midna

iTrader: (1)

Simple answer, yes. You will need winter tires for winter. It makes a huge difference. I drove the Z on snow without them once, and while it can be fun, it's not good for actually going places

Long answer:

One thing that may work out depending on how mechanically inclined you are is for the price of winter tires ($500) + cheap dedicated wheels ($200) you may be able to find a decent winter beater to... well... beat on . I had a 96 jeep cherokee 2 years ago which cost me $950 in the fall and I sold it in the spring for $1000. And a cheap mercury last year for similar pricing. Sure I'm out registration and a about $100 in parts about 10-15 hours of very unskilled labor (I am not that mechanically inclined), but it was still cheaper then tires and wheels. I also learned some new things about vehicles in general which for a novice like me is a good thing.

Plus, it saves from having to clean all the salt and grime off the car every other day.

Of course the down side is the beater is usually ugly and runs the risk of not being very reliable.

Spike100

This has been discussed many times on this Forum since 2003 when Nissan brought back the Z car.

Driving a beater carries the liability of extra insurance (beaters are actually very expensive to insure when buying liability for a car that lacks airbags and modern stability features). The extra cost goes way past a set of dedicated tires and wheels.

And then, you are driving a piece of junk when you have a great car sitting in storage.

--Spike

Sarahs350Z

Thank you for the reply buddy regardless of the number of times things have been discussed. ahem..

Did you drive with all seasons? I'm debating heavily on getting the wheels. The only problem is finding a set of 17's that are cheap enough.
But the main reason I'm being so indecisive about the whole thing is that the winters aren't THAT bad around where I live and if it really is bad obviously I won't feel the need to drive. I was talking to a guy that drives a g35 and he said he gets by just fine with a set of really decent all seasons. 600-700 for winter tires on the 17X7.5 wheels.. that I already own.. I'd be spending 900 at least just to be able to drive around.

Sarahs350Z

cool.

sry110

iTrader: (17)

While I agree with Spike's sentiments, I ultimately decided that I wanted to keep the Z for the long-haul and wanted to have it in the nicest condition I could manage, i.e. having the paint intact, underbody rust minimized, headlight lenses clear, etc. I weighed the cost and time of constantly worrying about and later restoring the Z to "good" condition against the cost of a beater car. So after 3 years of beating the Z up through the winter, I decided to sell the winter wheels and tires and put that money towards a beater. I won't say it was a financially advantageous move, since I ultimately up-sold myself into a nice beater car (because I wanted AWD), but at least I had no qualms letting the Z sit safely in the garage while I beat the hell out of my subaru.

Spike100

All-season tires work find in climates with winter temperatures hovering around freezing and there is occasional thawing. In other words you drive in slush and on ice, but you don’t see much snow.

If you are driving on ice and in snow, you probably need studless snow tires.

--Spike

Darkside Mojo

IMHO having a beater isn't bad at all. I have a '95 Mitsubishi eclipse GSX, and it comes in quite handy on those snowy NJ roads. I have all seasons on it, and have never lost traction. In fact one of my favorite things to do in the winter is wait for those 2-3ft snow fall months, and while others are digging out SUV's and trucks like pirates searching for treasure, I blast past them with my tiny car handling like an Alaskan Husky. I also love driving down unplowed roads, and watching everyone's reaction to this little car actually carving a path down their street when they can't even leave the house.

On the down side the extra insurance can be a bit rough. But I'm lucky though because I have been with my insurance company for decades now, and they let me slide with taking cars off, and putting them on my policy for different seasons.

Not sure if everyone can get such a good deal, but its pretty sweet if you can, and is worth looking into. My Z takes snow days off, and I let the snow dog eclipse play. Every other season the Z tags in, and the clipse goes off the policy....perfect balance.

moheadmobile

I live in RI and winter is right around the corner. Although i would buy snow tires in a heartbeat, it's just financially impossible for me to do so this year.

So realistically speaking, what kind of driving conditions should I expect / how hard will it be?
I basically plan on just driving very, very slow. everwhere.
How steep of a hill is too steep for a Z without winter tires?

I have an '04 track and it sucks ***** that the Rays have to basically **** the bed this year, I plan on (once money isnt an issue) buying fresh new wheels for summer driving and keeping the what will already be beat-up Rays as winter wheels and suit those up with nice snow tires. Good idea or no?

KornerCarver

iTrader: (2)

What kind of tires are on your Z now? Any snow driving with the summer tires is next to impossible. You could probably get by with all season tires, but true winter tires are a necessity for driving in snow.

La_Fiebre

Any advice for driving while snowing or after snow has fallen???? First winter with a Z.....Any advice will be of some help. No snow tires just average tires

Please dont tell me im going to get stuck every time it snows a little. I might as well

Highway Riding

iTrader: (6)

You won't make it out of your driveway

JERZ350

iTrader: (2)

All season/weather tires you CAN get around, very slowly low RPM. Summer tires you won't get anywhere. Be smart, common sense, and avoid steep inclines. You should do this with any car if the snow is accumulating. The Z is just a car like any other one except it's a small RWD car. RWD only is a bit harder to keep controlled than a FWD and of course AWD car. I would say another bigger concern is how low Z's sit to the ground. I would say if there's more than 3" acculumated on the street, i wouldnt bother driving the Z. Horsepower is not a factor, just feather the gas and drive like a normal person and you'll be fine. There are plenty of people that drive SS camaros and Mustangs in the snow. Remember this is AS LONG as you DO NOT have summer tires on.

Summer tires will just spin and spin. All Seasons can get you around, but be slow and make sure there is good tread life left on them.

La_Fiebre

Someone told me to put weights in the back of the car????? Will this help????

JERZ350

iTrader: (2)

It might a little, but how much we talking here. People with pickup trucks usually do that, suspension is made to take that extra weight. Our cars aren't really made for a lot of weight in the back. Once i packed my hatch tight with luggage for a vacation, pretty heavy stuff, and it threw a bunch of lights on the dash, VDC and other things. I wouldn't add any weights.

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

OP, what tires do you have on the car now?

La_Fiebre

I have Raptor ZR..... 275 35Z R18 95W......I dont know what does numbers mean only that 275 is good. I know this because ppl make this face when i tell them i have 275.


Thanks for the help

JERZ350

iTrader: (2)

275 is how wide the tire is, 35 is the sidewall of the tire, the 18 is the diameter...

Raptor ZR looks like a summer tire to me....will be atrocious in the snow...

La_Fiebre

Looks like ill be getting a ride from my co workers ever time its snows..
Thank you for the info and heads up

tylerxfire

iTrader: (15)

if u cant afford snow tires which is stupid to begin with then sell the car and buy something u can afford and drive all year long..z should be taken off the road for winter, snow tires or not truly...

citizen_snips

Its not a Ferrari or something, its a Nissan. It drives fine in snow as long as you are a competant driver, and aren't on summer tires.