Bill Brewer wrote:
> 1. I cannot keep a hat on my head at freeway speeds unless a clamp down a
> baseball camp to the point where I don't get enough blood to the brain (a
> useful side effect for the LBC hobby perhaps). I've tried "sports car" hats
> (Kangol and Pendleton) but they fly off. The wind catches them under the
> bill and flips them off. What do others wear?
My boys, on the bench seat of the TR4, wear ball caps with "hat keepers" on
them.
They get way more wind than I do in the front seat but they haven't lost a hat
yet. You can get hat keepers -- which are typically 6" nylon strings with a clip
on either end -- at ski shops or outdoors shops like REI.
While I wear Phil's "convertible haircut", a ball cap protects my sensitive
forehead areas from too much sun if I'm driving mid-day, and it doubles as a
handy sun visor.
> 2. It is dangerous to put chains on a TR3? I have been considering using the
> car year round.
Probably. You could use "Z" tire cables with less risk. But depending on where
you live, both may be illegal, check with your local DOT. I don't use my TR4 for
ski trips, which is the only time I've encountered "chains required" driving. I
also like Hakkepelitta's having run them for several years on my '72 BMW 2002 --
which we used for family ski trips before we got the Discovery. I had a studded
set on disc wheels that I put on when we had snowy weather; I would just swap
them throughout the winter. Denver's winters are pretty mild so this isn't
unreasonable. The 2002 had a nice nearly 50/50 weight ratio and handled very
well
in snow anyway; with the Hakke's it was incredible. If you are in conditions
that
studded Hakke's can't handle, the snow will probably be too deep for your TR
anyway.
I've driven the TR4 through two winters here, and was only stranded once. This
winter we had an ice storm on a Friday afternoon and though I left work early,
it
was an hour too late to beat the ice and the spinning, 360 degree rotating cars.
I drove a few miles in a few hours to a shopping mall and waited for my wife to
pick me up in the Disco. I still had my worn XZX's though, maybe w/ the new
Dunlops I'd have made it home. I'd like to get a spare set of wires and a set of
studded Hakke's or the new Kumho Ecsta 700 rally tires for snow days with the
TR4, but I'll probably just apply that money to another old 2002 or a Volvo 122.
> 3. What is best to wear with the top down on freezing days? I have been
> considering powder pants (from skiing) and a parka, maybe even a ski mask.
> In Tehachapi, we get nice days and subfreezing evenings in the fall. I am
> looking for something to keep in the trunk that I can pull out if work keeps
> me out late.
I carry fleece blankets for passengers and me. If your heater works then your
feet will be toasty, so a warm blanket over the lap is all you'll need. During
the winter I lay a wool horse blanket over the seat bottom. I wear a leather
jacket with the collar turned up, and since my jacket doesn't have a fleecy
collar I wear a neck warmer or a fleece vest with the collar turned up. My
snowboard jackets are too long to feel comfortable in the car. What I miss most
with the leather jacket are the velcro cuff cinches to keep freezing air out
when
my arm's resting on the door.
I wear my fleece snowboard cap and a pair of Burton halfpipe gloves -- which are
lightweight with a sweet leather face. I've worn my powder gloves a couple
really
cold days but they're just too bulky. I also have a pair of Smith's wraparounds
with interchangable lenses so I can wear the yellow lenses at night, otherwise
my
eyes tear up or my contacts dry out in the cold. With a hat, the neck warmer,
and
wraparounds, I don't think you'd need a ski mask unless you're also going to rob
a bank.
But in fairness I didn't often get to drive over 55 on my winter commutes so if
you're really hauling you might need the parka. Then again on the highway I can
open my fresh air vent and 'supercharge' the heater so I actually get toastier
the faster I go. YMMV.
--
Steven Newell
Littleton, CO
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