[SportsGuy]

Is it feasible to drive a Spider in the winter in the Seattle area?

I'm moving there soon and may be looking for a second car - so why not fulfill a fantasy and buy a Spider?

But, this will be no garage queen (no offense to those who can/need to garage their cars - wish I could), as it'll be my personal daily driver.

So, given I'm 6 feet tall, and will need to get around town, will a Spider suffice? Hopefully, in a couple of years, a new home or condo will loom with the joys of a garage for such fine items as a Spider, but for now, it'd be in the elements and expected to get me around town when asked.

I have no issues putting dedicated snow tires on the car, but not being familiar with the local weather, I'm not sure if that's even needed - either way, I probably would just to be safe

Thanks for your help gang.

Duane

 

[Alfacliff]

Here in the Wichita Ks. area, I have no problems in the winter except when the state puts down salt on the roads. I find my 74 spider to have a good heater, really good traction in wet and snow, and very few suprises while driving. Dont you just hate it when it's tiem to go round and round.
cliff

 

[backfeeder]

My short sojourn in Seattle and years in Vancouver, BC would have me suggest good rain tires rather than snow or studded ice tires.
Unless you are also planning on weekend ski trips.

 

[SportsGuy]

See - just the kind of advice I'm after - thanks guys.

 

[velooce]

As a native I would purchase a Spyder with a hardtop option this would be the ideal solution for Seattle.


John

 

[WopJob]

Spider is like any other rear wheel drive car. I drove my original 86 from new to 1993 as my only daily driver. I'm in NJ where before global warming, we had about 10 5in snow days a year. Hard or soft top makes no difference, actually you can dislodge the snow on the roof by banging on the underside of the top. I had the original Michelin tires and let it warm up 10 minutes. Had to shift when cold.

 

[Jbutler]

It’s difficult, holding a cell phone up to your ear while drinking a latte, shaving and shifting back down to first…….( you do want to fit in, don’t you?)

The rain isn’t a problem; it’s the lousy traffic! When I had to commute, I wouldn’t bother driving my Spider on Fridays due to the start-stop 3mph traffic, and it hasn’t gotten any better.
But, I’m often able to drive it around with the top down a few times every winter.
You’ll love the people and the scenery, but hate the traffic.
Once you get out of the area, there are some of the best Spider roads in the country.


Jim

 

[SportsGuy]

Thanks Jim - you're making it pretty freakin' hard to consider other vehicles here...

Once you get out of the area, there are some of the best Spider roads in the country.

 

[DoubleDawg]

I grew up in Seattle and moved away a few years back. You'll find that it will snow in Seattle, however, it is usually for a brief period of time and it will soon rain and wash it away! They didn't salt the roads like they do in other parts of the country and so the car if driven around town should be fine. As a ski vehicle, you probably would want to make another choice - or find one of the hordes of Subaru drivers to hook up with.

I didn't own a Spider when I lived there, but judging by the number of PNW owners on this site, I would think the answer should be fairly clear. Looks like there are plenty of local mechanics for those jobs you can't or don't want to do yourself too.

 

[brownie93]

My S4 is driven all winter, I put the hardtop on her. A couple of days of snow and mostly rain the rest of winter. You will need to sit in one and check it out. The front bolsters can be a tight fit.
My Son, 6'2", drove my 77 spider for a while, no problems.

 

[backfeeder]

So that settles it...we're all convoying to the winter Olympics. I'll start here in Jacksonville and hook up with you guys along the way.
We could be the Alfa luge team!

 

[Zunige]

After spinning out during an ice storm in January of 2004, I decided that perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to drive the Spiders every day of the year... I still prefer to drive a Spider every day, but I do refrain from doing so during the winter months. Nonetheless, there's no problem taking a Spider on a ski trip. I have done so many times. I have a ski rack that fits on the side of the trunk lid, and it holds 2 sets of skis very nicely, without touching the top or interfering with the operation of the trunk.

Best regards,