Winter Driving?

[klassick]

Also Aquapel or Rain-X on your windows are pretty helpful during winter.

[Suberman]

Good advice lower down this thread about the benefits of switching off the traction control for some winter driving. Loose snow can give more grip if the wheels spin a little. VSC allows some wheelspin but for full throttle control you need traction control fully off.

Be aware that once the traction control is active during any ignition event you can't switch it off, at least on my BRZ. once it is active even once and even only briefly you have to switch off the engine and engage the park brake be fire restarting and then switching off the traction control

This is annoying and must be some liability lawyer's idea!

[kALMIGHTY]

Originally Posted by Tessball

I'm gonna sound clueless.. but does the plastidipping spray on? Did u do it while the tires were on your car? Put michelin x-ice2s on the stock rims. Not a bad idea to protect them.

Yeah, just simple spray-paint type situation. I did mine with the tires on the car because I didn't have the proper tools or jack stands to take the wheels off. Would have made the job a lot easier though. I just covered the paint around the wheel arches with garbage bags and slid a garbage bag over the rotors and then just spray painted them with plasti dip. I washed my car the night before so the wheels were pretty clean.

If you're going to do it, make sure when you're doing it, spray a few coats, and then roll or car forward or backward so your wheels turn over exactly halfway so any parts of the spokes that were on the bottom are now on the top, so you can get all angles of the wheel.

I did 3 coats of black first, then turned wheels halfway, then 2 more coats of black. One light coat of silver metallizer (I didn't turn the wheels for this part, just make sure you get the wheel from all angles just in that one coat), and then 2 coats of glossifier on top (again, just make sure you get all angles, no need to turn wheels again).

I used about 2 cans of black in total. But I had 4 cans of black with me just in case. I'd get at least 3 in case you mess up and need to restart. I had 2 sitting in a sink filled with hot water from the tap just to keep the paint inside nice and warm so it sprays out evenly instead of in globs (I plasti dipped while it was snowing lol).

Came out pretty nice and it's not matte black, which is what I wanted. You can do any colour you want and it's removable when you get tired of it.

[daftpunk]

I picked up my FRS last winter but got my dealership to store it until snow was minimal. This year, I'll be driving it throughout winter, and TBH I'm a bit worried.. but here's what I've got so far:

- Winter tires: Still shopping..to be determined
- Installed weathertech digitalfit mats. Love them to death.
- using my leafblower to clean snow off roof and hood. I care too much about my paint to take a brush to it
- 100lbs of additional weight in the rear
- small shovel in the trunk
- Thinking about plastidipping my front bumper as well as the lip of my quarters/fenders to protect them from chips
- Thinking about rallyarmour mudflaps..but my budget is pretty tight atm.
-Telling everybody not to go anywhere near my car with a snow brush. My dad thinks he's doing me a favour every morning when he used to clean the snow off my car with a frikkin floor broom LOL.

If anyone else has suggestions, it'd be greatly appreciated!

[drewbot]

Originally Posted by daftpunk

I picked up my FRS last winter but got my dealership to store it until snow was minimal. This year, I'll be driving it throughout winter, and TBH I'm a bit worried.. but here's what I've got so far:

- Winter tires: Still shopping..to be determined
- Installed weathertech digitalfit mats. Love them to death.
- using my leafblower to clean snow off roof and hood. I care too much about my paint to take a brush to it
- 100lbs of additional weight in the rear
- small shovel in the trunk
- Thinking about plastidipping my front bumper as well as the lip of my quarters/fenders to protect them from chips
- Thinking about rallyarmour mudflaps..but my budget is pretty tight atm.
-Telling everybody not to go anywhere near my car with a snow brush. My dad thinks he's doing me a favour every morning when he used to clean the snow off my car with a frikkin floor broom LOL.

If anyone else has suggestions, it'd be greatly appreciated!

If you ever find yourself without your leafblower, you could use something like this: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sno-Brum-Original-Removal-Telescoping/dp/B0007LDXLA"]Amazon.com: Sno Brum Original Snow Removal Tool with Telescoping Handle: Patio, Lawn & Garden[/ame]

I got one similar to this at Canadian Tire on clearance back in September.

[nalc]

I am. It won't be my first winter in a RWD car, I did two in my Oldsmobile, which was more front-heavy, had all-seasons, and didn't have traction control, so I'm not particularly worried.

BRZ currently has OEM mudguards and ~100 lbs of sound deadening that's all behind the front wheels, so weight distribution is probably a bit more balanced than stock. Don't plan on adding ballast unless I start having problems.

I've got 16x6.5" wheels from an '02 WRX with some fairly worn Bridgestone all-seasons in 205/55R16 (10mm narrower than stock, but very close to stock diameter). I've done the winter + RWD + allseason combo twice before, so I'm going to give it a shot. I'll probably go to winter tires (or at least allseasons with good cold/wet performance) once the current all-seasons are done, or earlier if necessary.

EDIT - whoops, apologies for posting in the "Canada" section when I live in PA. I always browse with "New Posts" and sometimes I don't notice what section I'm posting in. This isn't the first time I've posted in a regional forum that I don't belong in by accident.

[Suberman]

Scratching your paint by using a cheap snowbrush is very real. Some are awful.

Always buy a good quality brush if you are going to sweep off your car. Check that the bristle ends have been softened properly. Replace frequently or you'll be polishing scratch marks that look like straight swirls for hours come summer.

[Burrcold]

I just make sure to never brush beyond keeping a small layer of snow on the car. Enough that will drift off when I start driving (not too much to be dangerous to other drivers), and the rest I let melt off on it's own.

[Pokeguyjai]

During day with no ice or snow on the ground, would it be a bad idea to drive with summer tires? I have Michelin PSSs and I plan to do some highway driving just for the purpose of keeping the car fresh.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by Pokeguyjai

During day with no ice or snow on the ground, would it be a bad idea to drive with summer tires? I have Michelin PSSs and I plan to do some highway driving just for the purpose of keeping the car fresh.

its fine

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

its fine

No it's not fine. In freezing cold temps PSS's will eventually warm up but the roads are so cold, that traction becomes a HUGE problem even on dry pavement.

I guess it's fine if you don't mind shitting your pants when the car gets extremely skittish.

[kALMIGHTY]

Originally Posted by daftpunk

I picked up my FRS last winter but got my dealership to store it until snow was minimal. This year, I'll be driving it throughout winter, and TBH I'm a bit worried.. but here's what I've got so far:

- Winter tires: Still shopping..to be determined
- Installed weathertech digitalfit mats. Love them to death.
- using my leafblower to clean snow off roof and hood. I care too much about my paint to take a brush to it
- 100lbs of additional weight in the rear
- small shovel in the trunk
- Thinking about plastidipping my front bumper as well as the lip of my quarters/fenders to protect them from chips
- Thinking about rallyarmour mudflaps..but my budget is pretty tight atm.
-Telling everybody not to go anywhere near my car with a snow brush. My dad thinks he's doing me a favour every morning when he used to clean the snow off my car with a frikkin floor broom LOL.

If anyone else has suggestions, it'd be greatly appreciated!

Luckily my car stays in the garage at all times when I'm home so I usually never have to take a brush to my car. I do have a brush in my car but it's only to use the scraper end on headlights and windshield and the bumper/hood area when there's ice on it. I have the entire front end of the car covered in Xpel Ultimate, as far back as the front 12 inches of the roof, so I don't mind using a brush there. The rest I just leave because it'll slide off the car on it's own thanks to Opti Guard.

But I think you've got everything covered. Plastidip the bottom part of the bumper, or at least get a clear bra that'll go over the "fangs" because I'd assume that would get damaged really quickly since that part does tend to act as a snow plow in heavy snow.

[brzr]

this is my first winter with a rwd car
i tested an frs last february on some snow, and it had stock tires....it wasn't that bad....i would still like to take the car somewhere where i can learn how to drive it properly.....hopefully soon

anyway, i got mine to krown couple of weeks ago, and put 16'' winter tires on

but i am thinking i'll keep the frs tucked away when a snowstorm hits, and take the passat out......and that is only if i really have to go somewhere

[Tessball]

Originally Posted by kALMIGHTY

Came out pretty nice and it's not matte black, which is what I wanted. You can do any colour you want and it's removable

Thanks for the tips and pics. Tires look great! The removable tempts me to do a crazy color but i dont want to waste money and time if I don't like it. This year ill do red and see how it goes..