Another One of These: Totaled or Not? Heartbroken

[BRZBlack]

Last night I took the car out (Blizzak ws70's on 16 inch steelies) out in my empty parking lot to have some fun doing doughnuts. Just out of curiosity and to test what the car could handle, I left all the nannies on. I literally tried my best to make the car spin and slide (lose control) doing about 25. It wasn't having it. The TCS and stability control just backed the throttle off and the car would correct on its own. Even on 55 coming home from my brothers place new years day.... couldn't lose control even if I tried. Granted, I was keeping my speed low because of the complete idiots out there but man.... the confidence you get with a set of winters on this car. My guess is that once the system couldn't detect at least one wheel with any amount of traction, it throws up its arms and says "good luck", sending you into the spin. Just my thoughts.

Sorry about the car man. At least you are ok. Lesson is: winters in winter. Summers in summer.

[uEih]

Originally Posted by Darkazn58

Okay this fucking scares the shit out of me. I'm buying my BRZ from Clint in Colorado and driving it back to SoCal around March or April. I just want to get out of snow country intact.

Why don't you just have it shipped? All that time wasted driving and gas money is worth more than the shipment.

[ashtray]

4 WINTER TIRES REQUIRED!

Ok - you crashed your baby, and were lucky to not hit anyone else or injure yourself. I think you've learned your lesson without the forum preaching to you. But for everyone else - a reminder: SUMMER tires turn ROCK HARD at temps below 40 degrees. It could be dry as a bone on the roads, but having summer tires on and it being below freezing out means you have minimal traction. Throw any kind of snow/rain in the mix and you are toast.

"I can't afford a second set of rims/tires." Then don't buy a $25k car if you can't afford another $500 to drive it year round. Or - buy a used set of rims with all season tires off Craigslist and sell your stock ones. A cheap set should run you $300 with decent tread, and you can get more than that for your stock tires.

All season tires suck, in all seasons - but equally, so it's pretty predictable. They're not great in snow but ok in light snow if you are careful. They're not great at 10/10ths in the summer either - but honestly, the tires that come on these cars don't have good summer grip. In fact, they're ECO tires! (look 'em up!) Designed to give good gas mileage by offering less traction. It's actually fun bc they lose grip earlier so you can slide them around at lower speeds. See Chris Harris video of AMG Merc on 4 donut spares having a blast.

The 5x100 pattern is common, and there's always people dumping their old 16" or 17" stockers. Just pick up a spare set. Heck, I'm in SoCal and it sometimes drops into the 30's late at night and I'm concerned on dry roads! I've thought about picking up some all seasons just as a precaution for the "winter" months.


Lastly - if you have to choose, put snow tires on the REAR, not the front - even in FWD cars. This took some time for me to grasp, but essentially if the rear loses traction, you'll be swapping ends. If you have a fwd car, put some lunch trays under the rear tires and slide around - see how tough it is to go around a turn, or be stable at higher speeds. If your front tires lose traction - nothing happens. Precisely nothing. No turning. You just keep going in the direction you are going - which could mean understeering off a turn. But that's better than having traction in the front and simply hitting the brakes can cause the rear end to come around.

So - to repeat to everyone driving on stock tires when it's below 35-40 degrees: STOP IT. Get a spare set of tires, even if they are used all seasons, they are better than stock.

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Captain Stall

You really should have the same grip all the way around, but this sounds like you don't have snow tires on the back.

Hater, mad FWD driftz, yo!

[Fett4Real]

Beating a dead horse?

[Captain Stall]

Originally Posted by BRZBlack

Last night I took the car out (Blizzak ws70's on 16 inch steelies) out in my empty parking lot to have some fun doing doughnuts. Just out of curiosity and to test what the car could handle, I left all the nannies on. I literally tried my best to make the car spin and slide (lose control) doing about 25. It wasn't having it. The TCS and stability control just backed the throttle off and the car would correct on its own.

QFT. (Yokohama IG52c tires on 16s here)

[Efenys]

Just smashed my car sideways into another on stocks. 2k worth of damage out of pocket. Was going 5 MPH into my parking lot and all of a sudden the car just stopped turning and went straight into another car. I was being very careful. I don't drive the car in snow. I don't drive the car on ice (So i thought). I waited all day in PA for temps to rise so i could get back to my SUV 50 miles away. Mid drive back freezing rain (not called for at all) started and coated my parking lot with a solid half inch thick coating of ice. All other roads were fine because they were treated propperly.

I'm annoyed but i honestly don't think that winters would have helped me here. I could be wrong and may never know. If it snows or there is a chance of it i don't drive the BRZ. Anything under 32* and i go for my SUV....

[Bad Habits]

Originally Posted by Darkazn58

Okay this fucking scares the shit out of me. I'm buying my BRZ from Clint in Colorado and driving it back to SoCal around March or April. I just want to get out of snow country intact.

If you have no skills driving in that type of weather - don't. No shame, no one is going to pull your man card. Have it shipped and that headache is on someone else, they total your car you get another one on their dime AND their insurance. You car arrives good to go, you stress less, it doesn't have all the extra miles, rock chips from salt and on the road, etc etc.

[Photonic]

Yes, I was thinking of flying to colorado also to pick one up because I could use 2 personal days to make me a long weekend and it would probably be the best road trip ever.

Then I remembered the fact id have to traverse mountain ranges in snow country to get back .... Nope. not on summer tires and Im damn sure not buying winter tires for a car that will exist in the south and sees sub freezing temperatures maybe a couple weeks out of the year.

[TM]

Just a quick update, it's a total lost. Estimated $16,000 in repairs including labor.

Now I'm debating between getting a:
1. New 2014 BRZ ($30k OTD, 3 weeks to transport from CO)
2. Used 2013 BRZ with 4,000 miles and TRD catback ($27K OTD - flying to OH and driving back to NY)
3. A cheap $2K car until Spring (but I'm probably going to hate life for 3 months)

What would you do? My BRZ had 15,000 miles since April 2013 BTW.

[BadMoon]

Originally Posted by TM

Just a quick update, it's a total lost. Estimated $16,000 in repairs including labor.

Now I'm debating between getting a:
1. New 2014 BRZ ($30k OTD, 3 weeks to transport from CO)
2. Used 2013 BRZ with 4,000 miles and TRD catback ($27K OTD - flying to OH and driving back to NY)
3. A cheap $2K car until Spring (but I'm probably going to hate life for 3 months)

What would you do? My BRZ had 15,000 miles since April 2013 BTW.

Depends on what your insurance is going to cover/pay on claim.

[Myv]

Negotiate winter tires to be installed with your new car, then you can just buy new set of rims+tires for summer

Glad you are okay though.

[TM]

Originally Posted by BadMoon

Depends on what your insurance is going to cover/pay on claim.

The ACV is about $23,500, so they are giving me $23,000 after deductible.

[BadMoon]

Originally Posted by TM

The ACV is about $23,500, so they are giving me $23,000 after deductible.

Tough call depending on what you owe. If you love the car I say get another one. It really is a fantastic machine.