Impressed by '80 SD in DEEP snow - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

PanzerSD · #1 03-05-2006, 06:54 PM

The last week and a half have been record breaking here for snowfall, last monday, we recieved 26cm of heavy wet snow in a 24 hour period. and our highway infrastucture up here is sketchy to say the least. Lastnight we recieved ANOTHER 15cm of snow. More wet heavy stuff..
When I bought my SD back in september I had doubts as to it's "snow-worthiness" so I kept my '88 Topaz just incase the SD wasn't gonna be able to hack it as a winter car. I must say I am IMPRESSED.
This morning I was the first one out of my driveway, it was un touched since monday, so there's 1.3' of untouched snow and it trudged right through it.
All I have is a stout pair of winter tires on the rear and that's it. steady throttle and she'll go thru anything. Could swear I was driving an AWD vehicle.
I laughed as I passed a couple of BIG chevy 4x4s stuck on the side of the road, and the each gave me the finger as I blasted past them in my RWD 4500lb german automobile...oh, what a feeling!

#2 03-05-2006, 07:20 PM

Awesome!

Weight in the trunk is key...and the proper tires.

I have a set of very agressive studded tires on steel wheels (was for a VW bus origionally) and those babies will rip up the road.

t walgamuth · #3 03-05-2006, 07:21 PM

and independant rear helps too.

benzes are pretty good for 2wd vehicles.

i prefer them over fwd.

tom w

#4 03-05-2006, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

and independant rear helps too.

benzes are pretty good for 2wd vehicles.

i prefer them over fwd.

tom w

I'll take my 69 bug over both...LT tires, all the weight in the rear, perfect snow car.

If you start to loose traction...throw some sand bags on the rear bumper and tie them down. You can go anywhere

PanzerSD · #5 03-05-2006, 07:32 PM

the only weight I have in the rear is of course, the fuel tank and a pretty hefty speaker box. I will admit tho that when I get down to about a half a tank it does begin to get a bit loose in the rear end. But even with 1/4 tank of fuel it's still better than any FWD car...the only compaint I have is the amount of ice buildup under the engine and in the bottom half of the engine compartment. Start that up in the morning and you'd swear you've thrown a rod or something.

t walgamuth · #6 03-05-2006, 08:30 PM

of a beetle or a corvair is that they will drive up on deep snow and take tires off the road.

i did this once in my 66 corvair. winter of 78. ended up with the front end about 3' off the ground and the rear 2'.

also drove my 62 190c up on a big long drift of very dense snow once, winter of 75/76.

both times got pulled off by a john deer.

tom w

#7 03-05-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

of a beetle or a corvair is that they will drive up on deep snow and take tires off the road.

i did this once in my 66 corvair. winter of 78. ended up with the front end about 3' off the ground and the rear 2'.

Haha wow! Sounds like you need a plow for the front of the rear engine mobiles!

boneheaddoctor · #8 03-05-2006, 10:18 PM

I refuse to take my '79 near the road in the winter when any salt is around. So I may never find out how it does in the snow.

pawoSD · #9 03-05-2006, 10:37 PM

I agree on the SD's doing great in deep snow, I remember a year ago when we got over a foot of snow in one night in addition to the 6-7" we already had, I had to leave for work around 8am, I backed up down the street (my street has a big hill at the end up to the main road) and then I began chugging along, building speed, got up to about 25-30mph, roared right up the hill plowing snow like nothing.

A fellow neighbor, with a chrysler town and country minivan, had been trying to get up the hill for the past 20 mins, and was stuck for about the 6th time half way up the hill, he'd been going allll the way to the end of the street, then only getting about half ways up the hill.

I gave him a big "

" as I blasted past, he didn't look happy, at all. He must have had bad tires or something though, our minivan is pretty much unstoppable, well it used to be anyways, it has real worn out tires now.

Pete Burton · #10 03-06-2006, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

of a beetle or a corvair is that they will drive up on deep snow and take tires off the road.

i did this once in my 66 corvair. winter of 78. ended up with the front end about 3' off the ground and the rear 2'.

also drove my 62 190c up on a big long drift of very dense snow once, winter of 75/76.

both times got pulled off by a john deer.

tom w

........mmm. I remember driving from Macomb, Ill to Detroit in a full fledged ice storm in my 64 Monza convertible. If that's not a recipe for frayed nerves, I don't know what is.

t walgamuth · #11 03-06-2006, 07:24 PM

ice is bad.

i used to run with my spare and a big tool box in front of the corvair to compensate for the 70% rear weight bias.

tom w

RobTheMod · #12 03-07-2006, 01:07 AM

BTW, didja know why the 123/126 have those wells behind the rear wheel arches in the trunk?

They're for sandbags for winter traction. Seriously. Think about it... best possible place for extra weight for traction, dont compromise your trunk space much, keep the weight of sand from shifting in a turn...

Typical German thorough engineering.

Of course, here in AZ we use them to hold detailing supplies, extra diesel fuel (in cans of course), bottled water, Rotella, etc. etc., sorry for anyone who's gotta drive in snow, but a 126 diesel, as RWD goes, is like a snowmobile. Flat torque curve, not enough power to light up the tires, good weight distribution, stable handling... it's been great for that, in my very rare snow experience...

Ara T. · #13 03-07-2006, 01:18 AM

Driving in the snow sounds pretty exciting... (CA boy here)
Whats the weight distribution front and rear of a W123 300D anyways?

t walgamuth · #14 03-07-2006, 08:55 AM

very close to 5050. the one you mention i would guess is 52 front 48 rear.

tom w

#15 03-07-2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

very close to 5050. the one you mention i would guess is 52 front 48 rear.

tom w

Had my benz on some truck scales (not extremely accurate) and front was 2200 and rear was 1800.

Few things in the trunk totaling about 20-30lbs maybe? Otherwise pretty empty.