I need a better winter car...

My '86 BMW 323 is really a crappy winter car. Sure, it handles great,
but I get stuck everywhere! Today, I got stuck *twice* within a couple
of minutes. Same scenario, hit a snowdrift and snow goes flying onto the
windshield. I brake because I can't see anything, and then I'm stuck... :-(

First time, notice how little snow it actually takes:

http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw1.jpg
http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw2.jpg

Second time, this time the car stopped in the next snowdrift:

http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw3.jpg
http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw4.jpg

Notice that both times I'm stuck completely *on* the road.

I'm leaning more and more towards a 525xi, nothing like AWD to avoid
getting stuck. :-)

Ulf

"Ulf" > wrote in message
...
> My '86 BMW 323 is really a crappy winter car. Sure, it handles
> great, but I get stuck everywhere! Today, I got stuck *twice* within
> a couple of minutes. Same scenario, hit a snowdrift and snow goes
> flying onto the windshield. I brake because I can't see anything,
> and then I'm stuck... :-(
>
> First time, notice how little snow it actually takes:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw1.jpg
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw2.jpg
>
> Second time, this time the car stopped in the next snowdrift:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw3.jpg
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw4.jpg
>
> Notice that both times I'm stuck completely *on* the road.
>
> I'm leaning more and more towards a 525xi, nothing like AWD to avoid
> getting stuck. :-)

This is a joke right?

You don't look like your "on the road" to me. Looks like you drove
into the snowbank.

Also, do you have snow tires on the thing (can't tell)

-Fred W

The Malt Hound wrote:
> "Ulf" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>My '86 BMW 323 is really a crappy winter car. Sure, it handles
>>great, but I get stuck everywhere! Today, I got stuck *twice* within
>>a couple of minutes. Same scenario, hit a snowdrift and snow goes
>>flying onto the windshield. I brake because I can't see anything,
>>and then I'm stuck... :-(
>>
>>First time, notice how little snow it actually takes:
>>
>>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw1.jpg
>>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw2.jpg
>>
>>Second time, this time the car stopped in the next snowdrift:
>>
>>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw3.jpg
>>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw4.jpg
>>
>>Notice that both times I'm stuck completely *on* the road.
>>
>>I'm leaning more and more towards a 525xi, nothing like AWD to avoid
>>getting stuck. :-)
>
>
> This is a joke right?
>
> You don't look like your "on the road" to me. Looks like you drove
> into the snowbank.

Well, the "snowbank" was *on* the road. :-)

Here are two more pictures. In the first I'm parked *off* the road while
taking the picture. This is also before I got stuck as you can see by
the front only being covered by road grime and not snow.

In the second picture, compare how much of the amber sticks, marking the
edges of the road, is viable on the right vs. the left side of the road.
I'd estimate that it's between two and three feet of snow *on* the road
on the right side. I'm standing pretty much in the middle of the road in
this picture too.

http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw5.jpg (original size)
http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw6.JPG


>
> Also, do you have snow tires on the thing (can't tell)

Yup, studded snow tires.

>
> -Fred W
>
>
Ulf

"Ulf" > wrote in message
...
| The Malt Hound wrote:
| > "Ulf" > wrote in message
| > ...
| >
| >>My '86 BMW 323 is really a crappy winter car. Sure, it handles
| >>great, but I get stuck everywhere! Today, I got stuck *twice* within
| >>a couple of minutes. Same scenario, hit a snowdrift and snow goes
| >>flying onto the windshield. I brake because I can't see anything,
| >>and then I'm stuck... :-(
| >>
| >>First time, notice how little snow it actually takes:
| >>
| >>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw1.jpg
| >>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw2.jpg
| >>
| >>Second time, this time the car stopped in the next snowdrift:
| >>
| >>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw3.jpg
| >>http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw4.jpg
| >>
| >>Notice that both times I'm stuck completely *on* the road.
| >>
| >>I'm leaning more and more towards a 525xi, nothing like AWD to avoid
| >>getting stuck. :-)
| >
| >
| > This is a joke right?
| >
| > You don't look like your "on the road" to me. Looks like you drove
| > into the snowbank.
|
| Well, the "snowbank" was *on* the road. :-)
|
| Here are two more pictures. In the first I'm parked *off* the road
while
| taking the picture. This is also before I got stuck as you can see by
| the front only being covered by road grime and not snow.
|
| In the second picture, compare how much of the amber sticks, marking
the
| edges of the road, is viable on the right vs. the left side of the
road.
| I'd estimate that it's between two and three feet of snow *on* the
road
| on the right side. I'm standing pretty much in the middle of the road
in
| this picture too.
|
| http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw5.jpg (original size)
| http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw6.JPG
|
|
| >
| > Also, do you have snow tires on the thing (can't tell)
|
| Yup, studded snow tires.
|
| >
| > -Fred W
| >
| >
| Ulf

Look, if that snowbank WAS on the road, timing, not sedan version, is
your problem.

If you NEED to drive when the snow on the road is higher than your
bumper, how much imagination does it take to realize that it's ground
clearance you need, and not the inch or so difference between e30, e34,
or ix variants.

Once you manage to use the snow as a ramp, and take the weight off the
wheels, it wont much matter how many of them are spinning, or if it has
tires or paddlewheels on it.

There is a reason that plows are pushed by the type of machinery that
pushes them. The common denominator is ground clearance.

BMW's are lousy submarines, too. Let me save you the trouble of test
diving various models.

--

I picked up a 2001 740i as a winter car. It already had a set of
Hakkap.......something Swedish snow tires on it. I find the weight of the
vehicle and the tires is more than enough to get me through the snow.


"Ulf" > wrote in message
...
> My '86 BMW 323 is really a crappy winter car. Sure, it handles great, but
> I get stuck everywhere! Today, I got stuck *twice* within a couple of
> minutes. Same scenario, hit a snowdrift and snow goes flying onto the
> windshield. I brake because I can't see anything, and then I'm stuck...
> :-(
>
> First time, notice how little snow it actually takes:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw1.jpg
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw2.jpg
>
> Second time, this time the car stopped in the next snowdrift:
>
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw3.jpg
> http://members.roadfly.org/ulf/bmw4.jpg
>
> Notice that both times I'm stuck completely *on* the road.
>
> I'm leaning more and more towards a 525xi, nothing like AWD to avoid
> getting stuck. :-)
>
> Ulf
>

In article rio.net>,
says...
>
>
>I picked up a 2001 740i as a winter car. It already had a set of
>Hakkap.......something Swedish snow tires on it. I find the weight of the
>vehicle and the tires is more than enough to get me through the snow.

The Hakapelittas (sp?) make a huge difference. The extra weight of a heavier
car does not help.
-------------
Alex

Alex Rodriguez wrote:
> In article rio.net>,
> says...
>
>>
>>I picked up a 2001 740i as a winter car. It already had a set of
>>Hakkap.......something Swedish snow tires on it. I find the weight of the
>>vehicle and the tires is more than enough to get me through the snow.
>
>
> The Hakapelittas (sp?) make a huge difference. The extra weight of a heavier
> car does not help.
> -------------
> Alex
>

Hakkapelittas are nuts. I had a set (Hakka 10's) once on a Saab 900 and
nothing, nothing could stop me in the snow. Not even studded. They were
awesome traction.

--
----------------------
http://www.saab-900.tk
The Saab Tech Resource
----------------------

> I had a set (Hakka 10's) once on a Saab 900 and
> nothing, nothing could stop me in the snow.

Of course that is bull****.....heh

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:36:33 -0500, Max > wrote:

>Hakkapelittas are nuts. I had a set (Hakka 10's) once on a Saab 900 and
>nothing, nothing could stop me in the snow. Not even studded. They were
>awesome traction.

Obviously, you've only driven in light snow.
Be reasonable. When the snow is over your bumper, tires are not the
answer. You need more clearance.

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

Big Bill wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 20:36:33 -0500, Max > wrote:
>
>
>>Hakkapelittas are nuts. I had a set (Hakka 10's) once on a Saab 900 and
>>nothing, nothing could stop me in the snow. Not even studded. They were
>>awesome traction.
>
>
> Obviously, you've only driven in light snow.
> Be reasonable. When the snow is over your bumper, tires are not the
> answer. You need more clearance.
>

Never had Hakkapelitas eh?


--
----------------------
http://www.saab-900.tk
The Saab Tech Resource
----------------------