Re: From the Great White North AD #768

["C.M. Smith" <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Hey you guys, pay attention and stop reading between the lines. Terminal
speeds are not always redline speeds, and hills have nothing to do with it,
though we have some pretty big ones in the vicinity,( makes San Fran look
like a picnic, when it snows here.)

It's only cold here some of the time, then it warms up and snows. Ground
clearance on the 164 and the GTV6 is practically identical. Those who don't
drive in snow regularly would be wiser to stop guessing and come up here
for the winter before they opine too conclusively, anyone care for a race?.

I bought my GTV6 new in 1981 and drove it for three winters. It's a great
handling car, but no rear drive car even comes close to a front driver in
snow or on ice. Key factor is the front tires are pointing the way you want
to go when they start to slip. With Pirelli Performance 210P's this means
you keep pulling more or less in the direction you want to go until the
traction is absolutely zero, then you're toast no matter which wheels are
driving and how many are driving. Basically, front drivers go off
frontwards and rear drivers go off backwards, which do you prefer? I like
to see where I'm going without twisting my neck around.

Car and Driver did an interesting test recently, a front drive car with
snow tires outperforms a four wheel drive with summer tires in every
important winter traction test i.e. everything except going faster! Believe
me, acceleration is not a concern in a Calgary winter!!!

Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
91 Alfa 164L, White, original owner 

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