Use in low temperatures

[Veerzigzag]

Having finally had enough of "low cost" (not!) airlines, I have decided to drive the 944 to Obergurgl for skiing in late December. As Obergurgl is at 2000m, the temperature overnight can drop below -20 degrees.
I plan to get winter tyres (probably Blizzaks), use neat concentrated screen wash, and strengthen up the coolant (which needs changing soon anyway).
Anything else I should think about?

 

[944 man]

 

[Veerzigzag]

well, they are going to get very cold feet at -20 deg

 

[lacedr]

A hat

 

[Veerzigzag]

A hat

I'll get a head

 

[944 man]

Vaseline your door rubbers and give a great deal of thought to your oil. 20W- is ideal for our maritime clime, but you need to run something thinner there, even if its only temporarily.

Also think about how you will free an icebound door lock.

 

[944 man]

Finally, (as well as remembering to Vaseline the hatch and runroof rubbers too), remember to drive the final half a mile with your windows open and the heater off. This is why Scandanavians never suffer from frozen condensation inside their cars.

 

[Veerzigzag]

Thanks Simon, those are really good tips...

 

[944Turbo]

Some of those clip on spikey things for your shoes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Solutions-Traction-Slip-Ons-Large/dp/B002ULFQ8I/ref=cts_sh_2_fbtand nothing worse than parking up and then falling over.

If you are going through france consider a tag for the tolls (often much quicker on peak ski weekends) and almost worth it to see how nervous the french get following a foreign car through - I have seen a british car fail and block the lane so kind of understand the nervousness! does work out slightly more expensive as there is a monthly subscription for the months you use it.

I think if you use this link you get a 5 euro discount and I will too https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/subscription?ref=RF-20121126-88ED7F5

Tony

 

[944 man]

Chains. Ive heard of traffic being stopped and directed into car parks. Those without chains to fit werent allowed to continue.

 

[Veerzigzag]

Chains.

Very good point! Given our recent weather here, a good item to carry anyway...
I wonder if snow socks like these would be considered acceptable? Easier to fit and less likely to damage your bodywork.

 

[JagdHamster]

Some good stuff in here:

Transport Canada

 

[944 man]

The stories have always been clear: Gendarmes, stopped, snow chains, and those without forbidden to continue.

Id buy chains because you might have to drive for fifty miles on them and chains are far, far more durable. The socks arent durable at all and their USP is that theyre easy and light to carry and fit, and that theyll get you out of a spot. Chains are far cheaper too.

 

[Veerzigzag]

These look relevant - "fitted in minutes without moving the car" - I should get some for UK use too.

 

[Indi9xx]

Skiing? Crazy fool!!

Last year I tried out this skiing millarky and came to the conclusion it is just pure madness... After a new moments learning to ski, ending up burried in a snow drift which I used as a gravel trap to slow down, I got pretty good at it.. But all I could see it was heading for was two broken legs, and I didnt fancy that..

So in the new year, if my health will allow, I am planning on spending a similar amount of money visiting a nice place in Sweeden which give you a BMW E30 and a massive lake marked out as a race track to play on.. Extreme drifting, its not my car and yet so much safer than this skiing game!

With the car though, all the advice here sounds good, especially the keeping your windows open at the end of the journey bit! I should have tried that last time I had a hire car when skiing (which, the hire car, although mundane, on ice packed roads was the best bit of the holiday for me!)

 

[Monkeythree]

I'm moving to Sweden in January and taking my S2 with me to restore while I am there. Luckily for me, it is Mrs M3 that is working while we are there so I have a 2 year sabbatical in which to do all the work on my car. Currently filling the boot with all the bits I think need replacing during the restoration.
I will report back on restoring in cold temperatures in due course!

M3

 

[944 man]

Handy for Olli Snelman too. You might end up with an almost new car, though.

 

[Veerzigzag]

Skiing? Crazy fool!!
Last year I tried out this skiing millarky and came to the conclusion it is just pure madness...

Your alternative sport (ice drifting) looks terrific; Top Gear did that (Ferrari 4WD vs Bentley) - amazing - it's on Youtube somewhere.
Don't give up on skiing so quickly though - you have to go through the pain of lessons, then you get to enjoy it and it's all downhill from there (ouch!).
A bit like motorsport really. Well, motorsport with a sticky throttle and dodgy brakes.
The "lessons are essential for learners" principle is the same though.

 

[Indi9xx]

My experience of lessons was with a french woman instructor at Crest Voland... By the end of a couple of weeks I had named her "The poisoned dwarf" AKA "PD"!!

My first lesson involved her kicking off by saying "These are the front of the ski's, these are the sides, this is how you put them on, follow me" and she shot off down a slope and expected me to follow her... Which I did, and by some miracle I didnt fall off.. There was some complaining though, from me, explaining it might be a better to tell someone the basic idea of how to steer and how to stop before expecting them to go flying down a hill.

I think she had the same teaching theory to skiing as some people had towards learning to swim.. throw them in at the deep end..

Over the couple of weeks, I did the usual snow plough stuff, still did not fall off, which seemed to aggravate the "PD", who seemed to think it was essential to have someone skiing beyond their ability and falling off, but also I think if I had fallen down a bit, she might have gone easier on me..

After about 3 days she thought that snow plough might be a bit too basic, and to my horror wanted me to parallel ski from then on!!

Much speed, without the ability to stop, and just complete stubbornness to not fall off in defiance of skiing had my only incident during the two weeks of aiming for a big snow bank at about 30 mph as I was not sure how to slow down from that speed without wiping out, and decided a big snow drift was a better "accident" rather than using the proper method of slowing down, which in my head, I was sure would end in a spectacular gymnastic tumbling session and broken legs!... Oh, one other incident was my first encounter with a button lift, which involved one ski staying put, one ending up flying through the air in one direction, while I landed about 20 feet away in another direction!

I might try skiing again one day... but after having a buggered knee cartilage turn into something life threatening this year, I now have additional fears of what could happen with broken legs!!!

For the next year or two, my idea of a wintersports holiday is going to involve a frozen lake, something rear wheel drive and some Scandinavian scenery

 

[Veerzigzag]

and some Scandinavian scenery

Jon, sounds good. A pity that the useless French instructor put you off skiing - suggest you try Austria not France, or even better, try USA where they will ENSURE you have a good time and come on back.
Also a good place will make sure your bindings are correctly adjusted so the ski comes off well before you get any knee damage.
Make sure you take plenty of pics of the drifting - looking forward to seeing them!