chims in the snow
Discussion
well looks like the south east might get a snow fall at long last, love it or hate it (I cant wait)
Any one had experience of driving a chim in the snow, not a bit of slush some propoer snow. I bet its an experience.
Love to hear a few tales if there some to tell
take car if the snow comes
Any one had experience of driving a chim in the snow, not a bit of slush some propoer snow. I bet its an experience.
Love to hear a few tales if there some to tell
take car if the snow comes
I got stranded up North a few years back when I was caught in snow unexpectedly while visiting relatives. Once the snow had laid it was just impossible to get the car moving; no matter what gear the torque even at tickover broke traction. It just sat there spinning the wheels madly in fifth at a complete standstill. I have it on video - I still crease myself when I hear my Dad say "try it in second" when I was in fifth already!
On the same trip I did a 180 at speed when I lifted and the engine breaking spun the car around (this was I arrived and the snow has just started falling). Ended up approaching a roundabout backwards with traffic bearing down on me!
Take care!
On the same trip I did a 180 at speed when I lifted and the engine breaking spun the car around (this was I arrived and the snow has just started falling). Ended up approaching a roundabout backwards with traffic bearing down on me!
Take care!
victormeldrew said:
I still crease myself when I hear my Dad say "try it in second" when I was in fifth already!
!
This is actually good advice for starting off on snow or ice.
Start in 2nd with no (or very little) acceleration and let the car find it's own grip. Of course, once you dip the clutch, the ECU will compensate by reving quite high. Ignore and repeat as necessary...
I drove mine on a very thin covering of snow in Yorkshire over Christmas with no problems, but it was only a very light covering. Fascinated by your story Victor. Worst car I ever drove in the snow was an XJS V12 - same story as you, the torque at tickover span the rears wheels, and being an auto, no way of using 2nd or top. Even worse, when moving on the fresh snow, even a light touch on the brakes would lock the fronts while the rears were merrily trying to push the car along. Result, no steering and very little retardation !! Only way to drive it was to put it into neutral every time I wanted to slow down, and hope for enough traction when I put it back in D. Fun.
victormeldrew said:
I got stranded up North a few years back when I was caught in snow unexpectedly while visiting relatives. Once the snow had laid it was just impossible to get the car moving; no matter what gear the torque even at tickover broke traction. It just sat there spinning the wheels madly in fifth at a complete standstill. I have it on video - I still crease myself when I hear my Dad say "try it in second" when I was in fifth already!
On the same trip I did a 180 at speed when I lifted and the engine breaking spun the car around (this was I arrived and the snow has just started falling). Ended up approaching a roundabout backwards with traffic bearing down on me!
Take care!
I think i may enjoy the bright weather before the snow and then put the Trev in the garage with a saucer of hot milk
The last two years (before this one) my wife was using her Chim every day. It snowed whilst she was at work...she'd left the car at the rai station.
The first year she drove the Chim home but stopped at the entry to our housing estate so I could do the last section.
A piddling little hill that all the 4WD and FWD cars were going up with no problem completely beat the car (and my ability to pilot it). Simply couldn't get it up the hill.
I had to leave the car where it was overnight. The next day the council gritted and I was able to get it to the entrance of my drive. (Also a hill).
Could I get it up the drive...NO WAY! I had two mates sitting on the boot and pushing before it would move... I finally got it in the garage where it remained until the thaw.
The second year my wife simply abandoned the car at the rail station and took a taxi...
I went to get it the following day. Could I get it up my drive? Could I hell. Cue the two mates on the boot again...
Tivs are USELESS in the snow and ice. Its not their fault. Its a function of what makes them so good in the warm and dry: Summer tyres, wide tyres, light weight, oodles of torque and bhp. Its just not a good combination.
The first year she drove the Chim home but stopped at the entry to our housing estate so I could do the last section.
A piddling little hill that all the 4WD and FWD cars were going up with no problem completely beat the car (and my ability to pilot it). Simply couldn't get it up the hill.
I had to leave the car where it was overnight. The next day the council gritted and I was able to get it to the entrance of my drive. (Also a hill).
Could I get it up the drive...NO WAY! I had two mates sitting on the boot and pushing before it would move... I finally got it in the garage where it remained until the thaw.
The second year my wife simply abandoned the car at the rail station and took a taxi...
I went to get it the following day. Could I get it up my drive? Could I hell. Cue the two mates on the boot again...
Tivs are USELESS in the snow and ice. Its not their fault. Its a function of what makes them so good in the warm and dry: Summer tyres, wide tyres, light weight, oodles of torque and bhp. Its just not a good combination.
The best car I have ever driven in snow was not very powerful, it was front engined, front wheel drive and it had narrow tyres.
My chim has tyres like oil drums, is reasonably powerful, rear wheel drive with the engine at the other end.
In short, the exact opposite - I would give it a miss if you have a choice.
My chim has tyres like oil drums, is reasonably powerful, rear wheel drive with the engine at the other end.
In short, the exact opposite - I would give it a miss if you have a choice.
I got caught a few months ago. Got off the train, in the dark, 'Oh my god....4 inches of snow' I got on the train in birmingham with no where near any signs of snow. Arrived in lichfield 25 miles away to artic conditions. I thought, shall I leave the car, no way.
so after wiping the snow off with my hands I start the car with the nice red snow flake on the dash taking the michael. Anyway, thought it might be best to take a route that wouldn't involve many turns, stops or starts. So I got onto the A38 dual carriageway to drive the 3miles home. Its hard enough seeing in front of a chim on a normal day but with no white lines or obvious kerb lines it was made harder. Then as I was going along the road at 30mph I was being overtaken by lorries doing atleast 50 and spraying slush and snow all over the front windscreen. Not a pleasant experience. I have a photo of the car covered in snow once I got home but its such a performance to get a picture on here I can't be bothered.
>> Edited by Fez1974 on Sunday 20th February 22:49
so after wiping the snow off with my hands I start the car with the nice red snow flake on the dash taking the michael. Anyway, thought it might be best to take a route that wouldn't involve many turns, stops or starts. So I got onto the A38 dual carriageway to drive the 3miles home. Its hard enough seeing in front of a chim on a normal day but with no white lines or obvious kerb lines it was made harder. Then as I was going along the road at 30mph I was being overtaken by lorries doing atleast 50 and spraying slush and snow all over the front windscreen. Not a pleasant experience. I have a photo of the car covered in snow once I got home but its such a performance to get a picture on here I can't be bothered.
>> Edited by Fez1974 on Sunday 20th February 22:49
Drove south from Edinburgh last new year with snow down the middle of (quiet) roads - fine as long as I stayed off it - terrifying if I didn't.
Other observation comes from driving landrovers in the lakes on all sorts of loose stuff (with full diff lock in low ratios all day ... www.kankku.co.uk/home.htm) - which is:
left-foot braking - haven't tried it on snow in t'TVR, but we used it even when it felt like the grip was still good on v.steep loose shale - stops the (all 4, in that scenario) wheels spinning away and the instructor guy recommended using it in mud/snow conditions in ordinary cars - might be the thing to try on those nasty snowy hills...
i spose it'd be a problem getting the clutch out in controlled conditions, but a complex heel-and-toe challenge perhaps ...!?
Other observation comes from driving landrovers in the lakes on all sorts of loose stuff (with full diff lock in low ratios all day ... www.kankku.co.uk/home.htm) - which is:
left-foot braking - haven't tried it on snow in t'TVR, but we used it even when it felt like the grip was still good on v.steep loose shale - stops the (all 4, in that scenario) wheels spinning away and the instructor guy recommended using it in mud/snow conditions in ordinary cars - might be the thing to try on those nasty snowy hills...
i spose it'd be a problem getting the clutch out in controlled conditions, but a complex heel-and-toe challenge perhaps ...!?
have driven Chim in snow in Eurpope. Inc to Alps, all I can say is they are not very good in any snow at all. Also very difficult to get snow chains on in pitch darkness in the midddle of a blizzard, however once snow chains on did manage to get to Tignes with 4" snow on the road.
>> Edited by DRS on Sunday 20th February 23:47
>> Edited by DRS on Sunday 20th February 23:47
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