Meakz1973 36 Posted October 27, 2008 After a great weekend driving my Frog up in Wisconsin, it got me thinking that the snow is coming!. I live in Chicago, and we will surely get dumped on ( with snow!) as always... This year I don't want to hang up the driving gloves for 5 months again due to having cars that cannot handle the snow, so I would like to get a nice runner that will be able to handle the white stuff/... I am into the vintage gear, although the land cruiser /crawler has got my attention recently as a nice looking vehicle. I appreciate a lot of suggestions would be down to personal taste. I've always sort of fancied getting a Lunchbox,hopefully I could dye or change the yellow wheels which I think are pretty naff looking... I was wondering what you guys would recommend for running in the snow, despite it's documented average handling ability would the Lunchbox be a viable winter weather option given size of the wheels? To give you an idea of usage, I'm very part time at running my cars and that is shown in my lack of driving ability, I'm really looking for a casual runner that will primarily be used on a snow covered tennis court or back yeard/driveway. Any suggestion for a winter vehicle are very welcome! Thanks guys. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loaded 4 Posted October 27, 2008 Hi there, nice question :-) I live in Czech, which has a lot of snow. Pretty much nothing runs (especially vintage) in the snow here unless it is big scale, although I might give the CR-01 chassis a go, as they can climb almost anything and have big tyres and low gearing, both of which are important for snowy handling. I still reckon they would get caught up though. To those guys in England who might have some advice, forget it, for you know not what you talk about!!! I am an Englishman, my first 30 degree below winter here made me realise how easy you guys have it! These guys complain about 4cm of snow :-) Even a TT01 will run on that lol. It always makes me chuckle when I hear the English traffic ground to a halt when a couple of flakes dropped. I even have to own my own snow plough lol! I reckon Chicago has similar conditions to Czech, except we are landlocked and you have virtual sea (the lakes) so slightly different humidity. I have tried snow spikes and chains on Wild Dagger, TXT etc, nothing works, to be truthful. Paul. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Meakz1973 36 Posted October 27, 2008 Cheers Paul, I'm English too, moved here 7 years ago and have been freezing my cobbs off every winter since! Dont think I'll bother trying in the deep snow considering my Frog couldnt even run through dead leaves effectively. Would Lunch box or Monster beetle run in 3-4 inches of snow? The Land Cruiser is a CR -01 chassis right? What other cares share that chassis? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loaded 4 Posted October 27, 2008 Hi there, The new Wrangler and the Unimog also run on that crawler chassis. I hear it is good, looking at the stats and the pictures it looks best suited to the task, but I haven't even got one. I have a Monster Beetle, I will let you know when the snow falls, but I reckon it will be best of all them (vintage wise), pin spike tyres help, it is high up (drag on the snow is one of the biggest problems) and low geared. Good call there, I never really considered the Monster Beetle, I should have though of it. Wild Dagger was a problem because it is low slung and my TXT was just cruddy. All the best, P. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wireless 34 Posted October 27, 2008 Have a look at my F-350 in the snow here in Switzerland. Video in my Youtube space : http://uk.youtube.com/fastasfunk Truck has 2.2" King Blackfoot chrome rims and Pro-Line Dirt Hawgs. Snow you see is 2" deep or so on grass. Tried it in 3-4" snow and it just spun it's wheels despite locked diffs front and back. Forget even a crawler. Nothing short of a Kyosho Blizzard will do... Check out some brushless Blizzards on Youtube...! Must be some there - they go like fury... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loaded 4 Posted October 27, 2008 He is right, but I will try a Monster Beetle anyway before it gets neck height. Paul. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saito 5 Posted October 27, 2008 Kyosho Blizzards rule to snow. I have decent luck with my Clod Buster. Its mostly plastic so not much rust (snow is a four letter word for frozen water after all ). The massive tires and high ground clearance help matters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HunterZero 76 Posted October 28, 2008 I'd suggest a Tundra Hi-Lift with the snow board. ;-) CR-01 would be a great choice for the snow. - James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
taliesin 260 Posted October 28, 2008 2nd vote for kyosho blizzard! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grizy 12 Posted October 28, 2008 From a scale point of view, if you're running in 1" of snow with a 1/10 truck does it do it for you? That's about a foot of snow which a lot of 1:1 cars would stuggle with? I live in the UK, and fair enough you're right, a light flurry of snow sometimes causes havok on the roads. Then again, some places local to me expect to have snow, grit the roads regular, and get along quite well. If the snow is that bad that you can't drive through it, maybe a hovercraft is the way to go for winter running Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Novastar 241 Posted October 28, 2008 Although it will render the tyres useless for anything else this Blackfoot owner used self tapping wood screws with the screw heads sticking out to achieve traction in the snow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Singapore_959 18 Posted October 29, 2008 Like Paul, I'm in eastern europe and snow really means snow here. (still hoping for it tho after last 2 years no shows!!) As someone has already said, drag is one of the big issues. To that end, any frog related chassis (MB, BlkFt etc) won't cut it. They have the right type/size wheels but the chassis just picks up all the crud. A better bet is (no, I'm not biased here! ), really, a dyna blaster. It has the huge wheels and loooong suspension arms, and a totally flat, high chassis bottom. Instead of gettign stuck it will slide until the wheels dig in again. The only issue is it's two wheel drive, but that is often more fun. On the cheap you could get a Asso / B4 thing with truck wheels, I believe such a version was made. On the bling I would like the CR01 chassis too, but I think it may be a bit heavy in some situs, and the underside isn't flat. My thoughts anyway Can't wait for snow!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lonestar 1 Posted October 29, 2008 Forget about anything on wheels... think trax instead!!! Blizzard in the snow is incredible, not only does it look absolutely fantastic, but it also runs everywhere, where even the most harcore rock crawlers can't survive as they dig in the snow while the Blizz' floats on it... Here's a pic of mine - for info, it's about 3degC here and it rains like crazy, which means I could be taking the Blizz out of its summer break sooner than expected, woo-hoo!!! Paul Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
civilguy 1 Posted October 29, 2008 My two kids and I each have a Grasshopper/Hornet hybrid. A couple years ago I got a couple sets of Lunchbox wheels/tires, front axles, and front bumper-- they all bolt right on the GH and they go pretty good in the snow. The tires get the chassis up off the ground and they're pretty light to sit up on top of the more packed stuff. It's a cheap alternative.... although I have started searching for an affordable Blizzard! EDIT: Found an old cell phone pic! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Singapore_959 18 Posted October 29, 2008 I know its meh, but you can buy the blizzard RTR yes? Would love to get one and just mod with loads of TASTY bright lights on it beaming forward into the night! :angry: But 2 racing wouldn't work would it? If they tangled the tracks would rip each of them apart or...? Can any owners comment? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lonestar 1 Posted October 29, 2008 I know its meh, but you can buy the blizzard RTR yes? Would love to get one and just mod with loads of TASTY bright lights on it beaming forward into the night! :wub:But 2 racing wouldn't work would it? If they tangled the tracks would rip each of them apart or...? Can any owners comment? I've already heard about rtr blizz's but I have to say I never saw one offered at a shop... then again it's assembled in the box already, except the electronics and the body that remains to be painted and to receive the lil' add-ons like lights, rails and such... Ditch the mechanical 3-step speedo and slap an ESC in there. Racing them? The thing is, they can ride over pretty much anything and climb any steep slope, but they have a tendency to turn on a dime or not turn at all... it takes a lot of fiddling with the braking linkages (which actually control the steering) to get them to turn right, ie with a radius you can control with a radio... you can ride two together nonetheless, just don't expect these nice plastic rails on the DF300 version flatbeds to remain there long haha! It's an awesome toy though... puts a massive grin on my face the rare times I pull it out! highly recommended Paul Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisB 0 Posted October 29, 2008 Gotta add to the recommendations for a Blizzard if you get a lot of snow - they are really different, and if you get a hot electric motor (or brushless) in there they go like stink over just about anything . Only thing to watch out for with the electric version is the battery is in the cab so they are very nose heavy. The latest versions are pretty scale looking too with lots of nice detailing features. Check out the showrooms of a few members here that have added all sorts of great lighting rigs, ploughs and trailers to their blizzards. They come pretty much RTR as far as the chassis goes, but I would swap out the MSC for an ESC and you'll need to adjust the braking setup first few times to get it turning right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bluefoot 1 Posted October 30, 2008 I have a Blizzard... but the nearest snow is a couple of hundred miles away! I also have a vintage set of skis that fit to the front of a Grasshopper. This was part of a kit made by Snowtime Accessories in Canada. It includes coupling nuts to convert the rear wheels to a dually arrangement. I guess they made these to enable you guys in the Frozen North to run cars during the dark season. The instructions say to avoid loose, unpacked snow, and that the "winter conversion kit" was designed for best performance on groomed racetracks of snow and ice. I bought these things so that I will be prepared when global warming fouls up the seasons and it starts snowing here in the sub-tropics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DCLXVI 3 Posted October 30, 2008 I've always though about making some skis for my stadium truck, then run sand paddles on the rear but I've never done anything of the idea...should work though, as long as the chassie is smooth enough so it skids on the snow... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
taliesin 260 Posted October 31, 2008 as long as the chassie is smooth enough so it skids on the snow... This my friend is why God created the Mamba Max. With enough horsepower a paving brick could be made to skid on the snow! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
loaded 4 Posted October 31, 2008 I love the edit with the Grasshopper and Hornet from civilguy, those cars look insane on those wheels, like a buggy monster truck. Paul. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gozone 30 Posted October 31, 2008 I also have a question for the Blizzard-owners here.. Are they useable on mud and dirt also, or strictly on snow? Are the tracks fragile, or will they take some abuse?? I have not yet had one, and i would LIKE to, but NOT if it is only allowed to run on snow. Cheers.. Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lonestar 1 Posted October 31, 2008 I also have a question for the Blizzard-owners here..Are they useable on mud and dirt also, or strictly on snow? Are the tracks fragile, or will they take some abuse?? I have not yet had one, and i would LIKE to, but NOT if it is only allowed to run on snow. Cheers.. Michael usable on anything you can think of, buddy - people who've tried it say they're fantastic in sand dunes too... and tracks are solid as a rock. the chain will jump of the sprocket way before the track risks anything. It's a blast, I'm telling ya! Paul Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gozone 30 Posted November 1, 2008 Thanks for the info, Paul.. Guess i will have to get hold of one now, LOL. Cheers.. Michael Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
highflyer 73 Posted November 3, 2008 The Blizzard sounds perfect, and put some leds on it for night driving .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
