My mother doesn't believe that trans ams/f-bodies aren't good in the snow. back me up
03-01-2008, 11:40 AM
#142
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f-bodys hardly get traction when its completely dry out. trying to drive one in the snow would be a lost cause. if you have the funds, then it would be a good idea to get a second car. it would also be good so you can keep miles off your car
03-01-2008, 11:43 AM
#143
FWD or AWD with all season tires or summer tires will always get beat out by any car with proper snow tires.
Those of you that scream slip and slide in snow have no sense to be on a road in this kind of weather. No one in their right mind would try to drive a car with power with summer/performance tires. That should be your first clue that you aren't suited to deal with this weather.
Those of us in the northern states and regions that can't afford 2 car insurance (you realize that living in the city can double your insurance rates) and that who the hell wants to drive a shitbox that can fall apart on you at any given notice.
I have my other cars, but worst comes to worst and I have to go out in bad weather, my camaro with the snow tires will always come to mind as my emergency vehicle. A little freezing rain and my Monte SS with all seasons and FWD is all but useless. So is my Accord with all season and FWD. I love my f-body, but sometimes you guys have to realize that they are still cars in the end and the driver and the proper equipment make all the difference on the roads. My m6 gives me a LOT of lattitude to drive in bad conditions, the suspension is superior to the other cars for manuvering, has power where you need it and I store it in the garage with snow tires in case. I still have the stockers and my zr1 rims in the garage too for the warmer weather.
Those of you that scream slip and slide in snow have no sense to be on a road in this kind of weather. No one in their right mind would try to drive a car with power with summer/performance tires. That should be your first clue that you aren't suited to deal with this weather.
Those of us in the northern states and regions that can't afford 2 car insurance (you realize that living in the city can double your insurance rates) and that who the hell wants to drive a shitbox that can fall apart on you at any given notice.
I have my other cars, but worst comes to worst and I have to go out in bad weather, my camaro with the snow tires will always come to mind as my emergency vehicle. A little freezing rain and my Monte SS with all seasons and FWD is all but useless. So is my Accord with all season and FWD. I love my f-body, but sometimes you guys have to realize that they are still cars in the end and the driver and the proper equipment make all the difference on the roads. My m6 gives me a LOT of lattitude to drive in bad conditions, the suspension is superior to the other cars for manuvering, has power where you need it and I store it in the garage with snow tires in case. I still have the stockers and my zr1 rims in the garage too for the warmer weather.
03-01-2008, 07:16 PM
#146
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p.s. edited because it sounded more rude than I intended... lol
Last edited by LrngCrv; 03-01-2008 at 09:07 PM.
03-02-2008, 05:35 AM
#147
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The "S" of KDWS stands for snow. And they did very well for me through two Chicago winters. But then again I wasn't an idiot that drove too fast for conditions either.
I had a real winter tire. BFG KDWS. I always ran with more then half a tank of gas and kept the spare and jack in the car. That was all the weight in the back I needed.
I would have to be a complete idiot to do that now. The car is currently track only and gets put into storage from October till April. You can criticise my past choice of winter tire all you like but it will NOT change two facts:
1). I ran BFG KDWS for two complete winters with no problems at all. They got me from A to B and then back to A in rain, sleet, slush, snow and even ice.
2). I got 2.0 60's out of them at Rt. 66 Speedway in the summer
1). I ran BFG KDWS for two complete winters with no problems at all. They got me from A to B and then back to A in rain, sleet, slush, snow and even ice.
2). I got 2.0 60's out of them at Rt. 66 Speedway in the summer
03-02-2008, 08:36 AM
#148
BFG KDWS does NOT COUNT AS WINTER TIRES. They are all season tires. Just because they have the S on them, doesn't qualify them as all out winter tires.
They give you the "barely work in snow to get your sorry *** home" kind of traction.
When you use real winter tires, they can't be used in warm weather.
A winter tire must be soft because when exposed to extreme cold, they have the same hardness as a regular summer tire. The tread is very aggressive and the trend should be narrow, not wide. There simply is no substitute for a true winter tire, nor a true summer tire. They will last longer in the long run if you have no choice but to drive your car in bad weather. This whole "rear wheel drive" sand bagging concept is only a modern one. Most cars before the 90's were RWD, had crappy brakes and suspension and tire quality was nowhere near what it is today.
Most people here would have you believe that it's IMPOSSIBLE to drive an f-body in the snow yet the world got along just fine back in the day with LESS accidents. It's not the car, it's 2/3 the driver's skill, and 1/3 the proper equipment. Just as you won't go into a snowstorm in a t-shirt and shorts, you should make sure your car has it's version of a winter coat. It's winter tires.
They give you the "barely work in snow to get your sorry *** home" kind of traction.
When you use real winter tires, they can't be used in warm weather.
A winter tire must be soft because when exposed to extreme cold, they have the same hardness as a regular summer tire. The tread is very aggressive and the trend should be narrow, not wide. There simply is no substitute for a true winter tire, nor a true summer tire. They will last longer in the long run if you have no choice but to drive your car in bad weather. This whole "rear wheel drive" sand bagging concept is only a modern one. Most cars before the 90's were RWD, had crappy brakes and suspension and tire quality was nowhere near what it is today.
Most people here would have you believe that it's IMPOSSIBLE to drive an f-body in the snow yet the world got along just fine back in the day with LESS accidents. It's not the car, it's 2/3 the driver's skill, and 1/3 the proper equipment. Just as you won't go into a snowstorm in a t-shirt and shorts, you should make sure your car has it's version of a winter coat. It's winter tires.
Last edited by SladeX; 03-02-2008 at 08:44 AM.
03-02-2008, 01:23 PM
#149
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But of course you're right. They techniqually are considered all weather tires and not winter only tires.
Second, they worked well for me in the summer and winter and that's all that matters. You don't need all out winter tires, you don't need chains, you don't need sandbags and you don't need suspension upgrades. All you need is all weather tires, decent tread life and common sense.
Some people may "want" specific winter tires and sandbags. That's fine if they got the extra money to spend. But I am living proof that those things can be considered a luxury and not a necessity.
03-03-2008, 05:18 PM
#155
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WOW is all I have to say. I only read the first page of posts, but all the people saying an F-body is "ok" or even "manageable" in the snow needs to not post that crap anymore. They must think ok = driving 10mph the whole trip, and preying there isnt a hill anywhere in sight.
I have Blizzak WS-50 tires on cheap steel wheels for the winter. I've driven the highway at 65mph in snow storms passing FWD vehicles that were having trouble maintaining 45mph. I'm not crazy. I drive slow when necessary. The road condition and visibility at the time was still good enough for me to maintain normal highway speed (it got worse later and I slowed down accordingly, but I was still going at least as fast as the other cars). Recently I saw a FWD wagon slide into the curb. I drove past the same spot at the same speed (or faster) without any issue. Having the right tires and experience are the key. It was probably his beater on crappy or bald tires.
I used to own a 00 Z28 before I got my 02. It was an M6 hardtop with no options ( means no trac control ). I had the stock wheels and tires on it. I was caught in a sudden snow squall and ended up driving over around half and inch of wet snow. Every time I would even go more than 10% throttle the back end would start to slide out. Every stoplight I came to was a pain in the rear, as I had to start out in 2nd gear and go painfully slow. The FWD people behind me went right up my *** the whole time and wondered why I wasn't going faster than 15mph. I got to a big hill before my house and had to apply more gas to make it up , the back end slid left and right the whole way up. Don't even get me started about the curve at the end of the road.
In short, DONT DRIVE A FING CAMARO OR FIREBIRD IN THE SNOW!!!!! Tell your mom to put a down-payment on the hospital bills if she thinks buying a FWD snow car is dumb. I mean, if your paying for it wtf is the problem?
In short, DONT DRIVE A FING CAMARO OR FIREBIRD IN THE SNOW!!!!! Tell your mom to put a down-payment on the hospital bills if she thinks buying a FWD snow car is dumb. I mean, if your paying for it wtf is the problem?
You were using the wrong tires and probably lack experience driving in the snow. I love driving my Formula in the snow. I have control when I want it and can slide it when I want to. I've driven it in snow high enough that opening the door plowed it away.
Last edited by VIP1; 03-03-2008 at 05:32 PM.
03-06-2008, 09:26 PM
#157
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its a great idea to drive your TA in the snow if you like pulling it out of ditches i got caught in the snow trying to drive back to fort collins from colorado springs last weekend and i was takin it easy 40mph on the interstate 5th gear bearly touching the gas when all of a sudden the rear end of my car was trying to be in front!!!! plus i have bran new tires these are the worse cars in the snow. but i guess if i had some snow tires i prob would have done a lot better
03-07-2008, 06:35 AM
#158
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I live in Minnesota and drove it one winter in the snow. It was horrible and almost killed myself a couple times. That's with me driving very, very carefully too. I had way too many close calls to count. That's why I have a FWD car as a daily driver and for the winter. Haven't touched my car since early November. F-bodies are crap in the snow.
