Got Ice?
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Got Ice?
Hello to all you other Corvette lovers! This is my first post. I live in an area that gets ice and snow during the winter and I was wondering if any of you could tell me if the car handles on the ice/snow without traction control. I don't want to drive it in the snow but where I live the weather can change in a heartbeat. There is a 1990 Vette I want to buy but I need to know how it handles before I make my desicion. Thanks!
Bench Racer
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,201
Likes: 15
From: Palm Beach Gardens FL
St. Jude '03 thru 14,'25
I've heard the later ones aren't bad on snow and ice but I had an 88 coupe when I lived in Chicago and I can tell you, until the streets were plowed and salted, it was downright scary. After a couple adventures, I thought it should be illegal to drive a C4 in over an inch of snow...
Bench Racer
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,201
Likes: 15
From: Palm Beach Gardens FL
St. Jude '03 thru 14,'25
That I couldn't say. I've heard of guys running snow tires on them and that helped but with the stock tires at the time (can't remember what they were), in an inch or so of snow, once you gave it any gas at all, you were going sideways. And because of the low ground clearance, if would hang up on that slushy muck you get at unplowed intersections and if whoever was behind me wanted to get anywhere, they'd have to get out and give me a push. I remember seeing a long line of cars backed up into the expressway at an exit ramp, all stuck behind a C4 that couldn't make it up the icy grade. On wet pavement it was great, I just had to wait a day for the plows and salt spreaders to get out there...
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 30,845
Likes: 292
From: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
Yes, get a later car with traction control.
get some all season or snow tires on it, performance tires turn to bricks in cold weather.
I took this pic after driving through an ice storm
Lots of other cars off the road.
get some all season or snow tires on it, performance tires turn to bricks in cold weather.
I took this pic after driving through an ice storm
Lots of other cars off the road.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
From: Elkton MD
Driving on ice
I backed my '95 (it has 'traction control') out of the garage to get the snow blower out before the storm got too bad. It must have been 10 degrees and there was about 1/4" of snow on the drive way (which is very level).
Had to get out and push the Corvette back into the garage as the only direction it would go under power was sideways. Sideways was after releasing the foot brake and applying no gas.
I drive it in the rain and it's scary. When there's snow on the roads it stays in the garage.
But it's the best car purchase I ever made. Buy the one you want and enjoy it!
Had to get out and push the Corvette back into the garage as the only direction it would go under power was sideways. Sideways was after releasing the foot brake and applying no gas.
I drive it in the rain and it's scary. When there's snow on the roads it stays in the garage.
But it's the best car purchase I ever made. Buy the one you want and enjoy it!
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,356
Likes: 2
From: No HOA, New Hampshire
Cruise-In X Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
I drove my 84 a few times in the winter here in NH. And a few times got caught in a snowstorm. Any more than an inch is scary with performance tires. Put the Vette away when the snow starts to fall and get a winter beater. I have a Cavalier and a Blazer for bad weather.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 322
Likes: 1
From: Muskego Wisconsin
Never had the Vette in the snow, however the Stang is a DD year round and deep snow sucks. I couldn't even imagine fatter tires and a chit load more horseys. Makes my a$$ pucker just thinking about it.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,327
Likes: 5
From: 2010 C6 Grand Sport Convertible
Keep her in the garage. My 1986 Mustang GT did fairly well in the snow. It had no t\c, but had posi. I used deep lug skinny snows in the rear and skinny all season snows in the front with about 100 lbs of sand bags in the trunk.
Mike
Mike
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
From: Flint MI: Birthplace of the Corvette
In Michigan, mine goes in the garage in late November. The last Vette I drove through the winter was a '64 vert in the mid 1970's. After it swapped ends with me on the freeway I bought a Malibu winter driver.
Dave T.
Dave T.
Barely touch the gas at 60 and it starts going sideways. Good winter tires would have helped, though. 
Racer
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 258
Likes: 1
From: Centralia Illinois
The vette does seem to handle better in the snow for me.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,590
Likes: 48
From: W MI
With decent skinnier snow tires, it would be better than stock in the snow, but it'd still be no fun. What is fun about driving a sports car in the snow if you can't use all of the throttle?
Get a nice beater, FWD is preferable. I drive a Town Car without traction control or abs and I've never been stranded, but my next DD will preferably be FWD or AWD(Subaru!). Have some real fun in the snow.
Get a nice beater, FWD is preferable. I drive a Town Car without traction control or abs and I've never been stranded, but my next DD will preferably be FWD or AWD(Subaru!). Have some real fun in the snow.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,830
Likes: 20
From: Las Vegas Nevada
It's just not worth it. Some will say they do but I don't suspect the people who drive their Vettes in the "Winter" get real ice or snow storms. If you get a real winter in your area put the vette away. It's just not predictable in the snow. At the least it will be miserable to deal with (no ground clearance, little traction) and can certainly be down right dangerous.
Get a cheap AWD beater and have some real
fun in the snow!
Get a cheap AWD beater and have some real
fun in the snow!
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Hi, I used to drive a 1960 all winter long with snow tires.had studde snows on my '65 and never a problem. this was when these cars were CHEAP. Paid $1000 for the "60 and BIG BUCKS $1800 for the '65. This was in 1971. Anyway as the tires got wider the cars got worse.C4 are downright dangerous in the winter.Tried it,wrecked 'em,don't do it.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Tires, tires, tires...
I run GY Eagle Ultra HP Plus and have no problem in a few inches of snow, even on a 30deg incline.
I've gone up my son's steep curved drive when his wife's Beemer was stuck at the bottom of his drive.
Last Feb a NYC parking lot crew messed with a new Beemer to get it "unstuck" but the Vette just pulled right out with no problem.
I run GY Eagle Ultra HP Plus and have no problem in a few inches of snow, even on a 30deg incline.
I've gone up my son's steep curved drive when his wife's Beemer was stuck at the bottom of his drive.
Last Feb a NYC parking lot crew messed with a new Beemer to get it "unstuck" but the Vette just pulled right out with no problem.