Learning to Drive
04-17-2006, 12:16 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 28
Learning to Drive
Ive been reading these forums now for about 1 1/2 months now. I think ive read every page on the 05/06 spacific forums. The question i have is where do u learn how to drive these cars. This is my first high HP car. I want to learn how to push it to the limits but do so safely. All other cars b4 have been small 4 bangers with no mods. 90-130 HP maybe cars. After i drove off the lot with my GT i drove 7 miles to friends house i got out of the thing shakeing. I couldnt believe what powerfull these cars r. I live in the Chicago area and i was wondering if there is some kind of driving school i could attend to learn how to drive high performance cars?
04-17-2006, 01:08 PM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location:
Posts: 864
RE: Learning to Drive
Yeah man these cars are powerfull.... even if there are many faster cars out there .... but still i think the mustang has a diffrent type of taste in driving....
about your question you should just find an empty road and hit the gas and whenever you feel it's a bit scary just let go ... just keep trying this untill you manage to understand the feeling of a high performance car.... ( i was talking about straight lines )
if u want to know about turns ... you can enter a turn in a good simple high speed... but you keep this in mind .. never full throttle it and then turn the steering this way the car will go into an understeer ( rear wheels slip to the other side ) which will cause you to loose control .... and yet again dont turn your steering and hit the gas if you wanted a bit of little burnout ... this may cause your car to understeer ( front wheels lock and keep sliding front while steering is not in straight position ) these are simple things i know that i have experienced when i had my auto mustang.... IT was a GT yes ... well to be a good and safe guy just search for an empty space in some closed road or some place far from houses and keep practising your cars limits in handling .... i did that and i gained way experience in controlling the cars handling ....
you just imagine your in some place and then you search for a solution ... this way if it really happend atleast u may have a little bit of experience on what you must do...
hope i got the image in ur head... actually from all of this its not even an image its a movie
HAVE FUN, TAKE CARE AND DRIVE SAFTLEY.
about your question you should just find an empty road and hit the gas and whenever you feel it's a bit scary just let go ... just keep trying this untill you manage to understand the feeling of a high performance car.... ( i was talking about straight lines )
if u want to know about turns ... you can enter a turn in a good simple high speed... but you keep this in mind .. never full throttle it and then turn the steering this way the car will go into an understeer ( rear wheels slip to the other side ) which will cause you to loose control .... and yet again dont turn your steering and hit the gas if you wanted a bit of little burnout ... this may cause your car to understeer ( front wheels lock and keep sliding front while steering is not in straight position ) these are simple things i know that i have experienced when i had my auto mustang.... IT was a GT yes ... well to be a good and safe guy just search for an empty space in some closed road or some place far from houses and keep practising your cars limits in handling .... i did that and i gained way experience in controlling the cars handling ....
you just imagine your in some place and then you search for a solution ... this way if it really happend atleast u may have a little bit of experience on what you must do...
hope i got the image in ur head... actually from all of this its not even an image its a movie
HAVE FUN, TAKE CARE AND DRIVE SAFTLEY.
04-17-2006, 01:36 PM
#4
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Mexico City
Posts: 77
RE: Learning to Drive
Oversteer is when you loose the rear end...
First of all: never loose respect for the car. The moment you stop feeling "the fear" when entering hard on a twistie, is the moment when it´s more probable you´ll loose control...
Check out http://www.turnfast.com/ and the drivint techniques. Don´t try them on the street.
Try to hook up on track days. Don´t push your car or yourself too hard... you´ll learn your limits and your cars only practicing.
Lots of people will probably push you... dont follow them.
Best track day and driving lesson as with any race, is the one you finish. (safty first, car integrity second, improving driving skill is the last thing you may consider)
Seat right. (you´ll be amazed how many people dont do this).
Leave public roads of public use. Find alone parking lots or driving events. To learn how your car behaves, you have to loose control and you want to do that in a open space, nobody around to injure.
First of all: never loose respect for the car. The moment you stop feeling "the fear" when entering hard on a twistie, is the moment when it´s more probable you´ll loose control...
Check out http://www.turnfast.com/ and the drivint techniques. Don´t try them on the street.
Try to hook up on track days. Don´t push your car or yourself too hard... you´ll learn your limits and your cars only practicing.
Lots of people will probably push you... dont follow them.
Best track day and driving lesson as with any race, is the one you finish. (safty first, car integrity second, improving driving skill is the last thing you may consider)
Seat right. (you´ll be amazed how many people dont do this).
Leave public roads of public use. Find alone parking lots or driving events. To learn how your car behaves, you have to loose control and you want to do that in a open space, nobody around to injure.
04-17-2006, 04:40 PM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 29
RE: Learning to Drive
Find your local Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) group (www.scca.org) and go to several autocrosses. It costs very little and gives you a safe arena to get a feel for what happens when you push the car hard. you probably won't get out of second gear, but it can really introduce you to the limits of the car. They'll even let you borrow a helmet. If this can't happen, find a LARGE, DESERTED parking lot and get a little crazy. Keep the speed down and focus on what happens under hard throttle acceleration from near stop speeds. This is the most likely time for you to lose it in real driving. Also, do this at least once in the rain if at all possible. Wet roads and rear wheel drive takes some adaptation.
Lastly, ignore what a lot of guys on here say, and DON"T TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL!!! It will help save your a$$.
Like JML said, keep your respect, keep your fear. They're there for a reason.
GL, enjoy, be careful!
Lastly, ignore what a lot of guys on here say, and DON"T TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL!!! It will help save your a$$.
Like JML said, keep your respect, keep your fear. They're there for a reason.
GL, enjoy, be careful!
04-17-2006, 08:55 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 28
RE: Learning to Drive
Thanks guys for your imput. I appriciate it. My GT is deffinately a different animal but so far i love it. ill keep my eyes open for those open track days i live about 10 mins. from the route 66 dragway in joliet il. i wouldnt mind getting it out on the circle track there someday.
04-17-2006, 10:40 PM
#7
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location:
Posts: 86
RE: Learning to Drive
A circle track or road course will do wonders for you, lets you find the limits of your car.
When you know what your car will and will not do the better driver you will be with it for any car.
When you know what your car will and will not do the better driver you will be with it for any car.
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