Snow and the p15.

[michael.warshaw]

I live in a rather hilly area, how was the p15 Driving around in the snow, i would imagine bad / terrible, anyone have experiance?

[BobT-47P15]

They aren't too bad, like any car, if you take it easy.

My 47 Chevy I had in high school did fairly good.

If it got stuck, I put it in low gear, pulled out the throttle

a bit to get the rear wheels spinning slowly, then got out

and pushed the car with the door open. Once moving a

little, would jump back in. Eventually it got un-stuck.

An old Plymouth certainly won't do what today's front

wheel drive vehicles do if the roads are real slick or snow

is deep.

[4852dodge]

My first car was a 54 DeSoto and it was the best car I ever drove in snow. The 6 cyl and auto was a good match for low end power and torque and the car was heavy enough to grip the road.

[JoelOkie]

I live in a rather hilly area, how was the p15 Driving around in the snow, i would imagine bad / terrible, anyone have experiance?

About the same as a BMW with summer tires on it, I'd say.

[55 Fargo]

Another "brainstorm flash", Mikey what is your ryhme and reason for some questions, forget about snow driving, you aint gonna drive your 100 k restoration P15 in the snow and salt anyway.......

Edited June 19, 2010 by Rockwood

[JerseyHarold]

If my father's '52 is any indication, these cars handle snow very well.

There was a big blizzard one night in 1961 and my father worked the midnight shift at Kennedy (in those days Idlewild) Airport. In the morning, none of his co-workers could get their cars moving. They all piled into the Plymouth and my father drove them home, no problem at all.

[michael.warshaw]

well i live in east hills, i was curious how the residents of the 50's got cars up the hills, they prolly didnt.

me and my friends have done some pretty crazy things chekco out the video.

[1940plymouth]

I can't speak for the P-15's, but my Father had a new '49 Ford, and a new '51 Ford, the prison he worked at was 17 miles from our house. We lived in the country and the 17 miles was all back roads to the prison. Both these cars were very good in snow, not to mention the fact that he also used chains on the rear tires when necessary. Dad's superiors would tell the other guards that didn't come to work, "If Drown can make it, there is no excuse why you couldn't". The whole trick was to keep your foot out of the carb and gear down when necessary

[55 Fargo]

I can't speak for the P-15's' date=' but my Father had a new '49 Ford, and a new '51 Ford, the prison he worked at was 17 miles from our house. We lived in the country and the 17 miles was all back roads to the prison. Both these cars were very good in snow, not to mention the fact that he also used chains on the rear tires when necessary. Dad's superiors would tell the other guards that didn't come to work, "If Drown can make it, there is no excuse why you couldn't". The whole trick was to keep your foot out of the carb and gear down when necessary[/quote']

This is 1 of my biggest stresses going to work at the prison at times, "winter driving", not so much for being stuck or in the ditch, but others driving at high speeds on snow covered highways.

The worst vehicle I have ever driven/owned for winter driving was a 1994 Ford Ranger truck, had to put 4 studded snow tires on it, and 300 lbsof weight in the box, then it was not too bad......Fred

[1940plymouth]

Fred, not to get off topic, but I agree with you about the other drivers going too fast. That I blame on todays commericials that show all these new SUV's going anywhere under any conditions as what appears high speeds, even under water at times.

One prison camp that I worked at was 25 miles from our house, again all back roads, I owned rear wheel drive cars at the time, never missed a day of work because of the snow storms, just took my time, drove for the conditions and above all, left earlier than normal, just in case I did have problems

My thoughts,

Bob

[Frank Elder]

On hills they probably use chains.....or let a little air out and lugged uphill by starting out in 2 or 3rd gear, that way there isn't enough power to spin the tires and they get a better grip.

[David Strieb]

It's more of the drivers skill than the cars ability.

[randroid]

Folks,

When I lived in the middle of the Rockies I found no other 2wd car that could match Pigiron's ability to keep going in snow. I drive in snow just as I would normally drive except I consider everything to be in slow motion, and with that attitude I've never gotten in trouble. I also used Bob T's method if it ever did get stuck.

-Randy

[55 Fargo]

Guys I have driven 1000s of miles on snow covered, ice covered roads, you learn how to drive on these surfaces.

You learn how to handle the road, when to brake for stopping, and how to use the slippery surface to your advantage in some cases.

The problem is this, picture driving down a dark snow covered highway, the snow is blowing drifting, visibilty is just beyond the hood of the car. You then drive very slow, then some yahoo is coming in the opposite direction or behind you in a F150 4X4, and smashed into you, most times your are going to take the "dirt nap", it's collisions on these types of road condtions, that are so very dangerous.......Fred

[Roadkingcoupe]

They were used as cars when new... including driving in winter. There are many winter items beside chains. Block heaters that go in a frost plug. Block heaters that replaced a head bolt. Winter fronts (both vinyl/fabric or sheetmetal styles) that reduce or stop the air flow into the radiator were often "monogramed" with the "Plymouth" logo. There was accessory heated window defrosters that stuck on the windows with suction cups. Feel free to add to the list as memory allows.....

There is a ski resort (Arapahoe Basin) in Colorado very close to the continental divide at 10750-13050 vertical feet. They receive 350" inches of snow a year (just shy of 30 feet). The resort is "OLD SCHOOL" and still has pictures of 1946 cars in the parking lot the very first year of operation. In the picture is a parking lot full of "period" vehicles including a P15 that most likely drove up from the "front range" which is around 5000 vertical feet.

So after the war in winter, skiers fitted their vehicles with tire chains climbing almost 6000 feet on old Highway #6 (the second scariest road I have ever been on) to enjoy the fun.

http://www.jamesniehues.com/lgimages/LovelandPass-CO.jpg

Unfortunately the same parking lot is at the bottom of an avalanche chute. Avalanches have hit the parking lot, cars were buried which crushed some cars.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Roadkingcoupe
photo link added

[pflaming]

Most of the snow driving 'tricks' have been mentioned. I grew up in western Nebraska, all gravel roads, if that, in the 50's. Knobby tires / snow tires were common issue, studs came in the late 60's. If the snow was deep, we threw in a 100# sack of feed into the truck, big help. Remember tires were narrow and the ground clearance very good. In the 60's (lived in Omaha then) my spare was a snow tire and I had an extra wheel and tire for weight. Could change back and fourth in about 15 minutes. A can of pet food helped on ice, got to think 'green', 'fed the birds' and no salt.

[TodFitch]

I bought my 1933 in Upstate NY and drove it as my regular car for about 2 years before I bought another vehicle. It did just fine on snow covered roads. All the points covered in previous posts but one has only been mentioned once: Narrow tires. Big wide tires are great on dry pavement. And with modern tread design are pretty good on wet pavement. But having a narrow tire that can get down through the snow and find the pavement seems to help a lot. A 6.00-16 tire has about the same mounted diameter and contact patch as my 5.25-17 tires so I imagine that they would do just about the same.

[JoelOkie]

Going was never so much of an issue with the old cars my dad drove, with the help of a set of Western Auto snow and mud chains that were kept in the turtle hull (trunk) of every vehicle he owned until they started servicing the roads here in bad weather in the 1970's. Starting the car was usually more of an issue, when it was really cold, as we never had a block heater, so we scraped a big pan of hot coals out of the wood stove and slid them under the oil pan for 10 or 15 minutes. It worked great.

My 46 Plymouth coupe I bought a few years back had a 110 V canister type block heater hosed into a Y from where the heat valve is on the back right of the block to down where the drain **** goes in on the left side. I was doing something the other day and came across that block heater, plugged it in for a few seconds, and sure enough, it still gets warm. The car hadn't beeen tagged since 1968 when I got it. Joel

[greg g]

The old man used to fit goodrich recaped snow tires, on all for wheels. They featured walnut shells, steel filings, and other abrasive materials imbedded in the tread compounds. Skinny and tall tires, and proper ground clearence, and snow was not a problem. Been with him a couple times where he put me and my brother in the trunk and backed up steep hills with packed snow.

since 3 inches of snow in the NYC area closes most roads, (and for some odd reason the Subway also) the question is a bit moot is it not???

If you are wondering historically, chains were common to most cars in the winter would't be a bad idea to mandate them today on 4wd drive vehicles....it would keep their speeds down due to the vibration.

Remember in 47 you had a choice of 47 and older cars and 47 tire techology, oh and fewer cars and people who respected other people and their property and drove accordingly.

[1940plymouth]

Very well said. Greg

[Captain Neon]

well i live in east hills, i was curious how the residents of the 50's got cars up the hills, they prolly didnt.

me and my friends have done some pretty crazy things chekco out the video.

According to the information this was done in Norway, and not Long Island. Nothing worse than a poseur.