My camaro is like a big sled in the snow. The whole thing was that it started to snow right when I got onto the Penn turnpike. When I got to Harrisburg (before a few tunnels) the roads were all snow. My car went sideways from the right lane and almost touched the median divider but I managed to pull the car straight (need for speed computer game skills). Unfortunatly from my rear swinging back into position it brought some momentum and my car just went into the shoulder where there was a foot of snow. I couldn't get out, some cute college girl pulled over right after I pissed in the woods. She helped me get back on the road. No luck, my car was all over the place so I pulled back over and had her drive me to the blue mountain service plaza. She left and now I needed a plan. So I called AAA and had them find my car and tow it to the plaza. I sat in the RoyRogers looking at the entrance for a few hours. I was told they would pick me up but after I while I noticed the plows were pushing snow most likely onto my car if they hadn't already hit it. Not to mention the entrance was blocked my 18 wheelers that couldn't get up the entrance. Eventually it got cleared and then the tow truck came. Some girl was hitting on me and this other single mother and son were bothering me telling me about this and that blah blah blah. They were all nice but I was a mess at that point. I actually ended up just standing outside and helping people with their cars just to avoid the reality that I might be stuck there all nite. Anyways, tow truck came, took me back to their shop then one driver was nice enough to drive me to a Days Inn around 11pm. $55 I got a continental breakfast, good nite sleep and no way back to my car. Didn't help that I sliced my thumb with a plastic knife trying to open up a bagel! Stopped blood, walked for about 15 minutes in the snow back to my car with my biggest bag I had packed. Got to my car and took another 10 minutes to got out of their parking lot. Got back on the turnpike and then another slow down where a section of the road was still being plowed. Traffic was moving 10-15mph and even then I couldn't keep my car from getting funky. Once I got past that (~ 2 hours of the most tense driving ever) I was back on my way.
This was my worst trip back to school ever. I'm just greatful that I'm still in one piece.
Now to keep this tech and really I want to know:
How do you guys winterize your thirdgen? From what I've gathered I want to have as much weight over the drive wheels as possible. I was also told that it would help if I look some air out of my tires. My plans for next winter is to have a beater car. Either that or some 14x5 wheels with snow tires and sand bags.
What else?

 

I feel your pain. Awhile back I was stuck on some icy roads in MD trying to get home. An 18 wheeler was jacknifed in the highway and traffic just got screwed up worse and worse from that point on. I remember seeing a 4x4 just slice through the snowy median and go the other direction like it was cool and I said to myself "Thats what I need to drive!"

You could put smaller tires with snow chains on and weight down the back, but I really don't think it will help much especially if you modded your engine. I'm pretty convinced that these cars were just not built for bad weather conditions.

Just get another car that has at least front wheel drive.

 

Do NOT let the air of your tires!!! I won't help... it will just cause a bigger patch of tire to contact the road, making more of a surface area for your car to be a sled with!!!...

You're best bet would be to get the car off the road, but if you want to drive it, get snow-specific tires + rims, thin ones... like 195 or 205.... and then mount them on some 14X6's... Just about every Camaro/Firebird guy that has these rims wants to get rid of them... I am one of them... Don't fool yourself, your car will still spin and slide, but it will be less like a sled with thinner tires...

IMO, 4X4 and leave the Camaro at mom & dads for the winter...

 

Well, I've driven through all of NJ's snow in the past 8 years with my Firebird... everything from flurries to freezing rains and snowstorms, and even that time NJ was closed due to the "state of emergency" blizzard. The only trouble I had was climbing straight up (and I do mean UP) a mountain to see my friend; the road was a sheet of ice. I made it halfway up, and that was it.

Secret #1: Tires with tread & correct air pressure
Secret #2: Full tank of gas

That's it; no sandbags, or chains, or studded tires, or anything. Next time it snows, practice driving around in a parking lot; figure out how to recover the car from a slide, and figure out what you can and can't do. Also, pretend like there's an egg under the gas & brake- don't slam on the pedals; ease 'em in... don't "break the egg".

Oh; rear tires have been (thru the years) P245/60r15, P255/70r15, and (now) P275/60r15... no skinnies here! Good luck...