Snow driving - bad idea?

[UnhandledException]

Ran RWD M cars in nottheast winters for 10 years with snow tires. So this is not a debate about low clearance/how bad and suicidal it is to run PSS tires in cold weather etc etc. i know all that. I also know my Ms were pulling strong in steep hills when Volvo SUVs with soccer moms sliding backwards because they believed AWD makes a car invincible and never bothered to touch the tires. I run dunlop wintersports or blizzaks on my cars and have no issues getting out of my 200 ft 30 degree incline driveway in very heavy snow/ice. I also know having a naturally aspirated, stick shift car will make things far easier to manage in snow. Nothing like putting it on 3rd and modulate the clutch. No smart traction control or dual clutch will come close.

That being said....

The concern with this car is how exposed the underbody is. My god, did Ford go cheap. When you go under the BMWs, you literally have to remove panels and panels of cover to see bare metal. Everything is neatly packed (explains how my car after 40,000 miles of which more than half is snow driving still does not have even a dot of rust, especially my driveshaft looks brand new). Now I am worried if I drive this car in snow the salt will make its way on to the areas including transmission, driveshaft, rear axle, and just overall underbody and cause issues.

I want to turn to the experienced members of this forum who may have had experience with a mustang in snow.

No I am not crazy. And yes it is so much fun to drive in a foot of snow turning the low front splitter of a sports car into a snow plow making heads turn. And yes the car does not hydralock or explode into atoms

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[JN66]

I ran my R in the snow last year and scrapped two of my wheels driving backwards in the wrong lane down the mountain after trying to follow up a sand truck.

Bad idea.

Also, I had my cup2s on...so maybe with snow tires it would be better...when I left in the morning it wasn't snowing...haha.

 

[Zombo]

Picture of the underbody. Note: Cutouts in various panels to show hidden components.

 

[Tank]

Snow driving - bad idea?

In a GT350, yes, in my humble opinion..

Good luck to you if you choose to do it. Get some performance snows on it :cheers:

:search: “winter” in this forum for additional info.

 

[Wriggly]

Don't waste money on extra wheels and tires for winter driving. Just get a Subaru.

 

[N123456]

Ran RWD M cars in nottheast winters for 10 years with snow tires. So this is not a debate about low clearance/how bad and suicidal it is to run PSS tires in cold weather etc etc. i know all that. I also know my Ms were pulling strong in steep hills when Volvo SUVs with soccer moms sliding backwards because they believed AWD makes a car invincible and never bothered to touch the tires. I run dunlop wintersports or blizzaks on my cars and have no issues getting out of my 200 ft 30 degree incline driveway in very heavy snow/ice. I also know having a naturally aspirated, stick shift car will make things far easier to manage in snow. Nothing like putting it on 3rd and modulate the clutch. No smart traction control or dual clutch will come close.

That being said....

The concern with this car is how exposed the underbody is. My god, did Ford go cheap. When you go under the BMWs, you literally have to remove panels and panels of cover to see bare metal. Everything is neatly packed (explains how my car after 40,000 miles of which more than half is snow driving still does not have even a dot of rust, especially my driveshaft looks brand new). Now I am worried if I drive this car in snow the salt will make its way on to the areas including transmission, driveshaft, rear axle, and just overall underbody and cause issues.

I want to turn to the experienced members of this forum who may have had experience with a mustang in snow.

No I am not crazy. And yes it is so much fun to drive in a foot of snow turning the low front splitter of a sports car into a snow plow making heads turn. And yes the car does not hydralock or explode into atoms

I drive my GT year 'round. The GT350 is a different beast I know. If you do choose to drive it in the winter, they make a product you can spray on the underbody to help protect everything much better. I also went to the car wash with underbody spray constantly to help keep salt from sitting there. Also, I recommend shopping around for a little better performance snow tire. Blizacks are good, but there are better tires like the nokian hakkapeliitta or the Pilot Alpin PA4's which may interest you.

 

[UnhandledException]

I am obsessed with my cars and the thought of storing them for the winter drives me crazy. Buying Subaru for snow its not an option. I have nowhere to put it anyways. I also have another daily driver so gt350 is not the only car.

What is it that you spray underneath the car? Do you have a link for it? also is it safe to spray everywhere like transmission, driveshaft, exhaust or just the actual body panels?

When you guys say "its a bad idea", please ignore the part about tires/low clearance/rwd/no awd but focus about the part I am concerned about which is rusting and corroding of the components. For example, the transmission is entirely naked with no coverage panels, can it surive road salt? What about the driveshaft (will get a qa1 cf dssoon).

 

[CNFLCTD]

My car delivered in February....earlier than i anticipated and before I had a chance to buy a 'beater'. i bought a set of cheap wheels and Blizzaks to get me through the half Chicago winter. While i never drove in blizzard conditions I was forced to drive in snow a few times. The Blizzaks plus the Rain/Snow drive setting performed well. Zero issues....outside of the mental anguish of some A-Hole running into me. While i wouldnt recommend it from a mental perspective, the car will function fine if you care careful and equip it with the proper tire setup.

 

[N123456]

I am obsessed with my cars and the thought of storing them for the winter drives me crazy. Buying Subaru for snow its not an option. I have nowhere to put it anyways. I also have another daily driver so gt350 is not the only car.

What is it that you spray underneath the car? Do you have a link for it? also is it safe to spray everywhere like transmission, driveshaft, exhaust or just the actual body panels?

When you guys say "its a bad idea", please ignore the part about tires/low clearance/rwd/no awd but focus about the part I am concerned about which is rusting and corroding of the components. For example, the transmission is entirely naked with no coverage panels, can it surive road salt? What about the driveshaft (will get a qa1 cf dssoon).

A coating like this:http://www.katscoatings.com/6028.htm, Kano Weatherpruf, POR-15, or other similar products. Some go on thick and rubbery like, so obviously you will have to shop around. Sorry, I can't remember exactly which one I used.

 

[Wriggly]

I am obsessed with my cars and the thought of storing them for the winter drives me crazy. Buying Subaru for snow its not an option. I have nowhere to put it anyways. I also have another daily driver so gt350 is not the only car.

I've lived in Northern Illinois all my life and I'm 65 years old. I never had anything but rear wheel drive cars until I bought a Nissan Sentra in 1984. Yes, you can drive a GT350 in the snow if that's what you want to do. I too have a difficult time not driving some of my cars in the winter. There's always those milder stretches without any snowfall where the roads clear and dry up plus a few days of car traffic blows the salt dust off the roads. Under those conditions I'll take my cars out for a joyride late at night when there's fewer knuckleheads out and about. It's Fun the way the tires break loose so easy when the temps are below freezing.
For all other driving I do have a Subaru Impreza and I put the winter wheels and Blizzaks on it around November and you can't beat it.

 

[torque124]

I am obsessed with my cars and the thought of storing them for the winter drives me crazy. Buying Subaru for snow its not an option. I have nowhere to put it anyways. I also have another daily driver so gt350 is not the only car.

What is it that you spray underneath the car? Do you have a link for it? also is it safe to spray everywhere like transmission, driveshaft, exhaust or just the actual body panels?

When you guys say "its a bad idea", please ignore the part about tires/low clearance/rwd/no awd but focus about the part I am concerned about which is rusting and corroding of the components. For example, the transmission is entirely naked with no coverage panels, can it surive road salt? What about the driveshaft (will get a qa1 cf dssoon).

I sprayed this to all open exposed metal surfaces under the car, as far as I could see with my light under the car.... It is very good. It kept my previous cars and bikes rust free.

https://www.amazon.com/S100-16300A-...e&ie=UTF8&qid=1507831687&sr=1-1&keywords=s100

 

[Muligan]

Born and raised in the snow belt and have seen what road salt and other ice melting compounds do to cars, and it ain't pretty. One of the worst offenders these days is the combination of sodium infused beet juice - does wonders to keep snow and slush off the road, but it eats metal components like nothing else.

Here's how my GT350 spends winter in northern Illinois (it's the bottom one).

 

[torque124]

....For all other driving I do have a Subaru Impreza and I put the winter wheels and Blizzaks on it around November and you can't beat it.

This is what I don't understand.. Why drive something so ugly, when you now deep in your heart this what you want in winter.... Drive with passion.... Don't go from point A to point B because you have to, but because you enjoy it.

 

[BoomBoy]

I am obsessed with my cars and the thought of storing them for the winter drives me crazy. Buying Subaru for snow its not an option. I have nowhere to put it anyways. I also have another daily driver so gt350 is not the only car.

What is it that you spray underneath the car? Do you have a link for it? also is it safe to spray everywhere like transmission, driveshaft, exhaust or just the actual body panels?

When you guys say "its a bad idea", please ignore the part about tires/low clearance/rwd/no awd but focus about the part I am concerned about which is rusting and corroding of the components. For example, the transmission is entirely naked with no coverage panels, can it surive road salt? What about the driveshaft (will get a qa1 cf dssoon).

You have another car so why not drive that car in the winter?

 

[UnhandledException]

This is what I don't understand.. Why drive something so ugly, when you now deep in your heart this what you want in winter.... Drive with passion.... Don't go from point A to point B because you have to, but because you enjoy it.

This^

My other daily driver is a 120k RWD super sedan with snows as well

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