racing and safety How Does The '02 Handle In The Harsher Weather? (Noob Question)

[roadhog0]

that 25F or -25F?

 

Never mind, I see where you're at.  My brother is out west of you in Port Angeles, so I'm familiar with the the temps.  -25F would come with 4 horsemen in that area

Basically... I dont think we'll ever see -25F here in my lifetime! 

[02fanatic]

The heater in my car will roast my right foot.  Anything is better than the pathetic heaters (engine RPM dependent fume blower) that were in my previous VW's.  I had to keep a squeegie and scraper for use inside the windshield on my 66.

Jim,

 

Your comment made me laugh!  My college roommate back in the late 60's early 70's had a VW Beetle.  One day we went outside and the thing was covered in ice...he scraped and scraped then punched the front windshield with the corner of the scraper and the whole windshield exploded into pieces!!!!  Not funny at the time, but looking back it was pretty hillarious...the look on his face was classic!  I'm sure the air cooled engine would have taken longer than the drive to campus to warm up also!

 

Regarding this thread, the only experience I have with rear wheel German cars back in the day are my '67 Opel Rally Kadett and my '70 Opel GT.....the GT was an awesome car, but both were horrible in the snow!  I remember one day in college in Rolla, Missouri attempting to get back up the hill into the trailer park in my Opel GT and I slid one way then the other going up that hill only to reverse slide all the way back down to the bottom....after about an hour or so of trying this, I parked it at the bottom of the hill and left it there overnight.  I'm sure the neighbors appreciated my stopping! 

 

Good memories! :-)

 

I'm sure an '02 would be much better in the snow, but I try to avoid it as much as I can...never had to endure it the past 16 years of '02 ownership!  I did drive my '76 to 02-02-02 though and I was very fortunate to slip past a few snow storms that February...loved that trip down south!

[2002Targa]

[willie002]

I started my snow drive experiences in a 1971 VW pick-up. Now that was one rig that could go anywhere in the snow, a little weight in the back end and you just went where you wanted. The only problem was you got there a bit cold. Those heaters didn't work the best. Then fast forward to the late 1970's when I was introduced to my first 2002. I thought I was in heaven, snow tires all the way around couple of bags of sand and tire chains in the truck and a heater in the car that actually would take the frost off the windows. The only time's now that I don't drive is when I'm headed into Washington or California - they both use salt to deice. In Oregon it is illegal to use salt as a deicer. That's right there was legislation past that does not allow any salt or salt type products to be used as deicer on the roads. It even goes future and it does not allow salt product's in any material used to build the roadways in Oregon. E.g. calcium chloride in concrete in the winter to make it set quicker. So not everyone uses salt to deice their roadways. Its as destructive to the highways as it is our wonderful car's. One caution though if you love your little car don't take it to the Oregon coast unless you plan on wash it from top to bottom thoroughly. That climate will rust your car very quickly. 

[dan99]

i cannot find a set of winter tires! Does anyone have a link ? 

[M3M3]

i cannot find a set of winter tires! Does anyone have a link ? 

www.tirerack.com ?

[tlapham]

I have all season tires, but they are too wide (7" rear) for snow with the weight of these cars... I also have a LSD, which makes it harder to get stuck, but easier to lose the rear end on throttle lift. either way, i would not recommend driving a 2002 in the snow without years of experience in other cars.

 

No salt or other ice melting chemicals allowed on public roads anywhere on the west coast. sand and plows work fine.

[jgerock]

My '74 Beetle could soften the rubber on the outer aspect of my left shoe after a number of hours at highway speed!  I carried a chamois to keep the interior windows clear. 

The fan-controlled blower was a revelation/revolution in the 2002 in coming from the bug.

VW moved the footwell outlets closer to the driver about 69 - my 75 had pretty good heat but I used older heater boxes that were not compatible with the cables in the 75 so it was all heat or no heat on long trips unless I crawled under the car. Kind of embarrassing when giving a girl a ride back to college......(gee- it's getting hot in here).

[jgerock]

I was amazed by my father-in-laws driving ability in Beckley, WV where they use cinders and sand. The steep, narrow roads there are tricky in their harsh winters but I appreciated his calmness whenever I visited them. R.I.P. Mr. Lilly.

[dan99]

www.tirerack.com ?

they don't make them anymore, they only have all season tires....

[M3M3]

they don't make them anymore, they only have all season tires....

you didn't say what SIZE winter tires you were looking for...they carry several snow tires that will fit a 2002 on 13, 14 and 15in wheels..

 

here is just one of them.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Winter+Maxx&partnum=86TR4WMAXX&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&tab=Specs

Edited December 28, 2013 by mlytle

[dan99]

you didn't say what SIZE winter tires you were looking for...they carry several snow tires that will fit a 2002 on 13, 14 and 15in wheels..

 

here is just one of them.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Dunlop&tireModel=Winter+Maxx&partnum=86TR4WMAXX&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes&tab=Specs

 yeah, sorry kinda new at this... was looking at a winter tire setup 13 in wheel and tires... turns out i have to do a custom tire setup and make sure it will have to fit. 

[xferboy]

If you're after 13", these are available in 155/80 and 175/70. 

 

I had an older version (not studded) on a Corrado and they were amazing, even in the 60 series.  Worth every penny.

 

http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=131172&group=1.01&name=Nokian+Hakkapeliitta+7

 

The other models have only 175/70

[glemon]

I had my 2002 out a few days ago, the roads were mostly dry (or I wouldn't have had it out), but there was some snowy/icy patches here and there.   It has been many years since I have driven a RWD car on the snow, I ended up stopping in spot where one rear wheel was on snow and or ice when I started out I thought maybe my clutch had gone out, lots of wheel spin and very little forward progress.  All season radials with good tread on all four corners. 

 

The last RWD daily driver was the wife's Infiniti J30, which has been gone several years, we got a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks for it, night and day difference, you still had to be careful about hanging the tail out with the throttle when you swung around a corner, but pretty controllable, and didn't get stuck, winter tire technology has come a long way since the days of the old knobbly snows we had in the 60s and 70s.  I am sure a 2002 on a good set of winter tires would be a hoot in the snow.

[M3M3]

see this thread for what 2002's look like after some years of driving in snow and salted roads....

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/148873-rust-and-its-travels-and-some-noted-hideouts/#entry961208

 

park'em and get a winter beater!!!!