First winter car melt of the season...

[larryinlc]

For those of you like me who live in the north where the temp never gets above freezing and the snow never melts until spring, you know what I'm talking about.

It's about mid season and time for the first car snow melt. Snow and ice had become so wedged up in the wheel wells that I could hardly turn the front wheels anymore. Car seems a bit sluggish too.

I take it to my friends heated shop for a few hours and have some beers and a cigar and watch the snow slowly turn to dirty brown water on the floor. Half way through the process I go around the car and try to loosen up the big chunks to speed the process along. I got two removed from the back that were the size of loaves of bread between the mufflers and the fenders. I swear they must have weighed 20 lbs each.

Anyway, three hours later the job is finished. Car is probably 100 lbs lighter now and maybe the gas mileage will go up. Just thought I'd post about the routine that most in the north deal with every year. And, every year it never ceases to amaze me just how much snow and ice can get packed up under the car.:D

Larry

[hscmit]

nope, never even considered the idea of having to do something like this

[kelmac07]

I remember the "car melt" from my days in Pennsylvania.

[shark]

I do! :r I hate when you get ice stuck on the wheels and it throws the rim out of balance.

[Bill86]

Oh how much I don't miss snow or the cold of the north.

[JDTexan]

This is why I love Texas!

[jjirons69]

It's funny how so many of us feel such closeness to others in our country, but we live such different lives due to our climate. While I don't deal with car melts, sand gnats, mosquitoes, and fire ants keep me busy during the warmer months. Winter in the South is a well-needed break from Mother Nature's spring-fall insect invasion. I have Deep Woods Off in my tackle box, golf bag, truck, garage, and back porch, just as I have sunscreen in the same places..

[Gophernut]

Yep, my car was shaking so badly last weekend, due to the snow packed wheels, my wife didn't want me to slow down...:tu

[kaisersozei]

While I don't deal with car melts, sand gnats, mosquitoes, and fire ants keep me busy during the warmer months.

Especially the way you play golf.

Not to imply that you spend a lot of time in the sand. :)


(we need a golf smiley)

[MedicCook]

http://forums.randi.org/images/smilies/golf.gif

[jjirons69]

More like the woods! Mosquitoes don't spend a lot of time in the middle of the fairway! :D

[357]

Conversely, we keep a snow brush/ice scraper in our cars year round. People use kitty litter or sand as ballast for rear wheel drive cars and also so they also have something to throw onto the snow/ice for extra traction. -40 windsheild washer fluid, wipers with an ice boot to keep them from freezing (only seen them in the U.P. but love them), lock de-icer, etc are common products people have or use.

I remember my first time in a "southern" area when it snowed. I was in D.C. for a school trip and they got 1/4 inch of snow. They almost cancelled our flight, and they shut down half the city. Cars were all over the roads, in ditches, big pile-ups. I couldn't believe it. I can't imagine what it was like there last winter when they got 18 inches all at once.

[IBQTEE1]

Glad it hasn't gotten that bad down in IL.