Winter is coming..

[Liljaeger]

Well, unfortunately, it's allready here..

Must say, black ice, and now snow over black ice, the Stinger GT feels really good and handles well in theese conditions here in Sweden (4wd version). I've really never felt this comfortable driving during theese conditions with any other car in the early mornings, going to work before the roads are treated. I reckon the Michelin dubbed winter extreme tires help alot, but dang, the car just sticks to the road.

It will be interesting to see how it fares if we get a huge snowcannon and deep snow, but so far, I am still smiling when I drive to work. My last car had just a inch higher clearance and never got stuck, so I am hoping the Stinger will be usefull all winter long..

 

[MerlintheMad]

Sweden! My wife wants to know if you are into 24 hours without the sun yet. And do you actually enjoy your sunlight and sunless extremes throughout the year.

On topic: Your autumns are hell, because it isn't even winter yet. My first day of winter is this Saturday, as I follow the meteorological calendar. It follows the seasons better.

I'm not looking forward to weather when I cannot wash my car. So I am hoping for a mild winter in the Valley, while the mountains get plastered. That would be ideal. I can wash my car as long as the air is in the mid to upper 30sF. So even if we are getting snow and crud from the roads, I can park under my carport and fetch buckets of steaming hot soft water and lots of towels and go to work. I can do this every day. It's good exercise and very therapeutic. Unless it doesn't get above freezing. Then I will not be a smiley person when I think about my car. So far, we've had one light snow; it is still melting off almost a week later; the longest sticking inch and a half that I remember! But the roads were clear and dry that same afternoon.

 

[Liljaeger]

Nah, don't live far enough north for the total darkness. Sun gets up at 0800 and sets at like 1500 now so, it's almost there though. In summer, it doesn't get totally black at night, the sun just sort of dips down at the horizon between 1-2 AM, that is nice.

But in case people wonder, no, the extremely nice and bright summers DO NOT in any shape or form make up for the miserable winters, don't let anyone fool you. Sure, it might look nice with a white christmas, it's a bit romantic, but the woefully dark months of november to january drives everyone into a cold, dark mood. Anyone who claims differently is a liar.. I myself must take vitamin D supplements, otherwise I just sit at home and sulk with cabin fever, despite living close to Stockholm, which is a big city with everything to do in it. Going to work, it's dark, coming home, it's dark, just, dark dark dark dark, and cold and wet and it sucks!

We actually are trying to move to Galicia to escape it all, the climate there is tolerable during summer, and the winters are almost nonexistant. It's also pretty rainy during summer so it stays nice and green. You can pick tomatoes in December on a good year! I lived myself for a bit down in Spain, and felt totally amazing by being sun soaked all the time, best years of my life.

Then, in Februrary, when the sun starts to come back, everyone goes out hissing and blinking at the big bright light in the sky, it's like everyone has turned into vampires, but desperately want's to soak up every minute of delicious sunshine again.

So, nah, winter is coming, and so is the darkness, and it blows harder than twin turbos exploding from running too hot for too long.



There, got that off my chest, now I am just looking for a good spot to rinse off the salt underneath the car, the do it yourself closest to us are renovating, the other one is 50K away.

 

[Crisis]

So, nah, winter is coming, and so is the darkness, and it blows harder than twin turbos exploding from running too hot for too long.

Yeah, but how do your really feel?

Kidding aside, we're about a month into winter here and the Stinger has been great so far. No huge dumps of snow to deal with yet, but the Stinger has been great on the ice and the thin layer of hardpacked snow on all of the secondary roads. AWD and good Nokian winter rubber certainly contributes to that prowess.

 

[MerlintheMad]

@Liljaeger that is pretty much what I expected. But you went on longer and in fulsome detail (thus your "winner" trophy from me ). I am a fan of sun and warm. Utah's winters are nearly always tolerable. We get lots of sun even on the winter solstice (if we don't have a temperature inversion in the Valley, that is, heh!).

I guess the Vikings were not vampires, then; they certainly were motivated to get out of the great white north during the winter months. They gave us Normandy, Scandinavian motifs all over the British Isles; they "named" Russia; and I always liked "Mickelgard" as the name for Istanbul/Constantinople better. (I conflate all Scandinavians together, don't you know).

 

[RobW77]

Winter started here in Philadelphia early. I just put on the Pirelli Sottozero 3 tires (which are performance winter tires). It tore through the snow with no problems. Unfortunately, nearly everybody else on the road weren't prepared like me. I didn't expect the car to perform as well as my WRX with blizzaks, but it really did. The bonus with these tires is that they are much better on dry and wet winter roads than a dedicated studless snow tire.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Pirelli Sottozero 3

I was looking into those until I found the Nitto Motivo A/S UHP staggered set. And if I hadn't decided to drive on A/S (which I am accustomed to doing my whole driving life), I'd have put those Pirellis on.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Then, in Februrary, when the sun starts to come back, everyone goes out hissing and blinking at the big bright light in the sky, it's like everyone has turned into vampires, but desperately want's to soak up every minute of delicious sunshine again.

I read your response to my wife. And she wants to ask you if you've heard of (read) the child's book, "Welcome Back Sun"; it almost makes her cry.

 

[rocket23]

I love christmas but hate winter.....ya cant have one without the other....not here anyways

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Not a problem here Christmas & Summer...win win...lol

 

[rocket23]

Huh, No ''you suck'' icon to click.....

 

[rocket23]

lol.....

 

[Liljaeger]

I read your response to my wife. And she wants to ask you if you've heard of (read) the child's book, "Welcome Back Sun"; it almost makes her cry.

Sorry, not heard of.. Grew up on depressing Moomin trolls, Mio my Mio and Astrid Lingrens other works. Spiffy stuff for children stories..

And it's begun, havent seen the sun in a week now, it's up there just hiding behind the rain clouds, I hope!

So decided to make the Stinger extra shiny, dropped it off for a ceramic coating, usually do it with all my cars, helps alot with keeping the salt off, I am hopping it will shine like the sun when I pick it up tomorrow..

 

[rocket23]

The guy that dropped off my recent tire purchase (btw. 4 gt staggered stock wheels w/tires will fit in a stinger!! )Had a clear film protection from winter rocks and crap....they did an excellent job.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The guy that dropped off my recent tire purchase (btw. 4 gt staggered stock wheels w/tires will fit in a stinger!! )Had a clear film protection from winter rocks and crap....they did an excellent job.

If you got four OEM 19" rims (never mind the tires on them!) for under a thousand you got a heck of a deal: ordering an OEM 19" rim is $650 a piece.

 

[rocket23]

plus 4 locking lugs, 2 separate caps 1 KIA the other ''E"" badged...all the chrome lugs and the staggard wheelsw/ tires...all look good........very minor road rash hardly noticeable........I knew it was a deal when I saw it, jumped on it with both feet!! Here 's the clincher! The guy brought them to me! In his stinger! They all fit, kinda snug but there they were!

 

[MerlintheMad]

plus 4 locking lugs, 2 separate caps 1 KIA the other ''E"" badged...all the chrome lugs and the staggard wheelsw/ tires...all look good........very minor road rash hardly noticeable........I knew it was a deal when I saw it, jumped on it with both feet!! Here 's the clincher! The guy brought them to me! In his stinger! They all fit, kinda snug but there they were!

I already know that we can carry four wheel/tires; I carried my Pilot summers home back there when I got my Nitto Motivos on.

 

[rocket23]

nitto's are good tires!!

 

[Liljaeger]

nitto's are good tires!!

Wierd, they are pretty much disliked here and get bad reviews. Nokia and Michelin it is for Scandic countries.. And yea, with dubbs.

Nobody drives here without dubbs in winter though.

And a big screw you to the sun!!

 

[rocket23]

If you got four OEM 19" rims (never mind the tires on them!) for under a thousand you got a heck of a deal: ordering an OEM 19" rim is $650 a piece.

My post ,in hindsight , was directed at the truck tire....specifcally leveled pick up trucks.