Winter driving and the Z

matt2112

i'm wondering what Z owners in cold climates are doing with their cars... what are your thoughts on driving the Z in th winter? Do you store it and drive a beater? some say its better for your car to be driven and well maintained, even in the snow...

thoughts??

eXo5

Cold weather is good. If its anything like my 350Z stay away from wintry weather, ie. snow, slush, ice,freezing rain. The stock tires are summer tires so buying a winter set wont be a big deal.

Its funny when you have a 35K sports car that can kill almost anything on the road but a half inch of ice will leave your back tires spinning and you sitting at a stand still looking like a fool in your drive way.

My plan will be to keep my Z stored in the garage during bad weather.

Edit: I am in the salt belt so EFF that!

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scorpion90

Driving in winter in Arizona or Florida is probably no problem, but here in Ohio it can be treacherous and tough on the car with all the salt. Mine will stay stored from middle of October until at least April. No salt or road crap on my car.

nogoodname

i would drive it, just need some winter tires........most of the time here, the roads are clear anyways.

One_Quick_Z

I just leave mine it the garage my Z has never seen the salt/snow that the midwest has to offer.


DAN

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Forrest

I get a lil ice but not much and i get heavy down poor rains but i am okay with that.

I just drive 55 in heavy rain i dont want to hydroplain.

California winter where i am at is mainly just rain.

Robert_Nash

The Z (as are most other performance/sports cars) are not really intended or equipped for driving in snow...even wet roads with HP Summer Dry Weather Tires can present a problem if the roads are wet.

I would highly suggest both for safety and for the logengivity of your vehicle that you leave your Z in the garage in the winter time.

In some climates, the "winter weather" still leaves days of sunshine and enough warmth that you can get your Z out and enjoy it now and then through the winter but if you live in the frozen tundra, properly storing the car is probably the best way to go.

I know some folks can't do that...I lived through a Chicago winter in a brand new 1973 Formula 400 Firebird and lived to tell about it but I sure wouldn't recommend anybody do that!

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matt2112

check this article out... his arguments actually make a lot of sense!

Wheels.ca - Best thing for sports car in winter? Drive it - Canada's Most Trusted Auto Resource

but at the end of the day, can i stomach all the salt and slush hitting my Z??? i don't know...

NotmyGTR

I dont have to deal with snow and ice, but sports cars LOVE cold temperatures. Colder air.......colder fuel........ = free x-tra horsepower. Unless you have a foot of snow covering the road, why not let VDC do its job. Not driving in cold climates is about as silly as not driving in the rain (strictly my opinion) Im not saying drive it like you stole it in snowy icy conditions, but to keep it locked up for months on end.......I didnt pay 35K for that.

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shumby

not talking about the Z. but I drive my G37 all winter. Get a good set of winter. i recomend michelin pilot alpin sports. and you are good to go. I think my G handels fine in the edmonton winter. Now I don't drive it in the middle of a snow storm but other then that i drive it everyday I am home. And the wife drives it to work and back (300km) and feels fine driving it in the winter. But on really stormy days we drice our 03 Maxima.

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AK370Z

what are your thoughts on driving the Z in th winter?
I personally do not have an option nor I like driving another car other than the Z. With that said, YES, I drive my Z all year long. You should be able to do the same as long as there's not too much snow.

i'm wondering what Z owners in cold climates are doing with their cars?
I am planning on buying a set of snow tires and mount them on lightweigh rims (preferably 18". Maybe the base rims will do the trick?).

Do you store it and drive a beater?
We get maybe 1 or 2 days of snow in the WHOLE winter season. Those days I either a. Borrow my dad's Infiniti. or b. take public transportation. It doesn't bother me.

Some say its better for your car to be driven and well maintained, even in the snow.
Never heard of this statement. No input.

I had HORRIBLE experience with the Z in snow. If you get a lot of snow in your area, I think it's not a bad idea to buy a cheap beater car.

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bluzman

25 years ago, I was driving a Pontiac Fiero (remember those?) everyday in Utica, NY. Average snowfall in that part of upstate New York was 10 feet, IIRC. Can you say "lake effect snow"? For those who may not recall, the Fiero was a 2-seat, mid-engine, rear wheel drive little beastie. It handled the snow without problems...in fact it was a lot of fun as long as you didn't plow into a big drift and get the back wheels off the ground. Then you were SOL.

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SUD

What are you talking about? Lots of people drive sports cars in the winter in Canada, and yes in Alberta. Heck, I grew up driving rear wheel drive muscle cars with crap rubber in Edmonton 3+ decades ago.

And Alberta is nothing for snow. Try living in a snowbelt where you get pummeled over and over again with 20+ cm dumps. And yet, all through the snowbelts in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes people drive sports cars throughout winter. The biggest problem in Edmonton is avoiding the stubble- jumpers from Saskatchewan who can't drive anything other than a combine

shumby

Like I say drive my g37 all winter.

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Originally Posted by SAM@GTM
Engine detonation is not normal and it should never never happen, and whoever told that need to do something else for living .
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spearfish25

21st century cars are made to cope with the salt of winter driving. It's not a huge deal. You wash the car a few times a month and make sure you do a good job on the undercarriage. I've had many cars that I drove all winter long and corrosion or other salt-damage was never an issue.