R1ch

iTrader: (4)

Hi everybody. I don't usually come into this section because I live in Florida and if you can put two and two together from the title it doesn't snow here. I currently have an 01 SS that I will be selling because I rarely ever drive it anymore and could use the money. I now drive a 2000 Silverado 2WD as a daily but am thinking about getting another F-Body (or possibly C5 or GTO) in the future when it's more practical for me. I don't plan on staying in Florida for much longer (because I hate it) and am weighing my options on where to move after I finish my degree.

My question is, how practical is it to drive an LS1 or LS2 powered car in the snow if it is your only vehicle? I figure I'd need another set of wheels with snow tires but I wouldn't mind that.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

KLaBZ28

iTrader: (4)

shitty

traenknerperformance

iTrader: (1)

i have a 2005 cts-v, its a nightmare to drive in the snow. It used to be my DD- i got stuck on a hill in an inch of snow once in it 3 years ago. I got a 94 4wd silverado to drive in the winter, once it snows the V goes to sleep for a couple months.....

tt383lt1

iTrader: (3)

sand bags

R1ch

iTrader: (4)

Damn, CTS-V was one of the cars on my list too that I forgot to mention.

KLaBZ28: Funny, I used to work with a guy down here that was from Haverhill.

itsslow98

iTrader: (18)

Buy good snow tires and itll be a whole new car.

R1ch

iTrader: (4)

That's what I was thinking. Aftermarket wheels with summer tires and keep the stock ones for snow tires.

You can't even buy snow tires here. I've worked at 3 shops and all we sold are all season and summer. lol

traenknerperformance

iTrader: (1)

you can get snow tires from tire rack..... i was going to do them but figured if i did snowtires and another set of rims for a V i would be looking at like 1200$ just for snow tires and itll still be somewhat shitty. so i spent 2k on a truck that i can use in the snow- but also haul my parts around in, even if you swap them your looking at 100$ every 6 months to get them mounted back and forth

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

True story.
I have 4 dedicated performance snow tires (real snow tires, not 'all season tires') mounted on separate rims and those combined with a full tank of gas has me passing 4WD SUVs on the road/highway as if they're going backwards.
F-bodies (and Mustangs, even Corvettes etc.) are fine in the snow if you make the small effort to set them up for it and can drive reasonably well.

BlackScreaminMachine

iTrader: (17)

Snow can be interesting if you have to get around or have areas with steep hills. I have always lived in areas with bad hills and never bother to try to get a RWD prepped for snow either due to having a FWD that worked fine or the RWD car was too nice to **** up.

But I will say, a real snow tire like...

Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7's
Bridgestone Blizzak
Firestone Winterforce
General Tire AltiMAX Arctic

Will make a huge difference. Also adding weight to the axle whether it be by the rear springs compressing down on the rear, or adding weight directly to the axle.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/...y.jsp?ttid=123 Testing for some of the Winter Tires with Video, a nice BMW in what looks like Gemany in straight ice and snow conditions.

TNTramair

iTrader: (15)

realistically you'd be better off buying a beater for the winter..for the same money you'd spend on new wheels and tires you can find a good beater. depending on where you move to the snow can get pretty nasty at times and i dont care what kind of tires you have on your F-body, anything more than 5" of the powdery stuff and its a handfull...especially since not all of the roads get plowed. not to mention, would ya wanna take the chance of driving in the snow and have some old lady in a 92 Oldsmobile lose control and wreck ya?? lol.

TheSilverOne

iTrader: (22)

What do you hate about it?

brians91formula

iTrader: (12)

Yeah i'd like to know what you hate about Florida? Winter gets real depressing around here!!!

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

buy a winter beater. IMO.

Snow, salt, hills, other drivers, etc... even with winter tires I would NEVER EVER drive the Trans Am in the snow.

If your silverado has a G80 Dif you should be ok with some snow tires. The only time I need to use 4wd is up some hills or unplowed roads.

I would not want to D/D a vette/F-body/GTO in the winter. Atleast where I live it gets shitty fast and many times I need to drive though a foot of the stuff, plus we have lots of hills.

Keep you nice car nice and use some other car to rack miles and wear and tear on when its bad out.

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

I agree, winter blows.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Good points as well.
One of my theories has always been that if it's really that bad out, no car is getting too far in it (though a good 4x4 with four snow tires still might) and most places that one would want/need to go might be closed anyway LOL.
Bottom line is, yes, winter in the Northeast does suck LOL.

Cool28

iTrader: (2)

Don't the have a ctsv in awd? That be the ticket if they did

Double-aught_Z/28

iTrader: (11)

I've never run snow tires, but without them I can tell you it's not worth it. My old 3.8 Camaro did donuts with even a light coating of snow. The LS1 stays in the driveway when the white stuff comes down now. I just borrow a more appropriate vehicle from family members.

R1ch

iTrader: (4)

The weather here sucks. For example it's a week from Thanksgiving and I had to turn the AC in my house on today. Eight months out of the year it's too hot and humid to even go outside. Just going to your car if you forgot your phone in it feels like the biggest chore in the world. That's not to mention the rain EVERY DAY in summer that just makes it more humid and hotter.

The state itself sucks, there's no real economy besides tourism so the state just keeps enacting fees to make up lost revenue. For example 2 years ago they now add a fee if you are registering a car in Florida for the first time in your name you have to pay a $400 "First Wheels" fee. They also constantly keep trying to add "Penny sales taxes" to improve roads and schools and it doesn't change anything.

People that live here are more or less the lower demographic of people. No one can drive and I really mean that. There are so many old people that just bitch about everything as well as contribute to the terrible driving.

The housing market here is terrible. I want to buy a house one day but it won't be here. It's the most volatile in the nation. You buy a house and next week you owe twice what it's worth.

The job market sucks too. It's called a "Right to Work" state, which no one truly can explain. It basically gives your employer the right to fire you for being gay, black, fat, ugly, whatever and they don't have to give a reason.

Also, I'm really getting tired of people just speaking Spanish to me all the time assuming I understand them. I don't.

Ideally I either want to move to a real city (not Orlando) or something slightly rural but not too far from stuff.

CTSV_510

iTrader: (1)

All about the tires...at least in my cts-v I can say it is. The car is heavy enough to stay planted, and with a good set of blizzaks it charges right through. I have been through 3 PA winters with blizzaks on my V and have no problems until ground clearance became an issue.