RE: Rain doesn't stop play: PH Blog

RE: Rain doesn't stop play: PH Blog

Author
Discussion

Sep

13 posts

116 months

Thursday 13th November 2014
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My M6 is no problem in torrential rain but last week I took it out on a cold morning with damp roads and it was a completely different story! Could get very little traction at the front or rear until the tyres came up to temperature. Not something I can say I'd ever experienced before. It won't stop me from using the car over winter. Having to wash it every time it comes out will deter me a bit though.

3795mpower

486 posts

130 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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It's not the rain that keeps us away, it's the threat of SALT !!!


Sampaio

377 posts

138 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
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firewallguy said:
Also, as for "adapt to your environment and rapidly understand where the car's strengths and weaknesses lie. With the limits on a wet road being far lower any 'moments' tend to happen slower than in the dry", I tried that once, and spun off the road onto a grass verge exiting a roundabout, slowly.
I've been driving a 1.6 NB MX-5 since June and I've never had a power oversteer moment in my life because I was always afraid it might go wrong (I did have a few lift-off oversteer moments in a 1.4l diesel Ibiza, but that was easy and perfectly controllable, with or without rain). One rainy morning I decided I'd give it a try with the Mazda so I stepped on the gas a little too eagerly on 2nd gear, exiting a roundabout, and barely managed to catch the drift as I overcorrected the steering wheel two or three times before actually setting the car straight. I made sure there were no cars or people on the street before trying this but I'm not sure I want to try it again, at least not outside a track.

How you guys skid about everywhere I just don't understand.

PS: Would it be easier to control a moment like that if the car had an LSD? Some MX-5s do, but not mine.

V8RX7

26,880 posts

263 months

Sunday 16th November 2014
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Sampaio said:
I've never had a power oversteer moment in my life

I decided I'd give it a try with the Mazda so I stepped on the gas a little too eagerly on 2nd gear, exiting a roundabout, and barely managed to catch the drift as I overcorrected the steering wheel two or three times before actually setting the car straight.

How you guys skid about everywhere I just don't understand.

PS: Would it be easier to control a moment like that if the car had an LSD? Some MX-5s do, but not mine.
If it was easy to master first time - it wouldn't be fun !

Practise, practise, practise - preferably off the road - we used to practise in car parks - particularly in the snow but that's illegal now.

LSD makes it easier to start and to hold for longer and helps you steer the car through the throttle.

Sampaio

377 posts

138 months

Tuesday 18th November 2014
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V8RX7 said:
Sampaio said:
I've never had a power oversteer moment in my life

I decided I'd give it a try with the Mazda so I stepped on the gas a little too eagerly on 2nd gear, exiting a roundabout, and barely managed to catch the drift as I overcorrected the steering wheel two or three times before actually setting the car straight.

How you guys skid about everywhere I just don't understand.

PS: Would it be easier to control a moment like that if the car had an LSD? Some MX-5s do, but not mine.
If it was easy to master first time - it wouldn't be fun !

Practise, practise, practise - preferably off the road - we used to practise in car parks - particularly in the snow but that's illegal now.

LSD makes it easier to start and to hold for longer and helps you steer the car through the throttle.
I just went through your garage... mega kudos, specially on the Audi S2 and on the fact that you currently own FIVE COUPES.


mattgtd

322 posts

137 months

Monday 1st December 2014
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FastRich said:
My Chimaera is rubbish in the wet. I hate driving it. Sure, it can be fun getting the back end out but it does that in the dry. The screen mists up, the wipers push the rain in through the gaps around the window and down my neck, it refuses to go where it's pointed and likes to randomly jump lanes without warning.

And then there's the chassis. As we all know, TVR chassis' are made from sugar so a drive in the rain will cause the car to immediately dissolve.

It isn't a case of manning up, it's a case of protecting the investment and enjoying every one of the 5000 insured miles with the roof off.
Well said that man, I'm a chimaera owner and I couldn't agree more!