e30 as winter beater... good idea??

[lgb240]

I have been driving a '91 E30 318 is with 4 very worn snow tires for the last 3 winters. I just bought 4 new snows and look forward to another season.

I'd say E30's make great winter beaters.

lgb240

[InfiniteDice]

I've driven my e30's through snow so crazy it makes your heart pound. I've driven past 3 overturned 18 wheelers and 10 cars/vans/suvs in the ditch.(in one trip from waskaganish Quebec, 18 hours of snowstorms).

It doesn't matter if you have the best navigator, land cruiser, hummer, if you can't drive you'll crash anyways. 4 Wheel drive just means all 4 tires will have no traction, seriously, so many people crash 4x4's because they think they are amazing. If the front wheels are spinning they don't have traction for turning.

Take your time, know your car, have at least all season tires, winter are much better. Clear out your wheel wells every few hours, put some gravel in a bag in the trunk, I had chains in my trunk.

I suggest an e30 with the lsd.

[eta Epsilon]

I drove mine in the winter las year and eveything went well.
My advice would be to add some weight in the trunk to keep the rear wheels to spin too easily.

I wrote "too easily" because they'll spin anyway! Fun car to drift in the snow.

[spoony_prelude]

Originally Posted by propr'one

buy a 325ix. I have yet to have anyone prove to me that there is a better winter beater than that.

Beater means under 3000$.

My 1990 Audi 90 20V quattro

Jay

[Ahctuning]

Originally Posted by InfiniteDice

4 Wheel drive just means all 4 tires will have no traction, seriously, so many people crash 4x4's because they think they are amazing.

huh what ?!?!

You obviously havent heard of Audi quattros ? They are so good in slick roads. They are legendary. See if you can keep up with them in bad roads this winter. My brother owns 2 Quats and we (friends) never beat him in an ix, xi, heck even with an xx if there's one.

[lvan]

The key facts


-Winter tired
-Make the car heavy buy dumping something in the trunk.

[InfiniteDice]

I'm talking about people who think just cuz the car is 4x4 it will be able to drive fast in the winter and not crash...

I've personally seen guys whip past me in their 4x4 navigator only to end up doing 360's into the center barriers... (in ottawa).

I also know people who can drive 4x4 very well, and a crazy thing that can happen is if you are accelerating up a grade, all 4 wheels start spinning on ice you'll go sideways very fast.

I agree that subarus, audis, and other seasoned 4 wheel drive manufacturers have excellent handling cars. And I won't beat them in a race, but if they want to race they might end up in a ditch or wrapped around a tree.

#1 rule know your car and it's limitations, don't test those limitations to prove that 4 wheel drive is better, you'll just crash.

[dble Trouble]

Originally Posted by InfiniteDice

I've driven my e30's through snow so crazy it makes your heart pound. I've driven past 3 overturned 18 wheelers and 10 cars/vans/suvs in the ditch.(in one trip from waskaganish Quebec, 18 hours of snowstorms).

It doesn't matter if you have the best navigator, land cruiser, hummer, if you can't drive you'll crash anyways. 4 Wheel drive just means all 4 tires will have no traction, seriously, so many people crash 4x4's because they think they are amazing. If the front wheels are spinning they don't have traction for turning.

Take your time, know your car, have at least all season tires, winter are much better. Clear out your wheel wells every few hours, put some gravel in a bag in the trunk, I had chains in my trunk.

I suggest an e30 with the lsd.

Finally, an intelligent analysis of winter driving! 100% agree. Let me add a little to the explanation here. If a tire is asked to do more than one job at a time it has to share traction for that duty. Braking and turning at the same time for example = understeer. Accelerating with awd and turning = understeer. Rwd accelerating and turning = oversteer which can be maintained by throttle steering.

E30's with LSD and snow tires are awesome and no worries what so ever in winter weather. Believe me, I live in the snow belt.

[dble Trouble]

Originally Posted by Ahctuning

huh what ?!?!

You obviously havent heard of Audi quattros ? They are so good in slick roads. They are legendary. See if you can keep up with them in bad roads this winter. My brother owns 2 Quats and we (friends) never beat him in an ix, xi, heck even with an xx if there's one.

They are so good in accelerating only. How does awd help you to stop? or turn? It doesn't! Hence it is not safer, only makes you feel safer since you could accelerate almost as quick in the slick stuff as you do in the dry, which gives a false sense of security, which is why most of the cars/suvs in the ditch in the winther are awd, or 4x4's.

[propr'one]

Originally Posted by spoony_prelude

My 1990 Audi 90 20V quattro

Jay

dude, i told you last year, lets race

[tlinkletter]

Get a 325e with an automatic. Being of the lower power variety with an auto transmission it's a lot less likely to spin the tires. Ran one a couple years ago and it was great. Much better then the 190e I ran the year after.

Oh and agreed Tires make all the diff in the world. My AWD Aviator with all season's wasn't bad but wasn't great. I put 4 full winter ice tires on and then studded all 4. May as well had a tank in the winter. An amazing difference.

[T.Dot_E30]

Originally Posted by tlinkletter

Get a 325e with an automatic. Being of the lower power variety with an auto transmission it's a lot less likely to spin the tires. Ran one a couple years ago and it was great. Much better then the 190e I ran the year after.

Tell that to static, he wrecked an auto 325e, because apparently out of no where, there was snap over-steer while going straight on the highway.

http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85651

[Red_Rocket]

Its true I drove a dodge 4x4 in the winter and it went great but wouldnt turn or stop at all. I missed a couple turns because i couldnt stop in time. I had to go straight and loop back around. In comparison my e30 turns and stops better and i dont have winter tires for it. Got some winter tires this year so it should be much better.

[Ahctuning]

Originally Posted by dble Trouble

How does awd help you to stop? or turn? It doesn't! Hence it is not safer, only makes you feel safer since you could accelerate almost as quick in the slick stuff as you do in the dry, which gives a false sense of security, which is why most of the cars/suvs in the ditch in the winther are awd, or 4x4's.

Your analysis paralysis applies to all makes and that includes bimmers, the driver being constant.

[dble Trouble]

Originally Posted by Ahctuning

Your analysis paralysis applies to all makes and that includes bimmers, the driver being constant.

Agreeed. My comments weren't intended to attack any particular brand, rather to outline the false sense of security any type of awd/4x4 systems provide.