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  #1  
Old 12-05-2009, 01:32 PM
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What can I expect in the snow?

I've driven all kinds of cars in the snow - some good, some bad - but never a Benz. What can I expect in a W124 with brand new Dunlop Graspics? I live on a medium grade hill and I am slightly concerned that with the open diff and lightish rear in these cars winter may be challenging.

Opinions? Suggestions?

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  #2  
Old 12-05-2009, 01:47 PM
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I had been used to front wheel drive, except for the Volvo I had before the Benz. The Benz certainly does not handle as well as the front wheel drive cars I have had.

I keep extra weight in the trunk. It makes a big difference. I need to get some bags with sand in there now. The sand can come in handy if you get stuck on ice.
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  #3  
Old 12-05-2009, 01:54 PM
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Talking Back to the future

Remembering when I learned to drive (many) years ago when all cars were RWD the cars handle differently in snow. I've got 4 snows on the road and just keep my tank fairly full here in Western NY....never had a problem EXCEPT when I was on a scout campout trying to motor up an icy grade...car wouldn't go there on it's own but with 10 scouts pushing it I guess I wasn't really stuck.

I'd encourage you to get into the snow and play with the car to aquaint yourself with the feel. Something I do every year...and stay away from camping in the winter
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  #4  
Old 12-05-2009, 04:11 PM
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Keep a tub of kitty litter in the trunk...extra weight and you can dish it out if you get stuck
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  #5  
Old 12-05-2009, 04:37 PM
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Your Benz will be a rusted out heap in three winters.Buy a old Celebrity,and rot it in the salt.
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  #6  
Old 12-05-2009, 04:43 PM
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I was raised in the snow and FWD cars didn't exist yet. We adapted. We used snow tines and chains. We slowed down. We managed. You can too.
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  #7  
Old 12-05-2009, 04:55 PM
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123 body is predictable in the snow. Sometimes stuck in the driveway after a big snow, you can push the rear out with the throttle, doesn't tend to swap ends, responds well to opposite steering, doesn't plow like a volvo does.
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Old 12-05-2009, 05:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldsinner111 View Post
Your Benz will be a rusted out heap in three winters.Buy a old Celebrity,and rot it in the salt.
You haven't seen my 300D which was a PA car for most of its life. Very little rust
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Old 12-05-2009, 07:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Jeremy5848 View Post
I was raised in the snow and FWD cars didn't exist yet. We adapted. We used snow tines and chains. We slowed down. We managed. You can too.
When I was a kid we didn't have cars, and we used to wind barbed wire around our feet for traction on the ice. We walked 10 miles across a frozen lake to get to school and it was uphill in both directions. When I got to school, it was my job to light the wood stove and I had to forage around in the dark for kindling.
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Old 12-05-2009, 07:44 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RML View Post
When I was a kid we didn't have cars, and we used to wind barbed wire around our feet for traction on the ice. We walked 10 miles across a frozen lake to get to school and it was uphill in both directions. When I got to school, it was my job to light the wood stove and I had to forage around in the dark for kindling.
And we went home for lunch....
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  #11  
Old 12-07-2009, 10:03 AM
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And we went home for lunch....
Which was usually a quick bowl of gravel....
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  #12  
Old 12-07-2009, 12:17 PM
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My experience has been that generally the RWD are terrible in the snow but slightly better with weight in the trunk. However, with studded snow tires on the rear, the car will go almost anywhere even in deep snow.
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  #13  
Old 12-07-2009, 01:47 PM
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The latest, first snow in Vermont history hit the other day so...
I outfitted the 82 with 4 Nokia Nordmans, 200# of sand and cement in the trunk, a shovel, tow strap and jumper cables. The car is a tank in all but the iciest or deepest snow. That is for my daughter,
Just for kicks I slid the 81 with summer tires and an empty trunk, up my snowy, steep driveway in reverse, down and back up the hill to town and had a blast drifting it around the 90* corner halfway up.
Like many of you folks I learned on rwd cars and the 123 is so predictable in most conditions that you can throttle steer to your advantage when necessary.
Of course when winter really hits I will garage the old girl till spring.
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  #14  
Old 12-07-2009, 03:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldsinner111 View Post
Your Benz will be a rusted out heap in three winters.Buy a old Celebrity,and rot it in the salt.
**** that. Not only is that a lame idea, but the my 240 has been in new england, middlesex county, to be exact, it's entire life. 26 years and 250,000 miles. Yeah, it's damn rusty, but that's without any apparent rust treatment at all. I'm fixing it and then you just gotta stay on top of it.

Just be prepared to deal with rust in the summer, if you stay on top of it, it won't be a problem. I've heard winter tires help a lot, carry sand, and I'm carrying chains.
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  #15  
Old 12-07-2009, 04:01 PM
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Studded snow tires.

From tire rack.. 75 bucks a tire.

Im that guy going 65 mph on the freeway in the middle of a snow storm.

Its especially fun to race the 4x4s off the line.. I win every time..

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