My trip to Manitoba in the 911
01-05-2009, 05:11 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
My trip to Manitoba in the 911
So as some of you may know I have just moved to Manitoba, the same place I was this summer. It involved a 1500mi trip. The conditions for the most part of the trip were either snow, blowing snow, snow drifts, ice, black ice, hard back snow, and all out blizzards. Here are some pictures and vids I took. Feel free to comment but just so you know I had a small point and shoot so that's why some of the vids and pictures are 'grainy' at night. They are not imbedded, they are just small url links so don't miss them!
This is the start of the trip, it was actually a nice day when I left.
That's me!!!!
One of the towns I drove through the first night was actually having a fireworks display for some reason. I tried to grab a pic or two but didn't work out too well.
The snow then started, it also started getting really bad. At one point the only way I could actually drive was to stare out the sides and judge distance to the snow bank. That is how I knew I was on the road. Also the blowing snow was coming from random directions which started tripping me up. For a second I looked at the gas guage, lost situational awareness, and the next thing I know I had two wheels in the snow bank with snow flying everywhere and my car at an angle. I had to steer a bit, drop to second, and bury the throttle to get out of it. I am glad I didn't get stuck. The 911 is a tough little car.
Vid of blizzard
This is the aftermath. The depth of snow is what I was actually driving through at some points. I actually think the car looks better when it's got snow everywhere. Makes it look battle-hardened or something.
The following day the weather and roads were sort of nice for the first bit.
Then it started to snow.
Vid of snow
Cool drive through a bridge
That brown stuff is actually solid ice with sand it in. Very hard.
You can see the carrera oil cooler is very effective at keeping things cool.
Then the weather improved for another short bit. I was lucky because it was through the very scenic parts of the drive. The pictures don't do justice to how nice it really was through there.
More driving
Sunset drive, makes the trip worth it
The roads were still fairly slick in some spots as one can tell by the snow plow that got stuck or slid off the road.
Although the pee breaks are scenic they are quite cold.
Lastly, I hit one last freak blizzard in Winnipeg. There was a lot and a lot of blowing snow and snow drifts. This is the final aftermath.
Vid of storm The camera actually seems to have better light amplification than my eyes. The only way I could actually drive along there was to just stare at the reflectors on the side of the road. Normally you couldn't even see pavement. The odd time I did is when I started filming.
Things I have learned.
-snow tires: worth weight in gold
-axillary driving lights: worth weight in platinum
-below -20C a 911 doesn't produce a lot of cabin heat
-using windex to clean the inside of the windshield when it is cold is a bad idea
-Transport trucks can go faster than you in bad weather, if you are passing them in bad weather it means they know something you don't...such as you are on black ice.
-911s are actually pretty good snow cars.
-heavy down shifts in a 911 on slippery roads are not a good idea
-moose are surprisingly big and yet very hard to see
-when the warning signs switch from deer to moose and then back to deer it is remarkable how accurate they really are at predicting the fauna on the road.
-people in Thunder Bay can't drive.
-It is fascinating all the different angles other cars enter the ditch, anything is possible.
-when the road reflects light it means it is very slippery
-Beer can centre caps will work in the winter but won't stand up to the pressure washer.
-The front spoiler can act as a snow plow under special circumstances.
Well, hope you enjoyed that. Criticism of my photography skills are more than welcome.
-matt
This is the start of the trip, it was actually a nice day when I left.
That's me!!!!
One of the towns I drove through the first night was actually having a fireworks display for some reason. I tried to grab a pic or two but didn't work out too well.
The snow then started, it also started getting really bad. At one point the only way I could actually drive was to stare out the sides and judge distance to the snow bank. That is how I knew I was on the road. Also the blowing snow was coming from random directions which started tripping me up. For a second I looked at the gas guage, lost situational awareness, and the next thing I know I had two wheels in the snow bank with snow flying everywhere and my car at an angle. I had to steer a bit, drop to second, and bury the throttle to get out of it. I am glad I didn't get stuck. The 911 is a tough little car.
Vid of blizzard
This is the aftermath. The depth of snow is what I was actually driving through at some points. I actually think the car looks better when it's got snow everywhere. Makes it look battle-hardened or something.
The following day the weather and roads were sort of nice for the first bit.
Then it started to snow.
Vid of snow
Cool drive through a bridge
That brown stuff is actually solid ice with sand it in. Very hard.
You can see the carrera oil cooler is very effective at keeping things cool.
Then the weather improved for another short bit. I was lucky because it was through the very scenic parts of the drive. The pictures don't do justice to how nice it really was through there.
More driving
Sunset drive, makes the trip worth it
The roads were still fairly slick in some spots as one can tell by the snow plow that got stuck or slid off the road.
Although the pee breaks are scenic they are quite cold.
Lastly, I hit one last freak blizzard in Winnipeg. There was a lot and a lot of blowing snow and snow drifts. This is the final aftermath.
Vid of storm The camera actually seems to have better light amplification than my eyes. The only way I could actually drive along there was to just stare at the reflectors on the side of the road. Normally you couldn't even see pavement. The odd time I did is when I started filming.
Things I have learned.
-snow tires: worth weight in gold
-axillary driving lights: worth weight in platinum
-below -20C a 911 doesn't produce a lot of cabin heat
-using windex to clean the inside of the windshield when it is cold is a bad idea
-Transport trucks can go faster than you in bad weather, if you are passing them in bad weather it means they know something you don't...such as you are on black ice.
-911s are actually pretty good snow cars.
-heavy down shifts in a 911 on slippery roads are not a good idea
-moose are surprisingly big and yet very hard to see
-when the warning signs switch from deer to moose and then back to deer it is remarkable how accurate they really are at predicting the fauna on the road.
-people in Thunder Bay can't drive.
-It is fascinating all the different angles other cars enter the ditch, anything is possible.
-when the road reflects light it means it is very slippery
-Beer can centre caps will work in the winter but won't stand up to the pressure washer.
-The front spoiler can act as a snow plow under special circumstances.
Well, hope you enjoyed that. Criticism of my photography skills are more than welcome.
-matt
01-05-2009, 05:57 PM
#3
I haddah Google dat
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Oh my gosh!!!!!
Here in Calif we'd scream like a little girl and close down the road.
I was in a Ford F250 JUST ahead of a storm between Barstow and Bakersfield somewhere. The storm was coming so fast we had to floor it to get to low elevation before the road was closed. A BMW Z3 spun out and Tboned the guardrail right in front of us. More than a few drivers spent the night in their cars, and even more were stranded in the middle of bfe until the weather cleared.
I was wondering what a 911 looked like when it grows snow fur, and now I know!! No wonder your brake pistons were a little bit corroded.
Here in Calif we'd scream like a little girl and close down the road.
I was in a Ford F250 JUST ahead of a storm between Barstow and Bakersfield somewhere. The storm was coming so fast we had to floor it to get to low elevation before the road was closed. A BMW Z3 spun out and Tboned the guardrail right in front of us. More than a few drivers spent the night in their cars, and even more were stranded in the middle of bfe until the weather cleared.
I was wondering what a 911 looked like when it grows snow fur, and now I know!! No wonder your brake pistons were a little bit corroded.
01-05-2009, 06:57 PM
#4
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Fla
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HOOOOLLLLY CRAAAAAP! You have a lot of guts. I won't drive my 911 if I know its gonna rain. I have never driven in snow before but it looks terrifying.
Great job documenting the trip, really enjoyed the photos and commentary. Be careful!
BTW you should send this to Panorama so they can do and article.
Great job documenting the trip, really enjoyed the photos and commentary. Be careful!
BTW you should send this to Panorama so they can do and article.
01-05-2009, 07:02 PM
#5
Advanced
Great pix and commentary. I do envy you. The little snow driving I have done is up to our high country in the winter and you might only have to drive 50-100km in those conditions. If the weather closes in the police will close the road.
Here in Australia (Melbourne) today it is heading to 30°C and lovely clear day. The most we generally have to content with here are kangaroos (dusk & dawn), wombats, eagles eating road kill, cattle, camles, B doubles & road trains (prime mover and 3 trailers and falling asleep at the wheel 'cos the highways are mostly straight and boring.
Glad you arrived safe & well and shared your tale.
Andrew.
Here in Australia (Melbourne) today it is heading to 30°C and lovely clear day. The most we generally have to content with here are kangaroos (dusk & dawn), wombats, eagles eating road kill, cattle, camles, B doubles & road trains (prime mover and 3 trailers and falling asleep at the wheel 'cos the highways are mostly straight and boring.
Glad you arrived safe & well and shared your tale.
Andrew.
They don't call it Winterpeg for nothing!
Trending Topics
01-05-2009, 10:31 PM
#10
911's are great snow cars. All the weight is over the traction tires. This thread proves you don't need some big honkin' SUV to make it through what winter can dish out.
I agree, snow tires make a HUGE difference in traction, even over full tread depth all season tires.
I drive a 2002 Boxster all winter long and these cars work exceptionally well in very poor conditions.
Thanks for sharing!
02 986
90 964
84 3.2
I agree, snow tires make a HUGE difference in traction, even over full tread depth all season tires.
I drive a 2002 Boxster all winter long and these cars work exceptionally well in very poor conditions.
Thanks for sharing!
02 986
90 964
84 3.2
Nice......thanks.
01-05-2009, 11:56 PM
#12
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Thanks all for the comments!
Todd: Not much heat as soon as it was -20 and going a decent speed. With the airflow on the outside of the heat exhangers, air entering the cabin from outside, and snow being kicked up onto the heat exhangers one still needed a coat. However if I slowed down it got warm again. I think I was also tired which makes a difference as well
Rusnak: Don't worry, saw plenty of cars in the ditch as well, some people can't seem to read the road correctly or think they can defy the laws of physics. But just in case I did have all sorts of survival gear; sleeping bags, candles, coats, blankets, and assorted other junk. The only thing I was missing was a good knife, snare wire, something to boil water in, and a small saw. If I had those I could have probably survived weeks out in the bush.
As for the brakes I did take the opportunity to really work them but at certain times they were doing the same thing of just not working if I hadn't used them in a while. I think I am going to email Mintex and ask them if there is a point at which their pads become too cold to work. Although after the car wash they seem to work quite well. Haven't driven the car since because it is too cold to use. I can barely move the shifter. I looked at my spare quart of oil and it was thinker than honey, didn't want to pour at all. I will wait till it heats up around here before I try them out again. It's almost -30F at night time here so I am not touching that car.
MDL: Driving in snow is not terrifying, it is a very good exercise in patience, thinking ahead, and smoothness of input. Besides.....think of drifting.
Long arm: washed as soon as I got here. Spend $20 at a coin wash, got all the crap off and up here they don't use salt. I think most of the journey they didn't use salt anyways, usually just sand or nothing.
Jay H: The only time you need an SUV is when it is really deep snow and at that point you actually need a 4X4 with a real transfer case. As you can see I was able to do the parking lot thing with the front spoiler digging in the snow with out any drama.
-matt
Todd: Not much heat as soon as it was -20 and going a decent speed. With the airflow on the outside of the heat exhangers, air entering the cabin from outside, and snow being kicked up onto the heat exhangers one still needed a coat. However if I slowed down it got warm again. I think I was also tired which makes a difference as well
Rusnak: Don't worry, saw plenty of cars in the ditch as well, some people can't seem to read the road correctly or think they can defy the laws of physics. But just in case I did have all sorts of survival gear; sleeping bags, candles, coats, blankets, and assorted other junk. The only thing I was missing was a good knife, snare wire, something to boil water in, and a small saw. If I had those I could have probably survived weeks out in the bush.
As for the brakes I did take the opportunity to really work them but at certain times they were doing the same thing of just not working if I hadn't used them in a while. I think I am going to email Mintex and ask them if there is a point at which their pads become too cold to work. Although after the car wash they seem to work quite well. Haven't driven the car since because it is too cold to use. I can barely move the shifter. I looked at my spare quart of oil and it was thinker than honey, didn't want to pour at all. I will wait till it heats up around here before I try them out again. It's almost -30F at night time here so I am not touching that car.
MDL: Driving in snow is not terrifying, it is a very good exercise in patience, thinking ahead, and smoothness of input. Besides.....think of drifting.
Long arm: washed as soon as I got here. Spend $20 at a coin wash, got all the crap off and up here they don't use salt. I think most of the journey they didn't use salt anyways, usually just sand or nothing.
Jay H: The only time you need an SUV is when it is really deep snow and at that point you actually need a 4X4 with a real transfer case. As you can see I was able to do the parking lot thing with the front spoiler digging in the snow with out any drama.
-matt
01-06-2009, 12:12 AM
#14
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
