Winter Shiters 2014/2015!

[Partridge]

Winter is shit. Driving in Winter is shit. Period.

[andy18s]

Get ready for the snow chaos by buying my 225 bhp fwd t5 estate.....has heated seats............

[cms206]

I've decided the ideal winter car is my own RWD 2.3 automatic Volvo 740. With a live back end. And no heating.

[dave21478]

Anyone tried these 12v ceramic heaters out? Maybe not particularly for defrosting but more for making the inside of your car more pleasant of a morn.

 

 

You would be better off trapping your morning fart in a jam jar and letting it out in the car.

[Taff]

when I was stationed in Germany I had a Triumph Spitfire 1500. The roof leaked when it rained and the carpet would hold water, which would find it's way into the seat cushions as these had all but collapsed. Then the temp dropped and the whole lot froze. And the plastic rear screen split just from touching it.

 

On the plus side, drifting it around in the snow with the roof down and a mad Border Collie standing on the passenger seat & barking at the locals was always a hoot, and more than made up for a cold ricker

[Sloth in a bowl]

Nobody, repeat, nobody, will top what a colleague of mine bought as a WBoD.

It's a 500 quid Mazda RX8 floppytop.

 

WIN!

 

I'll see your RX8 and raise you...

 

 

with plastic windows all round.

[beko1987]

That looks it'll be great fun in the snow! Those slicks on it?

[Squire_Dawson]

Might be worth changing to 10w40. The 20w50 starts to get a bit sluggish.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I drove through one winter in my Sprite with the roof down all the time. I must have been out of my mind. Once I drove it to Sainsburys and left it parked with the roof down, and when I came out it was full of snow. I would frequently arrive at my destination unable to feel my fingers. 

[Richard]

I've had tintop cars like that.

[dollywobbler]

2CV Winter prep. I fitted the grille muff the other day. Then removed it again today as it got a bit milder. 

 

XM Winter prep. I have a set of winter tyres, now on rims, ready to fit. Gritting here has commenced, so I should probably crack on with that. Weather is shite though and I want to conduct a full brake check while I do it. 

 

Some top winter tips. If your car has a crap heater, block off the space under the seats. This makes a HUGE difference in the 2CV. Stops the precious heat escaping to the rear of the car, where I don't sit. 

 

Another tip is to always ensure you lift the wiper arms of an evening, especially if snow is forecast. Stops the blades freezing to the screen. 

 

As for defrosting, I always use mild water. It's quick and effective. Just don't get the water too hot or it all goes very wrong.

[catsinthewelder]

I must remember to spray silicon around the door seals this winter. It was no fun doing the school run in the BX with the drivers door tied shut with the seatbelt after the five gallons of hot water it took to defrost it enough to open refroze with the catch in the open position.

 

My usual winter treatment is to leave the engine running for 10 minutes then use water from the hot tap to defrost any remaining frosty bits. So long as I can get into said heap this is generally sufficient.

[AlabamaShrimp]

The heater* in the Fiesta is utter wank. It takes about 15 minutes to even get warm but it seems to be set for LHD as the passenger side clears but not the drivers, it always freezes inside too. The dial to blow on your feet seems to do sod all as well.

 

It should be getting some winter tires this year. But after dragging the escort alloys out I found I didn't have enough wheel nuts.

 

 

It's wife's ST is exactly the opposite. Heater red hot in about 5 minutes and has a heated windscreen.....

[barefoot]

.... drifting it around in the snow with the roof down and a mad Border Collie standing on the passenger seat & barking at the locals was always a hoot....

In a Spitfire?

You lightweight!

I have pulled doughnuts in my T2 with TWO border collies and wepped it up to second gear, still on the spin!

Van undamaged, Collies, fucking exuberant!

[dollywobbler]

With the 2CV, the heater output for the floor aims under the seats. The floors are entirely free of holes! At the moment...

[oldcars]

I use a rainx glass cleaner, from Adsa in a yellow bottle. This seems to help windows from freezing if temps hover about freezing Many a morning my screen was damp and neighbours was frozen up. If temps plumit then is seems not to make much odds.

[Asimo]

New MOT, wiper blades and tyres for the Subarurabus. Locks full of WD40. Sorted.*

 

*Not really, as I have sold it to wifey.

[forddeliveryboy]

All this talk of pouring water over icy screens doesn't work well when the ice is on the inside. It tends to drip off before the ice has melted.

[garethj]

I've prepared for winter by replacing the thermostat on the Defender with a lower temperature one, the bloke in the shop said this would make the heater work quicker in winter.

 

As it turned out there wasn't any thermostat in there at all, so it's made a noticeable difference.

[mercrocker]

Now I have a nice new shed with electrics right behind the Minor I am going to try an oil filled rad behind the driver seat running off a timer in the shed.  Long as I remember to unplug the bugger before I drive off, I should have a warm back all the way to work.   Minor lives in carport which I totally recommend - haven't had to scrape my windows for years now, whatever the temp.   Car dries out overnight too...

[DVee8]

I have 3 frost screen covers from Aldi.

Place over screen lift wipers,trap screen cover in the front doors,replace wipers on to the screen cover,Job done.Around £2.99 each.1 i have had for around 8 years the other 2 i got last year.

 

Edit £1.99 in store now.

[Matt]

I have 3 frost screen covers from Aldi.

Place over screen lift wipers,trap screen cover in the front doors,replace wipers on to the screen cover,Job done.Around £2.99 each.1 i have had for around 8 years the other 2 i got last year.

 

I made a DIY one of these with a big piece of soft material I had laying about. It worked but as it turned out by the morning it had turned into the coldest object known to man.

[beko1987]

 

Another cold one, windscreen frozen on the inside. Also discovered the rear passenger foot well is full of water, that possibly hasn't helped!

 

I aided the defrost process by putting a large mug of coffee on the dash whilst I had a fag and scraped the outside. Recommended solution.

 

We do have some windscreen covers we bought last year but haven't used, might go find it tonight!

 

Our roads got salted last night too...

[Skizzer]

Can't wait for a proper frost.  I'll be able to lift all the water out of the Rover's spare wheel well in one lump. 

[Sloth in a bowl]

Learnt this morning that the kia's road side door lock will freeze up. Common sense tells me to reverse park so the drivers door faces the house and doesn't freeze.

I will park it as normal and open it from the passengers side.

[mercrocker]

I can remember driving my 1958 A35 to work when I was 17.   I was being really careful on the icy (unsalted) local roads - not easy with an erratic idle, shit brakes and worn clutch.   First junction and I go sailing across the major road cos my feet slipped on the uncarpeted ice-rink of a leaky floorpan.   Now I am older, wiser and drive something more modern - so 38 years later I make sure I have a rubber mat on the uncarpeted floor of the 1963 Morris......I also wear gloves and coat instead of a Quo T shirt and denim jacket.

[mouseflakes]

You would be better off trapping your morning fart in a jam jar and letting it out in the car.

 

I like this suggestion. How about reducing heat loss from the jar by just rushing out to the car each time you feel the urge, opening the door and 'pumping' one in, direct from source? Probably not advisable if you lift share.

 

Of course great care should be taken not to follow through and indeed, on these dark mornings, to ensure it's your car and not one belonging to a neighbour. I'm sure they wouldn't take too kindly to you flinging their car door open and 'guffing' in their eyes while they sit patiently waiting for their windscreen to defrost (even if it did momentarily warm their nose).

[dave21478]

I like this suggestion. How about reducing heat loss from the jar by just rushing out to the car each time you feel the urge, opening the door and 'pumping' one in, direct from source? Probably not advisable if you lift share.

 

Of course great care should be taken not to follow through and indeed, on these dark mornings, to ensure it's your car and not one belonging to a neighbour. I'm sure they wouldn't take too kindly to you flinging their car door open and 'guffing' in their eyes while they sit patiently waiting for their windscreen to defrost (even if it did momentarily warm their nose).

 

 

Guffing - I havent heard that word since primary school!

[Sloth in a bowl]

old Icelandic proverb says: Pissing in your shoes doesn't keep your feet warm for long.

 

I am wondering if pissing on the windscreen will work as anti freeze though.

If any brave soul wishes to test this out and get back to us with the scientific results then we may just have found the cheapest and quickest possible winter car prep top tip ever.

[Micrashed]

 

Winter rubber fitted

Snow socks & warm additional clothes under drivers seat

Jump leads & rigger gloves under passenger seat

Hi-Viz workman coat in the boot with piece of kip-mat to lie/kneel on

Antifreeze topped up

Pre-stone screen wash in the bottle.

Small camping stove and gas can plus BFO LED torch in glove box.Kendle mint cake. Sachet of instant coffee, tin mug (melt snow, make brew).

Shovel not in boot, but ready to pick up where I park the car should I need it in the morning / looks like snow.

 

Cant think of owt else I need.