Asper's Automotive Corner.

[Eagle Kammback]

The F150 I drove throughout HS only had rear ABS, and locking up the fronts saved me once, I went into a corner to beat a yellow light too fast in the rain, I would have slammed into a car waiting at the light, so I locked up the fronts and slid past it instead, cop saw the whole thing, I pulled over, he walked over and asked if I was OK. scared the living hell out of me, no ticket though, says now I've learned, and he was right, I did

though that also stopped me from avoiding my first accident, hit a Saturn when my dog jumped up in my lap (I'm thankful I didn't hit Mars)

My Eagle doesn't have ABS, I'm pretty used to it.

though my wipers stopped working, but thank God for Rain-X

[Guest Julius Quasar]

Manual is the way to go! I've only driven one car with an automatic, my Corvette unfortunatly. I'm hoping to do a conversion to manual transmission. Hopefully drop in a modern 6-speed, ideally a Tremec TR6060 if I can get my hands on one someday.

But there is also a lot more to becoming one with your car than just being able to gear yourself. One have to feel how each tire grips to the ground, when they loose traction, and how to counter that.

Yeah, I guess so, but I wouldn't use manual transmission in SoCal, we got so much heavy traffic out here xP

[Eagle Kammback]

Yeah, I guess so, but I wouldn't use manual transmission in SoCal, we got so much heavy traffic out here xP

Traffic (and rust) is my arch enemy, though rust is more important to fight around here

[Asper Sarnoff]

I hate traffic as well. While I don't find it harder to drive trough towns or cities with a manual, I generally dislike the tought of sharing the road with anyone else, how selfish it may be.

Rust however, I don't have as much problems with surprisingly. There's the benefit of that fiberglass body. No body rust.

[Kursed]

No absolutely not! When you lock up the brakes, you effectively have no steering of the car. If you're doing an emergency brake with a car without anti-lock brakes you have to pump the brake pedal and steer between it. It's difficult, but it's better than to slide foreward with no controll what so ever. I'll advice people who don't know the technique to try and learn it someday. I don't know how much the cops in the states like if you drive around at speed in empty parking lots. But try practicing it a few times under safe conditions, I can guarante you will appreciate that you learnt it sooner or later.

so are you for or against anti-lock?

  Yes but while you have that fiberglass body it's also  weaker than the steel metal body ,but I'm darn sure the internal structure is sufficent.

Try driving aftr 12:00 Am no traffic now that is a joy!

[Asper Sarnoff]

so are you for or against anti-lock?

  Yes but while you have that fiberglass body it's also  weaker than the steel metal body ,but I'm darn sure the internal structure is sufficent.

Anti-lock I'm for. It's the useless crap like traction controll or anti-slide I don't want in my car. I'll always recommend people to get familiar to driving without any driver aids as well. That way, they won't be caught so much off guard the day the fancy electronics inevitably fail.

The fiberglass won't do much good in a crash no, but the internal frame of the Corvette is quite tough stuff.

The things weight about one and a half ton, which is quite a lot for a two-seaters sports car with composite body.

[Showtime 1-1]

The fiberglass won't do much good in a crash no, but the internal frame of the Corvette is quite tough stuff.

The things weight about one and a half ton, which is quite a lot for a two-seaters sports car with composite body.

à la Bricklin SV-1

[Eagle Kammback]

Ahh, the Safety Vehicle 1, SV1 for short, I love those, they originally used AMC 360s as their powerplant, only ever seen one, they were put together very poorly I've heard though, leaking horribly, I'd like one that is fixed up

[Showtime 1-1]

The only problem I have with them is that they were too heavy. The doors alone weighed nearly 100 pounds each!

[Asper Sarnoff]

I've seen a Bricklin SV1 once. It was for sale, and I had the money to buy it actually. Can't say I regret that I didn't.

It's a hopeless car really. The gullwing doors often got jammed shut, trapping people inside. And if they did open, it took an average of 15 seconds before they were fully up.

The build quality was rubbish, and it leaked water in trough all kinds of gaps. the fiberglass body was thin and cracked if you looked at it hard enough...

[Eagle Kammback]

Ever see that show Chop Cut Rebuild? They built up a gorgeous SV1, though some mistakes in their explanations as to why the didn't use AMC engines in  75, they said it was because AMC needed the 360s for their Javelins, even though 74 was the last year for the Javelin

Now here are some nice cars, the pictures were taken by possibly the coolest guy on the internet, he was even an extra in some episodes of Jericho

http://rodderscorner.informe.com/viewtopic.php?t=8945

[Showtime 1-1]

Oh man! I LOVE this 'stang!

[Asper Sarnoff]

^'69. The last really good looking Mustang IMO.

Also, this one is in dark green, one of the best colors for a classic mustang.

[Showtime 1-1]

yeah, you don't see that British racing green-ish colour much anymore, and it looks good on the '69 fastback.

Also reminds me of Bullitt. :D

[Asper Sarnoff]

yeah, you don't see that British racing green-ish colour much anymore, and it looks good on the '69 fastback.

Also reminds me of Bullitt.

That's what I tought as well. The Bullit Mustang was a '68 in "Dark Highlands Green" with some of the trim removed. And that excact car, I find to be the most beautifull Mustang ever made.

[Showtime 1-1]

The Bullitt Mustang, for comparison:

I prefer the splitter, extra lights and scoops on the '69 fastback, I can't say why, though.

The thing that really endeared me to the Bullitt 'stang was the exhaust sound. Nothing less then music.

[Asper Sarnoff]

I prefer the '68 for the same reasons. The extra lights, scoops, and slight increase in size made it look a bit more crowded than it needed to be.

Also, if you like the soundtrack of the Bullit chase, let's face it, who doesn't, you're going to love this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0LhNwDcjYQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwWPwJO3GUE

[Eagle Kammback]

I watched that again night before last, It was good, but still not as good as many others and ranks low on my list, though I love how it was filmed

if you loved Bullit, then you will love this

[Asper Sarnoff]

if you loved Bullit, then you will love this

Ahh, that's quite a good one indeed. It also contains one of the more wicked crash endings to a car chase ever.

[Geo Stelar]

I'd like to drive a Chevrolet Camaro 2010 or an Audi R8 someday.

[Pruned to save disk space]

[Asper Sarnoff]

^Work hard, get contacts, and your dream might come true one day.

Most petrolheads tend to be nice guys. All true gearheads started at the same place as you, longing for a the car of their dreams. The new Camaro shouldn't be a problem to ask for a drive in, them R8 slightly less easy, but not impossible.

BTW. For everyone, here is a nive video containing some pretty good driving. A motoring journalist in a ZR-1 keeping up with a Murcielago LP 670-4 SV with Max Venturi(Coolest name I've ever heard. The new testdriver for Lambo.)

[Showtime 1-1]

Max Venturi is the best gearhead name ever. A person with a name like that is destined to be nothing less then a Supercar test driver.

A "nice, lovely, sort of friendly front-engine, rear-drive kind of way" (2:53 in the video) of handling on the side of the Corvette? Wow, they really must have dialed in that suspension well for those rear wheels to handle that many horses.

It's excellent to see a 'vette keep up with a lambo though, reminds me of my days playing Need For Speed!

ONE MORE THING: Asper, I swear that ZR-1 was designed to look like your avatar.

[Asper Sarnoff]

Max Venturi is the best gearhead name ever. A person with a name like that is destined to be nothing less then a Supercar test driver.

A "nice, lovely, sort of friendly front-engine, rear-drive kind of way" (2:53 in the video) of handling on the side of the Corvette? Wow, they really must have dialed in that suspension well for those rear wheels to handle that many horses.

It's excellent to see a 'vette keep up with a lambo though, reminds me of my days playing Need For Speed!

ONE MORE THING: Asper, I swear that ZR-1 was designed to look like your avatar.

Yeah, I remember when the guys of Top Gear talked about him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APLFb0wTJ-M

Max Venturi is such a cool name. But so was Valentino Balboni

The ZR-1 was twitchy there, but it did an awesome job keeping up with the over twice as expensive Lamborghini, with Venturi behind the wheel, and on unfavourable roads. Max wasn't getting away, and believe me when I say he wasn't going for a sunday drive.

It does? *Looks at myself in the mirror.*

Hmm, maybe. I think dark gray is actually the best color for the ZR-1 as well.

[Showtime 1-1]

I think dark gray is actually the best color for the ZR-1 as well.

Agreed.

Allow me an off-topic moment, but I think "the news" is the best bit of every Top Gear episode. It's just so entertaining!

[Asper Sarnoff]

Allow me an off-topic moment, but I think "the news" is the best bit of every Top Gear episode. It's just so entertaining!

Same here. I also simply love their "big adventures".

But Top Gear is far from off-topic in this thread. In fact, they are part of what inspired me to create this thread in the first place.