RWD/ Front engine cars are notorious for poor handling on snow and ice,
even big old american iron has those problems. When I was a kid in
Montreal my neighbour used to put 4 50lb bags of sand in his trunk every
fall, and the car he drove could probably have gotten a 2 digit hull
number form the US navy.
Now and 1400lb car, RWD with a fron engine, is going to have very little
weight on the rear wheels, yeah I think it would be a hairy ride if you
were used to driving a FWD or 4x4 in the snow.
Greg
Ulix Goettsch wrote:
>
> Last night I drove my Sprite in the snow for the first time.
> Boy, that was scary. I had a very heavy tool box and a large brick in the
> trunk, fairly new Michelin 145s (M+S) on the car. After backing out of
> the driveway, I was just sitting in the street in second gear not moving,
> tires spinning. After getting it to move, I confirmed that I had close to
> zero traction. Braking slowed down the car about as much as honking the
> horn. I went sideways around a little neighborhood roundabout a couple of
> times at about 1/2 walking pace.
> Later, we went playing in the snow with a friends 4WD truck. What a
> difference. Good traction/braking, amazing acceleration with 4WD. I had
> to take back all the bad things I had said about this body-lifted Nissan
> with 31" tires. Very tossable, contollable and I learned you can do
> Donuts even with 4WD engaged. Can you tell it doesn't snow much in
> Seattle?
>
> Now the snow is gone so I don't get to try studded tires and snow chains
> on the Sprite...
> I couldn't sleep last night, trying to decide if I should put the chains
> on the back and the studded tires on the front or vice versa...
>
> Ulix __/__,__
> .......................................................... (_o____o_)....
> '67 Sprite
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