If you are a poor kid, I am sure you won't be able to afford a car accident then.


If you've decided to drive you S during the winter, go and borrow money from your love ones or use your credit card. The few hundred dollars you spend will save you thousands or even your life (or other people's lives).

A few hundred dollars...? It sounds like a great bargain to me

Don't be cheap...be safe!

 

As with the necessity of snow tires for our winter time driving, owners of such cars must also take some responsibility for protecting the car from the environmental damage that routinely occurs. Yes, I have Xpel 3M Scotchcal film on all forward facing surfaces of my car. I also routinely hose out the underside of the car when I wash it. I plug in the block heater when I gets really cold to ensure that the engine suffers minimally on those cold weather starts. I check the engine coolant to make sure it is up to the task of extreme cold weather operation and I also use winter windshield anti-freeze.
My car is in its 5th winter now and in the spring, after I clean it up and put on another coat of Zaino, you would be hard pressed to see that it is a 5 year old car. I am often frustrated by posters here who do not understand an owner's responsibility to any winter driven automobile or do not or cannot ever master the driving techniques needed to operate this car under such conditions. We often see statements like:
"You can't drive this car in winter - too light, no traction because it's RWD, no ground clearance - yada, yada, yada!"
"You'll beat the car up bad with rocks chips and it'll rust away because of all the salt - yada, yada, yada!"
"You may be a good driver but what about others? I'm not going to risk getting my S2000 run into by some other bozo." Then they promptly tell us how they have a $50,000.00 SUV that they would prefer to have run into by those other bozos.
My response is generally ........................ times 10.

 

Yeah, this I'm inclined to agree with. I can spin the rears nigh on from idle at 7 degrees if the car has been sitting outside overnight. I can only imagine to what degree they disintigrate by the time it gets to >0 F. My response was really only for those who jump to banal conclusions that you can't drive this car and it's tires under 40 degrees F etc.

I'm always glad to see Xviper pointing out that he's driven it constantly with the right shoes every winter. I'm odd, i think that properly shod, well balanced RWD performance cars can make for good fun in the white stuff.

 

Hmm... this has me thinking, I'd love to drive it year round, especially considering our roads are clear 25 days of the month anyway. I'm probably bringing a car up from somewhere warm, so will ahve to install a block heater etc... it is after all a 50/50 weight distribution

 

I drove a '67 Mustang (that's around 61/40 wt dist) for over 5 years all year round. The S2000 is an absolute joy compared to that one. With the proper acquisition of skills, any modern day automobile can be driven in Calgary-like conditions. Hell, there are guys around here who drive motorcycles year round. Just put some knobby tires on and some very proficient clutch/throttle/brake operation, combined with a fine sense of balance and it can be done. I'm not saying it should be done but it can be done.

 

Don't forget to add some weight in the trunk. A couple of 50 pound bags of sand really help. But they do lift the front enough to require a headlight lowering (read the book).

I marked the wall, threw in the sand and readjusted the lights. Keep the number of turns on the screw to crank back in the spring.

Also keep in mind the limited slip diff is tough to use on ice. When one wheel slips it takes the other one with it The back totally loosens up. Reg differential is better on ice.

I use mine all winter here in central "Joysey". Just have to be careful.

 

Yep. 10 years (1986-1996). Saw the '88 Olympics and the Flames win the Cup. Lived mostly in Deer Ridge & Woodbine. I have an uncle and aunt that live on 28th SW between 25th & 26th (*very* steep hills).

While I lived there I had four cars: 1972 Charger, 1981 Z28, 1987 Iroc-Z, 1989 Supra Turbo. I drove each of them all year 'round, usually with Comp T/As as my tires. All three got me back and forth to Sunshine and Louise more times than I can count. Only got freaked out once, in the Supra. The car felt like it was drifting due to wind around Lac des Arcs (sp?), then I realized it was actually drifting on black ice when I tried to change lanes and found myself going sideways down the TC. Got it back (steer into the skid) and just took it easy the rest of the way home.

I figure if I could get around the city in those cars I could probably handle it in the S.

I find it hilarious when people in Portland can't believe I can drive around without chains or studs for the one day a year we get snow.

PM me and we (well I) can reminisce some more.

 

A couple?! The only time they help is when the car is stuck at a stand still. That will screw up the handling when you're moving.

 

greg stevens anyone?

 

Even if you stay off the roads during snow, you still have black ice/freezing rains to contend with. GET SOME snow tires or all seasons at the VERY LEAST! Your car is an accident waiting to happen.