Fun Winter Beaters for Snow Belt

Rwd manual ranger. Put decent snow tires on it, drift every single turn.

My '85 RX7 with snow tires and a miata torsen is for sale. I just haven't had the heart to actually put it up for sale....  
It doesn't have a choke so you gotta pedal it till it warms up. I don't know if I've ever had more fun in a winter beater.

Just don't get a car that's small and highly sought after. Crx s, 318 ti s and even miatas in the snow make my heart ache... 

P71 is a good one and so is just about anything Volvo, they are dime a dozen and with oil spray here and there can last a decade even if they are already rusty. 

The p71 s can take some serious hits to the suspension ( I've slid down hills into more than a few ditches, jumped curbs, hit pot holes so bad the tire bead unseats and not so much as a bent tie rod end) and all the body panels are fairly replaceable and available. they made them like 16 years I think.

Jere said:

Just don't get a car that's small and highly sought after. Crx s, 318 ti s and even miatas in the snow make my heart ache... 

P71 is a good one and so is just about anything Volvo, they are dime a dozen and with oil spray here and there can last a decade even if they are already rusty. 

can also get some of the more unloved E36s, the 318i and is for instance, nobody wants a 4 door BMW with a 4 cylinder. With the winter package (before 1996, look for heated seats) the lighter nose with a more rearward weight bias will see them going through most anything if they are wearing snowtyres.

Same with lower model Golfs. Personally, if I wanted a car to go through snow, I would go FWD, dependable, and disposable. Think Hyundai Accent and Elantra. You might even be able to score a Sonata for some luxury cred

Not sure all the comments about getting snow tires and then drifting with them.

If you don't want grip, stay with all seasons?

If you want grip, don't wear out your snows.

crankwalk said:

Not sure all the comments about getting snow tires and then drifting with them.

If you don't want grip, stay with all seasons?

If you want grip, don't wear out your snows.

And if you do want to drift once in a while, but also be in control most of the time, and don't want to have two sets of tires, then drift with those snow tires.

Trackmouse said:

crankwalk said:

Not sure all the comments about getting snow tires and then drifting with them.

If you don't want grip, stay with all seasons?

If you want grip, don't wear out your snows.

And if you do want to drift once in a while, but also be in control most of the time, and don't want to have two sets of tires, then drift with those snow tires.

+1, and more grip is needed to slide a car around well than most people think is required.

Trackmouse said:

crankwalk said:

Not sure all the comments about getting snow tires and then drifting with them.

If you don't want grip, stay with all seasons?

If you want grip, don't wear out your snows.

And if you do want to drift once in a while, but also be in control most of the time, and don't want to have two sets of tires, then drift with those snow tires.

So to not deal with multiple sets of tires you would run dedicated snow tires all year?

Left foot braking with a FWD car in the slow will also make for some nice tail out shenanigans

Subaru with snow tires as a couple of others have noted. For extra fun WRX with the rear bar from an early WRX (22mm IIRC).

/end of thread

whiskey_business said:

Budget is fairly loose, hoping for well under 3k. RWD is strongly preferred, as I like to pretend I am Colin Mcrae. P71 seems like an awesome option, as they cannot be killed, make good noises, and will happily enable my sliding fantasies. 

Buy My LWB E38 for $2k and have money leftover for a dedicated set of winters.  Heated seats work great, heat is hot af, AC will freeze you out of the car in July.

S10 or ranger with good tires. Snow was the only time that my s10 was ever fun. I may be illogical though. Ive also done the winter commute with a 4cylinder foxbody and vtreads.

Remember fun in the winter does not mean capable. Ass out hooning trumps traction for me, personaly.

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