Madison, Wisconsin:  Last night in my 83 air-cooled, I managed a little
left-foot braking to keep the front wheels still and spin the rear into a
minor skid, turning what is normally a crowded 3-point u-turn into a
precarious but effective single turn.  Can't wait to try this in a more open
environment.

Sean Solowiej

on 12/5/02 12:58 PM,  ian Butler at ian@BLUEMOON.HPLX.NET wrote:

> So!  Southeast Michigan has received its first blush of winter this week,
> with snow both here and on its way.  Abandoned parking lots abound, and it's
> time for stupid winter car tricks!
>
> Driving in snow (with good tires and food and blankets) is one of my
> favorite winter activities.  The care and concentration required make it
> fun, and it can be recreational and amusing as long as you're not creeping
> across the snow-blanketed continent (as I was when I moved here around this
> time two years ago.)
>
> Parking lots are fun for much juvenile amusement.  Rear-wheel drive trucks
> and cars are always good for RWD donuts, the quintessential parking lot
> pastime, in exchange for some moments of terror on traffic-clogged
> throughfares.  Front-wheel drive cars are fun in reverse, and sliding around
> in circles with creative handbrake use.  And the bus .. the bus.  Mine's a
> syncro; I don't know how 2.1L 2WD vans fare, but achieving wheelspin on dry
> ground in mine is but a pipe dream.  But in snow, not-terribly-judicious use
> of the throttle results in beautiful figure 8's, huge circles, and wide
> half-assed AWD donuts.
>
> What has anyone else done in this right?  I'm hesitant to do handbrake
> spins, as that requires 20+ mph which may not be conducive to keeping the
> rubber side down.  As it was, the donuts and whatnot didn't result in any
> scary tipping or rocking, thanks to the low traction...
>
> Long-winded, I know.  And all disclaimers apply, of course; if they weren't
> stupid, they wouldn't be stupid winter tricks. :)
>
> ian Butler / ian@hplx.net
> '88 Scirocco 16v, '87 Syncro GL