Gearchanging -- another approach
Discussion
Maybe you could just strap a few dozen firework rockets to the rear end, a cigarette lighter and some string that the driver pulls to activate it all? You get speed and look pretty all at the same time! Probably makes less noise than the OP's idea too...
Or perhaps harpoon a passing 747? Should be good for a quick burst of speed.
Which way to McDonalds car park?
Or perhaps harpoon a passing 747? Should be good for a quick burst of speed.
Which way to McDonalds car park?
Gromit37 said:
Maybe you could just...
My method works for me, and it's not for everyone I'll agree but it works very well when you have a vehicle that is reluctant to transition from slow->less slow such as a loan nissan micra or vauxhall corsa or indeed any car not belonging to you...But as with all elements of advanced driving, one can take it or one can leave it.
SM
I agree.
It works for me, especialy for my current ( very low powered ) hire car that I have had for a while and will have for the next few months.
How one drives is very much up to the driver, and that includes all aspects of driving.
I would not dream of treating my own cars this way, but then again, they have ample power, and even on a light throttle will easily out drag the current hire car.
In case you are wondering, my own cars are in the UK, and I drive them at the weekends. I am working Mon - Fri on a project outside the UK, and thats when I drive the Avis Megane ( slowly, despite my best efforts ).
It works for me, especialy for my current ( very low powered ) hire car that I have had for a while and will have for the next few months.
How one drives is very much up to the driver, and that includes all aspects of driving.
I would not dream of treating my own cars this way, but then again, they have ample power, and even on a light throttle will easily out drag the current hire car.
In case you are wondering, my own cars are in the UK, and I drive them at the weekends. I am working Mon - Fri on a project outside the UK, and thats when I drive the Avis Megane ( slowly, despite my best efforts ).
TripleS said:
One or two of you are making me very thankful I'm not in the hire car business.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
Once, during the craziness of Houx Annexe at Le Mans I watched a Focus wheelspinning up the road whilst holding the handbrake on.Best wishes all,
Dave.
He parked up behind me and said 'Thank you Avis'
supermono said:
Gromit37 said:
Maybe you could just...
My method works for me, and it's not for everyone I'll agree but it works very well when you have a vehicle that is reluctant to transition from slow->less slow such as a loan nissan micra or vauxhall corsa or indeed any car not belonging to you...But as with all elements of advanced driving, one can take it or one can leave it.
SM
I was just trying to prove, partly, that it is possible to have a sense of humour in the advanced driving forum. Admittedly, I didn't succeed, but then I had my sense of humour surgically removed many years ago. I am glad not to be in the hire car business though...
Ian
Hire a more powerful car? My boss who finances this always has "small" and "economy" in the same sentance as "hire car". To be fair, I don't do a big distance in it, and don't need anything other than a small car.
Someone does pay for it. I don't think it will be the likes of Avis. All hire companies sell the cars on before they get old enough to break or wear out ( even with a bit of abuse ). The next owner may not be so happy.
Good point about garages to. Most garages are very good. One or two are not. A very good friend of mine used to work in a fast fit place, ( won't name & shame ) but left because he was constantly being asked to bodge repairs rather than say to the owner "this will cost you more because". The root cause of this was giving fixed price quotes, then when they encounted something unexpected they had to get round it as cheaply ( quickly ) as possible. Cars were often going out with things half done, bolts missing as they had sheared off or stripped the thread etc. The bosses attitude was "if it drives away OK, the customer will probably never know about it. The next person to discover it will be the next person to service the car, and it will be their problem not ours". So my friend left.
Makes a little abuse from the first owner fall into insignificance....
Edited for srap crelling
Someone does pay for it. I don't think it will be the likes of Avis. All hire companies sell the cars on before they get old enough to break or wear out ( even with a bit of abuse ). The next owner may not be so happy.
Good point about garages to. Most garages are very good. One or two are not. A very good friend of mine used to work in a fast fit place, ( won't name & shame ) but left because he was constantly being asked to bodge repairs rather than say to the owner "this will cost you more because". The root cause of this was giving fixed price quotes, then when they encounted something unexpected they had to get round it as cheaply ( quickly ) as possible. Cars were often going out with things half done, bolts missing as they had sheared off or stripped the thread etc. The bosses attitude was "if it drives away OK, the customer will probably never know about it. The next person to discover it will be the next person to service the car, and it will be their problem not ours". So my friend left.
Makes a little abuse from the first owner fall into insignificance....
Edited for srap crelling
Edited by BIG DUNC on Thursday 6th September 19:18
Ricky_M said:
I bet some of the posters wouldn't be too pleased if their local garage had the same attitude as they do "its not my car, it doesn't matter"
Someone still has to pay for the damage to these cars, which in turn will be the customer.
Oh, lots of posts on performance car forums about how the servicing garage "tested" their car.Someone still has to pay for the damage to these cars, which in turn will be the customer.
Edited by Ricky_M on Thursday 6th September 18:32
We're basically all the same, it ain't mine so..........
The method desrcibed in the first post of this thread works ok with a rev limiter. There are some actual performance benefits which have been picked up on in the replies. For maximum performance, the engine usually needs to be revved out to is full available rpm through the gears to benefit from the torque multiplying effect and to kkep the engine as near as possible to max power output during the acceleration run (applies to petrol and diesel). Manufacturers conveniently provide rev limiters to keep the engine safe so may as well use it for this method is to be applied.
There may also be some possible performance disadvantage, the main one I can think of being that the synchro may struggle to give a quick upshift, but most modern cars have pretty strong synchomesh.
If this method is primarily to extract performance from the lowest power derivatives, the built in extra capacity/strength of the drivetrain to cope with bigger engined versions works to advantage in terms of the car's ability to cope with the brutality.
From a safety aspect, caution should be applied not to induce wheelspin on the uptake of the clutch especially 1-2 shift
In terms of wear and tear, much greater damage is done to hire car clutches by hirers selecting wrong gears, pulling away in 3rd, down shifting on a trailing throttle without matching the revs to the road speed in the lower gear, down shifting at too high a road speed (eg 5th to 2nd at 65mph when exiting a motorway is a common cause of engine overspeed damage) etc, etc....
The whole idea, whilst not "Advanced" in the IAM/Roadcraft/Jackie Stewart 'finesse driving' senses, still has some value, even if just for the fun of trying to get the max from a cheap low powered package.... Enjoy
There may also be some possible performance disadvantage, the main one I can think of being that the synchro may struggle to give a quick upshift, but most modern cars have pretty strong synchomesh.
If this method is primarily to extract performance from the lowest power derivatives, the built in extra capacity/strength of the drivetrain to cope with bigger engined versions works to advantage in terms of the car's ability to cope with the brutality.
From a safety aspect, caution should be applied not to induce wheelspin on the uptake of the clutch especially 1-2 shift
In terms of wear and tear, much greater damage is done to hire car clutches by hirers selecting wrong gears, pulling away in 3rd, down shifting on a trailing throttle without matching the revs to the road speed in the lower gear, down shifting at too high a road speed (eg 5th to 2nd at 65mph when exiting a motorway is a common cause of engine overspeed damage) etc, etc....
The whole idea, whilst not "Advanced" in the IAM/Roadcraft/Jackie Stewart 'finesse driving' senses, still has some value, even if just for the fun of trying to get the max from a cheap low powered package.... Enjoy
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