Driving a Stang in the snow

[H What 4.6]

This is a good idea if:

1) You have a short commute

2) You don't have to invest any money into a beater with a heater

3) You're able to cover the tax, title and registration fees for selling the vehicle in the spring

4) You have the time to properly check over said beater to ensure it's safe and not a danger to yourself or anyone else on the road.

This is a bad idea if:

1) You work 12 hour days and don't feel like working in your garage on meantime transportation

2) After you work 12 hour days you actually want to spend time with your family

3) You drive a lot and can't afford to have a beater break down on you and jeopardize your safety or a potential client meeting

4) If your not a good gambler: i.e. you invest too much into a junk to keep it reliable.

5) If you don't like spending the time to look and haggle with people to talk them down as much as possible so you may actually break even in the spring: then buying old cars is not for you.

6) If you don't have a spare 2500 laying around with nothing else to spend it on


??? you can pick up a 92-98ish jeep with less than 140k for nothing... the I6 motor is unbeatable and the design is so simple any repair can be done in no time?? ... i have a 30 mile round trip to school in NYC traffic and a 50 mile round trip to work (which i am doing right now (co-op program at school) and have never had any major problems with beaters ... plus these jeep parts are cheap as dirt and many things can be found used.... i can see it being a bad idea if your not mechanically inclined plus money saved on insurance alone is worth it ...idk....just my .02 ...

 

[mazen189]

is it me, but for those who have owned a 94-98 sn95, and now maybe own a 99-04 new edge, do you feel safer on the road when its raining/snowing in the older model compared to the newer model?

and for the guy that went in the ditch with the 04 GT, sorry man, that just brings tears to my eyes.

 

[Skidawg]

Buying an additional vehicle makes a lot of sense if you do it.

I've actually saved money by having the additional cars.

 

[Notchbck93]

This is a good idea if:

1) You have a short commute

2) You don't have to invest any money into a beater with a heater

3) You're able to cover the tax, title and registration fees for selling the vehicle in the spring

4) You have the time to properly check over said beater to ensure it's safe and not a danger to yourself or anyone else on the road.

This is a bad idea if:

1) You work 12 hour days and don't feel like working in your garage on meantime transportation

2) After you work 12 hour days you actually want to spend time with your family

3) You drive a lot and can't afford to have a beater break down on you and jeopardize your safety or a potential client meeting

4) If your not a good gambler: i.e. you invest too much into a junk to keep it reliable.

5) If you don't like spending the time to look and haggle with people to talk them down as much as possible so you may actually break even in the spring: then buying old cars is not for you.

6) If you don't have a spare 2500 laying around with nothing else to spend it on


??? you can pick up a 92-98ish jeep with less than 140k for nothing... the I6 motor is unbeatable and the design is so simple any repair can be done in no time?? ... i have a 30 mile round trip to school in NYC traffic and a 50 mile round trip to work (which i am doing right now (co-op program at school) and have never had any major problems with beaters ... plus these jeep parts are cheap as dirt and many things can be found used.... i can see it being a bad idea if your not mechanically inclined plus money saved on insurance alone is worth it ...idk....just my .02 ...

I pay 60 a month for my 04GT.

The ol inline 6 cherokee's in Chi-town will run 3 - 4500 for a decent one. You certainly can pick one up for 2500 if you like to say a hail mary every morning. Cheap Jeep died out with the CJ-5' & 7's. Everything cost money now adays and a fair sum of it.

As far as wrenching:

ASE Master Tech, L1 and a whole sht load more pieces of paper to whipe my butt with, but it still doesn't mean that I want to come home and turn wrenches on some old POS. I did that when I was like you, in school and had free time even with working 40 and going to school darn near full time... single has its advantages.


Married, house, moved up to a new career after a BS degree and now I stay clean. I do have to do some long distance driving once in a blue moon, I need something that will be reliable; not should be. I also need something somewhat presentable and doesn't get 8 mpg with 4x4 engauged.

A guy at my job has an ultra-clean 99 XJ, but he's always complaining about 8-12mpg in the winter. He does brag about getting 16-18 with a light foot in the summer.

So, respectfully speaking, while I was once like you and had a beater for winter and one nice car, times have changed; I've already got two toys sitting in the garage, I certainly don't need a third.

I just need to re-shoe my horse.

 

[Notchbck93]

is it me, but for those who have owned a 94-98 sn95, and now maybe own a 99-04 new edge, do you feel safer on the road when its raining/snowing in the older model compared to the newer model?

and for the guy that went in the ditch with the 04 GT, sorry man, that just brings tears to my eyes.

Rain doesn't bother me, car hooks rather well, but until I get some snow shoes, I'll have to report back.

I've been caught in a down poor in my Notch and the car handled just fine.

 

[Notchbck93]

Buying an additional vehicle makes a lot of sense if you do it.

I've actually saved money by having the additional cars.

I'm curious as to how you have saved money? Did you get an additional 3 dollars off a month for a multi-car discount through your insurance or is it by just having fire and theft for letting your Mustang sit for six months and just paying liability on a beater?

 

[Notchbck93]

I have Blizzaks all around and I've only gotten stuck once in three winters: that was this year in my driveway after getting around everywhere else just fine.

What size Blizzaks are you running?

 

[allutz]

To make a long story short, a guy on another forum is looking to trade his 03' GT w/ 55k for my Jeep. The problem is, I rely on my vehicles for transportation to work (I'm in college), which is really important. I can't expect the mustang to be as reliable as a 4x4 but is it driveable?

just move to southeast pa....we dont get snow anymore!!!!

 

[Skidawg]

I'm curious as to how you have saved money? Did you get an additional 3 dollars off a month for a multi-car discount through your insurance or is it by just having fire and theft for letting your Mustang sit for six months and just paying liability on a beater?

You're right.

I'd estimate over the last 5 years, I've probably "saved" almost $2k by buying a $1000 Oldsmobile Ciera. The Mustang only sits 3 months.

I could show all the numbers on how this works out, but this thread has been hijacked enough.

 

[Notchbck93]

Well to stay on topic, I picked up a set of 99 Gt 17" rims with Blizzaks for 275 last night. Of course I had to get them balanced because the kid took the outer wheel weights off to paint the rims... I plan to paint them silver again in the spring.

The tires themselves have about 90% tread left on the front and 95% on the rear. Of course with 6-12" of snow predicted to fall in Chitown I decided to take my fwd car, while it's still in posession (new owners are picking it up tomorrow.)

Be safe out there !

 

[Notchbck93]

I can certainly vouch for the power of the Blizzaks. I re-shoed my horse tonight (Blizzaks on my GT) and cruised around in 2-3” of snow on the road like it was nothing. I did the up-hill-around-a-corner challenge from a dead stop and in the midst of it a Jeep Wrangler stopped to watch me cruise right past him up a long grade like it was nothing for the GT. He sat there for a good 30 seconds watching me; he even stopped early probably laughing at first thinking what an idiot I was for having a Mustang out in this weather and waiting to see if I was going to slide off into the ditch, but was probably scratching his head after I made it look easy. The GT never even broke the tires loose.

I even stopped in my driveway (its a steep incline) to see if it could get going again and pull into the garage: did it like it was no sweat.

Now just two days ago with the Goodyear Gatorback ZR’s summer high performance tires, I couldn’t find traction on a stinkin half of inch of snow. I was worried that I made a mistake buying the Mustang with how much trouble I had with it in such a small amount of snow, that is, until I put on the Blizzaks. Shoot, no worries now, ol’ GT will get me to where I need to go.

 

[SuperStang83]

I am from Pa, and I drove my brother's 99 Stang for a winter in the snow while he was at boot camp and that thing was really good in the snow. It was better than my 90 AWD Talon. It would go straight and make it up any hills, plus when you wanted to fool around you could and it would straighten itself out real quick.

 

[SuperStang83]

That was on stock wheels and tires.

 

[myponyrocks]

btw Blizzak WS60's are now the same price as 50's!

I got 60's on the rear now and 50's on the front, hopefully we get one more good snow since I've never had 100% new Blizzaks on the car before...

I've been running around with 20% tread left 50's in the rear and 100% up front all winter... a few scary times, but I plow snow for a living and can dive fairly well in it.

Now I can kick most snows ass and it probly won't snow again. Then again, ice is the big danger in CO, not the snow usually. Maybe I'll get my chance.

To tell the truth though, I've always been more scared of other drivers in the snow than my Stang getting stuck. Also I grew up in S.CA and Vegas, so didn't see snow until the USAF decided I needed to plow it for the next 20 years (now 10)

 

[mijo_latino]

I can vouch for the blizzaks too. This is my second winter on them with the 98' and its the best $300(yes all four tires/rims for this price!) ive spent towards safety. I've driven it 5 winters on kuhmo summer tires before so it is possible, just you have to wait till the roads clear a bit cause your going nowhere on an inch of snow.
We're suppose to get 10'' of snow(a stretch!) tomorrow, maybe i'll snap some pics of the power of the blizzaks! I honestly get better traction then most cars out there when there is snow. The best thing I like is look when your passing everyone on the side of the road that doesn't have tracks.

 

[myponyrocks]

watching 4x4 trucks slide off the road while you pass them in the Stang IS awesome!

 

[Stangdriver13]

I just got home from in the snow, wow what fun that was. I was definitely the idiot on the road cause i was all over the place (couldn't help it). Brought it home, parked it, and took out my mom's mountaineer. Not worth riskin the stang to injury

 

[98E9GT]

We get some snow here in north east Missouri nothing like some of you all. Anyways, i have some shotty kuhmos and i get around ok, not having ABS is a hassle at times but i just use the old foot as a Analog ABS. There are times where i dont give it any gas and just let out of the clutch slowly and i sit there and spin. If you drive at a reasonable speed, and keep in mind your not the only driver out on the road, anyone with a working brain should be fine. I had one accident in the snow it was in my 2.3 5spd 89 notch in highschool when it was my first time driving in the snow i slid into a ditch, then into a field, i was doing over 40 and was very glad the ditch wasnt anything deep. Lets just say i learned something that day.

 

[Notchbck93]

12" of snow today in Chi-town... I even let my wife take it to work and she said she had no problems... I guess she had to pass some 2wd truck who couldn't make it up a hill. I bet that guy felt like an idiot as a woman in a Mustang GT cruised passed him making it look easy.