Corvettes in Snow Myth?

Dyno247365 · 08-25-2006, 05:47 PM

Now I know that a lot of people do not want to drive their vette in the snow, mainly because of the salt on the roads that can damage the car. But my mother just said that the Corvette is the worst car in the snow. It's WHAT?? Of course, it's rear wheel drive, you gotta know how to control it. She said her friend's boyfriend has a vette and he doesn't drive it in the winter (big surprise) because it doesn't go more than a few inches...yeah if he punches it, you gotta feather any car in the snow. Listen, where I'm going, Albany does get a lot of snow and there's nothing I love more than taming the weather but is there truth in this 'vette is worst in the snow' accusation? Have you who drive C5s had any problems?

"You can't drive a corvette in the snow"

"Why Not??"

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2004/11...y-new-car.html

"This is BS!!"

Dyno247365 · 08-25-2006, 06:12 PM

Is it because it's low to the ground?

G-man422 · 08-25-2006, 06:20 PM

I've always heard that camaros were "the worst" in the snow. But like you said, any front engine rear wheel drive car will not be great in the snow.

TEXAS-HOTROD · 08-26-2006, 10:49 AM

I don't drive mine in the rain, it surely wouldn't be out in the snow.
We got cought in North Texas in a sleet storm in the Z28, the roads were slushy. Low stance, light weight and wide tires made for a slow (slower than regular traffic) trip.
The Vette is much lower and the air dam would be like a snow plow. I guess you could slap on a set of S-10 wheels and get a set of smow tires. I'd park it during the winter and drive a daily beater.
It's so hot here the muscle cars are not driven during the summer months (except for when there's a cooler day here and there). October is approaching. Soon the covers will come off and cars will be shined up, cruising weather is near.

Dyno247365 · 08-26-2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEXAS-HOTROD

I don't drive mine in the rain, it surely wouldn't be out in the snow.
We got cought in North Texas in a sleet storm in the Z28, the roads were slushy. Low stance, light weight and wide tires made for a slow (slower than regular traffic) trip.
The Vette is much lower and the air dam would be like a snow plow. I guess you could slap on a set of S-10 wheels and get a set of smow tires. I'd park it during the winter and drive a daily beater.
It's so hot here the muscle cars are not driven during the summer months (except for when there's a cooler day here and there). October is approaching. Soon the covers will come off and cars will be shined up, cruising weather is near.

Cruising weather, that's nice to hear. Sounds like the vette may be a bad idea. The concern is buildup of snow and even though Albany doesn't get loads of it, NY all around has sporadic weather changes, so you always need a car ready for anything and not to switch back and forth.

TEXAS-HOTROD · 08-26-2006, 11:28 AM

A thin layer of snow wouldn't be bad. Piles of snow and globs of ice would do damage. Running thruogh and across snow ruts wouldn't be cool either.
For me the Vette is a secondary car. I drive my truck daily/during crappy weather. I drive the Vette when the days are nice and as a spare. When my son's truck broke down, he used my wife's Tahoe and I used the Corvette for daily transport.

You still have the IROC or the Nissan? Sell one or the other and get the Vette that you want. Then you will have a car for ugly days and the muscle machine for good days.

Dyno247365 · 08-26-2006, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEXAS-HOTROD

A thin layer of snow wouldn't be bad. Piles of snow and globs of ice would do damage. Running thruogh and across snow ruts wouldn't be cool either.
For me the Vette is a secondary car. I drive my truck daily/during crappy weather. I drive the Vette when the days are nice and as a spare. When my son's truck broke down, he used my wife's Tahoe and I used the Corvette for daily transport.

You still have the IROC or the Nissan? Sell one or the other and get the Vette that you want. Then you will have a car for ugly days and the muscle machine for good days.

Can only be one car, I'm going to college.

Lith1um · 09-05-2006, 05:54 PM

Its more of a "any low, rwd car with wide performance tires thing".

My 98 ss camaro is HORRIBLE in the snow. It wouldnt budge 3 inches.

The front tires being wide as the rear just neutralized any thrust you could develop.

And being low it wants to pile up snow under itself till it makes no headway.

ZL1power69 · 09-08-2006, 10:45 AM

for one salt eats them up, just like any other car, two they are hard to control just like any other rwd vehicle, three they are lower than camaros and would get stuck as the front air dam would build up a mound infront of the car, and four with wide tires they will be hard to stop (10 times worse without abs like thrid gen camaros) as it would be the same as hydroplaning but on snow. i never drove my camaro in the snow because it would not go anywhere and because it was not worth the risk

Dyno247365 · 09-11-2006, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZL1power69

for one salt eats them up, just like any other car, two they are hard to control just like any other rwd vehicle, three they are lower than camaros and would get stuck as the front air dam would build up a mound infront of the car, and four with wide tires they will be hard to stop (10 times worse without abs like thrid gen camaros) as it would be the same as hydroplaning but on snow. i never drove my camaro in the snow because it would not go anywhere and because it was not worth the risk

O_o my nissan does fine in the snow and it's rear wheel drive.

adamace1 · 09-16-2006, 10:07 PM

Hello, I was a porter for a body shop back in the day, And let me tell you these things are very bad in the snow, a couple of times i would be trying to go up a very small slope and it would just sit there and spin both wheels and the rear end would slide sideways. And i'm talking about less than 1 inch of packed down snow, not ice but slick. I would laugh my butt off if i ever saw one of these driving around in the snow.

RightWingZionist · 09-17-2006, 08:40 PM

LOL what if you go around town driving it in reverse? But then the reverse is geared really low.

WEF · 10-07-2006, 09:25 PM

The '95 C4 is terrible in snow and impossible on icy roads. It was difficult to figure out when to have traction control turned off or on. If it was on, the chatter would drive you nuts but the car would stay straight. The '02 C5 was much better for some reason. When I was caught 440 miles from home in an ice storm, it did pretty well. I'd just as soon not put the '07 C6 to the test.

Dyno247365 · 10-08-2006, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WEF

The '95 C4 is terrible in snow and impossible on icy roads. It was difficult to figure out when to have traction control turned off or on. If it was on, the chatter would drive you nuts but the car would stay straight. The '02 C5 was much better for some reason. When I was caught 440 miles from home in an ice storm, it did pretty well. I'd just as soon not put the '07 C6 to the test.

I bet the C6 is even better, why not the C6?

This proves my theory that traction control vettes will work in the snow

Lith1um · 10-08-2006, 08:28 AM

No offense to you man, but you just dont seem to get it.

The people who do have experience say its a headache.

You, who admittedly has no direct experience, seem to have your mind made up. Doesnt appear reason will sway you.

Good luck, but you'll only find out your mother was right. No amount of wishfull thinking will change it. Corvettes can barely move in 2-3 inches of snow.

It's a serious hassle just to move 3 inches, the traction just isnt available unless you put on some serious redneck style snow tires. Traction control doesnt help the situation because there is no traction to control. In fact, with traction control on you often dont get enough wheel speed to even move the car in snow.

Every rut will try to spin the car violently. Getting stuck is a matter of when, not if. It's a serious hassle.

If the snow is a light intermittent coating you might be ok. If it gets a chance to get packed hard you will slide sideways off the crown of a road due to the low surface pressure of the wide tires.

It's not a matter of keeping the car pretty and salt free, it's a traction issue.

It's a serious pain in the arse, but I wish you luck.

Don't take this the wrong way but you seem to be young, I guess you may have to experience it for yourself.

p.s.

Just to let you know where I am coming from I'm pretty aggressive, I love driving in the snow, I love getting a car into a serious drift. It's a blast. So I'm not saying this from the typical pussified corvetter owner who doesnt want to get his car dirty point of view.

I know you said only one vehicle, but I would highly suggest getting an old s10 or something just for snow use. It would problably make your insurance go down a little as a benefit.

Just my 2 cents, hope I didnt offend you.

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