S13 240SX in the snow

docwyte wrote: If your goal is to buy a winter car, then I'd pass on them. The entire point of a winter car is to get you there when the weather is bad. That means picking up an awd or 4wd vehicle and throwing snow tires on it.

Sounds expensive

Um, really? So a used Subaru or Audi or BMW or Jeep XJ is expensive? I'm sure you can find many examples of all the above for as much or less than a 240.

yamaha wrote: That should only exist before '96iirc......or did they continue offering lsd in the sedan/coupes after the 95 model year(when it was dropped for the ti)

MY1996 E36s could be ordered with the LSD as a line option. I believe the winter package added ASC and dropped the LSD earlier (MY1995?). I haven't really researched 318 options that much. Matt Murray has autocrossed a MY1996 318i with LSD in HS quite successfully nationally. The full early winter package (heated seats/mirrors + LSD) would probably be nice to have (especially with cloth upholstery!) It is easy to find an LSD equipped rear end to swap in.

I drove a '72 Capri year-roud in Denver. With snow tires, you can get around. Not ideal, but not as terrible as some would paint it. I never tried loading up the trunk with weight. Probably would have helped.

Like most questions like this, a lot of it comes down to tires. Winter tires have come a long way.

docwyte wrote: Um, really? So a used Subaru or Audi or BMW or Jeep XJ is expensive? I'm sure you can find many examples of all the above for as much or less than a 240.

I've owned an audi for a winter car, I spent way to much in high mileage repairs, judging by the budget on the CL posts an Audi or BMW is out of the question. Subarus are hit or miss, when they fail it follows the saying: when it rains it pours.

a Jeep would be good, bad on gas but parts pricing and availability is top notch!

The "best" winter car is going to be anything with heat, snow tires, decent mileage, cheap to maintain fix, easy to repair and most important reliable transportation.

If you can afford AWD/4WD go for it, but a 2000 dollar audi is going to cost you 2000 dollars additional in parts/repairs within a year. The 240sx is simple, cheap, reliable and stout. Then again the best 2000 or 3000 dollar car is going to solely based on condition, regards of whatever it is.

fidelity101 wrote: The "best" winter car is going to be anything with heat, snow tires, decent mileage, cheap to maintain fix, easy to repair and most important reliable transportation that can be left in a ditch without a second thought.

I agree with everything, but I added an important trait.

tuna55 wrote:

fidelity101 wrote: The "best" winter car is going to be anything with heat, snow tires, decent mileage, cheap to maintain fix, easy to repair and most important reliable transportation that can be left in a ditch without a second thought.

I agree with everything, but I added an important trait.

I failed at that when I bought my mazda2. it fits the bill aside from that, I do not like the expensive insurance and car payment (in comparison to a 3-5k dollar car) but it gets me to work without drama, has a warranty and when that runs out just looking at it shows thats it is going to be easy to maintain and cheap, hell its a 2011 car that I can fit 14" wheels on!

ANYWAYS! it gets me to work to be able to "afford" the rallycross car and related necessities.

If you pick carefully a 2000 dollar audi is a great choice. You can get an 80/90 quattro in decent shape for that money. I have bought a couple of them for 500-800 and drove them for a few years with no major issues. And they rock in the snow. A 5000 with console control locking of the center and rear diffs is the best though. They will go anywhere.

porschenut wrote: If you pick carefully a 2000 dollar audi is a great choice. You can get an 80/90 quattro in decent shape for that money. I have bought a couple of them for 500-800 and drove them for a few years with no major issues. And they rock in the snow. A 5000 with console control locking of the center and rear diffs is the best though. They will go anywhere.

Unicorn! (up here in the North)

i decided on a B5 avant 20v, great car just horrible for my wallet.

IE: exhaust pipe broke, and the ECU shorted...

makes no sense

fidelity101 wrote: I've owned an audi for a winter car, I spent way to much in high mileage repairs, judging by the budget on the CL posts an Audi or BMW is out of the question. Subarus are hit or miss, when they fail it follows the saying: when it rains it pours. The 240sx is simple, cheap, reliable and stout. Then again the best 2000 or 3000 dollar car is going to solely based on condition, regards of whatever it is.

From all I've seen an E36 sedan is cheaper to both buy and own than an AWD Subaru or the 240SX. I know people do get scared away from them because of those three letters, but they are really just another fairly inexpensive used car.

BAM! http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/3347941140.html

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/3347925292.html

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/3337625436.html

http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/3347908133.html

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/3335545058.html

But yeah, a 240 will work. The question would make more sense if you already had it.

OK, maybe the last link would be a poor choice.

THE SNOW COME SOON.

I'd be all over that Cherokee.

Every time it snows around here there are always a bunch of AWD SUVs stuck in the median and ditches. The last thing I want in the winter is a high center of gravity and a bunch of mass on top of some crappy suspension. Then again I always rank turning and stopping as higher priorities than acceleration.

AWD might be fine in something light like an Impreza L. Isn't the best answer always Miata?

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: THE SNOW COME SOON. I'd be all over that Cherokee.

It better not psyc out like last year, I wanna go ice racing and snowboarding damnit!

Matthew Huizing wrote: Every time it snows around here there are always a bunch of AWD SUVs stuck in the median and ditches. The last thing I want in the winter is a high center of gravity and a bunch of mass on top of some crappy suspension. Then again I always rank turning and stopping as higher priorities than acceleration.

That's because of idiotic drivers with too much capability, not because of vehicle issues. As I said before, the suspension doesn't do much in the snow.

Why don't we see more AWD Subarus in Ice Racing or Rallycross?

PHeller wrote: Why don't we see more AWD Subarus in Ice Racing or Rallycross?

Most rallycross AWD classes should be re-named "bring your subaru" class, since nobody brings anything else.

Some ice racing clubs do not allow AWD for wheel to wheel.

I can't believe how many people are saying that RWD plus winter tires is the best thing to drive in the winter.

Yes, if it's your only vehicle, put snow tires on a RWD platform and you'll do fine in the snow. But if you're looking for something specifically to drive in the winter to keep salt off your sweet Mustang, why the heck are you looking at RWD vehicles? Get a beat-up FWD Civic or Corolla and be done with it.

Sky_Render wrote: I can't believe how many people are saying that RWD plus winter tires is the best thing to drive in the winter. Yes, if it's your only vehicle, put snow tires on a RWD platform and you'll do fine in the snow. But if you're looking for something specifically to drive in the winter to keep salt off your sweet Mustang, why the heck are you looking at RWD vehicles? Get a beat-up FWD Civic or Corolla and be done with it.

Try it on an actual route, back to back. FWD is much better at "going" in a straight line given the weight bias of the typical street car. It turns out that "going" is rarely the issue. I'd rather RWD for the extra control you get. You now have another way to steer and you've gained the ability to steer and spin the drive wheels at the same time.

Matthew Huizing wrote: Every time it snows around here there are always a bunch of AWD SUVs stuck in the median and ditches. The last thing I want in the winter is a high center of gravity and a bunch of mass on top of some crappy suspension. Then again I always rank turning and stopping as higher priorities than acceleration. AWD might be fine in something light like an Impreza L. Isn't the best answer always Miata?

Every time it snows around here I get to pull those people out with my high-center of gravity, way too powerful, crappy suspension truck that weighs in excess of 7k lbs.

I drove a RWD IRS Nissan 200SX for 10 years through a lot of Chicago winters - similar to the 240SX. Do it - if it snows really heavy; wait for the roads to be cleaned.

McTinkerson wrote: RWD + Winter Tires + Manual Transmission + LSD = Best winter combo

That is the best combo for a RWD car, sure. Plus some weight in the back.

but as cars "in general" go AWD + Winter Tires + Manual Transmission + LSD = Best winter combo.

also, I'll agree with the post above - in anything other than ultra-deep snow, an AWD car is superior to a SUV/4x4, since it can stop faster, turn better, and is generally more controllable. Our 4Runner is decent in the really deep stuff, but in anything less than a foot on the ground, I take the WRX.

Matthew Huizing wrote: Every time it snows around here there are always a bunch of AWD SUVs stuck in the median and ditches.

Most of that is because people with SUVs think that because they have 4WD, they are unstoppable. They don't use winter tires or drive smartly. And most SUVs these days come with "highway all-season" tires that are dreadful in the snow (sold our 4Runner's stock Dunlop AT20 with 10k miles on them because they sucked in snow and dirt/mud, and got some winter-rated Revo2s, which are about 1000% better in snow.)

IN the hilly/woodsy neighborhoods near me, I drive around in the WRX on every snow day and "rescue" dozens of people who can't get their Tahoe or Jeep up a hill, or out of a ditch or whatever. The common thread there is almost ALWAYS the stock or non-snowflake tires, added to poor snow driving skills in this area. People are aways amazed that a subaru on snow tires does so much better than their $40k SUVs and pickups and jeeps in the snow...

We just use the SUVs to clear the unplowed roads in the neighborhood so I can get the WRX out :)

I didn't anticipate such a huge response!

I think my problem is my nostalgic right brain is fighting with my practical left brain because I want a winter beater that's still a cool car. I miss my old S13 sometimes.

I'm still going to look at the hatch (coupe got taken off market) but there's a 323 GTX nearby for cheap that's not getting fuel. It might be a fuel relay- and the fuel relay from my currently-dormant FC might work. There's also a 1993 Eclipse GSX closer to home I will look at. If I don't buy one of these cars I'll just get another Subaru.

Here, let me solve your problem in a simple, succinct way. You're thinking too one-dimensionally. This should help:

S13 sometimes.

323 GTX nearby for cheap