are better in the winter than autos. Neutral with the clutch; downshiting helps slow the car so you don't have to use the brakes as much, etc., etc., etc.

I hate autos in the snow, specially if they are idled too high and feel like they are driving themselves or when going around a corners.

Actually, I hate driving autos period. Almost put my friend's in park before stopping all the way last night. Fuckin things are too complicated.


Just put'er in 3rd and ride the brake.

Huh, a year passed and after the snow we got this year my ass is still debating about this.

I agree about the tires, weight and clutch control. Manual is the only way to go.

I have to go test drive one.

Dont ever see snow here in northern california so i wouldnt know what its like.....year round 6 speeds are fun and save you gas

drive my 6speed every day all year around.

Just a few weeks ago.

http://ls1tech.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8869506&postcount=1

I drive mine year round but im in hawaii.... winter = 85

I daily drove a 6-speed TA for two years, but like many of the other people that were in here I lived in a warm state (CA) and winter there consisted of cold air and downpours. The only time it ever saw Ice/snow was when I drove up to Kennedy Meadows in the summer of 06'. I moved to Georgia the last 6 months or so before I sold the car and the most snow I ever saw was a dusting here. Yeah, I am no help, lol.

EDIT: California F:Yokohama AVS ES1000 R:Nitto 555r's

Georgia: Yokohama's all the way around.

I drive mine year round. I put Pilot Sport A/S's on and I can drive with the roads snow covered up to about 3 inches. Any more than that and I have to wait a little while until they plow the roads.

unless there's actually snow on the road, i'll drive mine.. and in that case it's not the snow that pisses me off, it's the salt.

its all about the weather where you live.... snow on flat ground just means you take her easy and go slow.... snow on cliffs like we have around here means you buy a beater.....

i have 2. wouldn't have it any other way!!!

I drove my car in the snow the day I bought it. It was on factory 16" salad shooters with crappy Fuzion ZR1 tires that almost killed me the moment I left the parking lot. I could hardly make left turn onto the road without getting run over by rogue 18 wheelers. Once I did, I went down an overpass at the foot of which I had to make a right turn. No such luck, the car slid straight even with the wheels turned to full lock... so much for ABS. The car then ran through a redlight before I was able to recover control. Decided to spend the night at a nearby hotel then before driving 800 miles back home. Since then I've driven it again on snow and ice with better tires. Made a hell of difference but it's still something I wouldn't want to do unless I absolutely had to.

Driving in snow, rain, year round with the hawk. If a regular car can't travel in it then I don't travel in it. Still have the stock Firehawk tires on which are the P275/40ZR17 :drive: Just have to drive like you should.

Heres a few more for all you warm weather guys :)
:flipbird::wave-fing:upyours::thefinger:takethat::321:

StealthZ06,
Thats classic. Nice shots.

I'm planning on going out this weekend for a test drive and just to sit in one for a while.

took out a speed limit sign the first time i tried it

No snow or anything here in SoCal. Just gets a lil bit colder in the winter. Not much rainfall either, damn does my post even count? Hahahaha.

:flipbird: Back at you "TIG", This is our winter in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h266/djsanchez2/me3.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h266/djsanchez2/0208081307.jpg

Not a 6 spd but drove my 88 firebird 5 speed in the snow.. it was a lil rough but just requires some patience and it's not too bad.

hndakilr,
ha that sucks

dj,
you suck man,:engarde: rub it in real nice. nice shot to, both of them.
lol "a lil bit colder" whats a lil bit colder for ya?

84,
yeah thats what I'm hearing. You have to some finese or you can start off in 2nd.

I'll deal with it, if not I'll take the wifes car.
:cheers:

ive had mine out in the ice a couple of times, tires start spinnin just lettin out on the clutch, then in second they spin still no gas, then in third your still not movin foward, finally get it in fourth and it starts moving forward, and then its not so bad, my car doesnt have traction control, i managed, just gotta be very careful

i do live in texas, it has been in ice twice, it was two different years, so really i could manage never taking my car out in the ice if i didnt want to, when it does ice its usually once maybe twice a year for maybe 2/3 days

Never in winter aha

dj,
you suck man,:engarde: rub it in real nice. nice shot to, both of them.
lol "a lil bit colder" whats a lil bit colder for ya?

84, yeah thats what I'm hearing.

Nights it gets down to about 45 and days in the 50's. Not exactly 80, but then again it's a hell of alot better than -20

I drive the SS all year-round every day in beautiful NY:rock:, I enjoy the car way to much not to drive it.

jw,
Ice sucks, no way around it. Well unless you have 4wd.

fc,
Heres one just for you :wave-fing :D

dj,
Thats decent weather, a lot more tolerable than what we get here. I was in CA a while back. Stayed in the Bay Area then in Turlock. Shit, that was about 16 years ago, damn I'm old. Some good times out there:devil:

Mike,
Thats the shit I want to hear. I feel the same way.

:cheers:

I have daily driven a six speed since I was 16. Although when we do experience snow or ice here in Nashville I will opt to take something other than my lsx. As for the M6 is not good for city driving argument, I am not bothered at all by it. I drove 30-50 miles a day in traffic with my M6 Z28 and T/A and continue to do so in my Z06. I guess whether or not traffic bothers you is a personal thing. I find my self spacing out or getting bored in an auto. The only place I prefer an auto is the drag strip with a nice healthy stall.

Heres a few more for all you warm weather guys :)
:flipbird::wave-fing:upyours::thefinger:takethat::321:

StealthZ06,
Thats classic. Nice shots.

I'm planning on going out this weekend for a test drive and just to sit in one for a while.

pluss one on this statement lol

i drive my 98 t/a year round. it sucks, just get some winter tires and keep them on the stock rims. then buy some nice ones for the summer. a couple of sand bags help here and there, but not bad.

Drove the Z year round right up until a month ago.

6spd is fine and I dont mind it in traffic and I have a 750ftlb clutch. Its only got old like 3 times but Id never have it any other way.

...and then when winter rolls in your nuts are f#cking frozen to your leather seats.

wear pants dude! :D

My camaro gets stuck in the driveway in anything more than an inch of snow. Summer tires + V8 + manual = no go.

Got an explorer for commuting and snow, but any other time i go out, its in the six speed!!!