Anyone Regularly Winter Drive Their ZR-1?

[Erik]

Originally Posted by dredgeguy

I got caught in 3" of snow driving from Marc Haibeck back to Maryland. My car was there over the winter getting top end porting, polished engine and a punch list of various items to check/repair. March of 2019 it was all done and the weather was going to be clear so I flew to Chicago to drive it home. I thought I was being smart going the southern route through Ohio rather than the mountains around Pittsburg. Hit an unexpected snowstorm/white out in Ohio that lasted 3 hours. I was stuck in the center lane with 3" snow tire rutts. Had 18 wheelers passing on the left and right drowning my car in slush. It was getting dark and the mental stress was getting to me but my hotel was close. Problem was getting to the right lane for the exit. Every time I tried to switch lanes I felt like the car was ready to swap ends. Waited until I had small headlights in the right lane, figured if I lose it would rather be T-boned by a Honda than a 18-wheeler. Long story short, made it to the right lane and then almost ?#@%, my exit was a cloverleaf!! Made it to the hotel and had a "few" drinks to settle my nerves. Fortunately the next day everything was clear and I drove the rest of the way home. The newly polished engine was still looking good.
So can you drive your Z in snow? Yes but at a minimum you should have all season or snow tires. I had Pilot Sport summer tires that had 22,000 miles on them that made my drive most memorable.

And it didn't melt?
I've had some drives like that, but I'd sure prefer not to do it in my ZR-1.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by DRM500RUBYZR-1

SHHHHHHH!!!!
Don't tell Charlie ( Dredgeguy ), although I believe we discussed it before, when I owned 92 # 246, it was my daily driver.
Rain, Sleet, Ice, Thunderstorms, Traffic Jams, airport parking, etc.

And YES! Snow!

Someone from my Corvette Club, and the owner after me, snapped a picture of me driving in 4-6 inches of snow passing him by on the highway.

I likened it to a puppy on ice occasionally.

My favorite was trying to get up my short but steep driveway to get it into the garage during a snowfall.

The traction control was laughably trying to figure out what to do. I could almost feel the attempts, and it just kept dropping the RPM's lower and lower, and pushing back on the accelerator until it finally got it so low it just stalled.
Undeterred, I toggled off the traction control and tried again. Going, going,
Almost...... Half of the car in the garage.............
Then the back end started to swing right.
Fearing I would go sideways into the door frame, I reconsidered and backed out onto the driveway.
Put the brake on, opened the door, grabbed my brief case, got out............
and the moment the door closed........................
There the car went sliding all of the way back down the driveway into the street.
Thank God, it did not happen as I was climbing out!!!
I maneuvered it sideways onto the sidewalk, went inside and mixed a double!

I found it no more difficult to drive in the snow than most other cars owned.
It would perform very graceful half donuts at times, but very easy to swing it back around with added throttle and a turn of the wheel.

Rain was the bigger issue with the ZR-1. One drip from the top of the A post on drivers side right onto my knee.
Better yet, was lowering the window to pay a toll.
No roof rails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got to work, looked like I peed my pants upwards and down my entire left side.
Finally got my EZpass!

I truly enjoyed driving it everyday except for when the pilot bearing decided to sing.
You would be sitting there all quiet and nice, then out of nowhere this SHRIEK would begin.
It would scare the HE** out of anyone remotely close.
Then it would disappear for days only to come back in the bank drive in line

Bottom line, it won't melt, and it was FUN!
Just be careful, and stay off of inclined driveways.

Marty

This, and Charlie's post above, should be in the running for post of the year.

[32valvZ]

Nope.. its not a winter car... thats what SUV's and 4X4s are for.... Has nothing to do with it "melting" or anything else... it comes down to safety.

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

"I found it no more difficult to drive in the snow than most other cars owned."

Now, I never drove it through the woods or the mud like a 4X4 or an SUV, but I did drive daily on paved roads it in all kinds of weather and traffic.

I grew up driving front engine rear wheel drive cars, which actually drove no better than the ZR-1 in similar conditions. The ZR-1 was quite predictable and controllable if not driven like in a road rally while in the snow.
Once you mastered the art of flinging the tail around with throttle and steering, which I did in 1970 at 17 in a Pontiac Catalina 421, it seemed not much different from the ZR-1. Kids today think they invented drifting.

Never owned a 4X4 or SUV until 2000, and that was to transport what was needed with a newborn in terms of "gear".
Once he grew up a bit, no more of those tanks for me.

Guess I failed to read the WARNING label stating that the Corvette was not intended to be driven from November to March.

Those 4X4's doing 70 while on their phone, in the snow are far more of a risk then me moving along at 40-50 in the ZR-1.

It just became a PITA to clean the darn thing up for a show after a winters worth of driving.

Just one silly opinion, but I truly enjoyed driving those cars in the snow!
I remember quite a few Vettes with studded snows.

Marty

[Erik]

What kind of inspired this thread was a neighbour of mine when I was a kid. He had a fawn beige 1962 Corvette, that he bought because he got tired to all of his cars rusting away. So yes, his daily driver, was the 1962 Corvette. I remember him driving all winter long in the Corvette, with steelies and snow tires. He did this up until the mid to late 80s.

I always had a thought of buying the Corvette from him, but his marriage fell apart and he was gone without a trace.

[XfireZ51]

I?ll take mine if the weather and roads are dry and it hits above 40F. I like to do that to warm up the oil and grease along w the tires. Keep joints from freezing up.

[Mystic ZR-1]

TV weatherman says 8-18 inches starting tomorrow nite!
So much for being in the Miami of New England...
Daily driver has snows all the way around, but I plan on going nowhere.
One of the advantages of being retired... think I'll have another cup of coffee, maybe even add some brandy?

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Originally Posted by Mystic ZR-1

TV weatherman says 8-18 inches starting tomorrow nite!
So much for being in the Miami of New England...
Daily driver has snows all the way around, but I plan on going nowhere.
One of the advantages of being retired... think I'll have another cup of coffee, maybe even add some brandy?

Doug,
You are retired.
Skip the coffee.
Just heat the brandy a bit and enjoy it while watching the snow by the fireplace!

Marty

[Mystic ZR-1]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lGNXVh...P0c96AfSX4avxJ

[DRM500RUBYZR-1]

Originally Posted by Mystic ZR-1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lGNXVh...P0c96AfSX4avxJ

So you drank all of the brandy?
Thanks, Thanks a lot.

Marty