Winter Road Trips in a Pantera

Mark,

Have to agree with you...we have not had a drop of moisture the entire month of January. We grow brown and ship it to the rest of the world when our Spring winds arrive.

We have been known to drive to Canada just so we can see what green looks like

It ain't green up here now.

Doug M

quote:

Originally posted by INZOWHO:
It ain't green up here now.

Doug M

If you chop away in the ice, you can find some green frozen in there can't you?

We're kinda covered in snow here too. Too cold to work in the garage. Really need a road trip...to somewhere warm. Not hot. Just warm. Maybe to 30 or 35 degrees so I can shake off the icicles that used to be my breath?

Ooo, wait, the Sun. I've got to go catch some rays. Might be the only five minutes of Sun we get this month?

Personally snow is just for scenic photo shoots I think.

Not a bad time to be in LA or SD right about now. Plenty of good driving weather.

Yes, it was pretty brutal down here in Tubac, just south of Tucson. We had to wear our sweaters in the morning....

Here's a link to some pix to make you think of warmer weather... (Sorry - they are mostly my car).

Don't look if this upsets you...

Here's basically the conditions we had to endure...

Rocky,

Looks like a fun show with some nice cars. But SERIOUSLY… it wasn't even sunny and you guys are sitting in the shade?

Mark

quote:

it wasn't even sunny and you guys are sitting in the shade?

That just goes to show you how brutal the weather has been down here!

Rocky

Honestly, it's great to see people driving these cars.

I doubt they are ever really what you'd call an 'every day driver' - especially if you live where winter comes for several months a year. But every now and again you end up in situations where you just can't help it.

For all those doubters out there, a properly set up Pantera handles great in the wet. Even at speed. And if you have to drive in the snow you should know that it is dependable and reliable and safe - so long as you understand 'limits.'

And as Coz once told me "they don't melt in the wet."

Those who know me, know how well maintained and clean my car is - inside, out and under. So trust me, they can survive the odd outing in salt and snow. After all, they can survive rocks, bugs and other debris at 160 mph. These cars were meant to drive.

And I love owners like FAST who understand proper maintenance and therefore get to put them to the test and enjoy the other side of appreciating and building these cars. DRIVING THEM!

Love the pics!

There were photo's in my docs package of this car outside a hotel w/a foot of snow all over everything. It's my understanding they jumped in and drove away... I found no ill affects..

It is true that Panteras do not melt in the wet or the snow.

The water drains built into the car are small and tend to clog easily.

Winter driving exacerbates this with the frozen slush that can built up on the body works.

If you put the car in a good hot water car wash with a full chassis wash and make sure it is dried throughout before exposing it to sub-freezing temps, it will last as long as if you were washing the car regularly at home.

The problem is often you can't was it often enough in these conditions.

In conditions that I have here now, that would mean putting the car into wash daily.

In addition, the open velocity stacks and screened jet covers on the Webers do not get along well with these types of car washes.

You have to get the rock salt off of everything. galvanic action with the steel and the salt in these conditions just accelerates corrosion. Even the polished stainless steel reacts with it to some extent and becomes dull as a result.

Also snow and ice do not get along well with these types of low profile, wide tread pattern tires.

What will get you through it well though is the original skinny tire configuration the car was delivered with, and probably the 7/8 inch wheels being the best overall compromise for all driving conditions?

Counting in my head, I come up with 6 people that I specifically knew who used their Panteras new as their only and every day cars, right here in the greater NYC area.

The cars are quite capable of very wintery use although you will never get the car clean again in all the cracks and crevices IMO.