350z in winter?

[Chr0m3]

I am thinking about buying a 2003-2004 350z. I will be driving it all year and am planning on buying a good set of winter tires. do you guys think that this will be safe on the road? will sandbags have some sort of long term effect on the suspension?

[heavyD]

Couldn't you get yourself a winter beater? With winter tires it will probably be okay for city commuting but I wouldn't frequent on the highways.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by Chr0m3
I am thinking about buying a 2003-2004 350z. I will be driving it all year and am planning on buying a good set of winter tires. do you guys think that this will be safe on the road? will sandbags have some sort of long term effect on the suspension?

Get some good winter tires (ie. Blizzaks, Pilot Alpins, Haks) and you should be fine especially if you drive sensibly while conscious of the road conditions. Sand bags may be a good idea, and they will not have any long term issues on the suspension.

[Abeo]

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread/t-138189.html

Sandbags might help a little, but they sure come in handy when you are stuck. Unless you are filling the trunk with sand, it shouldn't harm anything... I recommend putting the sand in plastic spill proof containers, though. Car will be as safe as the driver, but it won't be a camry... it'll be at a disadvantage to regular cars, but driveable.

[bjstare]

Careful with the sandbags/containers in the back though, if the rear end gets even a little loose in a slippery corner, they will really whip the car around fast.

[Abeo]

Originally posted by cjblair
Careful with the sandbags/containers in the back though, if the rear end gets even a little loose in a slippery corner, they will really whip the car around fast.

For a car that has a lot of overhang, yeah... but for the 350z, as long as it isn't hanging off the rear bumper it shouldn't add a pendulum effect (and if the car has stability control, it won't let it happen). That said, its probably best to have the weight closer to the seats (if only to have a more usable trunk).

[Nav13]

Like they said get a good set of winter tires and drive resposibly and you will be fine. I have a G35 coupe and with the winters on it it drives really good. The traction control is amazing on these cars

[2EFNFAST]

sandbags :rofl: :rofl:

Just put some proper winter tires on it.

[drnerd]

Originally posted by Chr0m3
I am thinking about buying a 2003-2004 350z. I will be driving it all year and am planning on buying a good set of winter tires. do you guys think that this will be safe on the road? will sandbags have some sort of long term effect on the suspension?

...From experience, I used cinder blocks....didnt work.

Im considering winter tires... Goodyear Ultragrips.

Or you could just buy new all-seasons and have them studded. That way youre only buying one set.

[Zewind]

The title just screams ... Good Idea/Bad Idea

[98type_r]

cinder blocks don't weigh enough/volume

A good set of proper winter tires and not driving like it's summer time will get you around just fine if a winter beater isn't an option.

[beyond_ban]

Originally posted by 98type_r
cinder blocks don't weigh enough/volume

A good set of proper winter tires and not driving like it's summer time will get you around just fine if a winter beater isn't an option.

Werd, the biggest thing about owning this car in winter is the tires and how you drive. Driver error in not judging the conditions properly and adjusting speed accordingly is the single biggest reason so many people bite it in the winter.

[picmerollin]

I did it from jan 08- may 08 since my winter beast was giving me troubles.

I pulled the Z out of storage, mounted some pilot alpins and went to town. It was a complete blast to drive and very predictable with good winter tires.

This was not my first choice since a rwd sporty car may not be the best platform for winter commuting, but if you know how to drive and have tires I wouldn't worry.

My main issue's were the rock chips and the rear fender area (designed to house larger than stock tires) also does a great job of housing 50 lbs of snow on the sticky snow warm days.

I never used any weight in the back and only used the traction control if I was on the hiway. Also mine had the VLSD, without it it may have been more difficult (and less fun).

[lexw]

:nut:

[hippak]

Originally posted by lexw
Yea just get a beater. Why ruin the 350 and get it corroded throughout the season AS well as leaving it vulnerable to winter Idiots who slam into your car.

Just buy a civic. Then 350 in Spring when the value plumets down from the 370z entrance.

Corroded? Maybe in Ontario.. Alberta doesn't use salt.

I drive my rwd sport car all year around. I also have an infiniti FX for when things get really bad outside but I could easily live without it (NOTE: YOU NEED TO DRIVE WITH CARE)

I would give you the following advice:

Do not buy "performance" winter tires (Alpins, Dunlop M3s etc). Buy a good set of michelin X-ice or Blizzards. If you run performance winter tires you're trading traction and a better compound for for a higher speed rating that you will never reach in the winter. Also remember to knock down the width of your tires substantially.

I gotta say that I lol'd at the following things:

-idea of putting sand bags into the car... Just too funny, not even going to bother commenting on this one.

-idea of it being alright to drive on the regular roads but staying off the highway. Its much much harder to get moving with RWD in the winter... on a highway you're at a constant speed... RWD or AWD is irrelevant...all the matters on a highway is whether the compound on your tires has grip with the road... this is why you see all those SUVs crashed at the side of the road during storms. They somehow think that having AWD prevents you from hitting black ice or makes you stop faster... Doesn't make a difference at all.

COLES NOTES:

GOOD set of regular winter tires + careful driving and you should be fine on all but the most extreme days.

[beyond_ban]

Originally posted by hippak


Corroded? Maybe in Ontario.. Alberta doesn't use salt.



Your right, we dont use salt. In stead we use calcium chloride and
magnesium chloride which are even worse then salt. You ever notice all the white flaky stuff on your garage floor after your car melts off a few times in the winter? Guess what that is...

[Thehonger8]

I have driven my 350z for two winter now and it has been great. The only time I was in trouble was when there was a lot of snow.
If you have the traction control on it is pretty hard to spin out.
I don't mind driving my "ruining my car". It is not a ferrari or a lambo. I see this 2009 Porsche turbo ripping around in the winter all the time.
Just get good winter tires like everyone else said

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by beyond_ban

You ever notice all the white flaky stuff on your garage floor after your car melts off a few times in the winter? Guess what that is...


Splooge? :confused:


SRSLY though, that stuff is nasty. For 2yrs my g35 wasn't my winter beater. Underside was perfect. Then for 5yrs it was my winter beater - lots of (probably surface) rust on parts, as well as underside of some panels are starting to peel away.

Same with my dad's 01 q45 - there are rust bubbles starting in the fender and gas door (not rust yet, but you know how the metal bubbles first before it makes a hole...)

[ragu]

Get a proper winter tires and half a brain to just be slightly careful. RWD+winter is over rated.

As far as people saying store the car, well cars are meant to be driven. Unless it was some $200,000++ car it needs to be on the road whenever.

[Cooked Rice]

yeah calgary is just has bad as southern ON. that shit is worst than salt for sure. when it gets slushy and i see them spraying that white crap everywhere it makes me cringe.

[dglee]

Buy my 2005 G35 Coupe 6MT. I droved it last winter for a little bit. Ill throw in winter tires for you.

To my understand...

Usually, summer tires could still work if it's like >0 degrees out and soft snow (could be a different story on hard (ice) snow surface. Summer tires usually don't work when it gets below - 10 degrees thats when your tire becomes like hard so there's no friction (kind of ice to ice contact).

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by dglee

To my understand...

Usually, summer tires could still work if it's like >0 degrees out and soft snow (could be a different story on hard (ice) snow surface. Summer tires usually don't work when it gets below - 10 degrees thats when your tire becomes like hard so there's no riction (kind of ice to ice contact).

The 'ideal' temp for summer tires is 8*c +

Whenever there's any type of snow/slush/etc..., you're fvcked with summer tires.

However, as long as the road is clear, it's relatively "safe" (notice the quotes) to drive on them. Yes, they have a lack of traction, but that can be made up with having a brain and knowing how to drive properly. I've driven my viper when it was like -15 (and no snow). Last year I was go-karting in my cobra stripped down (so it weighed no more than 1600lbs) when it was also like -10 to -15, and I didn't have anymore problems than I do now when it's +30 (because I don't get on it hard). Know that the gas pedal has more options than just off/on, don't throw yourself into curves at high speed, etc.. etc... (you know, all the common, safe driving stuff) and you'll be fine, regardless of temperatures, as long as the road is clear.

(I always enjoy these types of threads because after somebody has driven summer tires+rwd+600tq at -15, somebody making 100ft-lbs of torque will come in saying how impossible it is to drive below freezing because they can't hook up with their summers, haha)

[Tik-Tok]

:facepalm:

Nope, it'll be horrible in the winter. I mean back in the 50's/60's when everything was rear wheel drive, horridly balanced, and there was no such thing as traction control, or any other safety measures, people must have just walked to work or something.

[Hamann]

Originally posted by Thehonger8
I don't mind driving my "ruining my car". It is not a ferrari or a lambo. I see this 2009 Porsche turbo ripping around in the winter all the time.
Just get good winter tires like everyone else said

This

I can't really figure out why everyone is going on about ruining the car... Its a 350Z, its really nothing special.

Throw good winter tires on it and you'll be fine

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
:facepalm:

Nope, it'll be horrible in the winter. I mean back in the 50's/60's when everything was rear wheel drive, horridly balanced, and there was no such thing as traction control, or any other safety measures, people must have just walked to work or something.

Just because people got by then doesn't mean it was ideal. I recall many close calls on the highway in those days where you would just lose the rear end without warning. As well people could actually drive in those days and there were far less distractions such as cell phones, NAC systems, ipods, etc.

[max_boost]

What's so different about a RWD350Z vs say any RWD BMW? My 3 series combined with some Q/T rated winters + stability control were fucking amazing. I swear it was dummy proof LOL haha

[ann1985]

yeah calgary is just has bad as southern ON.