How to drive a FD?
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 124
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From: Norway
1. Don't use full throttle, and don't boost, until the car is warmed up (at least 180F). If you don't know your engine temperature or boost level, but and install gauges ASAP.
2. Don't use full throttle in the middle of a corner, especially in 2nd or 3rd gear: this is when the twin-turbo powerband is most likely to surprise you.
3. Don't drive fast with low-quality or worn-out tires. www.tirerack.com has ratings to help you decide which tires are good enough.
4. Don't drive fast on unfamiliar roads, especially blind corners. If it is raining or has rained recently, familiar areas areas should be considered unfamiliar roads due to debris that gets moved around. (this should be common sense, not RX-7 specific)
5. Don't use full throttle, and don't boost, for the last 3-5 minutes before parking your car. I try not to turn the engine off when coolant temps are above 200F.
6. I use every freeway on-ramp as an acceleration test, if it is safe to do so. I don't corner hard on the streets, that's what autocross events are for.
7. Don't drive fast when you shouldn't: don't EVER try to keep up with someone, impress someone, race someone, etc... Don't drive fast because you're angry or depressed or worried about being late to work. Drive fast because it's fun when you do it safely.
-s-
2. Don't use full throttle in the middle of a corner, especially in 2nd or 3rd gear: this is when the twin-turbo powerband is most likely to surprise you.
3. Don't drive fast with low-quality or worn-out tires. www.tirerack.com has ratings to help you decide which tires are good enough.
4. Don't drive fast on unfamiliar roads, especially blind corners. If it is raining or has rained recently, familiar areas areas should be considered unfamiliar roads due to debris that gets moved around. (this should be common sense, not RX-7 specific)
5. Don't use full throttle, and don't boost, for the last 3-5 minutes before parking your car. I try not to turn the engine off when coolant temps are above 200F.
6. I use every freeway on-ramp as an acceleration test, if it is safe to do so. I don't corner hard on the streets, that's what autocross events are for.
7. Don't drive fast when you shouldn't: don't EVER try to keep up with someone, impress someone, race someone, etc... Don't drive fast because you're angry or depressed or worried about being late to work. Drive fast because it's fun when you do it safely.
-s-
4. If it's been raining or there is light rain, the seq. twin turbos will make you go sideways even easier, making it even more fun going sideways.
6. Driving onto freeways are always great, make sure you don't have cops behind you when you start accelerating, and make sure you look in the rear mirrors after you enter the freeway. The best freeway enterances are those that have a round-about right before the accelleration strip. These makes it possible to have a great sideways thrill and keep full boost while shifting gears to reach the legal speed limit.
99. I have been without my rotary engine for many, many months now. It's back in garage and hopefully I can test drive it within 2-3 weeks.
Don't drive it like you've stolen it, drive it like you've robbed the local bank! Getaway style baby!
Make sure after warm up that you don't boost while taking a turn until you become familar with the car. I've read too many threads with newbies losing control on a turn when they are surprised by the boost and sudden loss of traction on the rear tires. Also make sure you have good rubber on the car. Until I switched from Michelien to Goodyear F1s my car would slip whenever it rained.
Of those stupid enough to risk prison by stealing a car, few are smart enough to do so.
Off-topic but FWIW, it reminds me of a pursuit I had of a stolen late 80s Camaro. I originally turned on him because he was doing burn-outs on a 4-lane street in the middle of town.... IIRC about 4:30 PM, just at the start of rush hour. Yeah, not too "inconspicuous". He went rural and lost it on a two lane, was ejected after hitting a telephone pole and landed in about 18 inches of standing water in a field. Would have drowned if I wouldn't have held his head up. He was conscious, but both arms were broken. Didn't stop him from telling me to **** off when I asked him his name though.
Off-topic but FWIW, it reminds me of a pursuit I had of a stolen late 80s Camaro. I originally turned on him because he was doing burn-outs on a 4-lane street in the middle of town.... IIRC about 4:30 PM, just at the start of rush hour. Yeah, not too "inconspicuous". He went rural and lost it on a two lane, was ejected after hitting a telephone pole and landed in about 18 inches of standing water in a field. Would have drowned if I wouldn't have held his head up. He was conscious, but both arms were broken. Didn't stop him from telling me to **** off when I asked him his name though.
Rotary for life!
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 1
From: Somewhere...
Make sure after warm up that you don't boost while taking a turn until you become familar with the car. I've read too many threads with newbies losing control on a turn when they are surprised by the boost and sudden loss of traction on the rear tires. Also make sure you have good rubber on the car. Until I switched from Michelien to Goodyear F1s my car would slip whenever it rained.
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