Bummer !!!

[Steviep35]

What a bummer !!!! I wanted to take Boxster off the road over winter or should i say when the snow comes, so been searching for a 4x4 as where i live everyone was stuck last year due to the snow, so been searching and juggling the idea of them big jeep's range rovers etc and manage to what i thought was a bargin and is fit for what i needed. Rang insurance and asked to put a second car on policy, CANNOT you dont have multi car and we dont sell multi car !! ok so open new policy but they couldnt quote due to my no claims etc all been on my Boxster policy it would be a fresh new policy with nothing to bring to it ie; no no claims so couldnt insure, what's alternatives i ask, they said just swop the policy over ? meaning boxster would not be insured, i Said i dont want that as boxster would still be parked where its parked each night outside on road ( away from main rd) so still could be stolen or damaged if someone drove into it.

So now toying with the idea of winter tryes and snow socks or would i get away with just snow socks ?

recommendations greatly appreciated

[Volxstu]

Phone up Sky insurance and see what they say. When i spoke to them about having a second car, whilst they wouldnt give me any NCB on the Policy they took the NCB I have on the first policy into account and gave me a very reasonable price. So it may be worth while cancelling your current policy and starting fresh. I found Multi car a load of rubbish but that could have been my experience only.

[Menoporsche]

Winter tyres AND snow socks? One or the other surely?

Assuming you are buying a cheap 4x4, less than the price of winter wheels, you'd go for 3P insurance - isn't it then that NCB is of less significance?

[Steviep35]

Believe it or not, by taking a second insurance + buying a 4x4 or small front wheel drive car and adding winter tyres, i'm more at looking to buying a second set of wheels and throwing on some winter tyres for the Boxster, keeping some snow socks in boot along with a shovel lol.

Do 16 inch wheels fit straight onto my boxster 2.7 yr 2003 ? as found a set but i have 17inch on at the moment.

[Menoporsche]

I think 16s should be OK (need a 986 expert), think it is with the 3.2 bigger brakes there are problems.

Interesting video - aerosol grip spray!!!

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/62369/winter-tyre-alternatives-reviewed

It says socks are better than chains, but ISTR you are supposed to take them off as soon as you hit tarmac or they just wear out.

Don't cover winter tyres with socks.

[Steviep35]

£700 quote from my local kwik fit for 4 continental winter tyres ?

cheaper than 2nd car with all in insurance etc.

[Pandy]

Coming back to your insurance dilema - my wife bought a new car this year while keeping her second car. Insured with LV, she was able to take out a new policy for the new car and also take full advantage of the 9+ yrs NCD from the policy on her original car while still keeping that policy running. Two completely separate policies with both priced on the basis of max NCD. I think they called it a 'linked policy' or something similar. There was a restriction on who could drive the new car (which meant our son was excluded), but my wife was able to run like this with both cars in regular use for nearly 6 months until she sold the original car. Seems strange your insurer can't do something similar.

[RayK]

i have an old Golf Tdi for a spare with the Boxy; I have never been able to get a quote with multi car insurance firms (eg Admiral) that get anywhere near as cost efficient as having two separate policies which I always do; I have no idea how they can be used - it must be just a selling platform that is taken up by those that don't bother to really check options thoroughly.

Golf always quite good in the snow.

[Menoporsche]

£700 quote from my local kwik fit for 4 continental winter tyres ?

cheaper than 2nd car with all in insurance etc.

Seems fine, considering also you will avoid wear on your summer tyres for the period, meaning they last longer.

[NickFrog]

Not sure what 4wd has to do with snow. It's about the tyres. Winter tyres are an almost no-cost choice as you save your summer compound anyway. If you buy a set of winter wheels + tyres in the summer you would actually probably make a profit when you sell them this time of year. Either far far cheaper than buying a second car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STaximkaQxo

[Steviep35]

Not sure what 4wd has to do with snow. It's about the tyres. Winter tyres are an almost no-cost choice as you save your summer compound anyway. If you buy a set of winter wheels + tyres in the summer you would actually probably make a profit when you sell them this time of year. Either far far cheaper than buying a second car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STaximkaQxo

I thought a 4x4 would manage to get me up n down the hills where i live, but reading up on stuff etc it would still need winter tyres, so im guessing the money ive put aside for my second car which im not going to get will have to go towards winter tyres, Now its just which ones ?? the sites where im putting sizes in come back with nothing.

[edc]

I've never used winter tyres but I ran a P38 Range Rover on 18" all terrain snow flake marked tyres and this was probably the best all condition car I have had. Once I was reversing reasonably slowly in deep (for the south) fresh snow and then I began to get stuck. I jumped out to see what the problem was rather than bury the throttle pedal. I only slowed down because the snow wall that built up behind me was as high as the tailgate glass. You could take some pretty big liberties in that thing. L322 Range Rover on standard 20" road tyres was not far behind in the snow. A Jeep Grand Cherokee with road tyres but mud and snow rated was the worst in the snow but still significantly better than any other car I have had.

[cjd]

16" wheels believe it or not, are the standard size wheels for the 986 2.7 Boxster.

So you will have no problems there, would have thought you should get winter tyres

for not too much money.

[myboxa]

if thinner is better for the snow why not put 2 space savers on

[spyderman8]

This is the first year I've seriously looked at winter tyres, but for my Mazda 2 not the Boxster. They're going to be chucking even more salt on the roads this winter so I'd rather the Boxster stay in the garage. Having only just renewed the insurance, I should have SORNed it really.

Winter tyres help you stop as well as go - a 4x4 is no better at stopping! Best price I've found was for Toyos from Pneus online at £78 per corner delivered.

[Steviep35]

So many to choose from ????

Which are the best ?

Also when putting in sizes, speed ? And what's with the RSTUVW ??

[Steviep35]

???

[Menoporsche]

This is presumably a good place to start.

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2012-EVO-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm

[Steviep35]

I am having problems when putting in size's ??

My front are 205/50/17

My rear are 255/40/17

Thats whats on car now, but when trying to get 4 tyres of the same make and model cannot get all the same ?????

Really fancied the Nokian WR D3 as best review for this year but for love of money cannot find size's or place thats sell's let alone fit.

[NickFrog]

Find how narrow you can go on the rear as 225 x 45 will give you a similar diameter for instance. http://www.camskill.co.uk/m97b0s637p0/Winter_-_Snow_-_Cold_Weather_-_Car_MPV_Tyres_-_17_inch_R17_inch_-_225_45_17_225_45R17

205 50 front should be OK as is.

[Steviep35]

Can i change the size of tyre from whats already on wheel ? never knew this, so if tyre on there now is 255, how low can i go ? should the guys at Kwik fit know this ?

[NickFrog]

Don't ask KF whatever you do. Winter tyres NEED to be narrower to work better. Problem is you don't want to stretch the tyre too much and I don't know how wide your rear rim is, it may say so on it. 8inch I assume, try and find out and then establish how narrow you can go.

PS I think they are 9inch wide so 235m seems the narrowest you can go http://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/equivalency-tables-advice.html

So in light of that 235 x 45 is your best choice.

[Steviep35]

Cool, on nights so will check it all out before placing my order

Thanks guys

[Stuart21UK]

I am having problems when putting in size's ??

My front are 205/50/17

My rear are 255/40/17

Thats whats on car now, but when trying to get 4 tyres of the same make and model cannot get all the same ?????

Really fancied the Nokian WR D3 as best review for this year but for love of money cannot find size's or place thats sell's let alone fit.

I thought the same as you, or the conti t850s, neither we're available for the wife's Pug....in the end I ordered Michelin alpin a4's as I got sick of trying to find a well reviewed tyre make/model in the correct original size! They are £144 each

[Guvs]

Hi.

Just as a matter of intrest I posted this on another forum a few weeks ago:-

I got a cheap set of mini alloys off eBay for my wife’s mini one and put winter tyres on all four of them, and the difference is unbelievable, I’ll swap the wheels over between October and February or when the temperature gets bellow 7c regularly, and then I’m all ready for whatever the weather conditions are, as a matter of fact on dual carriageways I often drive on lane with the virgin snow just because I can.
I’ve seen a review/video that show 100% that winter tyres on a two wheel drive, are safer or should I say perform better than a 4x4 on normal summer tyres.
This is where all the 4x4 owners will come back and say “no way” I only wish I could find the review and post a link to it, and save all the backlash I’m going to get. Lol
Guvs