anybody know anygood ways to prepare my car for the snow? i was just going to put snow tires in the back and 2-4 bags of salt in the rear as well. any other things i could do so i could drive alright in snow?


if anybody has had to drive this car in the snow, what can i expect? is it really as bad as everyone says rwd is?

Maybe a car cover and a nice garage to park it in all winter....j/k. I have driven a mustang in the snow, a little messy but that is a torquey car. The 240sx is lighter though, so the sand is good. I would go with studded tires if you can on a set of nasty steel rims.

thats about all you could do... put snow tires on all 4 corners, the front tires need grip too yanno or you just gonna plow into a barrier.

i've never driven on snow, im a south florida cracker...

from what I hear if you like a car, don't drive it in the winter... cause no matter how easy you take it or how good you drive, when dealing with snow your car can loose traction like that and just veer off with no control. Same can be said for any other driver on road who could veer off in the snow with no control and bash up your car.

If you like your car, don't drive it in the winter, it'll rust to shit and look like like an old beater after 1 winter, well maybe not, but one winter is all it takes to start the rust, even if you don't see it right away it's there, and it'll grow, rust is like a cancer for sheet metal.

eh, my car has been in utah for all its life and its an 89', its been drivin in winter every year too, and it really has no rust, except for the frame and a few other under parts have some surface rust, nothing major. so im not worred about that too much. are front studs really needed?

full set of blizzaks and salt be careful

i would be more worried in florida about rust than the snow...... seems like salt is in the air (atleast by the beach, but why else would you live in florida if your not by a beach?). As far as snow you will have no worries if you dont drive like a freakin retard and brake/ accel accordingly. I drove in a huge blizzard i think we got like 3 ft in a few hours or some shit it was 2 years ago so i was a very unexperienced driver. My tires were bald as shit too!!!! But if the roads are real bad well then take your own risks it just takes some common sense judgement calls. Also i like to go in a snowy parking lot and do some donuts to see how the car will act and for some fun too, just helps your snow skills a lil bit.

actually not true...

sure living by the beach can make a car rusty but no were near the extent of driving in winter....

i work in a mechanic shop, when you put a car on the lift, you can IMMEDIATELY tell if its an up north winter car, BIG DIFFERENCE

well im not up north (smack dab in the middle of country) and we get an alright amount of snow and hmmmm no rust. i guess it depends on how far up north as they would have snow longer than i do.

It's not the snow or ice that causes the rust, you can drive in snow all u want and not get any rust, it's the salt that makes the car rust, worst is in the city where they salt the roads alot.

:bananadie

240 sucks in the snow. youll all the sudden spin out for what seems like no reason.

during the school year i hadta drive down a 40mph going around 20-ish mph just so my rpm wouldnt go nuts.

thank GOD im moving to florida next week

http://www.zilvia.net/faqs/archive/winterizing.asp]

*edit* oops this is for winter storing, sorry...

He may need that though.

i live in the pacific northwest...ive had my toyota since i was sixteen, driven 100 miles a day all year round, including winter at least 7 winters. no rust beyond anything abnormal for a car thats 8 years old. the 240 (stock) isnt that bad in the snow. studs are the best, walnut shell or sand ingrains are arnt bad. its necessary to rig all four, specially with rear drive. its actually illegal here to run snows only on the back with a FR.
if you take it easy and give yourself enough space youll be fine.

Try not to stop on up hills getting started again sucks. But as far as driving rear wheel in the snow my ex-stepmothers 2002 vette handled nicely. It was fine until I tried to do a one lane 90 degree turn at about 40 but I was only 16 then so I'm better driver now :) and I would thinks sand would be better than salt because salt will melt the snow making wet snow or wet ice. just my 2 cents My dad lived in Philly, Chicago, and NY NY at different time anyways later.

just like others have said, if you really like your car, don't drive it.

BUT

if you REALLY want/need to drive it then get it cleaned every few days (including the underneath and engine bay) then salt won't be a crazy problem cause there wouldn't be any. i've been driving in snow every year and if you want your car to be in "southern american" condition (i'm not knocking you guys, i'm saying your cars are always rustless) then thats what needs to be done. its hard work to keep a car from rusting when you drive it every winter but if you love it enough then it'll be in great condition 5 years from now.

the basics of winterproofing are:

-snow tires (studded if its legal - its illegal here in ontario, canada)
-always have lots of gas (along with any other weight you wanna put in the trunk) cause it WILL help (and because of the rule of thumb about winter driving with lots of gas)
-rust proof (VERY IMPORTANT... atleast to me) - oil or wax based, i'd recommend wax but it can be much more expensive (catch 22)

you can go into more detail but thats gonna cost you a little more (seals and all that fun stuff)

I read that Zilvia article, but I was thinking that you also had to fill the cylinders with oil for some reason....but wtv lol.