Rodney It's Winter OT

[55 Fargo]

Hi Rodney and the gang, it was - 5 here overnight, I am still not thinking of staying in though.

Later on will go out to the shop to do a final block sanding of the filler on my left rear fender, will immediately primer it afterwards.

Some temps here in Canada for you to dwell on Rodney, Winnipeg -2, Thompson, Manitoba 500 miles north of Winnipeg -25, Yellowknife NWT, towards Alaska -39. It is about -1 here at my place right now.

I will have my shop at 55 when I go utlater to work on the fender.

Gotta Love this crisp,cool air...........NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rodney Bullock]

Rockwood, I am ashamed of myself:o it was 50 degree here today, I was out working on my t-bird it would not start yesterday:mad: found that the wires got so cold and stiff they broke at the coil connection. I ran some new wire and connector and well you know off I went. I wasen't cold no mo either:D

[TodFitch]

I understand that driving during winter thing you guys are complaining about can be easily dealt with by putting some extra weight on the front wheels:

[55 Fargo]

Rockwood, I am ashamed of myself:o it was 50 degree here today, I was out working on my t-bird it would not start yesterday:mad: found that the wires got so cold and stiff they broke at the coil connection. I ran some new wire and connector and well you know off I went. I wasen't cold no mo either:D

Glad your havin fun, sounds like the weather has smartened up some.

It is about -6 here right now, no wind, when it's this cold it gets real dry and don't feel too bad. The shop is around 60, just layed some primer on my fender, fender will need more tweaking with the polyester glaze and high buld primer next.............Fred

[55 Fargo]

I understand that driving during winter thing you guys are complaining about can be easily dealt with by putting some extra weight on the front wheels:

Say what, if you have all wheel drive, or front wheel drive, you have no problems, except on highways that freezing rain laid on the ice.

My little ranger truck I put about 300 lbs or so in the box, this truck has snow tires with studs all the way around, so does my 2005 Dodge Van. Snow tires make a huge difference on snow, slush even ice, the rubber on a snow tire stays pliabel below 40 degrees also.

Right now the highways around here are bare and dry, no problem driving 65 to 70 mph, the snow is only about ankle deep around here too, but it is darn cold, -6 right now.............Brrrrr

[PatS....]

West winds are begining to blow hard, temp rising about 2/3 degrees per hour...43f right now (9:30pm)

So we get out of the deep freeze for a couple of days.

Saturday forecast to be very cold...BBBRRR

[Normspeed]

It was 30 F this morning in NM. Rain with the occasional big wet snowflake. By noon it was clearing. Local mountains got a nice dusting of the white stuff.

[Niel Hoback]

Wow, thats a beautiful picture.

[brian hood]

That is a beautiful pict of NM. I guess my 60 weather isn't too cold!

BTW: I live on the Gulf of Mexico

[Norm's Coupe]

Tod,

As Fred mentioned, driving in the snow with front wheel drive is no problem at all. Don't even need snow tires, just plain radials are fine. The only people who have problems are those with pickup trucks or cars like the Camero, Firebird or Mustang's. Those have no weight at all in the rear and aren't that great on just a wet road from rain.

Actually, before front wheel drive came along I put many miles on the old rear wheel cars and never once got stuck or spun out. Again, that was with regular radial tires, no snow tires. You get use to driving in the snow and ice.

I do remember having a problem going up a hill when stationed at Fort Knox, KY once in 1963, in my 58 Chevy on snow and ice. Wouldn't climb the hill, just sat there and spun the wheels. So..........turned off the engine, put it in second gear, then kept bumping the starter switch with the foot off the clutch. Jumped all the way up the hill with no spinning, then started the car again and went on. Just gotta know how to drive in these conditions.

[TodFitch]

Tod' date='

As Fred mentioned, driving in the snow with front wheel drive is no problem at all. Don't even need snow tires, just plain radials are fine. The only people who have problems are those with pickup trucks or cars like the Camero, Firebird or Mustang's. Those have no weight at all in the rear and aren't that great on just a wet road from rain.

Actually, before front wheel drive came along I put many miles on the old rear wheel cars and never once got stuck or spun out. Again, that was with regular radial tires, no snow tires. You get use to driving in the snow and ice.

I do remember having a problem going up a hill when stationed at Fort Knox, KY once in 1963, in my 58 Chevy on snow and ice. Wouldn't climb the hill, just sat there and spun the wheels. So..........turned off the engine, put it in second gear, then kept bumping the starter switch with the foot off the clutch. Jumped all the way up the hill with no spinning, then started the car again and went on. Just gotta know how to drive in these conditions.[/quote']

Actually, I have a little more experience driving in snow than the average Californian... I drove my 1933 for a few winters back east, including Upstate New York and I have been on the Ski Patrol for these last 24 years so I get a bit of snow driving every winter. My current "snow vehicle" is a front wheel drive car with plain old M+S rated radials, though with CHP chain requirements I sometimes have to "chain up" to be legal even if I don't really need to for traction or control. And there have been a couple of times with deep snow where I needed chains. And last year there were two times nobody got out of the barracks until the plow arrived. And then we had to dig the plow out when it got stuck.

The old '33 is actually a pretty good snow vehicle as I recall: The narrow tires get down through the snow to something solid, it has good ground clearance, enough torque but not too much to easily control. I never got stuck in it and have never had snow tires or chains for it. My objections to using it now on my ski weekends are: 1) I don't have a ski rack that fits it. 2) I'd rather not get all the snow/slush onto the mohair upholstery. 3) CalTrans uses salt in the mountains here. 4) It is a long drive Sunday evening and you actually have to drive the 33 versus setting the cruise control and setting back and watching the scenery go by in the new car.

However, once I find that perfect set of 1930s skis, boots and poles that are still serviceable and an appropriate 1930s ski outfit I will probably make an exception and use the old car occasionally.

[55 Fargo]

Actually, I have a little more experience driving in snow than the average Californian... I drove my 1933 for a few winters back east, including Upstate New York and I have been on the Ski Patrol for these last 24 years so I get a bit of snow driving every winter. My current "snow vehicle" is a front wheel drive car with plain old M+S rated radials, though with CHP chain requirements I sometimes have to "chain up" to be legal even if I don't really need to for traction or control. And there have been a couple of times with deep snow where I needed chains. And last year there were two times nobody got out of the barracks until the plow arrived. And then we had to dig the plow out when it got stuck.

The old '33 is actually a pretty good snow vehicle as I recall: The narrow tires get down through the snow to something solid, it has good ground clearance, enough torque but not too much to easily control. I never got stuck in it and have never had snow tires or chains for it. My objections to using it now on my ski weekends are: 1) I don't have a ski rack that fits it. 2) I'd rather not get all the snow/slush onto the mohair upholstery. 3) CalTrans uses salt in the mountains here. 4) It is a long drive Sunday evening and you actually have to drive the 33 versus setting the cruise control and setting back and watching the scenery go by in the new car.

However, once I find that perfect set of 1930s skis, boots and poles that are still serviceable and an appropriate 1930s ski outfit I will probably make an exception and use the old car occasionally.

Hi Todd, I will attest to driving in snow on hilly or mountanous roads is not easy. Out here it's flat, you get drifting in a storm or on windy days when the snow drifts across the highway and such.

The snowplows here are pretty sophisticated, but they use a lot of ice melting chemicals, not sure iof they salt anymore or not.

So for the most part it's not too bad driving here, except on the snow days, but they clean up the roads quickly. It's freezing rain and black ice that is very fun to drive on, I have had a few close cals over the years............Fred

ps my Supervisor grew up in Beaumont California, he still doesn't know why he came back here to live, his brother lives in Palm Spriongs and bugs him all the time about living in the Great White North

[Rodney Bullock]

I saw on the news the New Orleans had snow, that must have been scary for them. I like driving my 1940 in the snow and no I have never been stuck as a matter of fact I have drivin it when my Trans am with those big P275 R15 would not do anything but spin. Todd is right they dig down to a soild base and then take off. These cars are so much fun. they have seen more winters than we can remember.

[pflaming]

Lived in Omaha at one time. Had a '58 VW with snow tires on the back. The VW has a smooth bottom, now that was some snow car: narrow tires, smooth undercarriage, rear engine with independent suspension, just unbelieveable. Don't miss the snow, from where I live here in Central CA, snow is only and hour away!

[55 Fargo]

Light snow in my locale at 6:40 CST, last night I was out for a bit at Wallyworld etc. It was almost -18 when I got home at 9:30 PM,it was so bright out it looked blue, could see out in the sticks for miles, the vehicle I was driving a 1994 Ford ranger truck has such good heat it gets sickening hot in there even at -18.

By 5:00 AM this morning it was 0, going all the way up to 10, so whoopdeedo.

I don't think I will even warm up the garage to do more bodywork till the out side temps are at least 20. My garage is about 32 inside, with no heat on, because she is so well insulated..................Fred

[Frank Elder]

I hope you had supplimental heat in that VDub, those air cooled engines don't offer much warmth in that area. As to the "smooth bottam"....who doesn't like havin' one of those! lol:D

[pflaming]

Later had a Gia. Lived three miles from school (teacher). Put a small electric heater with a timer in it. In the morning it was punch warm and the windows were clean and clear. Drove to school and parked it in a protected area with the windshield to the sun. I WAS GREEN BEFORE GREEN WAS EVEN IMAGINED!!!!.