Hi Mark Yes lesson learnt will try to avoid going out in the white stuff.

New York has real snow compared to the moderate falls that we experiance I would need a second car if I lived there.

Anyway it's a shame to use are beautiful cars in such conditions.Can't wait to powerwash underneath.

Cheers Al

 

FYI;

There is no regulation in France that you ever use Winter Tires, insurance or otherwise.
No connection to the highest alcohol involved driving fatality rate in Europe I am sure.

As a 'Damn Yankee' myself, (G you can add that to my tally), now 'Carpet bagging'* the Alps I try not to look down on the little Jura Mountains but it is tough when our house is higher than they are and I can see almost all of them across the lake.

G you Coupe' girls are all the same, always worrying about what someone else is wearing, or not.
Hoodies will go out of fashion soon enough. I am getting the trend started now.

cheers,

jj

* Carpet Bagger's were Damn Yankees that went South after the American Civil War to profit from rebuilding the destroyed South.
The luggage of the day was made from carpet material into soft suitcases, hence the pejorative term of Carpet Bagger.
Whether that is more pejorative than Damn Yankee you would have to ask someone like WhiteXKR or Rev. Sam from the south.

My father on one of his many business trips below the Mason Dixon line noted that in every gas/petrol station there was always a bowl of 'Yankee Bullets', picked up on battlefields, for sale on the counter for tourists.

He asked out of curiosity why there were never any 'Confederate Bullets' for sale and was informed by the person behind the counter that they were all in 'Damn Yankees'. Despite the intervening 150 years they're still a mite tetchy about the whole thing down there. 'Nuf said.

 

When you suggested this, djdex replied that we have to use the same wheel / tyre size combination in the UK or possibly invalidate insurance.
(and in addition to this, UK Insurer's are checking tyres after an accident claim to ensure they also have the correct speed rating).

jj added there's no requirement in France to fit winter tyres.

Can you fit any wheel / tire combination you like in the US without invalidating insurance or contravening regulations?

Graham

 

I've never heard anything in any state I've lived in about insurance companies checking tires after an accident nor have I ever seen anything about tires in my insurance policy. That's not to say some insurance companies will not have such a provision. If it were me, I'd check before I did it, just to be sure.

I've lived and worked in the southern US for over 20 years and while big cities are no problem there is still some of that attitude in small rual communities. Shortly after moving down south in 1991, I went to look at a house for sale by owner that was near where I was working. When I introduced myself to the owner and said I was interested in the house the owner, hearing my "yankee accident" said "Sherman didn't get my house in '65 (that's 1865) and niether are you". I quickly got back in my car and left.

Mark

 

GGG; I second MJ's info on insurance and tires in the US as an ex-pert on insurance policies.

MJ; That is a hilarious story, things like that happen every day down there.

cheers,

jj

 

mjlaris, jj,

I'm delighted to hear this particular UK insurance lunacy hasn't crossed the Atlantic.

We have an increasing issue with fraudulent claims and Assessors are closely scrutinising spec details to limit or avoid liability.

Graham

 

G;

Dickens wrote about the horrors of English Insurance in the 1800's and they have not improved at all since then.

jj

 

Kudos to you for even trying to drive the XKR in the snow! 20" wheels with semi-slick tyres...

I bought this little accessory for my XKR back in August ready for the snow.

 

Frog; Now that is good cheap insurance!!

cheers,

jj

 

as others have mentioned, I don't believe that tire size is a factor regarding insurance settlements in the US.

to clarify, the tire size doesn't need to change very much in order to have a significant effect; for instance, my first car used 225/60R15 tires as stock. the base model of the same vehicle also came with 14" wheels, so I bought a set of those for the winter and used 205/70R14 tires. the treadwidth was only 20mm less, but since the sidewall had a taller profile the actual contact area was reduced a bit further.

Since the XK series came with wheels varying from 17" to 20", as well as varying tread widths, some of you with larger factory wheels might be able to step down to the 17" revolver wheels with factory sized snow tires and see an improvement. I don't know if that would be acceptable to your insurance policy or not (perhaps not in the case of the XKR which was not offered with the smaller wheels), but it might be worth checking into.

 

But 17" look horrible, who wants that? Am driving arround with 20" snow tires (W270 sottozeros for just in case ;-)) without any issues, but I admit that the LSD also helps a bit.

 

Steve at SB Wheels made the good point earlier that for a winter set of wheels going to 18" wheels makes sourcing Tires quite a bit cheaper and gives you much more choice.

I am sure with a winter tire profile of 55 or even 65 that they would fill the wheel wells nearly the same as the 20"....not to mention cut through the snow better.

Denise McCluggage who has been writing for Autoweek since 1958 always wrote about how her '48 MG-TC on it's tall skinny tires would get her to Vermont in the snow and blizzards when every one else was stuck......I never tried skiing with my teenage TC but didn't get stuck in it either.

cheers,

jj

 

Hadn't considered that model of lawn mower before. Does a neat job

 

Hi Avos Do you have the winter tires on all wheels or just the back?

Al

 

I can tell which is your favourite looks like it doesn't get to see the sponge!

Al Good idea though.

 

@Al,
Fronts also, helps with braking and steering.

 

No kidding

 

I'm in the Chicago area so I see my fair share of snow. Never had a problem with it. But then again I have an XK with Michelin 245 A/S Sports and yuk, 17" wheels.

I know my old mustang needed winter tires but not this beast. I've only been stuck once and that was after 12" dropped. I actually enjoy driving it more in the winter, alot more fun. Trac Control does an awesome job, I had an Uncle in the car that has an old XKE. White nuckled him as I went from 0-60 in like a bat of hell on snow and ice pack. Tires were spinning, ASC flashing and the car just stayed straight. Too much fun to be had in the winter.

I'd never do it in and XKR though, especially with 20's and summer tires. To bad about the insurance reg's on winter tires.

Take a look at that XKR's on ice vid someone posted, looks like they have studs on that puppy.