All my snow driving has been done FWD to date but now I find myself with an old morris minor (which appears to start better in the cold than most modern cars!) which is RWD. Now with FWD I’m in a happy place, not as happy as 4WD but at least I had a semblance of control! Am I right in thinking that the only option the rear wheel driven have is, slowly steer, very easy on the brakes, a bit of power to ether push or slide and hope, then brace for impact?

sand bags in the boot and reverse everywhere?

couple of sacks of potting compost in the boot always helped a bit with traction on snow with my one.

That and getting used to driving up any hill where the road had a significant camber looking out the passenger door window.

and the axle tramp gets a lot worse on ice too.

I had a convertible and the snow used to blow in under the roof and settle in the car.

My tip – drive it. Dont be a passenger. Make it slide on your terms.

How far wrong can you go in morris minor? Surely it doesn’t have enough power to break traction? 😀

lol, I think I’m gonna go for the forklift truck method, t5he only downside is I’ve knackered my back and its gonna be a killer! 😀

I fond;y remember my knackered old Morris Minor as one of the best snow cars (not that I’ve had loads). They have two excellent qualities for snow – very little power (and really tractable too) and narrow tyres.

General tips are the same as any car – keep a massive gap to the car ahead so you can use your momentum on your own terms – do everything smoothly and gently, don’t overreact – don’t expect much from the brakes (in fairness you can never expect anything much from M Minor brakes!).

As far as rear wheel drive goes, it’s the opposite of fwd. So when fwd goes into oversteer (back end comes round) you can use some gas to straighten it, whereas if you gas a rwd car that is already hanging the back end out you end up with more oversteer, not less. So the trick is to not use up all your tail-out before you’ve worked out how to get round the corner – however it is a good idea to set it sliding a little. It most definitely will slide all the time.

Best bet is take it to an empty car park and swing it about for half an hour – you get a whole season’s worth of practice in no time.

i’m guessing not got low profile tyres so compared the bmw’s i’ve had to push yesterday you’ve got a distinct advantage
and great car

I see a new thread emerging…What winter tyres on a classic car?

How far wrong can you go in morris minor? Surely it doesn’t have enough power to break traction?

Even a very tired old Moggie will hang the back end out in the dry, just on the swinging momentum of the body and the extremely scant grip of narrow tyres.

My wife used to have Moggie. It was an ‘experience’ driving it in the dry never mind snow.

mmm I smell a visit to the local football clubs car park later!

(osteopath first, then watch me knacker myself & car!)

oh and this is a very tidy one, fully rebuilt engine (the old block cracked), all new tyres and yep its easy to slide it even in the dry not that I would, I’m a Christian.

🙂

Driving RWD vans…once you start spinning you will stop…aim to attack each hill with a bit of momentum and keep easing off, aiming to come over the top quite slow.

And if you run out of traction, don’t keep spinning the wheels as you risk the back sliding in to the kerb and then you are stuck…always leave your downhill route clear so you can roll back and have another play (I mean find a sensible alternative!)

RWD & Snow = Great Fun!

However you have to be a bit more confident in your ability/stoke have the skills.

Momentum is the key to RWD, don’t stop on any uphill or indeed any where keep contant forward motion, be very gentle on the accelerator. You can find yourself with lots of opposite lock, just to go in straight line forward.

The backing off the accelerator thing whilst in oversteer is debatable. Personally I’d keep the power on and hold the slide, that way you dont you loose your momentum which is the route enemy of RWD. Plus its better to have the car sliding on your terms, rather than the cars.

IMO get yourself to an empty car park and just play. You should be able to do figure of 8 powerslides in no time which will really improve your confidence in the car and yourself.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eMBCdIQ6T8[/video]

they should check their dog out – it’s been stood there so long it’s got a snow drift on its back.

aim to attack each hill with a bit of momentum and keep easing off, aiming to come over the top quite slow.

Absolutely – same with any-WD really. Morons abound – so often see people creeping along looking at a rise in the road ahead, and then they roll gently on to it and try to accelerate up! Duh! Go a bit quicker on the flat bit and just keep on easing back on the gas all the way up until you just lug over the brow almost on tickover. Also, never follow a vehicle up a sharp rise – wait til they have cleared it and take your own run at it in your own space. Commonsense, which apparently eludes most people I see!

leave it at home and take the bike!

I spent the weekend sideways in my mates Ranger, all on of his own doing, he loves rear wheel drive in the snow.

Any pics Mr Nutt? I do like a sorted Morris Minor.

My plan is to leave the BM alone until the temp rises. A Moggie should ne easier to control though – in fact you actually have MORE control in a RWD car as your driven and steering wheels are separate. Just needs practise – try a big empty car park and enjoy yourself. On icy downhills, just crawl slowly and keep rolling – no other option whatever you’re in.

Is your name from the Terry Pratchett character by any chance?!

Got a 330d tourer a few weeks ago and this mornings drive was the most fun ever.

But I will be going back home via B&Q to buy some bags of compost/sand to leave in the back.

Wozza – what shape? E91 or E46? Splendid cars (E91 335d owner here 😉 ) except in the snow/any mud/wet grass…

er nope, not a big pratchet fan, its actually my name.

BMW 320d Tourer here.

If I can’t

leave it at home and take the bike!

(which is first choice), then it’s all about commitment. Weight in the back good, snow tyres (which I don’t have) supposedly better. Keep sensible momentum going, and don’t back off.

I really wouldn’t want to drive it in heavy stop start traffic – that would be horrendous (silly 255 section tyres don’t help), but country roads seem to be pretty OK. Don’t go too fast, but keep sufficient momentum, turn in a bit early, keep the power on and countersteer as appropriate.

To be honest, whislt the beemer loses traction far earlier than my old Passat, it’s far more controllable once it is sliding, so actually is more capable – the VW would just carry on in a straight line once it had broken loose. The BMW you can wrestle into some form of shape. Last christmas I was the only car to make it up the hill to the house we were staying at in Norfolk, and that was mostly down to confidence and momentum.

As above though – if it’s like that, then better leaving it and home and riding the bike. Really want to go and find an empty carpark though!

RWD is a nightmare but you have small dimensions and skinny tyres so just about as good as it can be.

A bit of weight in the back will help but not too much or it will handle like a 911.

BMWs are laughable in the snow no matter what anyone says. I wouldnt be able to get mine off the drive never mind upto speed to see the ‘on the limit handling’ and ‘controlling the drift’.

ivan – on the “limit handling” in a BM occurs at anything over about 5mph in snow/ice! And you’ll need to control a drift at anything over walking pace.

BMWs – the three season sleeping bag of cars.

I see no point in risking ours so it’ll stay on the drive (the 1 in 3, 120 yard long drive that’s rapidly icing up) until it gets above zero. Until then, it’s “fun in a 110” time 😀

BMWs – the three season sleeping bag of cars.

🙂

They’re fun in snow but hardly THAT difficult. Driven a 535i Auto in snow without TOO much effort.

Bit of snow – fine. Ice – not fine.

Wozza – what shape? E91 or E46?

E46, not made of money man! 🙂 Replaced the V70 FWD which was very capable in the snow but not nearly as much fun.

Had a pep talk with myself in the garage about “not being daft” and within 5 minutes was kicking the back end out for laughs. It would appear every other BMW on the road was doing the same.

My e46 320d touring seems to be okish so far. I popped abit of weight in the back (few bags of cut logs for the woodburner) 🙂 but i am taking it very easy, and the back end still slides out now and again. Quite a few folks have mentioned the virtues of snow tires, im thinking they maybe a prudent investment if we are in for another cold winter.

Its certainly ‘interesting’ as the BM’s my first car after years on motorbikes..

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fsXuY9Kuvk[/video]

I have a 3 series & after about 2 hours of getting stuck I sacked it off & cycled in, great fun!

well Jesus has blessed me with an hour of pushing the bloody thing after the battery decided to kaput!

That Minor has been watching too much Youtube…good impression though 😉

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlA2INOpT78&feature=related[/video]

No starting handle?

Mine was a git to start sometimes – frequently the starter motor needed to be freed (if turning ignition gives only a “click” sound, & does not spin the motor). Put car in 4th gear, handbrake off, ignition off (v important!) and rock back/forwards. Starter will then work properly.

Or you may have a flat battery…