Art & Inspiration Coldest Temp You Drove Rod Or Custom In?

That’s why @porknbeaner told me he wears wool socks in the winter lmao

 

Took my '41 IHC out on highway at -34 C just to see how well the heater worked. Its excellent and I only had a floor mat, no insulation.

 

LOL 2 pair and counting. it finally got up to zero here today. I am thinking that another pair of socks is in order.

Oh tell the missus that I need socks too.

 

8+ inches of snow tonight and near zero temps.... I'm staying home in front of the fire place.....

 

While Dirt Car drove his drafty Cabriolet I basked in the comfort of my G- body wagon

 

Hey Rocky ! have you seen that Malibu since it changed hands ? I sold my brother Dan's 82 tudor Malibu ( a really super sano body) but in need of an engine & frame work, really came out nice with new LS drive train & on the street in record time. Probably the only original robin egg blue exterior & white interior example around .

 

I'll pm you.

 

Hello,

When we were at a mountain cabin in the Big Bear Area during our Cub Scout days. Our Cub Pack leaders had a cabin that could fit the small troop. We spent one of the winter holiday weeks in a cabin. By the second day, it started snowing. My mom and dad said they would come up at the end of the vacation to come and take some of the scouts home in their big 53 Buick sedan.

Down in Long Beach, it was not rainy or snowing. But, he was advised to bring a set of snow chains with him. His friend in Los Angeles packed the correct size snow chains in the trunk for my dad. Being in an area that had no snow or bad weather, he thought he would never use the snow chains. My dad had been to all of the mountain lakes, Arrowhead, Big Bear Lake, Green Valley, and Lake Gregory on those trout fishing expeditions, so he knew mountain road driving.

He and my mom were on their way to pick us up. By the time they got close, the Highway Patrol had closed the roads leading into the Green Valley Area. It was below 30 degrees and a little foggy to add to the snow falling. So, they all had to turn around or put on those snow chains. Since the closest area to have someone put on the chains was back down the mountain to San Bernardino.

My dad had been in cold weather before with "below zero" fishing at Crowley Lake in snow covered shorelines of the Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern area of the Sierra Nevada range . But, my dad had never put those on and the CHP would not help him and suggested to drive back down the mountain to the nearest gas station to get them installed.

Jnaki

They drove back down the mountain to the nearest gas station in Eastern San Bernardino, at the base of the mountain. It was about 4 miles downhill. He got them installed and then drove back uphill to the CHP road closure stopping area. He did not know how to put them on and his bad back was also a deterrent. The CHP guy said that it was tricky driving into the cabin areas, but to go slowly. Brakes would work, but to keep it slow on the roads, even with chains.

So, they had “clunked up” the non-snowy road to the checkpoint. The CHP officer was amazed that they had the perseverance to come back up the incline highway in this cold thick snowy weather. Yes, they “clunked” on the city streets with the snow chains. I am sure that would have been a sight to see and
hear !!! Luckily, by the time they got to the cabin, the snow had stopped and within hours, the road was clear for driving back down the hill without chains.

But, for us mostly mild coastal environment people, it was “freezing” as the water drops turned to snow.

 

Back in the 80s it was below zero, my patrol car wouldn't start, my new ot toyota wouldn't start, Jumped in my 47 6volt buick and it fired right up. Spent the day tooling around in the snow without a lick of trouble.

 

Zero on my 1948 Ford. (Tractor / snow plow)

 

Drove my old 54 Chebbie in negative temps quite a bit one winter. Wifes daily was having security issues since I bought her an auto start. She got my truck and I just soldiered on with the sedan for a couple weeks

 

Well, even though we had some temps around -15 degrees F over the past few days, I didn't get the bird out (because I couldn't get it out of the shop and across the yard for the snow). So, I guess I will call 3 degrees F the lowest I drove it in as of this morning on my 30 mile commute to work. And, it won't hurt my feelings any if that is as cold as I ever see... Looks like we should be warming back up and not see many more temps below freezing for a while.

 

About 20 years ago I drove a slightly OT Corvette Roadster from Nashville to Atlanta to get the top put on (no top, no interior but a seat). It was 17 degrees when I left and was single digits going over Monteagle. Car never skipped a beat. Rolled up the windows and wore Carhart coveralls and a scarf. Heater on full blast. Left foot was cold and right foot about to melt. Good times.

 

I've only actually looked at thermometer and seen a low temperature of -26F, when I lived in Tie Siding Wyoming, but I was told it was -42 one night when I was west of Casper. I still had my 33 coupe back then. It had a heater and I never gave any thought to driving it whenever I needed or wanted to and never considered cold weather to be a reason to not drive anything I had that would run. Bad thing in southern WY is the wind. When its down around zero and the wind is blowing 50 that puts the windchill around -30. That doesn't affect the metal as much as it does the humans and livestock but it does rip right through those little holes and gaps in the old cars. Its going to get into the teens there tonight and the wind is blowing 65.
I used to think it couldn't get too cold to bother me but as I've aged I don't like anything below 68 or hotter than 72. I just wish about 36 million of the 39 million people in CA would leave and I would move right down to San Diego. ;<)