I drove a SIII over one winter after I bought my wife an XJ8 and can relate to the feeling of insulation from the outside world. My previous all-around drivers had been my truck and my Spitfire so the Jag was a pleasant upgrade. When my older daughter left with the SIII I had to find another - I was spoiled by that car.

When I was in a band we had a gig up in the NC mountains a few days after an ice storm. I drove my E-type up there; the drive up to the club house was very icy but the E crawled right up the hill. A late model XJ (X300 or X308) attempted to follow and failed miserably, with the car's occupants having to trudge up the hill in the ice wearing their finery and dress shoes. One reason I've considered putting a Powerlok diff in Blue Six...

 

I don't have one so I don't know, but I did once spot a 944, top down, on the Mississauga 401 on a wintery January morning. Driver hunkered down but obvsly committed. Or was shortly afterward.

The older I get, the more likely I am to say what the heck and stop worrying about having a "sensible" vehicle for winters. Maybe there's a reason I brought that XJR home after all...I have a VW (because they built a manual wagon) but I love to hate that brand so it won't be around long.

 

The Sun isn't shining nor will it be today, but it's not raining either (at least not atm), and Trucklet is still in the Third Shop leaving me with a loaner (Nissan Slug), and I have Numerous stops to make today, so I've awakened Nix and informed her that her long nap will be interrupted.

She Puuurred with unbounded Delight while I bathed and polished her for an extended outing today.

It's good Doug started this thread, as we're all a bit bored with the changing of the seasons, some of us trying Desperately to avoid the Season of Chaos closely following.

We're Off!
(';')

 

I don't think that I've ever taken the DD6 out in the snow. It's not such a frequent event in the areas I've lived since buying it. It was buried in two metres of snow while with a mechanic and waiting for parts in Italy. That tested the sunroof rather than road behaviour.
​​​​​
We had some heavy snows when I was based in the North West of England and the MK2 was my daily driver. It coped very well in spite of no LSD. It required some heel and toe once when I stopped with one rear wheel over a pot hole. Another time, it continued sideways down a country lane considerably further than I intended when I tried to do some Roger Clarke RS2000 type tail out cornering.

 

Elinor,

Especially for you.





I brushed the snow off the XK8 and drove through the night the 800 miles from the north of England to central France. The worst part was picking my way throught the abandoned vehicles!

Graham

 

Thank you, Graham,
Picking our way through abandoned vehicles happens on this side of The Pond too.
One time in my misspent youth I was on a road I wasn't supposed to be on as it was closed (I went around the barrier), during one of our famous prairie blizzards, alone, just me and my car (but at least it was daylight and I was too young and stupid to know the danger), and about every 1/2 mile was a car in the ditch, having lost the road and getting stuck, sometimes up to the windows in the soft snow.

I got where I was going much to the surprise of those expecting me.
I hadn't thought about that in years.
(';')

 

I've tested the sunroof the same way. Mine leaked a little.

 

A wonderful thread. I appreciate the reminder that what I have is, when all is said and done, a very low mileage old car with a great paint job. This beast is an all-day sucker on the road.

In fact. GUD KITY is going on her first long run under my ownership next week — 600 miles from DC to Tybee Island, Ga., then back two or three days later. Love my cat. CD Changer’s full (Nancy Griffith, Allman Brothers, Old & In The Way, Bruce Hornsby, Little Feat, New Grass Revival) and the sat radio’s primed for the same. I got a full tank of gas, sunglasses, and ….. (no smokes, gave that up years ago).

I will admit to keeping it parked in the winter until the brine solution has washed off the roads. I hate the tin worm.

Cheers all, and if you see a quartz VDP southbound on I-95 next Tuesday, wave.

 

My XKR with decent all season tires did quite well in a bit of snow. The Stability Control program works well at speed, but was a nuisance at slower speeds around town, so I'd turn it off then. As said stated by the OP, she felt solid and well planted. If "you" know how to handle snow, the XK8/R won't fail you. Just remember to visit the car wash frequently for the under body.

 

Agreed it is an old car with a nice paint job; but it is not JUST an old car with a nice paint job, as it is also much, much more:
A piece of art; the product of one or two minds, not a committee and a wind tunnel; an amalgam of reason, aesthetics, engineering of the classic type, and builders skills unknown today; producing an level of joy and satisfaction to use and drive that has to be experienced to understand - something tactile that seeps into the heart; something repairable, understandable and possessing road capabilities surpassing anything modern and using no "it all goes pearshaped when they fail" electronics to fake that quality.

No other car can do this.

 

I’m interloping from the X-100 sub-forum. My daily driver is a 2002 XKR. It’s proven to be very well mannered in all winter weather, including interstate travel on snow covered highways. When I do need some traction assist, a couple of sand bags in the trunk give the rear tires enough bite to keep the car moving forward. All in all, a joy to drive 12 months of the year.


Z

 

Yes, Yes, Oh so very Yes!!
This is probably why, these 40+ year OLDE cars continue to get the attention from by-standers that they do.

Even they probably don't understand the above-stated qualities and the sub-conscious emotions these cars generate. Especially appreciated is the lack of electronics (we're not driving computers that so many cars today have become), which I really think people are a bit suspicious of anyway.

Thank you, Greg, you've hit it square on!
(';')

 

Having lived through five European winters I am happy to be back in Australia, where people will still complain about winter conditions without any clue about how easy we have it.

 

As I viewed the comments regarding driving your Jaguar in all weather...I completely understand the cozy feeling
being in the car...However, as the owner of an XK8 coupe...I am also responsible for the way it looks as well as
performance...I could go on about past sports cars I have attempted to drive in winter conditions...But no..will only
share my experience with a Dodge Stealth...nicknamed..."Peggy Fleming"...with that experience, I chose to store
my Jaguar...and wait with anticipation for the rites of Spring...