I'm just curious how you guys find driving your 3rd gens in the winter, and if you have any prep (outside of snow tires) for when then winter comes? (If you're gonna say "Mine's summer only!" or "I never feel a temperature below 70!" Please don't respond..)

Thanx!

 

That's a good question and I'm glad you asked it b/c we get some crazy winters here in AL. Sometimes it's really cold, but hey, we had a tornado last December. Yea, it was kinda weird. Anybody know if I'll have to be tuning my carb like hell during the cold season?

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1984 Z-28, 305HO 4bbl, t-tops, K&N, Flowmaster 80 Series with 3" tips. Planning a massive modfest. It's gonna be one gangsta of a street demon.

 

....*bump*.

 

me, all i am doing it installing a heater

 

Blue,

I drove my TA only once in 1" of snow, and about two miles on city streets. It sucked donkey nads.

That's a major reason I have other winter vehicles. The posi axle is a curse in snow and ice. The 245/50 tires are definitely not appropriate, and the ride height is not very good for anything over 3-4" of accumulation. I used to drive a '67 Firebird all winter long, including the infamous winter of '78-79, and had no problems. I also had no posi axle and taller ground clearance.

If you're going to do it, get the narrowest tires you can get with the proper overall diameter. Add sand bags in the cargo well. Keep the fuel tank as full aas practical. Load up on windshield washer solvent/cleaner (since the car is low enough to get splashed with everything. make sure the exhaust is properly hung. And pray you don't have to drive in those 8" snowfalls until at least some of thee plowing is done. If you live in an area where the stewards of the highways are likely to use copious amount of salt, sand, and crushed lime as traction aids, plan on washing the caar frequently, and esspecially clean the underside, wheel openings, and rockerr panel areas.

Good luck.

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Later,
Vader
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If you want to beat the World, it might reach up and pull you down...
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

The only prep I have ever done is maybe put some weight in the back. But, I like to slide around in the snow and I guess I would consider myself to be fairly good at it. I have a 5speed so I just start out in 3rd or fourth gear and that eliminates most wheel spin. This probably doesn't answer your question though. I would get some good snow tires, put a few bags of sand in the back (for weight and also for traction if you get stuck) and some large old rags. The rags are great if you get really stuck, you stick them under the tire and give you alot of grip. Also, I like to carry a snow shovel in case I get caught in a snow bank.

 

Hey guys, thanks. I plan on loading the trunk w/ kitty litter - wieght and traction in one! Yeah, I imagine a weekly hot wash down at the local wet spray shop is practical, and I do plan to have it rust-proofed ASAP..thanks for all the input.

 

heh well i just found out that in less than a month i have to goto bootcamp...so my brothers fiancee is going to be driving my car, IM TERRIFIED. but hey she agreed to pay for anything she messes up...so im ok, even if i hate her to death =) o well what can i do, ill make her drive it while....im running in snow, and working my bxlls off for the marine corps, and come home and pick it up, if its messed up, ill sell her on the black market! anything think its a bad idea?

oh yah, and to answer your question, just put it in neutral, and push it, if your strong like me (hah) you can just push it everywhere!!! no problems.

 

I hate driving my car in the rain, last year when it started to snow, usually I would leave work early, at the time I had bald tires. Now I'm going to college in the mountains and there are some harsh winters, I won't be driving my car then, not just for the fact of having an accident, but my car is 15 years old, and I don't need salt speeding the aging process.

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"Putting any amount of money into a RICE BURNER is like wiping your a$$ with a turd. "
'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
3" Hooker CatBack w/Aero Chamber muffler
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
160* Stat, just switched to 180* b/c of winter coming and going to college in the mts.
3:73 Posi
Rebuilt 700R4
B&M Megashifter, 5" Autometer Tach w/shift lite

 

Well, we've already had a couple of nasty snow storms here on the northern Plains, next to the Rockies. I'm surprised, actually, at how well my 86 has handled it!

I have all season Goodyear Eagle HPs and they seem to handle the really greasy, slushy stuff pretty good. Went right up some long hills without a problem.

Unless you get a lot of snow in Alabama, I think you will be ok with all season tires. Try your current setup in your first bit of the nasties. It might be alright.

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1986 Camaro Sports Coupe
Flame Red Metallic with Black accents and Red interior
T-tops, variable wiper, power hatch, rear defrost, third brake light
LG4 305 V8, Hooker Shorty headers, 3" pipe into Walker Quiet Flow dual exhaust
Edelbrock Performer intake, "Damonized" Q-Jet 4bbl, K&N filter, Crane ignition kit
TH700R4 transmission and Derale cooler
Air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, power brakes, power steering, tilt wheel
Kenwood cassette, Pioneer 6x4 component front speakers
Rockford Fosgate 6x9 Punch rear speakers
Z-28 front and rear sway bars
Aluminum slots and Goodyear 225x60R15 Eagle HP tires
243 horsepower and 326 foot pounds of torque at the flywheel
_ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _
Yea verily, and he smote the smog heathens from his small block Chevy, even from the air pump to the converter ...
Todd 1:1

 

We have? You're not calling those little flurries storms now, are you?

 

I have found that in any kind of snow/slush that the problem is not starting or steering, it is Stopping. In the snow I carry my tool box and a 20lb bag of kitty litter in the trunk, and I run my regular (only) tires, Dunlop SP 5000s. I just drive around in third gear to cut down on torque to the rears. Under braking, though, those 245's are like skis. I usually just don't stop. I used to do a lot of rat racing in my LeMans on gravel, so I have got my World Rally moves down pretty well.

 

I've driven mine in both deep snow and ice with good tread on the tires. Its a workout. The hardest problem was getting traction, but once you hooked you stayed hooked as long as you went easy on the gas. These cars aren't meant for driving in these conditions but if you are careful then you should do OK.

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92 Camaro RS, LO3, 5-spd, T-tops

Performance:
K&N Open Air Filter, Edelbrock performer TBI intake, Fastchip Prom, Timing +4 degrees, Centerforce clutch, Xact 8mm wires, SLP 1 3/4" Headers (coated), Flowmaster Catback Exhaust, Richmond 3:42 gears, Torsen HD Posi
Sights & Sounds:
Alpine 8030 Alarm System, Valentine One Radar Detector (How did I ever drive without one?), Pioneer DEH 7450 Head Unit w/6-pack CD changer, Pioneer DEQ 7600 Sound Processor, 2 Kenwood KAC-846 Amps powering 2 12" Pro Red subs, 2 Pioneer 6x9 and 2 MTX 4x6 speakers. Z28 grille w/aftermarket lights, MacEwen whiteface gauges
NEXT UP: TBI & Suspension mods

 

is it just me or is it awsome to drive around town, when its covered in snow and the power is out, i love doing dounuts and spinning the back out, and it dosnet do anything bad for my car, i never really had to short, but going up hills sucksjust dont go fast, then your screwed, especially if you try to take a corner, digging the front out of a sonwbank, and having your tires spin, isnt the best situation, but overall the driving is fun

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90 RS 305 tbi, 4 3/4" cowl Hood, Edelbrock TES headers, Flowmaster exhaust, Crane roller cam, comp roller rockers, vortec heads/intake, ported tbi, w/new injectors, MSD probillet Distributer/ coil, 1 inch tbi spacer, air foil, 14x4 k&n flat base air cleaner, Rebuilt 700r4 w/ B&M shift kit, B&M Megashifter, 3.23 posi, 2 12 RF's with mtx amp, top of line alpine cd player, soon to have 90-91 gfx, z-28 wing, new paintjob, rims, and all new lowered suspension.

 

My sisters have had firebirds and camaros, my bro has had mustangs. All of them suck in winter, they've tried kitty litter to sand bags, and still no traction, either get skillful in the snow or call it a day. Also try getting snow tires for atleast the back wheels. And if its stick shift, and you know it might snow soon, park the car with the rear end - in, so you won't have to use reverse on the snow when you want to take it out again, and that way you have better control of rpms and such.

Sleipnir, I'm glad you're going into the marines! My bro-in-law was in the marines. I'm glad this world isn't full of pvssies. I don't know about that girl driving your car, they keep interior usually nice, but they don't know **** about the mechanical parts of it. But anyway good luck to you, HOO RAH!

 

i got stuck in like and inch of snow, but man is it fun to drive our cars in the winter

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when the green flag drops the bull$hit stops

Gold 85 Camaro with no motor, pulled the 2.8 to make way for a 350 wich was pulled this summer because a 406 will replace it. The 406 sports a stock bottom end with ARP bolt holding it togeter, flat top hyper pistons. Comp 282 solid cam(.528 lift with 1.6 rockers) Savin up for my Sportsmen 2 heads right now. still Have the perf RPM and 650 DP i used on the 350. Headers and 3inch exhust. Shooten for mid to low 12s next summer

 

SpeedCat86- Do you know junkyard dog???

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You have walked onto the biggest baddest dog porch and you will be dealt with accordingly.

I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct!

 

Hah! I live up in Citadel in the northwest, where we get real storms--not like you wimps in Glamorgan ;P

 

snow, low temperatures........... not a problem here.

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1987 LG4 Camaro z28
Modifications- Flowmaster 80 series, KN airfilter, high flow cat, 180* stat, edelbrock performer intake manifold, msd blaster coil, ascd big block hood, panasonic cd player, rockford everything else.

 

Just be careful of the front ground effects. When i first bought my camaro i bought it for daily transportation, I drove it in the winter and needless to say camaro's front-ends make good snow-plows. I'm glad i have another car so i can garage mine.

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1986 camaro with 92z28 gound effects, aero wing, 17in American Racing Pythons w/275'40's 4 3/4 Unlimited products cowl, 3.90 auburn gear rear-end with Steve Spohn adj LCA's,Panhard bar. 406 stroked to to 429 motor in the works.

1989 Iroc-z 5.7 white t-tops, 3.42's megashifter, 2 1/2 harwood cowl.

 

I run mine 600+ miles a week year round. Just the Pep Boys Futura Tires 245x60 15's, and 2 70lb tubes of sand ($3.00 ea. at Lowe,s) No problems at all. W/O sand and good tires? I think I'd get stuck on wet leaves.

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'92 firebird t-tops
305tbi,670cfm tbi, 2 1/2" Dynomax catback, 9x3 K&N open element

 

alrighty, everyone that has ever done more than a 1440* while sliding sideways at 30 mph in the parking lot of the nearest grocery store, raise your hand :-)
just be glad you don't have front wheel drive, not only do they suck, they have to be in reverse to do the fun stuff :-P

i think if you really wanted to get technical, you could get two of those kerosene room heaters (that look like little jet engines) and strap em infront of both tires is the back - might be a little excessive though

personally, i don't feel comfortable leaving the house unless i have a pneumatic jack, full set of tools, and a nice long tow strap, and possibly some gadget that lets you ratchet your car to a tree and pull it either up a hill, or out from a snowy ditch.
having these prevents being stranded
i'd also reccomend keeping the cell phone in the car, if that's an option (for those really nasty ones that you'll tell your kids when you grow up)

 

All you need is good tires and
comon sence.I drove my 84 Z28 in 4inches
of snow.I didn't get stuck once.I have
a posi in my Z28.It was one of best times
I've in that car.I also have an 87 442 they
both have B/f goodwrench comp T/A's on them
235/60/15's on the Z28 and 255/60/15's on
the 442.I had and open rear on the 442.We
had 7-10 inches of snow it did well didn't get stuck but it took awhile to get up hills
It also did better than my wife's civic.For
that to be a front wheel drive car it sucked
*** .It didn't get stuck but it hardly moved.
I'm talking sloooooooooooow.By the way all cars were automatics.

 

I was driving around town around the ed of august in Calgary, when it began to rain... I took a corner from a stop going about 15 mph and when my car shifted into second the rear swung out from ehind me and i did three complete and a half... I ended up facing where i came from thank *** there was noone around me. I dont know how i managed to stay in the middle of the road. After that day i never drove even when i thought it was going to rain... Before that i had a van pass me on the highway on a rainy day and couldnt see out of my winshield for about 5 seconds not a pleasant experience.