MillaTK

Well the time has finally come where I may be able to purchase my first LS1. I'm going to be getting a check for my truck which was totaled from fire damage, and should be getting around 12k. Anyway, I'd really like to purchase an LS1 F-body, but I'm unsure as to how it would be in the winter. Sure its not the most practical car, but I've heard its not TOO bad with good tires and an easy foot.

So what I'd like to know is how many people drive their's in the snow, and whether or not you think I should look at something else, because of where I live. If I get a good deal there is a chance I'd consider buying a cheap(~$500) beater to get me by on bad weather days, but I'd rather not rely on that. At school I'd be in the position to use the bus as well if the roads are horrible, and at home we have an extra AWD vehicle as well. So what are your opinions?

Z28LS1camaroguy

iTrader: (3)

i did fine, but i dont get a ton of snow in northern kentucky. when it did snow bad it handled good and the only problem i had was goin up this really steep hill that they didnt clear off just floored it and made it so no problems really.

Boss Hog

You'll hear a lot of people say that you can do it, That they do it every winter. My response is that if I toss down 15 beers and drive home from the bar I'll probably get away with it and not get a DUI but does that mean I should try it??

Having driven 2 rear wheel drive V8 muscle cars as well as a 2WD pickup in a snowy climate (Eastern Washington) I consider myself an experienced winter driver. I can tell you that it is possible but the concentration that it takes to drive a high horsepower v8 car that has most of its weight up front is ridiculous. Look at all of the guys who wreck IN THE RAIN! One wrong extra "little squeeze of the throttle in slippery conditions and you'll be sideways before you know it. If you're lucky it will be only at 10-15 mph and not 35-50 mph. I have had the latter happen to me twice usually after driving my wife's FWDer and not being used to having to concentrate as hard (and we are talking slight lapses in concentration where I squeezed the throttle an extra 1/4" to 1/2" NOT heavy footed runs of acceleration).

Now that I'm older will I do it now?? NOPE...The intense amount of concentration required makes driving stressful in the winter especially with FWD being so much more forgiving. Is it possible...YES. Is it fun...NO

If you have to do it....
1. Forget everything you learned about driving front wheel drive cars in the snow.
2. Snow tires
3. Chains
4. GO SLOOOOW and concentrate...Let the other morons fly by. 300 HP cars are not forgiving of ANY errors in the snow. THERE IS NO MARGIN FOR ERROR

MillaTK

Good reply, definitely some good insight, thanks. I definitely understand what you are talking about with the throttle and concentration. Even driving my truck in 2WD with almost 100 HP less, I realized I had to be pretty careful. Messed around in a parking lot with tons of snow in 2wd, and it was pretty easy to send the *** end around.

LS1 FORMULA

Just my .o2 cents. Why would you want to drive it in the snow. In three years it will be full of rust and worthless. I used to live in WI. and would never drive any good car in winter. Buy a beater for winter and keep the f-body in good condition. But what do I know.

green28

iTrader: (8)

For 12k and in your situation I would but a nice f-body, which can be had for under 11k and spend the other grand on a reliable beater (kind of any oxy-moron). I have a $500 beater, and yeah it will nickel and dime me (replaced 2 altenators and a battery this year) but I can deal with that knowing that my Camaro is in the garage under a cover where it belongs when the snow and salt is on the ground.

y2k_ta

iTrader: (80)

Five Indiana winters as my daily driver
38 mile one-way commute to work (3/4 state/side roads; 1/4 interstate)
Stock Goodyear tires
No added weight in the hatch area
NEVER missed a day of work

It can be done. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

arioch

only had to drive the lt1 in snow once here in Austin, but it had 4:10's in it which made stock tires and snow almost impossible....

but even then i got it home without a scratch, sideways up hills, sliding to stops, just put on the hazards, let everyone pass me and concentrated....

but ya aftermarket gears + stock tires = no snow driving.....

Shinigami2x4

Also to point out a little - chains are illegal here in iowa. I driven in two iowa winters with both a V6 camaro and a V8 trans am (partial winter untill i got my truck) and you have remember one thing..just take it slow. I was able to loose traction by just releasing the clutch partially. It does not take much at all, and yes a had a few close calls and 3 miles of driving crooked due to icy roads.

darrensls1

Agreed!

I had to daily drive my Formula for two Chicago winters. I drove on everything from fresh snow to sleet to ice. I never missed a days work and I never got into an accident.

All you need are good all weather tires (BFG KDWS worked well for me) and allow yourself extra time to get places. You got to remember that driving in the winter is only difficult right after a heavy snow fall or ice storm. Most of the winter is spent driving on dry roads.

You'll get passed up by Neons, colbolts and mini vans when the roads are slick but you can extract revenge after the plows and salt have done thier jobs

99camarosupersport

iTrader: (6)

I drove mine 1 year in east central Indiana. I was EASY as can be one day in the SS shifting, and what i feared happened did. When I let it into 2nd it made the car go crazy and I ended up in a field. When I say easy driving, I mean grandma easy.

It could be pulled out for a year, but after that I'd get a 500$ beater to use in the winter. That's what I did. Eases my nerves much more.

T A WS6 M6

iTrader: (1)

I spent one winter in CT with only my T/A to drive, and I was stationed on a submarine, so missing work wasn't really an option. While it can be done, I was very eager to have a truck for the second winter.

Remember that it's only really when it's snowing that you'll have a problem, and plan. I had to watch the weather carefully to make sure I didn't make any unneeded trips to the grocery store during a storm or something. You'll roll through a few stoplights cause you can't stop going down that hill, and you'll learn to park on a hill facing back so you can always get the car moving, and you'll learn about burning through the snow with your back tires cause that's the only way to get moving, but if your heart is dead set on an LS1 f-body, there's only one way to scratch that itch.

The most important thing I can offer is that, to me, getting the car moving was the hardest part. Once it was actually rolling I knew I was going to make it to my destination. I also figured out that people were generally friendly, and were willing to help push if I was stuck.

Was it the best way to buy an LS1? No, but I would do it over again.

MillaTK

Mmmm... This was the kind of response that I was looking for, thanks guys. We had a very mild winter last year... well until spring hit, haha, and we had two big storms, but the roads weren't horrible after they started getting plowed. For those times where its really bad, I could probably just borrow a vehicle.

partyhardoo69

iTrader: (1)

last winter i drove my z28 in 5" of snow. Brand new snow tires on the back and 200lbs in the hatch. did just fine.

PLucas

iTrader: (1)

I agree, i drive mine everyday in any climate. Never had a problem except the day it snow 7in. Then it was a little more difficult. The car wont rust out like somebody said. My car is a 2000 and has been driven every year in the snow and I have no rust on my car except on the rear end, which will happen to any of these cars even if it never sees rain or snow.

HDNVALLEY

300 HP plus wide performance tires plus positraction plus snow = White knuckles. I've lived in Wisconsin all my life and when I was young we all drove GTOs, 396 Chevelles and other assorted muscle cars all year. Sometimes we got stuck or found a ditch. Do replace the wide performance tires with a good snow tire (front and back). Tire chains are not a feasible option on an f-body. If you have public transportation available for the worst days you should get along just fine.

The Black Mamba

If you do, definitely watch the hills. Just avoid anything fairly steep, otherwise you might slide down. I had this happen last year in a RWD CTS. Oh yay. It even had snow tires.

dailydriver

x5 (or however many above^^^). As most have said the worst parts are getting started (the A4s have a 2nd gear start feature, M6s can "feather out" 2nd gear), and more so going uphill. If you plan on getting up anything steeper than a 3% grade on fresh/packed snow or ANY ice, then you WILL need REAL winter snow tires, and the 200# rear hatch ballast does help this as well.
If you are going to start from scratch, and plan on getting a bigger
street/drag race oriented wheel/tire package for the summer, then use the 16x8 alloy stockers, and put some FULL WINTER (Nokian RSi, Blizzacks, Pilot Alpins, Pirelli 240s, etc.) on them in 225/55 16 size.
If you plan on using the stock 16x8s for your summer setup, then find some 16x7/7.5 steel oem V-6 wheels, and put the above REAL WINTER tires on them in 215/60 16. <--This is actually the more ideal for winter since you want the narrowest footprint possible for snow/ice. (Look at the World Rally Cars' tires when they compete in the Swedish/Norwegian/Monte Carlo winter rallies, motocross tires are wider!!! ) With this setup and weight in the hatch, you can almost rival the FWD cars with good tires.

Hot94Z28

In my car drove it one winter and did not like it. I got threw most of the winter till we had a huge storm and it was stuck up at work for three days.

EspaceF1Fan

Get soem dedicated snow tires(for all four whels) and youll wonder why you even worried about it.....(provided you are used to driving a little sideways )

P.S. dont drive a lowered car in the snow....