SNOW! - How you getting on?

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:05 pm

I was up early with Deb and started driving my normal route. Started going down the hill and thought "WHAT AM I DOING??", by which time it was too late!

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:09 pm

i took the fuse out for the abs, i had no speedo, but it didnt matter, if your going too slow then you aint having fun, i just let the car do the driving

i lost count how many times i got some sideways action but thats what the 406 was designed for, right?

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:15 pm

Since my cars have got more valueable over the years, sideways seems more frightening than ever!

Post by **DaiRees** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:43 pm

It's not that long ago since we were happy to induce a bit of oversteer, but these days conditions have to be just right to do that with my car (like a large empty carpark with all the grip of an ice rink and nothing to hit:? ). Must be getting old mate.

Did have lots of fun in the Zook this afternoon though

. Went up the Parish road for a little dabble. Up hills, down hills, handbrakes, power oversteer (in 2WD of course!), driving into snowdrifts, etc.....

Actually it's got nowt to do with age has it? it's all about vehicular value and dependance.

Captain Jack · Post by **Captain Jack** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:30 pm

Well I didn't crash....

And we were so busy at work that we made a snowman!

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:14 am

Wish I worked with you Cpatain Jack!!

And yes Dai, nothing to do with age at all, only cost of new car repairs(plus coming home to tell your wife you hit a lamp post while doing a handbrake turn wouldn't be a pleasant experience).

More Expensive cars + Wives = sensibility

Post by **Welly** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:48 am

mjb wrote: I also got the opportunity to piss myself laughing at a BMW driver - I love watching them in the snow.

They really are crap in the snow, wide tyres, RWD, low gearing...... hopeless!!

It took 4 of us to get the Compact up our slight hill this morning, I even hopped out of the car whilst it was spinning the wheels in 2nd gear at tickover and helped push it from the A pillar, then jumped back in later

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:27 pm

Did you try just asking your 3 helpers to sit on the boot?

Post by **Welly** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 12:55 pm

I did think that acually, in fact I remember the days of Mark 2 Escorts and Cortinas, they used to recommend sand bags in the boot for traction.

The 406 was a star this morning, hauled itseld up the icy snowey hill on tickover in 1st gear

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 3:08 pm

My dad used to work in engineering and would stick a few ludicrously heavy sacks of bolts into the boot of his Lada when it started snowing. Worked well.

Letting a load of air out of your driving tyres works well too by greatly increasing the contact area - but remember to pump them up again after

Post by **DaiRees** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:11 pm

.....and today's fun and games involved "helping" some stranded motorists using my Zook (after having a chuckle at them first of course

).

It amazes me how little some people know and how badly they drive.

neildavies · Post by **neildavies** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:34 pm

And there's my coupe, stranded and abandoned, couldn't get it home.

Dai did kindly offer to tow me with his jeep (which I witnessed him helping another poor stranded motorist with), but I'm a bit paranoid that those screw in towing eyes will damage the bumper going round a bend or something.

Anyway, I'll try and get it back tomorrow or Sunday.

Night night coupe, sleep tight......

Post by **DaiRees** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:52 pm

neildavies wrote:but I'm a bit paranoid that those screw in towing eyes will damage the bumper going round a bend or something.

The eye sticks out.... 'twould have to be a hell of a sharp bend for the rope or shackle or whatever to touch the bumper and even if it did it wouldn't damage it.

"Paranoid" is definitely the right word

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:53 pm

Can't imagine anything making a mess while being towed as long as the tower doesn't take a 90+ degree bend at full lock... Then again I've never considered the height difference between a normal car and a jeep in the context of towing...

Talking of which, has anyone had any difficulty sticking the towing eye in the back of their '6? I didn't have a hammer to hand when I needed to use it, but it just wouldn't engage the thread. I ended up connecting the tow bar to the tow bar mount. Why couldn't one of those be called something different? ;)

I was towing a friend's Clio btw. I love my engine - Barely noticed the extra weight at all and when we'd reached the destination my friend said she'd never felt her car take off so fast as I did pulling onto a main road!

Post by **DaiRees** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:20 pm

Yeah the eye is a bugger to get into the back bumper on my 406, that reminds me, must take a look at it to see why

.

Mind you it doesn't help that I actually bent the eye a couple of years ago towing a Series II Land Rover with the pug, must have been a hell of force on it, bet that LR weighed more than 2 tonnes!

Easy enough along the flat but up the lane to my mate's garage was a real tester.....

Anyway the tow bar on the zook is pretty low considering, no problems with height difference.

Neil I'd be more concerned with leaving the car away from home overnight than I would be about towing it. Offer's still open, I'm going up the chippy in a bit (because I can

) so I'll be out and about anyway. Give me a call if you change your mind.