Midwest Chick's Place

(A.K.A. Non-Original Rants)

–Co-opting good stuff from all over the ‘Net and maybe some original thoughts—ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE

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Time to do the donuts

Yep, you read that right. We had snow that started on Sunday morning. I had to go out and run an errand to another town so figured I get out, get my stuff, and get back before it got really bad.

Driving a new car. I upgraded to a Subaru Crosstrek a few weeks ago and am loving it. I have noticed quite a few of them out there since I got mine, most are brand new.

It did great on the two lane highway and a couple of backroads. My road home led past a rural high school with an open parking lot. Not a lot of light posts, no parking bumpers. And since it was a Sunday, no plowing or salt yet so there were a couple of inches of snowy ice on the blacktopped pavement.

I went for it.

The Crosstrek is, of course, all-wheel drive so doing an actual donut is almost impossible. But getting to speed and hitting the brakes while turning the wheel caused a lot of antilock chattering and some pretty decent slides (four wheel drive does not equal four wheel stop). I did several runs turning the wheel to each side and one or two going backwards just for shits and grins (didn’t quite get a bootleggers turn, but close). Must say it was very easy to regain control in a spin/slide. Anyone watching would have gotten quite the show and they might have heard me hooting and hollering as well.

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Midwest Chick

17 responses to “Time to do the donuts”

  1. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    I almost bought one 6 years ago, but decided on a Toyota Venza AWD instead (more room plus Toyota reliability). It was a ton of fun, comfy, decent mileage but have since upgraded to a Tundra since I couldn’t take it hunting and it couldn’t handle 8′ deckboards or plywood.

    Enjoy your Crosstrek!

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  2. Veeshir Avatar
    Veeshir

    Use the emergency brake, they lock up the rear wheels.
    I used to do that with an Acura Integra.
    Of course, when I was young I owned a bunch of 72 American, rear wheel cars.
    I loved sliding around like that. It was a blast.

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  3. WDS Avatar
    WDS

    It was 27 last night here in Chickenbone SC, I have to hit the grocery store in a few and I bet there’s no milk, bread or eggs. Luckily, I have all that stuff. It’ll be back in the mid 70s this weekend so that means everyone will be sick by next Wednesday. Stay warm y’all.

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  4. Firehand Avatar
    Firehand

    Used to be my standard with a vehicle I hadn’t had in snow before: find a big empty parking lot and find out just how it handled when you steered, braked and hit the gas in the stuff.

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  5. p2 Avatar
    p2

    Drive like it’s frozen year round and you don’t forget when Spetember rolls around and things ice up. Like Firehand mentioned, that’s standard practice. Never let a car, airplane, boat, whatever, take you somewhere your mind hasn’t already been in it.

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  6. Glypto Dropem Avatar
    Glypto Dropem

    I try to do this every year to refresh my skills with my Tundra. I put it in 4WD and turn off all the “nannies” (VSC & TSC) and have at it. Nothing crazy just some skids and spins and then regaining control. A few times back and forth and I am good to go.

    Wahooing for long periods of such fun tends to attract L.E.

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  7. lnac Avatar
    lnac

    View post on imgur.com

    got some snow over night here in western my

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  8. B Avatar
    B

    Veeshir:

    Sadly the old “pull up on the handle emergency brake” is nonexistent on most cars more than 5 years old.

    Now it is an electric parking brake.

    I taught MC how to do the turns with the old fashioned brake, and how to get into and out of trouble with steering and brakes…. and she is pretty adequate at car handling when it is all said and done. Better than most men, in fact.

    But the brake handle doesn’t exist anymore.

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  9. Harbinger Avatar
    Harbinger

    Having lived in the northeast for better than half a century, I know a little something about winter driving. I took my road test in January when I was 16 and parallel parked next to a snowdrift higher than the car I was qualifying in.

    Down here in South Texas, by contrast, they delay school openings by a few hours when there is a little black ice on the overpass. Since it flurries just once every 8 years or so here, they can’t call them ‘snow days’. The only donuts we do now come in a box from Shipleys (Try the blueberry kolaches. They’re primo.)

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  10. Midwest Chick Avatar
    Midwest Chick

    Mike–I’m not carrying large amounts of lumber so it’s just right. And higher clearance than my former car (Impreza).

    Veeshir–No joy on the emergency brake. But yes, my folks had a 72 Chrysler Newport that was… interesting… in the winter.

    WDS–Everyone goes for the french toast fixings when it’s going to snow. Not sure why….

    firehand–B (see his comment below) taught me to do it every year at the first snow just to get reacquainted with workings.

    p2–We fall to the level of our training.

    Glypto–Good practice!

    lnac–I think we got you beat here in Northwest Indiana.

    B–Yes, it’s the only thing I don’t like about the new ride. Thank you for the high praise and the training! I remember that snowy test drive where you showed the salesguy how it should be done–true driving mastery.

    Harbinger–Yep, it just depends where you are. I am surprised you have good kolaches down there. The best I had were in Boston.

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  11. Veeshir Avatar
    Veeshir

    Electronic emergency brake?
    WTF?!?!
    There are plenty of times you need that.
    No keys, no emergency brakes, no buttons or knobs.
    It’ll cost more than a 10 year old car is worth to fix all that crap.
    I hope I never have to get a ‘modern’ car.
    Now get off my lawn.

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  12. MrHappy Avatar
    MrHappy

    Congratulations MWC you are an official “Hoonigan”

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  13. Unferth Avatar
    Unferth

    The parking lot in college was a dirt field. A friend dropped me off at my car at 2am, and the she proceeded to drive across the university’s sidewalks at a high rate of speed.

    Mine was the only car in the parking lot, so I did a few donuts in my gutless-wonder, student mobile. Once I hit the pavement, I pegged the speed limit and drove a couple of blocks to the main drag, a 6 lane road that was mostly deserted (save for a few drunks and cops).

    I got to the first traffic light. It was yellow and I could have made it, but decided I wasn’t in that big of a hurry. A big white Cadillac pulled up next to me. A cop pulled up behind the Cadillac.

    The light turns green, and I proceed at a nice stately pace because of the cop. The Cadillac leaves rubber, fishtails slightly, and takes off like a bat out of Hell. Sure enough, the cop’s lights go on and he pulls ME over.

    Evidently the donuts attracted his attention. Cops. Donuts. I suppose the joke writes itself. He did ask why my friend drove across the sidewalk, which I was not able to answer. He let me go with a verbal warning.

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  14. Nemo Avatar
    Nemo

    Took me a little getting used to 4WD in snow when I got mine 12 years ago. Definitely doesn’t behave anything like a 2WD vehicle.

    I used to love doing power slides in the snow in my VW bug back in the day.

    I’m still waiting for the “arctic blast” in the NE that all the doom saying weather people have been predicting for a week or so. Barely freezing here in central New England this morning and hasn’t warmed up much, yet, at 11:00AM. 32F at sunrise is barely cold here.

    I remember one winter back in the 70’s when the temp never got above zero for one whole week in January and never got above freezing, even during the day, for five weeks. 1976 or 77 can’t remember which.

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  15. Midwest Chick Avatar
    Midwest Chick

    MrHappy–Thanks!

    Unferth–Great story!

    Nemo–1977 was a big year for snow and cold here in the Midwest.

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  16. Michael Wilson Avatar
    Michael Wilson

    In January of 1977 I rode in 15 inches of snow to college at Conway, AR. There was still snow & ice on the ground Valentine’s Day!

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    1. Midwest Chick Avatar
      Midwest Chick

      Michael–1977 was a big year for snow.

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