Booked some driver tuition today...
Discussion
with 1stLotus. Handy since i'm only down the road from the airfield in North Weald (well about 8 miles).
Anybody done this? I cant wait to see what my Chimaera can really do. Mainly want to learn about high speed braking, spin avoidance, and of course POWER OVERSTEER!
Booked for Jan 20th so hopefully it'll be wet too!
Am i likely to go through a set of tyres? Don't mind if i do cos i'll take the opportunity to replace them with 17's and some Toyos
Anybody done this? I cant wait to see what my Chimaera can really do. Mainly want to learn about high speed braking, spin avoidance, and of course POWER OVERSTEER!
Booked for Jan 20th so hopefully it'll be wet too!
Am i likely to go through a set of tyres? Don't mind if i do cos i'll take the opportunity to replace them with 17's and some Toyos
Did the very same course late in October. It was superb. Only had the TVR since April so was still unsure of the cars limits, my skills etc.
THe instructor was a great bloke, ex formula 1 car tester IIRC, and really knew his stuff. Taught me about oversteer, understeer, power slides, trail braking, spin avoidance (you have to spin to know how to avoid one
) and general safe driving, proper smooth safe steering. He had a skill I can only dream of.
I went with 1 other car (a Boxster of my mates and his wife) and the 3 of us got real, hands on teaching. He preferred my car to the boxster (of course ) and took every chance to have a hoon in my car. Like a fool I said "show me what it can do" lucky my pants where brown to begin with......
I learnt a hell of a lot and feel a lot safer because of it.
A great day, you will love it..
Cheers
MikeGF
THe instructor was a great bloke, ex formula 1 car tester IIRC, and really knew his stuff. Taught me about oversteer, understeer, power slides, trail braking, spin avoidance (you have to spin to know how to avoid one
) and general safe driving, proper smooth safe steering. He had a skill I can only dream of. I went with 1 other car (a Boxster of my mates and his wife) and the 3 of us got real, hands on teaching. He preferred my car to the boxster (of course
) and took every chance to have a hoon in my car. Like a fool I said "show me what it can do" lucky my pants where brown to begin with...... I learnt a hell of a lot and feel a lot safer because of it.
A great day, you will love it..
Cheers
MikeGF
davetherave1970, here is the website for 1stLotus - full details are on there.
I emailed Andrew Walsh using the link on the website to book the day, rather than use the Yahoo Group mentioned (besides, it wasn't up to date!)
Will let you know if i suddenly inherit the skills of Tiff Nedell... probably wont but i'm sure i'll benefit from it greatly
Cant wait!
>> Edited by jsr on Thursday 8th January 18:16
I emailed Andrew Walsh using the link on the website to book the day, rather than use the Yahoo Group mentioned (besides, it wasn't up to date!)
Will let you know if i suddenly inherit the skills of Tiff Nedell... probably wont but i'm sure i'll benefit from it greatly
Cant wait!
>> Edited by jsr on Thursday 8th January 18:16
Unlikely to have tuition now as my TVR has decided to kill the alternator and suck all the juice from the battery.
Been looking everywhere today for another alternator, but no-one has them in stock. Will be getting one monday, but i then have to fit it and get the car to start. There may even be something more major at work - see my thread in the chimaera forum.
I wont get a refund from the course and can only re-book if some else takes my place, so it looks like £235 wasted.
I'm not annoyed that the TVR broke down - i new it would at somepoint, it's part of TVR ownership. But i am pi$$ed off at it's time - £235 completely wasted. There is still a chance i can make the course, but it is slim.
Will i book another session and risk losing more money? Dont know. I may just have a tear around Lakeside Shopping Centre carpark late one night.
Oh well. Guess this is my car's way of telling me that 'it' will always be in control.
Been looking everywhere today for another alternator, but no-one has them in stock. Will be getting one monday, but i then have to fit it and get the car to start. There may even be something more major at work - see my thread in the chimaera forum.
I wont get a refund from the course and can only re-book if some else takes my place, so it looks like £235 wasted.
I'm not annoyed that the TVR broke down - i new it would at somepoint, it's part of TVR ownership. But i am pi$$ed off at it's time - £235 completely wasted. There is still a chance i can make the course, but it is slim.
Will i book another session and risk losing more money? Dont know. I may just have a tear around Lakeside Shopping Centre carpark late one night.
Oh well. Guess this is my car's way of telling me that 'it' will always be in control.
Got the car fixed just in time and was able to attend the driver tuition!
It was excellent - everyone should experience it.
Covered high speed braking, steering, high speed cornering, trail-braking, steering the car on the brakes, steering the car on the throttle, timed laps on a coned circuit, and heel-and-toe.
What really amazed me was the trail breaking. On the high speed corner i was spinning if i entered it at 70mph with no throttle. However, entering the corner at 80-90mph and getting heavy on the brakes i could make the corner without spinning. It goes against everything you've been told about no braking in a corner, but it is amamzingly effective.
The other guy i was with had a Lotus Elise. I was really pleased that i could brake from 70-0mph about 7-8 metres shorter than the Elise (i managed it in about 60 metres in the wet!)
Also in a timed circuit exercise, the instructor managed a 1 minute lap in my 4.0 Chimaera, and a 1min 12sec lap in the Elise - TVR wins again!
Whoever says TVRs dont handle are idiots! Sure they are fierce - when they spin, the SPIN! But if you know what your doing, they can corner/lap immensely fast.
I recommend the 1st Lotus course to everyone!
It was excellent - everyone should experience it.
Covered high speed braking, steering, high speed cornering, trail-braking, steering the car on the brakes, steering the car on the throttle, timed laps on a coned circuit, and heel-and-toe.
What really amazed me was the trail breaking. On the high speed corner i was spinning if i entered it at 70mph with no throttle. However, entering the corner at 80-90mph and getting heavy on the brakes i could make the corner without spinning. It goes against everything you've been told about no braking in a corner, but it is amamzingly effective.
The other guy i was with had a Lotus Elise. I was really pleased that i could brake from 70-0mph about 7-8 metres shorter than the Elise (i managed it in about 60 metres in the wet!)
Also in a timed circuit exercise, the instructor managed a 1 minute lap in my 4.0 Chimaera, and a 1min 12sec lap in the Elise - TVR wins again!
Whoever says TVRs dont handle are idiots! Sure they are fierce - when they spin, the SPIN! But if you know what your doing, they can corner/lap immensely fast.
I recommend the 1st Lotus course to everyone!
mrmaggit said:
Does anyone know if there are similar courses nearer to the East Midlands?
Heartily recommend Ride/Drive, advertise on here, and in Sprint, riing them and one of their bods local to you will ring you to arrange training.
I did their Advanced TVR Handling last week. Awesome! I now have the bug and want to do more track stuff! Have you done it then? Did you go with Steve Roots?
neil.b said:
neil.b said:
Does anyone know if there are similar courses nearer to the East Midlands?
Heartily recommend Ride/Drive, advertise on here, and in Sprint, riing them and one of their bods local to you will ring you to arrange training.
Have you done it then? Did you go with Steve Roots?
No, I did the half day (thought I'd ease myself into it), with Alex around Grantham. I've driven over 300,000 miles, and ridden over 250,000, and I have never learned so much in such a short time. I'm going to do at least a full day when the weather clears a bit.
mrmaggit said:
mrmaggit said:
neil.b said:
Does anyone know if there are similar courses nearer to the East Midlands?
Heartily recommend Ride/Drive, advertise on here, and in Sprint, riing them and one of their bods local to you will ring you to arrange training.
Have you done it then? Did you go with Steve Roots?
No, I did the half day (thought I'd ease myself into it), with Alex around Grantham. I've driven over 300,000 miles, and ridden over 250,000, and I have never learned so much in such a short time. I'm going to do at least a full day when the weather clears a bit.
Agree with that. Learned so much about my own driving and the capabilities of the car (in ouring rain too!) in such a short space of time. Worth every penny. Did your half-day include track as well?
When is yours Lisa? Don't remember you saying but I'm guessing you're waiting for drier weather? I was actually glad that the weather was appaling (wet and windy) as I learned just how far I could push the car in bad conditions before it all went wrong. Contrary to popular belief its bloody far for a car with a reputation for biting your face off on a whim....
Did I mess up? Yes, several times and it is pretty scary but, as was said by someone else in this thread, you have to mess up before you can learn about how to save/minimise the effects...
Don't get me wrong - I haven't turned into a racing driver overnight but some of the stuff really sticks in your mind and I find myself constantly applying the tricks, tips and techniques I picked up on the day, especially some of the defensive driving stuff.
And it was a fun chance to practice H&T at high speeds in relative safety Amazing how natural it becomes after a while - now do it all the time.
Did I mess up? Yes, several times and it is pretty scary but, as was said by someone else in this thread, you have to mess up before you can learn about how to save/minimise the effects...
Don't get me wrong - I haven't turned into a racing driver overnight but some of the stuff really sticks in your mind and I find myself constantly applying the tricks, tips and techniques I picked up on the day, especially some of the defensive driving stuff.
And it was a fun chance to practice H&T at high speeds in relative safety
Amazing how natural it becomes after a while - now do it all the time. What sort of cost are we talking for the 1/2 day ride drive course?
Do they operate in the west mids?
I feel that its about time I had some tuition - as I feel if anything goes wrong I get out if it more by luck than anything else
.
Has any one come across these guys
www.drivecraft.co.uk
Cheers
Chris
>> Edited by woody on Wednesday 21st January 22:40
Do they operate in the west mids?
I feel that its about time I had some tuition - as I feel if anything goes wrong I get out if it more by luck than anything else
. Has any one come across these guys
www.drivecraft.co.uk
Cheers
Chris
>> Edited by woody on Wednesday 21st January 22:40
woody said:
What sort of cost are we talking for the 1/2 day ride drive course?
Do they operate in the west mids?
I feel that its about time I had some tuition - as I feel if anything goes wrong I get out if it more by luck than anything else
Has any one come across these guys
www.drivecraft.co.uk
Cheers
Chris
>> Edited by woody on Wednesday 21st January 22:40
Mine was £120 for the half-day. The other costs are on their website.
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