General Winter motoring

[fiat500]

Don't forget to fill your washer bag with neat or only slightly diluted screenwash. I did and at -5 there's not much chance that a front mounted reservoir with a rear mounted heat source is going to thaw it out.
Tesco had some really cheap modern wiper blades and I bought a couple not being sure they'd be the right size for my modern car....they weren't. But a bit of destruction removed the rubber squeegee itself which, when trimmed, fits the original 500 blades. The advantage is that this type had a steel reinforcer which, unlike the previous ones, makes it clear the screen very effectively
Are winter tyres available to fit the 125-12 wheels? I was reading up on LeJog; a nutty end to end rally that takes place this weekend. One of the essential requirements of this event is to have them fitted. I'm not so daft as to consider enter an event that involves driving day and night for four days in the middle of winter. But I fitted winter tyres on my modern car and they do make an impressive difference.

 

[Vitesse]

I'm not so daft as to consider enter an event that involves driving day and night for four days in the middle of winter.

:chin:

 

[fiat500]

:chin:

Correction then.... not so daft as to pay over three grand for the privilege. [emoji3]

 

[fiat500]

Today I noticed that one of the tiny windscreen washer hoses had been pushed off its spigot by the frosted water. I'll need them to stay fluid tonight as it's already -2 outside at 20.00h and I'm going for an 80 mile round trip in two hours to view the midnight rally action (not a euphemism, but I have a grid reference if you're similarly inclined[emoji3]) of some even stranger people in even older cars.[emoji3]

 

[F123C]

Don't forget to fill your washer bag with neat or only slightly diluted screenwash. I did and at -5 there's not much chance that a front mounted reservoir with a rear mounted heat source is going to thaw it out.
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Are winter tyres available to fit the 125-12 wheels? --------------
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Hi Peter, you could relocate the screenwasher bag to inside the passenger compartment. Then route the outlet pipe/tube around the 'heater' trunking before it goes to the screenwasher jets?

(a bit like the old trick of re-routing and coiling the screenwasher tubing around one on the engine heater hoses so that hot water is sprayed onto the windscreen)

Winter tyres :- I rewatched a DVD of Wheeler Dealers where they 'did' a Fiat Panda 4X4. When it came to tyres, they wanted something with a chunky tread for off-road use. Their choice was a company in W.Germany that recycles/remoulds tyres (www.king-meiler.com)., they opted for their Maxsport 60 tyre which had a very chunky block tread. But they don't currently list anything for 12 inch wheels in remoulds.
However, I was also directed to another associated site :-
(www.giga-tyres.com)
that sells new tyres - this site lists 3 brands of winter tyre size 145/70R12 costing 37 - 49 Euro.

I don't know if 145 would be too wide for the original 500 rim or if bodywork manipulation might be required. It used to be possible to go up a maximum of 2 sizes on a standard size rim and if you then went from standard to 70 profile, the speedo reading would usually be little changed. i.e. 125R12 might be virtually the same rolling radius as 145/70R12.

Just a thought,

AL.

 

[fiat500]

Hi Peter, you could relocate the screenwasher bag to inside the passenger compartment. Then route the outlet pipe/tube around the 'heater' trunking before it goes to the screenwasher jets?

(a bit like the old trick of re-routing and coiling the screenwasher tubing around one on the engine heater hoses so that hot water is sprayed onto the windscreen)

Winter tyres :- I rewatched a DVD of Wheeler Dealers where they 'did' a Fiat Panda 4X4. When it came to tyres, they wanted something with a chunky tread for off-road use. Their choice was a company in W.Germany that recycles/remoulds tyres (www.king-meiler.com)., they opted for their Maxsport 60 tyre which had a very chunky block tread. But they don't currently list anything for 12 inch wheels in remoulds.
However, I was also directed to another associated site :-
(www.giga-tyres.com)
that sells new tyres - this site lists 3 brands of winter tyre size 145/70R12 costing 37 - 49 Euro.

I don't know if 145 would be too wide for the original 500 rim or if bodywork manipulation might be required. It used to be possible to go up a maximum of 2 sizes on a standard size rim and if you then went from standard to 70 profile, the speedo reading would usually be little changed. i.e. 125R12 might be virtually the same rolling radius as 145/70R12.

Just a thought,

AL.

Useful thoughts there. Thank-you Al. I could relocate the washer-bottle but there would still be small pipes in the freeze zone and as Murf isn't in heated garage, the whole system could freeze during the night in any case. The tell-tale sign is always that the rubber button is no longer rubbery.
I think I might have wheel-arch problems on full lock above 135s and I'm only considering it if I do end up in a proper rally. The standard tyres are surprisingly good in the winter conditions and I feel safer in the Fiat than my modern car. Today I was on the A939 Cockbridge to Tomintoul road...always the first to report closure due to snow and ice on BBC travel news; the car was very surefooted.