Miata Mailing List: January 1994, Message #111
sponsored by



     


   From: "David K. Kim" 
Subject: snow tires
   Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 15:37:10 -0500

All,

  Forgive me if this has been discussed to death, but I've been off 
  the list for a while:

  I'm in central Illinois now, driving a miata with stock tires
  which slips a lot despite 100 lbs of sand in the trunk and [my]
  slowly improving driving skills.  I'm thinking of getting either
  snow tires or some all-season tires and wonder if anyone has
  any good suggestions.  I'm on a tight budget these days, so any
  cost-saving tips on tire shopping are welcome as well.  Should I
  have four new tires or can I get away with putting something
  grippier on the drive wheels alone?

  Are there any general tips on winterizing your miata?  It's my only
  vehicle, so I can't afford to pack it away for the winter.
  When I told a friend of mine (who owns a Fiat which is tucked away)
  "It's my utility car", she gasped,
  "Miata? a UTILITY car?  that's like saying 'utility girlfriend'!"
  Oh well, I still don't know what was meant by that, it just
  sounded funny.

  I'm running "5W50" Syntec in the car now; does anyone think that's
  too thick for the winter?  Seems to work well so far.

  The question about people stopping really close to you is a good
  one.  It may be that the short trunk of the miata makes the
  (opposing) car appear subjectively closer.  Or it could just
  be that people subconsciously try to intimidate smaller cars.
  I'm a cynic; arm your miata.

				Happy motoring,
					Dave Kim
					dkkim@uiuc.edu