The shitlist: Budget buy winter transport search begins...

[EssDeeWon]

It depends where you live, my winter tyres stayed on for five months last time.

You appear to have the same car as me Tayne, is yours also orient blue?

 

Mine wont go out in the snow, one because I don't really need to and secondly these RWD Autos's are far from ideal (even with steptronic). Mine is on Bridgestone Potenza's. 

[Micrashed]

 

Yep, getting stuck and losing traction would require

 

- A.) a Winter

- B.) Snow

 

Not seen either in the decade I'm in England now.

Year before last - Leyland, England.

[Junkman]

Winter:

 

 

 

As long as you don't have to dig yourself out of the house in the morning, it isn't Winter.

 

However, one important question remains unanswered -

Does anyone have some absolute tosh for bridge money with MoT left until March or so, two different crossplies up front and a pair of 28 year old Kamasutra Coitus M+S out back for a poor £bumraped tax payer oop narf?

[forddeliveryboy]

Ground clearance, softish suspension, sensibly sized tyres with an open tread pattern (which aren't brittle with age), a n/a 4 pot diesel, what more do you need? Selectable 4wd, a low-range gearbox only needed if you're going to come over all rescue-hero instead of beating it home to your family. I live somewhere even the local locals (with enough money to feed them) think they need 4x4 and I often give them a lift when their overweight lump of propshafts, halfshafts, differentials and gearboxes has once again slid down a steep hill - either when trying to go up or down.

 

Three or four years back, a farmer looked all smug when he pulled me out of a drift, 1500 feet up on top of the moor. He was the man who would have snowploughed but needed a part for his tractor from the town. Less smug when his Lawn-Rover managed another 10 yards into the drift before it got stuck, "knew I niddid tractor". The L-R was good for one thing, though. It gave me a good view of the length of the drift. I realised with speed up I'd easily surf it out. "Tha'll nier dowit" he said. So I did, and he then had to wade the drift to reach the car.

 

For those who really want to be un-shite, mytyres.co.uk do a good line in winter retreads - I paid just over £30 each for my 195-65-15s last year, delivered from the Fatherland, where they are made and used. Better than any 'budget' or 'mid-range' new tyre by a snowy mile.

[dollywobbler]

Ground clearance, softish suspension, sensibly sized tyres with an open tread pattern (which aren't brittle with age), a n/a 4 pot diesel, what more do you need? Selectable 4wd, a low-range gearbox only needed if you're going to come over all rescue-hero instead of beating it home to your family.

 

I used to think this way, right up until the point that my well-shod Citroen BX na diesel got hopelessly stuck. If you want to get up gradients on freshly fallen and then frozen snow, you must have four-wheel drive. Even winter tyres have their limits. I've found winter tyres good, but I've not yet encountered enough snow to test them really well. And no, I wasn't trying to be a hero. I was just trying to get home. You don't realise how shite two-wheel drive cars can be until you're sitting there with the wheels spinning, utterly immobile.

[John F]

Ground clearance, softish suspension, sensibly sized tyres with an open tread pattern (which aren't brittle with age), a n/a 4 pot diesel, what more do you need? Selectable 4wd, a low-range gearbox only needed if you're going to come over all rescue-hero instead of beating it home to your family. I live somewhere even the local locals (with enough money to feed them) think they need 4x4 and I often give them a lift when their overweight lump of propshafts, halfshafts, differentials and gearboxes has once again slid down a steep hill - either when trying to go up or down.

 

Three or four years back, a farmer looked all smug when he pulled me out of a drift, 1500 feet up on top of the moor. He was the man who would have snowploughed but needed a part for his tractor from the town. Less smug when his Lawn-Rover managed another 10 yards into the drift before it got stuck, "knew I niddid tractor". The L-R was good for one thing, though. It gave me a good view of the length of the drift. I realised with speed up I'd easily surf it out. "Tha'll nier dowit" he said. So I did, and he then had to wade the drift to reach the car.

 

For those who really want to be un-shite, mytyres.co.uk do a good line in winter retreads - I paid just over £30 each for my 195-65-15s last year, delivered from the Fatherland, where they are made and used. Better than any 'budget' or 'mid-range' new tyre by a snowy mile.

 

I drove past about half a dozen abandoned cars at the bottom of a steep-ish valley last winter, totally unable to get up the road on either side. I bet they had the same smug confidence in the 'go-anywhere' capabilities of their 2wd diesels as you did. Ah well, they had ample opportunity to reflect on their mistake on the long walk to the nearest village 

[beko1987]

Trying to pilot the ZX up a fairy large hill earlier this year in OMGSNOGRIDLOCK I learnt that gradients, polished snice and pretty bald tyres make for issues. Ended up with the speedo reading about 50 in 2nd, wheels pointing very to the right and spinning like fuck proceeding very slowly up the hill.

 

Wasnt immobile, but it was the point I seriously thought that's it, I'm stuck here now. Reckon some snow tyres would make it slightly easier, especially since I could then bump up the verge into fresh snow and get some traction that way.

[Lukas]

And if that´s not enough, snow-chains should make the final difference. In the Alps-regions of Austria, 4WD is an important and often bought feature, but in the regions around Vienna where there is not much Snow during winter, winter-tires on and snow-chains in the car should get you through.

[beko1987]

or theres these:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-JEEP-GRAND-CHEROKEE-LPG-NOT-LANDROVER-4X4-DIESEL-RANGE-ROVER-/271276382669?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3f295519cd

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x4-kia-sportage-s-/161108866676?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2582d63674

 

Picture winnage too

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/P-Plate-Subaru-Legacy-GL-4WD-/290978509494?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43bfabb2b6

 

[John F]

It makes me wonder how people ever managed in the past, with their Vauxhall Chevettes and Ford Anglias on cross-ply tyres... Oh wait - maybe it had something to do with their standard 2wd cars not weighing twelvety tonnes and being the size of the moon?

[John F]

Or how about one of these? 12 months' MOT, currently on £437 with 1 day 10 hrs to go.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-TDI-GREEN-low-miles-for-age-of-the-car-no-reserve-/281169285315?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4176fed0c3#ht_2059wt_1399

[beko1987]

then you can be on the news looking like a spacker trying to get those worn looking tyres anywhere, all the while screaming "BUT ITS A 4X4 INNIT BRUV..."

 

However, a bargain that does seem!

[John F]

Well, if it's a legitimate MOT the tyres should* be OK... but yeah, I was looking at the cheapness of the low-mileage Disco rather than its tyres

[gary_davidson]

urm....

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/offroader-suzuki-sj-van-16/1030168334

 

 

hear for sail is my sj 1.6 van 
ther is no tax or mot 
its got a 3" shackel lift 
1.6 vitara engin in it bin dun well 
its got a nikki carb 
spring over axel convergin 
2"body lift 
bmw lether seats 
it has plenty ov spers like 
radiater 
carbs 
wofel bords 
half shafts for diff 
rocker cuver 
visgus fan 
every thing you need to off road 
ther is no wheels coz thay are for my jimny but ther is tyres 
ther is no v5 just wating on it 

 

this one is probably a safer bet though 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/suzuki-vitara-4x4/1031035627

[Mr Livered]

"It bin dun well" - ace!

[ShiteRider]

Last winter i used the beige cortina as my daily.

1600 pinto with a 4 speed box and 185/70x13 tyres... didn't get stuck once. The massively over fueling VV carb actually came in handy for cold starts

I'm not going to be using the BM though; 2tonnes+200bhp+remoulds+auto box= pinball wizard antics to make Elton John proud.

[gary_davidson]

"It bin dun well" - ace!

I prefer every thing you need to off road followed by

ther is no wheels coz thay are for my jimny but ther is tyres

so everything you need to off road apart from those things that connect the tyres to the car - you don't really need them right?

[Joey spud]

This is going to be my winter ride

 

 

 

 

2 or 4wd with hi/low range its nice and light with an excellent heater and now also running some Dunlop winter tyres.

 

Just need to slap some Rio red paint on it and underseal the arse off it...

 

 

My old work van (rwd transit) had snow socks for when it got stuck,they look silly but they are an excellent bit of kit.

 

I've now got a VW t5 and it cant get out of a damp side road without spinning its wheels up.

[beko1987]

Or, look like a homosexual hairdresser as you sail through the kaos...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-X90-4WD-REG-No-P179BUG-NO-RESERVE-/111171783465?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19e25acb29

 

 

I do quite like these in a 'looks so crap its great' kind of way. 

[Junkman]

OK.

 

Shite you say?

Winter you say?

Budget you say?

 

I take the liberty to shamelessly lift this off the Ebay thread for your careful consideration:

 

Zowie Cavey!

 

[Mr Livered]

The Justy is very cool but it might be a struggle to get it sorted and MoT'd before the cold weather.

 

Wonder how much it will go for though: the vendor has some fairly optimistic ideas about its sale price, judging by the BIN.

[forddeliveryboy]

I used to think this way, right up until the point that my well-shod Citroen BX na diesel got hopelessly stuck. If you want to get up gradients on freshly fallen and then frozen snow, you must have four-wheel drive. Even winter tyres have their limits. I've found winter tyres good, but I've not yet encountered enough snow to test them really well. And no, I wasn't trying to be a hero. I was just trying to get home. You don't realise how shite two-wheel drive cars can be until you're sitting there with the wheels spinning, utterly immobile.

 

And you don't realise how shite 4x4s can be until you're sitting there with the wheels spinning, utterly immobile. The key with winter tyres is their age - much of the grip comes from soft rubber. Did you abandon the car then, Dollywobb?

 

I drove past about half a dozen abandoned cars at the bottom of a steep-ish valley last winter, totally unable to get up the road on either side. I bet they had the same smug confidence in the 'go-anywhere' capabilities of their 2wd diesels as you did. Ah well, they had ample opportunity to reflect on their mistake on the long walk to the nearest village 

 

The 'smug confidence' I mentioned was the farmer's, in his 4x4. The fact is that many 4x4s will have more suitable characteristics for snow and ice anyway - all-season tyres, ground clearance etc. We all know the English struggle in snow through lack of practice as well as cars which are overpowered, have summer tyres on which are wide and low on tread.

 

I'm always amazed at how half an inch can bring this country to a grinding halt. Where I live there are steep hills in every direction. Before the snow got really bad in 2009, shooters in brand new Range Rovers were stranded. A local chap in a battered Corsa van picked them up on his way home from work. He didn't even have to fit his chains. I learnt my lessons in the Alps - locals carried their chains in case they were stopped by plod. Otherwise, good snow tyres and skilful driving were used. Only when the snow built up to depths which beached cars, were they useless - and 4x4s were soon useless too if it kept snowing and no ploughs went through. 

 

It helps when everyone knows how to drive in snow and their tyres are good. There were hardly any 4x4s around, other than a few English tourists in their Range Rovers, keeping the local filling station on the phone to the delivery tankers.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE9LsBCzUkY

[John F]

Chill, Winston... you've hit the nail on the head there. It's as much about ability to drive in snow as it is what vehicle you've got. Within reason.

 

I've also lived in the Alps, where I fitted winter remoulds to my 2wd Cavalier and carried snow chains (only needed them twice tbh, both times on inclines in deep fresh snow). However, another chap out there had a boggo Mk 4 Fiesta on new standard UK tyres that didn't get stuck all winter. His tyres were a lot skinnier than mine, of course, and perhaps he didn't drive about as much as I did, but the fact remains that his car was adequate for the conditions. But another fella over there put his Jeep Renegade down a ravine because he was a crap driver

[Junkman]

Could someone seriously interested in obtaining a budget WBoD please lift this off our esteemed (pun fuggin well intended) Forum Master?

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/14139-toyota-estima1992dieselauto4x4mot5-month-tax/page-2

 

Thanks.

[dollywobbler]

No Delivery Boy, we didn't abandon the BX. We got towed up the hill with a 4x4.

 

Not that a 4x4 will help you if the snow is so deep that you beach it... (My old Maverick, with its new over-ambitious owner)

[overrun]

REMAIN INDOORS IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE SAFETY

[John F]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE9LsBCzUkY

 

RE that video: driver using the wrong gear in high box, diff lock not engaged, almost certainly wrong tyres, using a stupid overweight TD5 / Disco 2 anyway. See my comments about overweight cars and incapable drivers.

[Vince70]

How about a Quattro

These can be picked up for next to nothing these days.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/S86VWE-/121178056204?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1c36c6660c

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A4-2-8-Quattro-/111170233755?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19e243259b

 

Or how about a Skoda

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-SKODA-OCTAVIA-ESTATE-T-4X4-GREEN-VW-Group-as-Audi-A4-Quattro-1-8T-/231053173436?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item35cbd7a2bc

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Octavia-1-8-T-4X4-Elegance-2002-Petrol-/251328634417?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3a845a9e31

 

The last one looks a decent motor

[forddeliveryboy]

RE that video: driver using the wrong gear in high box, diff lock not engaged, almost certainly wrong tyres, using a stupid overweight TD5 / Disco 2 anyway. See my comments about overweight cars and incapable drivers.

Just so - tyres and ability go a very long way in snow. Buying a set of part worn "almost 4mm on the unworn side" winter tyres which were made a decade ago won't improve things much, but tyres are one of the few motoring things I ever buy new. Apart from engine oil and filters.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho4QGBUAABA

[dollywobbler]

RE that video: driver using the wrong gear in high box, diff lock not engaged, almost certainly wrong tyres, using a stupid overweight TD5 / Disco 2 anyway. See my comments about overweight cars and incapable drivers.

 

Disco II doesn't have a diff lock - it has traction control - which may have kicked in if he hadn't lifted off every time the wheels started spinning. You've got to understand the tech, which he clearly doesn't! I've seen Disco IIs get through incredible sections off road thanks to that traction control. They do have incredibly wide tyres though (255s IIRC, compared to the 205s mine now wears) which really don't help.