1987MustangGT5.0

Busted. You're right. I didn't conduct a series of studies and submit my findings for peer review. I don't actually know if Corvettes and Porsches are owned by older men who pop pills.

I guess I was expecting you'd accept some generalities based on common sense. Like the fact that older men versus younger men typically drive Porsches and Corvettes. You know, because they're more expensive than cars like Mustangs and Camaros and people tend to get wealthier as they age.

I'm 35 and I bought my Mustang basically to take my two kids for Blizzards at Dairy Queen with the top down on weekends in the summer. Hardly a pimple-faced teen with a fragile ego. Still doesn't mean if I'm running out for and extra liter of milk I don't like to floor it. I could always take our Sienna for that errand I suppose, but I like to think I enjoy some benefits of youth still, like excitement.

There we are with street racing again. If you're going to continue to call me a street racer can we at least set some degrees. Let's call it a scale from 1-10. 10 would be a guy that races his Ferrari through playground zones at 4 p.m. at 300 kph. 1 would be a guy that gooses it off the line in an empty street without squealing the tires or exceeding the speed limit. I'm a 1.5 and I think you lumping me in the same category as a 10 is moronic.

Oh I see, you think owners of Porsches, Ferraris and ZR1s are spending their weekends on race tracks. lol, maybe 1%, but probably less. I believe those cars are spending about as much time on circuits as Escallades are spending off-roading.

Steve, I honestly hope you're not actually in forensics and if you are I hope nobody's innocence is ever in the hands of your powers of deduction, common sense and, frankly, intelligence.

autos221

^
oh and I hate you texans that have nice weather all the time

pascal

He doesn't come across as a moron to me (I know you didn't call him that)...
Steve might have had bad experiences or seen horror stories on the subject so that would shave his amount of tolerance a bit maybe?
Although I am guilty of doing it on rare occasions, street racing is an ego thing. Period.
So from there, it only escalates.

I do agree with Corvette and Porsche owners being mostly old farts that block the left lane, lol. At least here in FL...
And I agree with you about the Bimmer guys wanting to challenge the Stangs or Camaros.

rebus

One good thing about a sleeper is you are less likely to attract the attention of the authorities. Around here you see highly modified or riced out cars with younger drivers pulled over on the side of the road getting scrutinized more often than not.

Norm Peterson

Once you feel that kind of need to have another car involved, you've crossed over from "hard driving" to racing. The rate of acceleration, amount of throttle used, number of gears used, speed reached, or whatever your measure happens to be doesn't matter once that sort of 'race mentality' has been identified. Penny-ante poker is still poker.


Honestly? Street racing really does not interest me, and with perhaps one exception in 45+ years never did. It can't teach me anything I want to know or care to learn, which makes it not worth my time. That does not mean I'm a stereotypical old-man driver.

My '08 will remain visually close to stock like most of my other cars have - I prefer "sleepers" and don't need my car's appearance or sound to be bragging or issuing challenges/threats to other drivers. For me, that's worked so far.


Norm

Diabolical!

What's up Steve? Did TPS ever finish working on your old car and get it back on the track? I've been racing at Gulfport dragway mostly but would be happy to make a trip to your neck of the woods to see it run.

aerbourne

i think i agree with just about all of that

except it would be enjoyable to have to wear pants during christmas every year...its been shorts and tshirt weather pretty much straight through winter with several week long exceptions

i agree most of the time. but on occasion, i will pull up next to some REALLY nice car and try to race them solely because it would be my honor to get destroyed by them lol

1987MustangGT5.0

Yeah I don't actually think he's a moron and even though I didn't say it I definitely insinuated it and that wasn't very nice. Sorry Steve...you seem cool enough.

But to your point about street racing being an ego thing, I think you're wrong. It's not more an ego thing than racing at the track. It's fun at the track and it's fun on the street.

I think the awareness nowadays about street racing compared to 19 years ago when I was 16 is a good thing. What those education campaigns aren't going to tell you, though, is it doesn't always end in death if you mitigate the risks. Keeping speeds down and empty roads go a long way towards that. If you're stomping on it off the line when a light turns green and there are no pedestrians around or other cars, you'll probably be fine.

It's like the war on drugs campaign in the 80s that some of you are probably too young to remember. It didn't differentiate between weed, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. Just all drugs are bad. Okay, while they're not good for you, smoking a bowl of weed is hardly going to ruin your life, while smoking crack could pose a bigger problem for you.

forensicsteve

What's up Steve? Did TPS ever finish working on your old car and get it back on the track? I've been racing at Gulfport dragway mostly but would be happy to make a trip to your neck of the woods to see it run.

Not yet. Think he is working on both turbo S197s at the same time. Both are being built for low 9s (maybe 8s?) and no longer street cars. Both are going to weigh around 2900-3000 lbs. Weight loss and redistribution have been major focuses on these builds. Will definitely let you know when either is TPS bound.

Hey 1987MustangGT5.0

No hard feelings on this side. It's just a public forum on the internet. I like to argue/debate. As far as lack of powers of deduction, common sense and, frankly, intelligence, my 9 years at university and advanced scientific degree suggests a different picture...lol. Worse than that, looks like I have passed that moron gene to my son. He earned a PhD in engineering. Is there any hope for us morons?

mfournier

Accidents happen in racing even on the track so Why would you want to add to the risk by adding the additional risk of the unknown happening racing on the open street. Heck just driving normal on the street is dangerous enough how many times have you had to take evasive actions to avoid some idoit who tries to turn right from the left turn lane or tries to cross 3 lanes because he missed the first two signs saying his exit was coming up.

Also road conditions on the street can change day to day, dump trucks dump sand, cars leak oil rain and snow, pot holes.

Sure you can close a road set up a course then you have turned street into a illegal road course and that is at least a bit safer but what's to stop someone from going off the course or driving around your illegal road block? And never mind you may know your ability behind the wheel but what about the guy your racing? No streets are not for racing or even driving a car near it's limits.

Even if you are new to motor sports you know even professional drivers when pushing to the limits of their cars sometimes get it wrong. But what is a minor spin off a track can be a deadly crash on the street.

PS you feel the need to test your driving ability and car against others joined a local autocross or track day event or take it to the strip. Chances are your probably find your car is faster then your ability already. I find most drivers can't get their stock GT to match the factory 0-60 times on the 1/4 mile the first time they try. And the modification the lowers lap times the most is a good racing school.