My Girlfriend and My TVR’s
Discussion
I’m regretting this before I even type it, I’m really not being sexist here but get the feeling that I’m going to be flamed for this…anyway…here it goes:
If you’re a bloke, does your better half drive your TVR? I used to have a Chim500, which I tried to get my (ex) girlfriend to use, unfortunately she was incapable of driving it. I’m not saying that she didn’t have the skill to drive it, she just didn’t have the strength to use the clutch and the non-power assisted steering. She also didn’t take any notice of what gear she was in and would often end up on the rev limiter or labouring the engine.
I’ve now moved onto a Cerbera. The clutch is even heavier and although the steering is lighter, it is far more direct. It has taken me nearly 500 miles to be able to pull away smoothly without riding the clutch or stalling, accelerate hard through gears without nasty drive train shunts and to get to grips with the sharp steering. I’m in no way a good driver but I realise that I can’t just jump in and drive this car, you have to want to drive it and want to drive it well.
Now to my point – My current girlfriend wants to drive the car, the problem is she thinks it is just a car. She wants to drive it to the shops for the kudos rather than the experience – this is not a bad thing. The problem is that I know she will not care (or consider?) riding the hell out of the clutch or labouring the engine at the wrong revs or allowing nasty shunts through the drive train. Basically she has no mechanical sympathy and demonstrates this when driving her own car.
How do I explain this to her without causing an argument?
I imagine that there are a lot of women TIV drivers out there. The majority are probably better than me. The difference between you (women) and bad male or female TIV drivers is that you have mechanical sympathy and a love for the cars. Basically you like to drive them and drive them well. I’m really not trying to start a war here, just looking for some advice.
Cheers,
Rob
If you’re a bloke, does your better half drive your TVR? I used to have a Chim500, which I tried to get my (ex) girlfriend to use, unfortunately she was incapable of driving it. I’m not saying that she didn’t have the skill to drive it, she just didn’t have the strength to use the clutch and the non-power assisted steering. She also didn’t take any notice of what gear she was in and would often end up on the rev limiter or labouring the engine.
I’ve now moved onto a Cerbera. The clutch is even heavier and although the steering is lighter, it is far more direct. It has taken me nearly 500 miles to be able to pull away smoothly without riding the clutch or stalling, accelerate hard through gears without nasty drive train shunts and to get to grips with the sharp steering. I’m in no way a good driver but I realise that I can’t just jump in and drive this car, you have to want to drive it and want to drive it well.
Now to my point – My current girlfriend wants to drive the car, the problem is she thinks it is just a car. She wants to drive it to the shops for the kudos rather than the experience – this is not a bad thing. The problem is that I know she will not care (or consider?) riding the hell out of the clutch or labouring the engine at the wrong revs or allowing nasty shunts through the drive train. Basically she has no mechanical sympathy and demonstrates this when driving her own car.
How do I explain this to her without causing an argument?
I imagine that there are a lot of women TIV drivers out there. The majority are probably better than me. The difference between you (women) and bad male or female TIV drivers is that you have mechanical sympathy and a love for the cars. Basically you like to drive them and drive them well. I’m really not trying to start a war here, just looking for some advice.
Cheers,
Rob
Rob,
As you know, yours is the one my wife wanted. She drives our Chimaera daily without any problems whatsoever.
I can understand your concerns however about the wear and tear, what I did when we picked ours up was to just point out a few facts.
1 clutch = 2 new handbags.
A pair of rear tyres = new shoes etc.
Seemed to do the trick at my end.
As you know, yours is the one my wife wanted. She drives our Chimaera daily without any problems whatsoever.
I can understand your concerns however about the wear and tear, what I did when we picked ours up was to just point out a few facts.
1 clutch = 2 new handbags.
A pair of rear tyres = new shoes etc.
Seemed to do the trick at my end.
When my girlfriend was 25 (last year) I put her on my Tuscan insurance. We set off for a run on a wet December Night. She did about 20 miles on aA roads and Motorways without any problems. We then set off over Saddleworth Moor..............
She was doing about 40mph going up a hill when we came to a lorry doing about 35mph. She waited until the road ahead was clear started to pull out then booted it!!! 4k it was like being in a washing machine! We set off spinning and did a a whole 360 before finishing up stalled facing up the same hill only on the wrong side of the road!!
In hindsight it was the best thing that could of happened she now knows that in the wet you press vvvveeerrryyy geennttllyy. Plus she has done a couple of track days now.
PS: My ex missus would never drive the Cerbie found clutch, view etc to hard. Tuscan is much easier (Girls car really!)
She was doing about 40mph going up a hill when we came to a lorry doing about 35mph. She waited until the road ahead was clear started to pull out then booted it!!! 4k it was like being in a washing machine! We set off spinning and did a a whole 360 before finishing up stalled facing up the same hill only on the wrong side of the road!!
In hindsight it was the best thing that could of happened she now knows that in the wet you press vvvveeerrryyy geennttllyy. Plus she has done a couple of track days now.
PS: My ex missus would never drive the Cerbie found clutch, view etc to hard. Tuscan is much easier (Girls car really!)
Will she drive you back from the pub after closing? Will it matter then if she judders a bit, or rides the clutch? If so don't let her drive it at all. Or try to teach her the fine art of driving a pedigree hand-crafted sports car for red-meat eaters only. Once you know how, that is! 
A very delicate point very well put Rob 
All you can do is go out with her a couple of times and see how she treats it - if she does show absolutely no regard for the highly crafted piece of machinery that it is - then I'm afraid you just have to bite the bullet
AND TELL HER JUST HOW MUCH THE DAMN THING COSTS TO FIX!!!
Good luck
All you can do is go out with her a couple of times and see how she treats it - if she does show absolutely no regard for the highly crafted piece of machinery that it is - then I'm afraid you just have to bite the bullet
AND TELL HER JUST HOW MUCH THE DAMN THING COSTS TO FIX!!! Good luck
.Mark said:
Rob,
As you know, yours is the one my wife wanted. She drives our Chimaera daily without any problems whatsoever.
I can understand your concerns however about the wear and tear, what I did when we picked ours up was to just point out a few facts.
1 clutch = 2 new handbags.
A pair of rear tyres = new shoes etc.
Seemed to do the trick at my end.
I like your way of thinking!
Rob, you are not alone. I have the exact same dilemma with my Cerbera and my girlfriend.
There is nothing sexist in what I am about to say, so please don't reply flaming me for it, but I know how she drives and know that she will struggle with:
* the heavy clutch
* the sheer power
* stalling it / restarting it when irate drivers are beeping horns around her
* the crap turning circle
* parking it
* visibility when looking over shoulder
There are plenty of women out there who are perfectly capable of handling a TVR. My girlfriend just ain't one of them. She is the proverbial "bloody female driver" (very little awareness of other road users / road positioning; yaks on the phone to her mum whilst driving; terrible at parking; adds a new dent to the car each month on average;....)
She too thinks it's just another car, and throws in the "I used to have sports cars you know" (MX-5 and MR2 - ahem....).
I have refused to let her drive it as I don't want to put her in the awkward position that would occur if she got into bother with it.
She isn't buying that unfortunately and keeps asking to be put on the insurance. I keep refusing.
There is nothing sexist in what I am about to say, so please don't reply flaming me for it, but I know how she drives and know that she will struggle with:
* the heavy clutch
* the sheer power
* stalling it / restarting it when irate drivers are beeping horns around her
* the crap turning circle
* parking it
* visibility when looking over shoulder
There are plenty of women out there who are perfectly capable of handling a TVR. My girlfriend just ain't one of them. She is the proverbial "bloody female driver" (very little awareness of other road users / road positioning; yaks on the phone to her mum whilst driving; terrible at parking; adds a new dent to the car each month on average;....)
She too thinks it's just another car, and throws in the "I used to have sports cars you know" (MX-5 and MR2 - ahem....).
I have refused to let her drive it as I don't want to put her in the awkward position that would occur if she got into bother with it.
She isn't buying that unfortunately and keeps asking to be put on the insurance. I keep refusing.
burriana500 said:
A very delicate point very well put Rob
All you can do is go out with her a couple of times and see how she treats it - if she does show absolutely no regard for the highly crafted piece of machinery that it is - then I'm afraid you just have to bite the bullet
Good luck
This is my plan! I want to find a very large car park, not get annoyed at the cruelty on the car with her stalls and let her understand for herself the difficulties involved.
I made it very simple. "You can drive the Skoda (I paid to put her on the insurance) but there is no way you are driving the TVR".
This is my pride and joy and my money that paid for it. Not even if we got married would I allow it. If she wants to drive one she buys one.
However, I did already have the car and there was no concept of a joint decision about buying it so that might have altered the circumstances.
This isn't about her level of driving skill or mechanical sympathy though. The only people that drive my TVR are me and the mechanics that fix it. I have let my two best friends drive it once each - but I have known them since I was 9 and not only do I trust them they are both excellent drivers. They have also been the first people to let me drive their cars and bikes - including some classic Rovers. Not even my other family members will ever get to drive it.
This is my pride and joy and my money that paid for it. Not even if we got married would I allow it. If she wants to drive one she buys one.
However, I did already have the car and there was no concept of a joint decision about buying it so that might have altered the circumstances.
This isn't about her level of driving skill or mechanical sympathy though. The only people that drive my TVR are me and the mechanics that fix it. I have let my two best friends drive it once each - but I have known them since I was 9 and not only do I trust them they are both excellent drivers. They have also been the first people to let me drive their cars and bikes - including some classic Rovers. Not even my other family members will ever get to drive it.
I let a mate drive my Chimaera 500 once. He isn't that co-ordinated, and practically ripped the diff out with his hamfisted treatment. Not his fault entirely, he just has two left feet. He can manage mainstream motors OK, but even then his driving is jerky and uncoordinated. He can't dance either!
So its not just wimmin!
His wife also now has a Chimaera, a 4 litre, which he isn't allowed to drive.
My wife won't drive my Chim. She tried my previous 4 litre and wasn't too shabby really, but she was intimidated by it and drowning in a pool of, er, glow after 5 minutes. She pulled over and hasn't repeated the experience.
So its not just wimmin!
His wife also now has a Chimaera, a 4 litre, which he isn't allowed to drive.
My wife won't drive my Chim. She tried my previous 4 litre and wasn't too shabby really, but she was intimidated by it and drowning in a pool of, er, glow after 5 minutes. She pulled over and hasn't repeated the experience.
victormeldrew said:
and drowning in a pool of, er, glow
Well I read through this lot and tbh thought I couldn't be arsed, but this is the funniest thing I've read all day
As for the rest of you, if you want her to be a good driver and to drive it, send her on a RideDrive. If you don't, don't. But with all the women TVR drivers on here, don't imagine that the 'clutch too stiff' and 'no PAS' reasons will wash for too long.
rude girl said:
victormeldrew said:
and drowning in a pool of, er, glow
Well I read through this lot and tbh thought I couldn't be arsed, but this is the funniest thing I've read all day
As for the rest of you, if you want her to be a good driver and to drive it, send her on a RideDrive. If you don't, don't. But with all the women TVR drivers on here, don't imagine that the 'clutch too stiff' and 'no PAS' reasons will wash for too long.
RudeGirl,
Whats a RideDrive? Some kind of tuition course? Do you have any details?
>> Edited by rjben on Tuesday 22 July 17:36
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