Farside
Badly Welded Man
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Hah. I was overtaking an artic when one of the trailer tyres blew. I accelerated sharpish, but if it had gone really pear-shaped I don't know if I'd have got clear in time.
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AVI_8
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Yes and no.
Depends on circumstances, accelerating will reduce the tail wagging the dog, that’s fact.
But if it starts to happen just when you’re going down a steep hill you’re going to be going faster quite quickly with a situation which is likely to repeat itself but at a higher speed, that’s not good.
If it starts as you approach an incline absolutely I’d accelerate then use the incline to reduce speed, it comes down to drivers knowledge and experience to take the correct actions given the road.
Firstly never brake, if you intend to slow down depress the clutch don’t touch the brakes and make minimal steering corrections to keep things going straight, meaning don’t over correct.
It‘s drivers dealing with a situation which they’re unsure of with causes them to over correct which results in a jack knife situation or an excursion into the central reservation.
And by saying that I’m not at all saying that‘s what caused this particular accident, it’s just a generalisation.
Modern drivers who have mostly front wheel drive experience and even rear wheel drive experience with their active stability control babysitting them in general are totally unequipped to have the skill set to deal with a car snaking down a road let alone having a trailer attached.
A few months of winter driving in an RS 2000 or 3.0 litre Capri is very good tuition. Unfortunately it’s not available to most folk now.
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I remember exiting an island broadside in a Lotus Sunbeam, the driver heading towards the island looked surprised
Gritineye
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Cato
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A 3 litre Capri had so much weight pinning the front down that it acted like a pivot point, add the large amount of torque being delivered at the back and you pretty much had to drive them with the back end flicking about. It was going to happen anyway irrespective of getting over enthusiastic with the throttle. So better to accept it and work with it than try and avoid it.I remember exiting an island broadside in a Lotus Sunbeam, the driver heading towards the island looked surprised
Similar in a Dolomite Sprint involved lots of two hand twirling a spindly steering wheel . . . and even more frantic twirling back to avoid the tank slapper . . .I remember exiting an island broadside in a Lotus Sunbeam, the driver heading towards the island looked surprised
Whereas in an Alfa 75 it was a gentle twiddle of the wheel to correct and hold for as long as you wanted, at the angle you wanted, with a gentle guidance of it back to straight, while re-tuning the radio, opening the window/sunroof (switches up in the roof for both) with the other hand, looking out the passenger side window, while holding a conversation with your mum who remains un-worried in the passenger seat
. . .In a modern RWD . . . random turn of wheel as there's not enough feel to tell what the hecks going on, then being surprised by the sudden lurching at the rear and the funny, single sided tyre squeal from the rear as the traction control chops power and applies brakes on one side or other . . .
Lol, austin metros had it, probably earlier. Like most developments actually, it was the bean counters and unions that screwed them...
not done it yet
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I well remember the 3 litre auto Capri. First car I drove with an auto box, I think. One soon learned to pull out, then ‘kick down’ to overtake if one was intending keeping the pedal to the metal!A 3 litre Capri had so much weight pinning the front down that it acted like a pivot point, add the large amount of torque being delivered at the back and you pretty much had to drive them with the back end flicking about. It was going to happen anyway irrespective of getting over enthusiastic with the throttle. So better to accept it and work with it than try and avoid it.
Bobtail4x4
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ditto in heavy snow driving a discovery, the cop coming the other way pulled me up, but was laughing too much to book me,I remember exiting an island broadside in a Lotus Sunbeam, the driver heading towards the island looked surprised
dobbslc
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I remember watching two 3.0 75's in my 155 rear view mirror drifting in tandem around Donnington Park on an Alfa trackdayWhereas in an Alfa 75 it was a gentle twiddle of the wheel to correct and hold for as long as you wanted, at the angle you wanted, with a gentle guidance of it back to straight, while re-tuning the radio, opening the window/sunroof (switches up in the roof for both) with the other hand, looking out the passenger side window, while holding a conversation with your mum who remains un-worried in the passenger seat
Cato
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Or.... a gentle twiddle of the wheel resulting in a random loss of power, followed by the power cutting back in, everything going dark, the wipers coming on at high speed and every pre select on the stereo giving Radio Luxembourg.Whereas in an Alfa 75 it was a gentle twiddle of the wheel to correct and hold for as long as you wanted, at the angle you wanted, with a gentle guidance of it back to straight, while re-tuning the radio, opening the window/sunroof (switches up in the roof for both) with the other hand, looking out the passenger side window, while holding a conversation with your mum who remains un-worried in the passenger seat
Wonderfully balanced car with the transaxle - my mum still complains about me getting rid of mine over 25 yrs ago.I remember watching two 3.0 75's in my 155 rear view mirror drifting in tandem around Donnington Park on an Alfa trackday
Yeah . . . the amount of electrical issues I've had with 9 Italian cars over the years . . . an indicator bulb failed on my integrale 16v about 22 yrs ago . . .Or.... a gentle twiddle of the wheel resulting in a random loss of power, followed by the power cutting back in, everything going dark, the wipers coming on at high speed and every pre select on the stereo giving Radio Luxembourg.
AVI_8
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I loved the Integrale, road holding back in the day seemed to defy the laws of physics on a back road I never came across a car that could come close to keeping up with it.Yeah . . . the amount of electrical issues I've had with 9 Italian cars over the years . . . an indicator bulb failed on my integrale 16v about 22 yrs ago . . .
But by god was it was not easy to work on, under the bonnet it was like a modern car in that respect, not a lot of room to get your hands in anywhere let alone a ratchet and socket.
They‘re not cheap now, last time I looked they were 60K for an evolution.
Bullet2012
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I always use my
I've done pretty much all my own maintenance on both I've owned/own. Did a cam belt change on the evo1 a few weeks ago . . . either my hands have got bigger, or its shrunk in the rain since the last time.
I get back in it after not using it for a while and its like being back in your favourite chair, back home - everything where you remember it is, everything does what its supposed to, and it just goes where you want it too. Slower, supposedly not as good, as modern stuff . . . but there's a reason it's still listed in the back of evo magazine with 5 stars and "one of the finest cars ever built" - it just feels "right"
