Slow Car fast..... Fast Car slow............ Age old Dilemma

[RagmopInKona]

I'm with you. I like the last air-cooled 911 from the 90s. But, the older ones were just expensive Beetles. Maybe it's because I'm old, but I love the 991 and 997.2 models... lots more creature comforts and much more refined driving dynamics and tons of power.

Oh, I like the cars, But I am not blind to what they were/are. Once you got seat time and got used to the way the car handled at speed, you could drive it hard. The cars have a sporty shape and character .
Bit, I would not be willing to drive one hard today because of the value of them now. Some wrecking a 100k car is Meh next, but to me it is a high risk to take and they are not making more. When you know they are a snap oversteer fast swapping ends car. It is best to cruise around in them, than push them to the limits, better options when you want to do that now.

Sponsored

 

[Bulldog9]

So, I go to 3 YES 3 places today to get an alignment, and none of the M-Frs can align my car. Shop 1 - duh your car is too new...... Shop 2 duh your car is too low to go on our rack..... Shop 3.... duh, I need 2" clearance of tires and rim..............

So frustrated, I drove to the Jim Beam Distillery and spent the day.

Anyone recommend a good shop in the Fort Knox/Louisville KY area?

 

[Bulldog9]

Oh, I like the cars, But I am not blind to what they were/are. Once you got seat time and got used to the way the car handled at speed, you could drive it hard. The cars have a sporty shape and character .
Bit, I would not be willing to drive one hard today because of the value of them now. Some wrecking a 100k car is Meh next, but to me it is a high risk to take and they are not making more. When you know they are a snap oversteer fast swapping ends car. It is best to cruise around in them, than push them to the limits, better options when you want to do that now.

Driving a rear engine Porsche, particularly a 70's air cooled car takes skill. If you know how to ride/race or do hot laps on a motorcycle, you will do fine in a P car. Go in too hot, chicken out and chop throttle mid turn, pre apex, you will quicky learn that is NOT the way to go.....

I've never driven a 930 (911 Turbo) but plenty of 911's and if you keep in the throttle, push through the turn, balance out with light use of brakes, you will keep the car pointed the right way and discover an amazing driving experience.

There is a reason these cars have lasted the test of time.

That said, my 912 has a 50/50 weight balance, is 200lbs lighter than a same year (76) 911, and puts out about the same power. Is pure pleasure

 

[Dana Pants]

So, I go to 3 YES 3 places today to get an alignment, and none of the M-Frs can align my car. Shop 1 - duh your car is too new...... Shop 2 duh your car is too low to go on our rack..... Shop 3.... duh, I need 2" clearance of tires and rim..............

So frustrated, I drove to the Jim Beam Distillery and spent the day.

Anyone recommend a good shop in the Fort Knox/Louisville KY area?

My advice: buy Tenhulzen alignment plates and do it yourself. I counted last night, and I have checked or changed the alignment of my 2018 GT 15 times now. Thats how easy it is.

 

[Johnnybee]

The most fun cars I ever owned were a couple of classic Minis and a ‘75 MG Midget, none of which had the power to pull the skin off of rice pudding.

 

[ice445]

The most fun cars I ever owned were a couple of classic Minis and a ‘75 MG Midget, none of which had the power to pull the skin off of rice pudding.

It's because they barely qualify as a car, lol. Power doesn't mean much when going the speed limit feels like the damn thing is going to explode. Definitely has a charm and fun factor to it though. Minis are actually pretty damn fast when set up right because they weigh nothing. They were a big hit in many racing series over the decades.

 

[Deleted member 69033]

I've got a 51 custom coupe with a mildly built flathead. Upgraded rear to a 2 link setup, and has disc brakes, but no power steering or anything. It's heavy as a pig and handles like it. After driving this and jumping into my f150, the truck feels like a formula 1 car, lol. But it definitely is fun to push that car a little bit... Terrifying! But fun....

 

[Schwerin]

My most fun car was a 2000 Escort ZX2 with a really nice autoX setup and cams. Revved to 8500, could fly through a turn, made about 160 wheel, cheap to fix/work on, and still got 30+MPG. I could have fun on the highway and not have hit 80 yet.

 

[Lorne34]

Its the evolution of cars from heavy steel enclosures that you actually had to drive.. to today's luxury vehicles that practically drive themselves...

 

[jamus34]

One of the magazines had an article about this (years ago), the idea was to drive something that did not handle well to get the real feel of cornering. If it was slow enough no one would even guess we were pushing it to the limit yet we were having great fun. A Mustang with narrow, hard tires, soft springs, 2500 rpm rev limit... ;)

I’ve been driving a minivan the past 2 years but every now and again try to flick it like my WRX. You want to easily push a vehicle to its limits there you go. Crappy undersized brakes, too small tires, body roll for days.

I might, might be able to drive an older Miata to it’s limits. Beyond that I imagine most modern performance carsI willnot scratch the surface. Which is fine by me.

regarding OPs fast car slow slow car fast question. In general I prefer having performance available and not needing it vs needing performance and not having it and being put in a bad situation. I have the self discipline to not drive a car on the road like I’m at the track.

 

[Balr14]

I've got a 51 custom coupe with a mildly built flathead. Upgraded rear to a 2 link setup, and has disc brakes, but no power steering or anything. It's heavy as a pig and handles like it. After driving this and jumping into my f150, the truck feels like a formula 1 car, lol. But it definitely is fun to push that car a little bit... Terrifying! But fun....

One of my first cars was a 36 Ford 2 door with a modified Merc flat head; Offy heads, dual carbs, headers, etc. It sounded really mean and I thought it was the ultimate street rod. That delusion didn't last long, but it was still a lot of fun to drive. 75 mph was an adventure for the very brave. I paid about $300 for it. It was in pretty nice shape; no rust, decent chrome, OK paint and interior. Probably $25k minimum today.

 

[Balr14]

regarding OPs fast car slow slow car fast question. In general I prefer having performance available and not needing it vs needing performance and not having it and being put in a bad situation. I have the self discipline to not drive a car on the road like I’m at the track.

Not me.... when I was younger, I was a total asshole. Now that I'm pushing 80, I have become a lot slower and a lot more disciplined. But the urge to drive like an asshole still lurks below the surface if you give me enough horsepower.

 

[Deleted member 69033]

Not me.... when I was younger, I was a total asshole. Now that I'm pushing 80, I have become a lot slower and a lot more disciplined. But the urge to drive like an asshole still lurks below the surface if you give me enough horsepower.

 

[Hack]

Problem with old 911's is unless you had come from owning a beetle that you hopped up, you did not have the seat time to have faith in driving the 911 hard with all that weight hanging past the rear axle center line. Only made worse now that collectors have made the value so high.
I have to go with Clarkson with this, they are squashed beetle.

They are a squashed Beetle, and IMO that's a great thing.

If you need to get used to the driving characteristics, just take the car out on a snowy day. It's a lot more fun and less scary to slide around at 20 mph vs. 80+. I learned to drive in a Beetle and some of my most fond memories are spinning around in the snow with that car.

But I prefer a more modern car like my GR86 as a second vehicle for commuting and winter driving. An old 911 would be too much of a commitment as far as maintenance, etc. On the street the Mustang has too much capability most of the time, but they are awesome fun on track. The GR86 thrives in street driving 0-60 mph.

 

[Bullitt0819]

My advice: buy Tenhulzen alignment plates and do it yourself. I counted last night, and I have checked or changed the alignment of my 2018 GT 15 times now. Thats how easy it is.

Yup. I sprung for the whole Tenhulzen kit (NFI) after I took my Healey 100M with adjustable shock plates to a shop specializing in 'antique cars,' and caught the tech banging on the shocks with a BFH (he didn't realize he had to loosen 6 bolts, not 4). Getting both my Healeys to 0deg camber made a big difference in handling (they came new with fixed 1deg pos. camber, if the assembly line welder was sober enough to get it right). For just toe, though, plates are easier than the Tenhulzen string harness.

After installing Steeda hop kit on my otherwise stock Bullitt, the local Big O tire shop was able to do a decent alignment.

Sponsored