I live in Minnesota and my boss is telling me that RX7s don't handle cold too well. What do the experts have to say about this?

 

I ran my RX-7 through the winter and I only left it at home when the snow was deeper than the bumper! They handle the cold just fine, just get proper winter tires and drive carefully.

 

50/50 weight distribution and rear wheel drive is going to suck on any car, RX-7's included. If you are a new driver don't spend your first winter driving in a 7. If you are set on it however make sure you get snow tires, preferably studded, and drive it SLOW. Don't get hotheaded and end up hugging a tree, too many people I know have done that with many different cars . If you can be careful, drive cautiously, and stay beneath the limits of the car, you should be fine. Up here in Ct, we get pretty nasty snow, all it takes is a gentle nudge on the throttle to get the wheels spinning, that was with Blizzac studded Snowtrakkers too. Just be careful. Always brake before you need to start slowing down, when you start to slide DO NOT SLAM THE BRAKES, pump if necessary, and going down hills do it in a lower gear. Good luck!!! BTW if you meant is the car hard to start in the cold, it all depends. I kept mine garaged so it wasn't a problem.

--Fritz

--Fritz

 

My car worked fine all winter, and this was a cold winter for Boston. Just let the engine warm up good before trying to really get hard on the gas.

 

good advice.

If you learn to control RWD in the snow, you'll be fine. I went out in a big parking lot with my alaskan friend and he taught me how to hold powerslides. I know this sounds dangerous, but I know how to control my 7 MUCH better in the snow now.

My first colorado winter as a driver I had my '66 Mustang. I tossed some weight in the trunk and was fine. This winter I didnt even put weight in my 7 and managed fine.

 

I am in Minnesota as well. I have been driving it since March, we got quite alot of snow in March. There was one day that getting up my driveway just wasn't going to happen, but it does reasonably well in the snow. When the tires do slip, it's pretty easy to catch your tail in the FC. I actually thought it was alot better than my FWD MX-6 I was driving before.

My fear is when it goes below zero for a few days in a row. I hope it starts.

Also. In the winter my car takes like 700 minutes to warm up to normal operating temperature. It's hard if you do in town driving. Your car never warms up. But hey. It's summer now. Don't think so far into the future.

 

warm up your engine.. it helps ur engine to stay longer and healther.. even the driving short range warm it up!! least 2 mins or more..

 

My car is a 1991 na, and all I can say is uhh ohh. Last winter was my second driving season, and My tires had no tread on them. What a way to learn! No, seriously, don't do it. If the roads had even a little snow on them, I could not get the car going over 30-35mph with out the rear end slipping. And I got stuck more that a dozen times. Tires would spin with just the slightest touch on the throttle.

I was going over our bridge highway, and the wind took the car a little, and turned me and a friend sideways. We were litterally looking straight at the pearson driving next to us. Some how I straightned the car out, but it wasn't fun. Talk about an adrenalin rush! I think I was more scared to not have my seven any more than for my life, heh.

But I guess that's the kind of stuff you ask for when you drive a rear wheel drive, bald tires, and no posi. I have all new tires now, and plan to get that posi for next winter...later

 

You know. I find it easier to drive a RWD in the snow. I mean you lose control a bit more than a FWD car, but when you lose control with an FWD car, you are screwed. Unless you can master a combination of pedal mashing, e-brake, shifting, or whatever else you can think of doing to prevent understeering into a snowbank. With RWD you just catch the back tail, and it's fairly easy. I like it alot more. Although snow tires are in order for sure.

 

Don't be a dumbass and you should be fine. Learn to rev-match when you downshift.

 

Cool, thanks guys. I was more worried about how the engine would handle the temps. As long as she starts, then cool. I drove a Crown Vic for awhile last winter, and had no problems. You just have to be careful on the gas, and I only had problems going up a steep hill... maybe once. That was an old police cruiser too, so it only had gas on, or gas off, no fine control in between, lol.

 

If you can handle a boat Crown Vic in the snow anything is drivable. Have a higher concentration of antifreeze to water than normal, and all should be well.

As a side note: FWD is the worst for driving in the snow. Thus sayeth my grandfather from northern British Columbia.

 

no no no! 50/50 weight distribution is GOOD for snow! i drove my tII all last winter on bald tires, even when the snow was past my bumper. only time it didn't start was one time it was -40. and i never plugged it in once. fc's are so predictable that they're a breeze to drive in the slippery stuff. no joke i normally pass all the 4x4s and suvs on the shitty days. if you have an fc with an lsd you'll have fun man

 

I want to get LSD for my car

 

I drive my car in the winter.
This year with 195 m&s tires, Ive had no problems at all, tonnes of traction and I have the 4.3:1 rear end LSD which probably helped alot.

Just make sure your rubber doorseals are lubed so that you wont brake a doorhandle trying to get in.

 

If this is an issue of traction, GET SNOW TIRES.

I realize most people on this board are really cheap, but snow tires are the BEST investment I've ever made on ANY car. The grip that they provide in comparison to all-season tires is mind-boggling. Well worth the money.

 

50/50 weight distribution is an advantage in nearly all situations. I haven't driven my FC in the snow yet even though I have snow tires on it. It handeled the cold fine. started every time. just keep a reliable battery in it and give it 10 miniutes to warm up before taking off.

And I reccomend snow tires for ANY vehichle in the winter. All-Seasons are a compromise. I will not buy all seasons ever again. In the summer get some summer tires for better dry traction and Better rain traction. in winter, throw some snow tires on. You're car will handle and break better by doing this year round.

in 2001 when my Protege was down for a month, I drove my FD in a Minnesota winter. By far the easiest car Iv'e ever driven in snow to control. Stoplights were a bitch though.

 

Snow tires
Snow tires
Snow tires

All my cars get a good set of snow tires. The narrower the better. 4 season sport tires are good for only 4 seasons - they can't be trusted in the second winter. (I keep thinking about maybe rally tires instead of snow tires)

This winter during a late night snow storm I laughed as I passed a Jeep crawling along the highway with its flashers on. I had full stopping and turning control at close to the speed limit while everyone else was crawling along. (I must admit that I do have a lot of practice in low traction situations)

ed

 

I've driven my 88 GXL in the snow for 2 winters now and have never gotten stuck (although I'll admit that i've never tried to go out in anything over an inch or two). The only problem I ever had was actually getting moving from a stop. Once I was moving, the car generally went where I pointed the front wheels, even if the tail wan't totally behind it. GET SNOW TIRES! I wish I had some.

 

I've driven mine during Winter only once. It never failed to start up for me.

Bear in mind that the biggest problem is going to be rust (which is why I now store it and drive a 1.8L/AT Plymouth Laser).

 

4 aluminum spares