How do I enjoy cars again?
Discussion
I love cars. I think they are mankind’s single greatest invention. It therefore pains me to admit that I haven’t really enjoyed driving since I received two 3 point fixed penalties for minor speeding infringements on the same day a few years ago. Since then, and even after the points expired, I constantly speedo-watch and drive everywhere by reference to (although not necessarily under) the limit, instead of just using my judgment as to a safe speed. It’s just no fun.
Now, there are those who will say, “good”, the system is doing its job (in crushing my law-breaking spirit) and that the roads aren’t built for my pleasure anyway. That might be true, but if it is then can someone please enlighten me about how one goes about being a car enthusiast in this day and age, because I feel like I have lost my way a bit.
Has anyone been through a similar phase (whether because of points or for any other reason) and did you find a way through it, or did you hang up your driving gloves for good?
The solution, if there is one, might not just be about changing car, although I am open to recommendations (I drive a Monaro). It could be about other things such as classics, convertibles, clubs, events, track days, detailing, restoration, or whatever.
How can I rekindle the joy?
Now, there are those who will say, “good”, the system is doing its job (in crushing my law-breaking spirit) and that the roads aren’t built for my pleasure anyway. That might be true, but if it is then can someone please enlighten me about how one goes about being a car enthusiast in this day and age, because I feel like I have lost my way a bit.
Has anyone been through a similar phase (whether because of points or for any other reason) and did you find a way through it, or did you hang up your driving gloves for good?
The solution, if there is one, might not just be about changing car, although I am open to recommendations (I drive a Monaro). It could be about other things such as classics, convertibles, clubs, events, track days, detailing, restoration, or whatever.
How can I rekindle the joy?
kiethton said:
This, through either out and out speed (but good cornering - pug rallye) or poor visibility - Elise
Visibility?The Elise is fun to drive at lower speeds because of the feedback, although for the OP I think something with limited grip and low power might be better, like an MX5 - more time thrashing it for less time near the legal limit. Plus roof down you go deaf before you'll get many points on your licence.
matthias73 said:
Buy a ford transit van.
Drive it for 6 months. Make sure the radio doesn't work, the seat is broken and get the most underpowered one you can find. Preferably white, with rusty paint.
Then buy whatever car you like. It will feel amazing. I speak from experience!
I quite like the challenge of hussling a diesel Transit along with normal traffic. Much more fun than trying not to use too much throttle in something comfy and fast like a Monaro.Drive it for 6 months. Make sure the radio doesn't work, the seat is broken and get the most underpowered one you can find. Preferably white, with rusty paint.
Then buy whatever car you like. It will feel amazing. I speak from experience!
The fun/old/slow/noisy car solution is complicated by needing a rear seat with belts for a baby seat. I could do the second car MX-5 thing, but past experience of running two cars or a car and a motorbike was just a lot of guilt about not using either enough, and that was BEFORE I had a family.
Lil'RedGTO said:
The fun/old/slow/noisy car solution is complicated by needing a rear seat with belts for a baby seat. I could do the second car MX-5 thing, but past experience of running two cars or a car and a motorbike was just a lot of guilt about not using either enough, and that was BEFORE I had a family.
GT86?matthias73 said:
Buy a ford transit van.
Drive it for 6 months. Make sure the radio doesn't work, the seat is broken and get the most underpowered one you can find. Preferably white, with rusty paint.
Then buy whatever car you like. It will feel amazing. I speak from experience!
^^ THISDrive it for 6 months. Make sure the radio doesn't work, the seat is broken and get the most underpowered one you can find. Preferably white, with rusty paint.
Then buy whatever car you like. It will feel amazing. I speak from experience!
After driving a Fiat Doblo for 6 months, I had a ride in a friends Gti-6. Incredibly fun!
Just put a deposit down on one to pick up sunday!
Is the "love of driving" the love of fast driving, for you?
I suggest some of the following:
- Continental road trip taking in the sights (and possibly the 'Ring). I'd argue it's virtually impossible not to enjoy things like the Route Napoleon and alpine passes.
- Buy/go and drive something relatively slow, but light and fast-feeling - fun below or under the legal limit. Then drive the same thing on track.
- Do a driving course to improve skills, perhaps get technical to restart the interest?
- A drift day?
PS - What were your points for? I think everyone all but the most dog-slow modern car has to (and should) speedo watch in 20, 30 and 40 limits - there's not much fun to be had on those kind of roads anyway
Accepting that is half the battle.
I suggest some of the following:
- Continental road trip taking in the sights (and possibly the 'Ring). I'd argue it's virtually impossible not to enjoy things like the Route Napoleon and alpine passes.
- Buy/go and drive something relatively slow, but light and fast-feeling - fun below or under the legal limit. Then drive the same thing on track.
- Do a driving course to improve skills, perhaps get technical to restart the interest?
- A drift day?
PS - What were your points for? I think everyone all but the most dog-slow modern car has to (and should) speedo watch in 20, 30 and 40 limits - there's not much fun to be had on those kind of roads anyway
Accepting that is half the battle. Captain Muppet said:
matthias73 said:
Buy a ford transit van.
Drive it for 6 months. Make sure the radio doesn't work, the seat is broken and get the most underpowered one you can find. Preferably white, with rusty paint.
Then buy whatever car you like. It will feel amazing. I speak from experience!
I quite like the challenge of hussling a diesel Transit along with normal traffic. Much more fun than trying not to use too much throttle in something comfy and fast like a Monaro.Drive it for 6 months. Make sure the radio doesn't work, the seat is broken and get the most underpowered one you can find. Preferably white, with rusty paint.
Then buy whatever car you like. It will feel amazing. I speak from experience!
I couldn't say it's my idea of fun. Not even the rear wheel drive one in the snow (I live in a ski resort)
When I went home the other day and drove my e39, it felt like motoring heaven.
_Neal_ said:
Is the "love of driving" the love of fast driving, for you?
I suggest some of the following:
- Continental road trip taking in the sights (and possibly the 'Ring). I'd argue it's virtually impossible not to enjoy things like the Route Napoleon and alpine passes.
- Buy/go and drive something relatively slow, but light and fast-feeling - fun below or under the legal limit. Then drive the same thing on track.
- Do a driving course to improve skills, perhaps get technical to restart the interest?
- A drift day?
PS - What were your points for? I think everyone all but the most dog-slow modern car has to (and should) speedo watch in 20, 30 and 40 limits - there's not much fun to be had on those kind of roads anyway Accepting that is half the battle.
All good suggestions, thanks, although none of these things are cheap, of course. Points were for high 30s in a 30 on the same road. Once by a handheld gun, the other by a fixed camera.I suggest some of the following:
- Continental road trip taking in the sights (and possibly the 'Ring). I'd argue it's virtually impossible not to enjoy things like the Route Napoleon and alpine passes.
- Buy/go and drive something relatively slow, but light and fast-feeling - fun below or under the legal limit. Then drive the same thing on track.
- Do a driving course to improve skills, perhaps get technical to restart the interest?
- A drift day?
PS - What were your points for? I think everyone all but the most dog-slow modern car has to (and should) speedo watch in 20, 30 and 40 limits - there's not much fun to be had on those kind of roads anyway
Accepting that is half the battle. Lil'RedGTO said:
£10k budget.
S15 Silvia has back seats and 160bhp (if you avoid the Turbos). It should be quite a similar experience to driving my old NA RX7 which combined slow and fun/sideways with enough room for kids (although not at the same time as sideways). I test drove the GT86 hoping it'd be like my RX7 and it was.Or go for a warmish hatch, but I find those dull unless thrashed.
Lil'RedGTO said:
£10k budget.
I'll add another idea into the mix - buy a family car that's just a family car, and not trying to be a sports car too. Go the whole hog, make it 4-5 door, bargey and auto, and a nice place to sit. Drift around not trying to have fun every time you go out. Just relax. Then also buy something much more impractical and lightweight - start with an MX-5 or Mk3 MR2 or whatever. Lots of choice on a sub-£10k budget to do both, so you won't have any more money tied up in cars than you currently do, thus no feeling guilty.
Lil'RedGTO said:
All good suggestions, thanks, although none of these things are cheap, of course. Points were for high 30s in a 30 on the same road. Once by a handheld gun, the other by a fixed camera.
Not that expensive - a course with the IAM is something like £120 all in. Drift day at Santa Pod is £70 plus the cost of (pre-loved) rear tyres. Used MX-5 is sub-£1000. Sounds like you should get rid of the Monaro anyway, so that'll be money in your pocket.
I'd say I'm a car enthusiast, and at the moment I probably dont cover 3kpa. I used to do around 30kpa, I didnt have much enthusiasm left after that
I have 2 cars, a v8 S Type and a Quantum kit car. In my spare time over the last couple of weeks I've put a new set of seats into the Quantum, which meant taking out the old ones, getting new runners, making them fit into the car, drilling the floor and repainting the covers (fabric spray, very good for refreshing old fabrics!). Other 'makeitfit' bodges were needed, so out came the angle grinder to cut off a bit of the under floor washer (x8), new nuts and bolts all round and re-tacked the carpets back down again afterwards.
A simple job, took longer than it needed to, but I'm happy with it and the car's better for it.
I also set the car up a bit better using my cousins garage to test fuel flow and emissions, as I was bothered it was running a bit lean, with it being a turbo engine and an old RS one at that, I didnt want it to melt itself. Bit of tweaking with the fuel pressure and CO pot and it's running much better. According to my cousin it needs an Italian tune up though to get the best from it.
This weekend I'd planned to swap the Sierra wheels it's on (I picked them up from a farmer who had them on his Escort van, sanded them down and repainted them) with the summer tyred wheels I have stored. I didnt get time in the end, so I'll probably do that next weekend and take it for a run to make sure everything's OK.
None of that really involves fast driving where I could get speeding points (incidentally, been there with a 325i auto - first auto I'd driven, and I used to judge speed limits by revs in gear while not looking at the speedo) so know what it feels like to have that hanging around your neck. But I find it enjoyable, just basic jobs here and there, then a bit of a drive afterwards.
I have 2 cars, a v8 S Type and a Quantum kit car. In my spare time over the last couple of weeks I've put a new set of seats into the Quantum, which meant taking out the old ones, getting new runners, making them fit into the car, drilling the floor and repainting the covers (fabric spray, very good for refreshing old fabrics!). Other 'makeitfit' bodges were needed, so out came the angle grinder to cut off a bit of the under floor washer (x8), new nuts and bolts all round and re-tacked the carpets back down again afterwards.
A simple job, took longer than it needed to, but I'm happy with it and the car's better for it.
I also set the car up a bit better using my cousins garage to test fuel flow and emissions, as I was bothered it was running a bit lean, with it being a turbo engine and an old RS one at that, I didnt want it to melt itself. Bit of tweaking with the fuel pressure and CO pot and it's running much better. According to my cousin it needs an Italian tune up though to get the best from it.
This weekend I'd planned to swap the Sierra wheels it's on (I picked them up from a farmer who had them on his Escort van, sanded them down and repainted them) with the summer tyred wheels I have stored. I didnt get time in the end, so I'll probably do that next weekend and take it for a run to make sure everything's OK.
None of that really involves fast driving where I could get speeding points (incidentally, been there with a 325i auto - first auto I'd driven, and I used to judge speed limits by revs in gear while not looking at the speedo) so know what it feels like to have that hanging around your neck. But I find it enjoyable, just basic jobs here and there, then a bit of a drive afterwards.
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