Firebird + Winter

[d4mo]

I have a 1997 v6 firebird and I live in North Dakota. Roads get really icy and snowy in the winter. I had my bird last winter but I didn't drive it much...caz it had high performance tires that were terrible on Ice and snow. I would get stuck in a like 2 inches of snow. So now I'm trying to decide if I should sell my car or just ger snow tired. I've been told snow tires will make it just as good as any car, but I'm skeptical. Is there in truth in that statement, or will it still suck in snow and ice. I really don't want to go in the ditch again.

[cooltc2004]

No, thats comeplete bullshit. Any rearwheel drive car sucks ass in the snow, and, even though shes a v6, a performance car is even worse.

I say, though, dont sell her, just get a beater for another car. Buy like a $100 car and drive that, have your insurance taken off of your bird during the winter and put on the beater.

[blindeyed]

Yeah, pretty much any car will suck driving in the snow. Just RWD cars suck even more. It's not really a good reason to get rid of it though. Just try to hack it out during the winter.. in fact, try to improve your skills of driving in the snow. That's something everyone who deals with snowey winters should do.

Originally Posted by cooltc2004

I say, though, dont sell her, just get a beater for another car. Buy like a $100 car and drive that, have your insurance taken off of your bird during the winter and put on the beater.

I thought it was illegal to own a car without having insurance? At least, here in Florida I think. That's just what I've been told. Because when I was looking to buy a beater while I work on my car, I planned on dropping it off the insurance for the time being. But I was told that the only time it is legal to take your car off your insurance is when it's at the mechanics for an extended amount of time, and the shop has insurance to cover all vehicles under their care.

[WarShrike]

There is seasonal insurance settings for some companies. Here in Texas it's not too big of a deal to drop a car off the insurance list as long as you don't drive it around. I can't drop my car off the list as I am still doing payments on it, or the bank will have me for breakfast and repo the car in the same moment...

[76ta]

thats interesting about the florida insurance thing.. we have 8 GM's and only 4 are insured .. but thats canada haha

[blindeyed]

Yeah, it's bullcrap if you ask me. I mean, my car is completely paid off. If I decide not to drive it, then so be it. I don't see why I should have to continue to pay insurance if I'm not going to be driving it for a period of time. I can understand having to pay insurance on a car that you're still paying off.. but on a car that you own and would like to work on and not drive. I think I'm going to do some more research into this and see if it is in fact true. I've just had several friends and my parents tell me this.

[tri-power]

I have run my firebird in the last 2 winters with BF Goodrich radials on without any problem.Thats in 100plus inches annually. I guess I"m used to running RWD so that might be a big difference. Reguardless, the key is to take it easy. I much preffer RWD to FWD in most instances here in the winter. But that might be a strange quirk for me. In NY you can own as many cars as you want and the only cars requierd to have insurance are ones registered with plates. They can be titled and not have ins. The catch to this is that local zoning codes in my town won't let you have any non plated cars in your property. So You either have to have them all insured to keep the plates or take them to another town for storage.

[cooltc2004]

I have no idea about that, but as long as you dont drive the car, you dont need it insured

[Mr. Luos]

I know plenty of guys that drive LS1 F-Body's in winter.
All season tires and away they go. I guess they do fine as well.
Mine runs DR's on the rear right now, or summer performance tires. I had it across the street once when it was snowing, was working on the other car in the garage. Took me seriously 45 seconds to get the T/A across the street and into the garage. TCS on, and the light telling me I lost traction the entire time.

[Pvt_Murphy]

I ran mine in in the winter on the crap Remmington M&S tires it came with; drove it through a blizzard to unplowed Maine without a problem you just have to take it easy, I hear Blizzaks are great tires in the snow, and if anything you can just get some tire chains. Personaly; I recomend just getting a beatter for the winter so you dont mess up your paint with all that salt and sand they trow down. As for the insurance; here in NY you can just hand in the licencse plate and stop the insurance. Besides if you're not driving it what are you gonna get a ticket for "parked car without insurance?"

[84fiero123]

you kids today dont have a clue how to drive.!!!!
i had an 85 IROC with the factory 16's on it new in 1985. drove the dam thing every day in the winter, never got stuck. drove from a friends in conn. home to mass. in a blizard. never got stuck until i parked it and got plowed in. if i can drive an IROC and not have any problems then i guess maybe its your driving skills.
i grew up with rear wheel drive, 67 firebird 400 ho , in 73, never got stuck in the snow, its all amatter of learning how to drive.
we never had the advantage of front wheel drive when we grew up and we all lived threw it.
now that i've vented i'll give you a couple of hints to make your winter driving a little easier in your bird.
first of all studed snows will help, on all four wheels,drive traction and steering traction, go to the local hardware store and get an 80 lb bag of sand for the rear, put it in what you call your trunk, first lay a peace of plastic in trunk then put sand on top of it . now drop a small army shove or short handled spade in with it. now if you do get stuck you have a shovel and the sand to get yourself out.
technology is no substitute for experience! never owned a front wheel drive and never will.
drive like you have a raw egg on the gas pedal, dont hit it like your at indy. you dont have to put it away because of winter, unless you want to work on it.
slow down on slick,( Ice, snow, rain covered ) roads even front wheel drive or four wheel drive is not going to meen you wont get stuck. just meens when you do get stuck, you are really stuck, for the first time in our lives my wife and i are driveing 4 wheel drives in the winter, never needed it before. but with a 25 acre farm and a horse trailer to hall around it is a nessesity.
in over 30 years of driving in new england, and 5 years in tenn. i can count on one hand the amount of times i have gone off the road, slipping in the winter is natural and takes experience and time the longer you drive you will learn how to get off the pedal and when.

[tri-power]

Just a note, most places won't sell you studded snows if you have abs. The reason is because they claim it interferes with the abs system for traction. I cannot say this for certain as I have never had abs on my cars.

[cooltc2004]

I typed up this long as post about your post 84fiero, but I really dont want to get into an arguement. All I have to say is that in the snow, you do not have 100% control of your car. One sudden move could be fatal, no matter what car you drive.

I know that I love my car, and for a car that I love, I wont put it through the abuse of the salt, there is no way.

[Pvt_Murphy]

Originally Posted by 84fiero123

you kids today dont have a clue how to drive.!!!!

I take offense to that as I am 19 and drive in the snow and ice just fine on standard tires. And American winter's aint got shite on what we used to put up with in Siberia (where most cars are RWD and stick).

[84fiero123]

my post was not ment to offend anyone, just a statement of fact, you dont have the experance. a couple of winters is not enuf, rear wheel drive is not perfect and neather is front wheel drive, or four wheel drive. front wheel and four wheel drive just gives you a false sence of security and you will have a tendancy to drive even faster than the conditions allow. i vented.
if you dont want help in learning how to drive in the winter, dont ask.
i never mentioned anyone in particular, just younger drivers, whitch is what you were by the way you stated facts.
by the way chains are not recomended over 25 or 35mph.cant remember which.
i live in central maine and we got 4 ft of snow in one storm overnight winter before last, i drove a full size ford van rear wheel drive the next afternoon. you want to talk about bad rear wheel drive vehicle. we call them the one wheel drive wonders.
if the roads are that bad in the car or truck you drive turn around and go home!!!! simple dont put your life at risk. fuck the car unless its a classic or antique, they'll build anouther one tomorrow, your life is more valuable than geting to work or the store or what ever it is you have do.
nuff said!!!!!!!!