Driving in rain and snow..

[Kurt in NJ]

I havn't driven on snow much, but have driven in heavy dounpours --heavy enough that most other cars pulled off the road, the visor kept much of the rain off the upper part of the windshield, I could see, the water coming through the radiator or hood hinge would cause an occasional misfire but I kept driving after stopping for a short time made it worse.

The only problem I have had is getting condensation on the inside of the windshield fogging it up ---hpw well do the anti fog preparations work--I saw a rainex inside treatment I was thinking of trying.

[Napa Skip]

The attached photo was taken in Idaho Falls, Idaho in the winter of 1978-1979. The white stuff is snow and yes, the Model A does handle well in snow and ice when equipped with a set of chains, even without added weight in the back to increase traction (provided reasonable care is taken while driving) although a little more weight in the back certainly wouldn't hurt.

These snow chains (with cleated cross links) were made from a set of chains no longer needed for our 1969 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and also served well during a short (3-4 day) snow storm when we lived on a hill in east Bremerton, Washington (c 1980, if memory serves) and I was using the A for a daily driver.

The chains sit unused since moving back to California in 1982 (I also haven't had to unfreeze a door lock since then, thank goodness).

Additionally, driving in the snow (or cold weather in general) is made marginally more comfortable by a manifold heater (Otwell Health Heater, Model 14 in my case) which provides warm air to the driver's side but will "fry" the passenger's feet after everything reaches operating temperature (so I guess - on the average - it's not too bad...).

As to rain, the best recommendation has already been stated: Rain-X. Don't leave home without it.

[As an aside, it is surprising what a little snow will do. In Newport News, Virginia, during the winter of 1965-66, we received about a 1/4" of snow that lasted less than a day. We had just transferred from Idaho and were accustomed to driving in snow; not so many Tidewater drivers. The "light dusting" of snow basically brought the area to a standstill with drivers skidding through intersections willy-nilly and other such events. Brought new meaning to "defensive driving."]

1979 in Idaho Falls.jpg

[2manycars]

The first photo was taken the day after the blizzard of '78. The second one in january 2011. Same car, still not rotted away.

[BCCHOPIT]

^^^^^^^
That is very cool I hope to have my car that long and longer

[jr-41ford]

My picture that I posted was on my birthday in 2008. I posted that picture on here that day.

There were others that also posted pictures of driving their Model As on their birthdays, the same day in the snow.

There was one posted, I believe it was a Tudor from PA, where the owner put nylon rope through the spokes and around the tires, called them his Model A chains.

Has anyone else used nylon rope for chains on their Model As?

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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Originally Posted by jr-41ford

My picture that I posted was on my birthday in 2008. I posted that picture on here that day.

There were others that also posted pictures of driving their Model As on their birthdays, the same day in the snow.

There was one posted, I believe it was a Tudor from PA, where the owner put nylon rope through the spokes and around the tires, called them his Model A chains.

Has anyone else used nylon rope for chains on their Model As?

When I was young, Chief always had a bunch of 2 ft. pieces of hemp rope in the car to tie around the tire through the spokes when needed on muddy clay roads & always carried a shovel tied across the back bumper. Chief was a GREAT mud driver and rarely ever needed the shovel or ropes! Bill W.
(I wonder if mud driving is a lost art?)

[Cory Moffat]

Up here they pour the calcium chloride on the roads not salt. You get the water from a puddle on the road on a cut on your hands and it burns so bad. It's hard to beleave as the water from the melting snow looks so clean. Cars up here don't stay rust free for long. My car stays in the garage in the winter.

[Richard Redmond]

Maybe not 'on topic' but my attention was caught by 29Restorod's comment about using a Trico vacuum fan to de-mist his windscreen (Post 7).

I bought a Trico fan last year because it looked so archaic. I cleared the dirt out of the exit hole and it worked! I thought it was sold as a 'fresh air' fan to cool one down when driving in Texas, Arizona etc. It was a bit ridiculous on my 29 Roadster which has no side screens and is in windy/cold N. Yorkshire.

Now I understand its probable true purpose.

On topic - I only drive the Roadster on dry, sunny days - no heroics for me!

(the picture shows the Trico through an original windscreen frame that I was fitting - sadly no Trico decal on the round casing.)

[29restorod]

My dad was a real believer in the trico vacuum fans. He had two in his 41 Ford sedan,one on the steering collum,and one in the back window. When we restored the "A",he installed another one for me.

[29restorod]

I just found one of the pictures I took in 1965,of of My "A" in 12" of snow.

[BCCHOPIT]

Lets bring this to the top it's almost that time of the year.