What's better than an SUV on a former airport runway with 6" of snow...A SUBARU OUTBACK!!!!

 

This afternoon I went to a former municipal airport (now a recreation area) thinking I could get in some snow time with the Outback. But when I got there it seems the road was plowed... but only partially, half the runway area was unplowed! As I hit the snow I passed a VW Jetta stuck in the snow spinning its wheel, I didn't have a tow line w/me to help.

 

So it took about 5 minutes to get use to the feel of the snow, then I started doing imaginary cones (s-turns), then came the skidding and after a few skids a flat spin(?) 180 degree. And I got in a little drifting. Stop. Repeat. Stop. Repeat again, again.

 

It was just pure fun!!! Especially watching the SUVs driving slow an steady in a straight line.

 

Going back tomorrow for more. :-p

My wife and I went out last night and ran into a bit of lake effect up near Rochester. It was very slippery and I kicked the rear end out a few times. She went "Wow, that's cool". So now she wants to learn how to countersteer.

Everybody with a Subaru should spend a little "slide time" in a vacant lot at least once every winter. It really is fun, it's a great way to better appreciate the Subaru capabilities, and mostly, in an emergency driving manuever, might save a life or three.

 

Just make sure it's a lot that you know to be free of blocks.

Originally posted by blitz

Everybody with a Subaru should spend a little "slide time" in a vacant lot at least every winter. It really is fun, it's a great way to better appreciate the Subaru capabilities, and mostly, in an emergency driving manuever, might save a life or three.

 

Just make sure it's a lot that you know to be free of blocks.

 

I agree , so I'm taking my wife with me today. She'll not only get a feel of the sliding but also how well it maneuvers and how to get out of a slide.

Originally posted by 99obw

My wife and I went out last night and ran into a bit of lake effect up near Rochester. It was very slippery and I kicked the rear end out a few times. She went "Wow, that's cool". So now she wants to learn how to countersteer.

 

Does she have a sister???

I've been having a ton of fun with my turbo brat in the snow. lots of 4WDrifts just on the regular street

 

for playing like that, I actually prefer the open rear end. in my 82 Brat with the LSD, it pushes my rear end around too much.

Originally posted by ScoobySchmitty

Does she have a sister???

 

Nope, only two brothers. She is one of a kind. She has to be to put up with me.

My wife and I went out last night and ran into a bit of lake effect up near Rochester. It was very slippery and I kicked the rear end out a few times. She went "Wow, that's cool".

 

 

Something kinda like that happened to me this week, but instead of saying that was cool my wife screamed and reached for the holy crap bar!

Originally posted by McBrat

SNIP

for playing like that, I actually prefer the open rear end. in my 82 Brat with the LSD, it pushes my rear end around too much.

 

Bingo. With a good set of winter tires and open diffs, you never find yourself inadvertantly trading any forward momentum for sideways momentum. :cool:

 

I gotta fit a manual override FWD/4WD switch to my ride on account of that rear clutch (4EAT) having some treacherous characteristics in turns.

Going sideways on purpose is much more fun than going sideways by mistake.

 

Originally posted by 99obw

Nope, only two brothers. She is one of a kind. She has to be to put up with me.

 

Awww....lucky stiff (rimshot)

Me too! I've never driven a 4WD before so this past weekend we got enough snow to go "play" Spent about an hour doing things I haven't done since I was a teenager! Or should I say Trying to do things..... It was fun but I needed to learn how to handle this car. I love it! I feel much safer now that I've tried to slip and slide on purpose and learned how to handle the 4WD. My boyfriend drove the car for the first time and fell in love with it, it handles so much better than his truck, guess I'd better watch out he may try to steal it.

With snow on the road, I constantly fishtail out of every turn It's fun and I get some practice on counter-steering control. Just remember: DON'T clutch in the middle of the slide. You stop sliding

A month after we bought the sooby, I decided to figure how it went in a snowy parking lot. Needless to say, much better than the old 2wd toyota. Unfortunately, someone one else had been doing the same thing, but a lot closer to a nearby gas station, then took off before we got there. I found this out because the cops busted me for causing trouble and driving recklessly. Fortunately I was able to talk my way out of a ticket.

Anybody know where (if any) the good big open parking lots, abandoned airstrips, etc... are near seattle or woodinville? I plan on going up to the markworth forrest service roads in duvall to practice some gravel driving, but I still wouldn't mind a good wet parking lot to practice sliding around but don't want to risk the ticket.

 

-- Jeff