On Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:32:53 -0800, Gunner
wrote:

On Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:13:07 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Gunner" wrote in message
. ..

Ayup! Dad was big into road rallies (Jag XKe) but he loved both the
little Renault and the VW for winter rallies. Lots of fun to be had
on the lakes in Northern Michigan in the winter. Course..you had to
bring out the snow plows a lot of the time just to find the
ice...shrug


In the 70's before front and four wheel drive were common an ice storm
would close the roads to traffic and the police, and open them for
play to the Beetles, Rabbits and Saabs with studded tires, and my
buddy and I on dirt bikes. I stopped driving down snowmobile trails
after they complained they couldn't steer because of the VW and bike
tire ruts.

Ayup! And you really could get some distance with that flat underbody
of the VW...nothing sticking out except for the 4 wheels. and when
you hit a snow drift..they would plane like a toboggan.

I took my Corvair skiing once.

It had been raining in Vista for a few days before. I took the
shortcut back from the Carlsbad Raceway, hauling a friend and his
girlfriend (Miss Del Mar or some similar title.) As I came over a
rise, I saw the little creek had turned into a 40' wide lake. There
wasn't time to stop, so I gassed it and skidded the flat pan over the
water, just to the other edge. Phil got out and picked up his
girlfriend, only to fall backwards into the pool with her on his lap.
He pushed me about 6" farther through the muddy bottom and I got
traction and was able to drive out. Miss Del Mar had a brown bottom,
something which cracked Phil and me up but left her a bit miffed. That
was an adventure. I'm glad I had time to somewhat react. In a regular
car, I'd have sunk in immediately. I was happy the Corvair had
naugahyde seats, too. That was some sticky mud.

--
I started out with nothing and
I still have most of it left!
--anon