in the snow

I might get to drive my 91 Caprice wagon in the snow for the first time this weekend. I have brand new tires on the car. I'm anxious to see how it does.

Look for the closest empty parking lot,and go nuts!

Pretty excellent, even with all season tires I was impressed. I was actually worried that my 9C1 wouldn't do as well, but it's pretty good with snow tires on it, and the posi does help.

Wagons are absolutely GREAT in the snow.
My dad had a Roadmaster sedan and that car was useless in the snow.

My 1995 Caprice wagon and my 1996 RMW both had Blizzaks on all 4 wheels, and limited slip differentials. They were both very good in the snow. I would not say excellent, but living in Lake Effect land, I was never stuck and never in a skid in over 100,000 miles of winter driving between here and NH.

Both cars sucked in the snow with all-season tires. However, there is a huge variation in the performance of all season tires in snow. Having said that, I have yet to see a single all season tire that compares favorably with even the cheapest available snow tire when on all 4 wheels, and driven on snow. Some might roll OK on flat ground, but all the all-season tires I ever tried were downright dangerous in heavy wet snow, or panic stops.

We are expected to get 8-12 inches of that white crap this weekend in the Philly area. Both I and my Caprice are ready. With the 2.93 posi. and brand new BF Goodrich tires I say "bring it on!" She rides on aggressive 225/75 R 15 BF Goodrich Long Trail TA tour tires on all four corners. I'll report how she did come Sunday.

Like Andy said... Find a parking lot.. I'll add... stay away from light poles

Thats a pretty closed tread tire to expect a lot out of it in the snow.

If you want to see a snow tire, google Firestone Winterforce, hands down the gnarliest snow tire I found!

"]Thats a pretty closed tread tire to expect a lot out of it in the snow.  

If you want to see a snow tire, google Firestone Winterforce, hands down the gnarliest snow tire I found!

The former owner of the Caprice gave me two of those tires to replace the miss-matched and dry rotted ones that were on the rear of the car when I bought it. They have a much more aggressive tread design than your basic TA Radial. The Long Trail TA(s) are not listed as "snow or Winter " tires, but based on their design and all season compound they should work damn good in snow and be a competent all year round tire.

I failed to find any "old school" square edged snow tires. I had some nice Hankook old school snows a couple years ago on my Roadmaster wagon and was very pleased with them.

Guess I'll find out soon enough if they get me through the (up to)12 inches of white crap or leave me wishing I'd stayed home.

I've driven a number of different cars with tread patterns similar to that shown on the Long Trail in the snow. Front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, with or without limited slip. Some "all-season" tires were better than others. Some were just about useless in any amount of snow. None of those approached the traction, cornering, or stopping ability of dedicated snow tires on all four wheels. I had a set of Yokohama all-season tires on a 1995 Caprice with limited slip, and from a dead stop on flat level ground the rear end would slide sideways and bang the curb 2 or three times before forging ahead in greasy wet snow. The tires wore like iron, and they were great on dry pavement, but they were the most useless I've ever seen in snow.

They say the Eskimos have over 100 words for snow. So do we in upstate NY: f-ing snow, f-ing wet snow, what-more-f-ing snow?, f-ing greasy snow, heart attack snow, white sh_t, f-ing white sh_t,.....

Ahh.. 'scuse me.. Not fer nuthin' but...

With two feet of snow and lots of ice headed your way, I doubt it's going to matter much as to what snow tire is there. Put in a 6" lift kit and rock climbing tires on it


Dave

to DMG4, you forgot "f'ing blizzard"

The Sipes, edges and super soft compound is the answer in snow and ice!

Well, my wagon is in the snow. I probably won't drive it today and a few more inches of snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning. I might drive it sometime tomorrow. I used the snowblower in the picture to clear my driveway and will do it again tomorrow after the snow has stopped. The blower is an Atlas vintage model that I restored and had never used until today. Actually, I had never used a snowblower at all until today. Beats a shovel.

That snow will melt in a week or 2 that far south!
When we get snow in December, it stays until April!

They're old-school RWD vehicles in the snow. I'll say with the posi and okay tires mine handles the snow very well. It needs a bath, wagon got bumped to daily duty thanks to front suspension issues with the tall, shorter length 4x4 longroof.

Getting HAMMERED here just north of Philly!! Stupid high snow drifts! Calling for up to two feet. Man, do I hate Winter! Gonna test my 10 hp. snow blower, although if the snow stays fluffy ,mouth on the blower is 2' wide and 20" high. Think it's a good day to watch some movies. Just bought FURIOUS7 and TERMINATOR GENISYS.

Avoiding driving cause I don't need more rust starting from the salt on the road... also boxed in by four other cars.

^^^Hardly recognized you.^^^

they just said on news 17.7 inches of snow in philly so far and still snowing

You guys are getting all the snow, and my Duramax is sitting in my garage with a 8.5 foot wide Boss V-Plow on it! lol

steel-and-fire wrote:

Avoiding driving cause I don't need more rust starting from the salt on the road... also boxed in by four other cars.

A smart car and a Buick Electra wagon? I thought I had eclectic car taste!!

they say we got 24.4 in philly will have to post some pics. i was shoveling yesterday and this morning. all done biggest problem is where to put all the snow i. i live in the city with a little lawn out front it is now covered till spring lol