Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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Petros
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Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by Petros »

the second of four forecast snow storms has struck yesterday. One on monday, another on Friday, and two more in the forecast for tonight and Sunday night, with no warming in between. Should be fun, been skiing down our road.

Local temperatures around Arlington have been between 9 deg F to about 34 deg F. Not as bad as some of you experience, but this is not common in the low lands around the Puget sound area. our illustrious Governor proclaimed a state of emergency (I think to get federal aid) even before the snow storm struck.

Traffic was a mess all day yesterday so I stayed home. Drove down our private road to where the road is cleared this morning before the snow got warm and slippery. not too bad, went slow and crawled down 20 percent grade roads in 8" of snow. the final slope at the bottom was slippery, swapped ends in slow motion, but was able to back out of it. Two other cars ended up unable to stop and ended up down in the creek next to the road.

I got my car to the hwy eventually after the slow motion spin out, to get the mail and come into town to get some work done in my office. Parking lot at my work has been empty for two days based on the untracked snow.

Next few days will be interesting. At least the power has stayed on, house is warm, and we can now watch internet TV.
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'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Petros
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by Petros »

Typical traffic jambs caused by a little snow. took some people 2-3 hours to get home in a normally 20 min commute.

the other picture is what they do in Seattle when they do not have enough snow plows, they just close off the any streets that have hills (of which there are a lot, it is a city like San Fransico). So they become sledding runs, and even ski runs.
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'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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LowBuckCanuck
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by LowBuckCanuck »

In my humble opinion, a lot of preventable accidents in conditions such as these are the result of "I don't need winter tires, I drive a (insert any SUV with some so-called "intelligent" awd)."

Or if you live in Calgary, Alberta: "I don't need winter tires, I have a Ram 3500 Cummins 4wd with a 8 inch lift!"
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Petros
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by Petros »

LowBuckCanuck wrote: Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:43 pm ..these are the result of "I don't need winter tires, I drive a (insert any SUV with some so-called "intelligent" awd)."

Or ... "I don't need winter tires, I have a Ram 3500 Cummins 4wd with a 8 inch lift!"
We get a lot of that here too. It seems to me the most common vehicles I see really stuck in the roadside ditches are BIG SUVs or 4x4 trucks, and oddly BMW sedans. Both I think encurages overconfidence.

Big heavy vehicles, 4x4 or not, are harder to stop once moving. 4wd/AWD will not help you stop once you are moving. I think an advantage our Tercel4wd have is their light weight in snow and ice just for that reason. I think the Tercel4wd is probably the lightest 4x4 on the road right now.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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splatterdog
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by splatterdog »

Traction to weight ratio has to be why 62hp can dominate snowy roads. Only one ford pickup has come close to keeping up with me so far this winter. Snow tires are the best T4 accessory.
The Professor
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by The Professor »

It's been a bit of a hassle, but this storm has been totally manageable and is nowhere near a "snow-pocalypse." I guess us mountain folk have a different outlook on snowy weather, I'm sad that the rain will be moving in today...
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jimcrazy
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by jimcrazy »

was thinking the same,,what snow storm lol,,2014 my above ground pool with a 52" wall
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rocketscience
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by rocketscience »

We're up to about a foot here and I'm loving it. I've lived most of my life in Montana and Idaho and will usually steal away back over there for a bit during the winter, I miss it. I sold my snow tires a couple weeks ago but even without them the Tercel eats the snow, its impressive.

Forcast is showing rain soon and around a 1/2" tomorrow. I predict flooding.

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The Professor
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by The Professor »

Petros wrote: Sat Feb 09, 2019 8:58 pmI think the Tercel4wd is probably the lightest 4x4 on the road right now.
Lada Niva or the Subaru STD hatchback probably weight less, being two door hatchbacks.

https://www.suvdrive.com/sites/default/ ... 202017.jpg
http://dev.hatchheaven.com/wp-content/u ... l_84_1.jpg
1975 Subaru SuperStar wagon
1984 Subaru Turbo-Traction wagon & hardtop
1987 Subaru RX 3-door
1987 Subaru RX Type-RA 3-door
1987 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon
1999 Subaru Forester S
2002 Subaru WRX sedan
2019 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
atoyta
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by atoyta »

It is still snowing here, nearly 2 feet at this point. There are 2 Tercel wagons under there
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toyotasr542
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by toyotasr542 »

Anyone know the person with the red t4d with the roof rack tent that was at mt baker for banked slalom weekend
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Petros
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by Petros »

getting tired of this, have to dig out the car each morning. Would love to take the time off and just go skiing, but I have bills to pay and projects to complete. I fried the clutch again getting out of the place I parked at last night (I have another clutch on order, should arrive monday) but after it cools down it seems to work okay as long as I do not strain it, hard to do in deep snow.

what is normally a 15 min drive to work or home home takes an hour: 15 min to dig out the car in the parking lot, 30 min of slow driving ten miles home on highway, digging out a place to park the car below our hill, hiking back up the hill with a pack. Repeat each morning and each night.

I hear it is raining in Seattle today, on top of the snow, making a slippery mess. We had snow all night and all morning at our home, it has not gotten above freezing at our house. But it has warmed up to above freezing in the town of Arlington today. roads in town are a slushy wet snow.
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'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
atoyta
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by atoyta »

You must be near my elevation or a little higher. We are at 600ft. At the end of my road above us they have 37 inches but are at 1100ft. My locked 4runner with dual transfer cases has been driving right up the hill so far. I also have the tires at 12lb of air pressure which helps a ton.
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Petros
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by Petros »

we are at about 500 ft, about ten miles east of the town of Arlington. the further east you go the more snow accumulation, even at low elevation.

Two problems are the ground clearance on the Tercel4wd, with deep accumulations the chassis just rests on the snow with little to no traction for the tires. the other is power, I have the 4ac with a few tweaks, but it is still no hot rod. I was just thinking how nice it would be to have an air adjustable height suspension, you just raise it up for this kind of driving, and than lower it down to save the cv joints once back on the plowed road.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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Re: Snopocolypse Seattle: 2019

Post by dlb »

We have almost 2' of snow here. This was my first time trying the Rav4 in the snow aaaand...

...it's been awesome! Even better than my T4's and AE95's, probably due entirely to the ground clearance. I hoped I wouldn't be able to get out of our driveway to get to work but for better or worse, the Rav4 didn't hesitate.

Every now and then, I consider going back to a 2wd vehicle, but when we get a lot of snow like this I really enjoy having a fun, capable little vehicle to get around with (and do the occasional empty parking lot snow drifting in).
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