And yes, Ghetto, you are undoubtedly at fault.

 

You can tell the level of maturity, responsability and intelligence, when people read and learn from other peoples mistakes.
Lately we have none here.

Top 11 common denominators/reasons/facts/excuses or give away that you will be wrecking your FD are:

I'm a good driver, but the car did this BLAH BLAH..(then come here looking for sympathy)
I was not going tooooo fast (fast enough to get you in trouble & out of control)
I'm only 16, but had the car since 15 (day before turning 16)
The brakes are dangerous to use (reason to take out the ABS)
I paid for my car (insert Daddy here)
I've driven many cars before (Mom's soccer van and Dad's truck)
I've seen many movies about going fast (F&F and 2F2F)
I've done this many times before (on my Playstation)
I knew the road well (obviously not well enough to use your judgement)
At least I'm honest enough to admit my mistake (also stupid, inexperienced, immature and irresponsible for racing on public roads)

This one takes the GOLD: "I had the car for a month", not enough time on the saddle to get to know the beast or do any maintenance work needed.

 

****.. I'm willing to bet in the next month my FD's value doubles. Thanks!

Sorry to hear about it. Hopefully you learned a lesson.

 

That's a great list, lol.

Ghetto, we're not picking on you, but what you did wasn't all that bright, and it has its consequences. Fortunately you are okay and you or your friend didn't wind up dead like some have.

I remember your rather intelligent noob post about a month ago, and we commend you for that. I'm not one to place judgement on you as a person, and especially on you based upon your age (I'm just 22 anyway). However, please let this and all the other threads that have come and gone in the last few months serve as a reminder to not let any more rare FDs be lost to rocks and guardrails and deer and so forth... it's really frustrating to see a good car lost to bad circumstances, especially when it could have been prevented.

 

Personally, I'm much more concerned with my insurance premiums doubling. Hopefully young people are out there crashing other cars at similar rates, so the insurance companies will just raise kids' premiums instead of assuming that RX-7's are the dangerous component here.


Although I would love to see the price of FD3S's double, I'd love it even more if people would quit destroying them. This is NOT the vehicle to be learning lessons in.


The only good thing that I've heard in this past month's flood of kids crashing 3rd Gen's is that no innocents have been hurt.

-s-

 

"Also, when you lose control of the car, the fastest and best way to regain control is NOT by countersteering, like most ppl may think. That's actually liable to make the back end fly out in the other direction! The best way is actually letting go of the steering wheel completely for a second while lightly letting up a bit on the gas (don't jam the brakes or jump off the gas - that'll make the car even more erratic). Once you let go of the steering wheel, it'll correct itself, immediately finding dead center. Once it does that (it takes a split second), THEN you countersteer, slowly applying gas in your new trajectory. Doing this in a much less powerful car (eg. my 1st gen) is a LOT easier...and once you get the hang of it, you can start messing around w/ the FD, and getting the hang of correcting a high hp car." - FDNewbie

Interesting technique. To be honest, I've done this myself instinctually on track when I got really out of shape really fast. That being said, it is NOT what I teach, and I'm trying really hard to break that habit. You can get away with this sometimes in some cars (those with lots of positive caster?), but, in general, you're better off keeping your hands on the wheel and correcting appropriately. This is related to the shuffle-steer vs. keeping your hands at 9 & 3 debate on the track. The argument I favor is that if you keep both hands on the wheel at the same place all the time, and gain enough seat time in various situations - slight understeer, slight oversteer, balanced 4-wheel drifting, and those "oops" situations where you get really out of shape really fast, your brain and your hands work together reflexly to create the steering input you need for the situation without thinking about it in between. If you let go the wheel, that can't happen.

Now, I agree this only makes sense in the situation where you are getting some significant seat time "on the edge" of adhesion, and are going to have some practice with lapses over that edge. I don't know any way to change someone's instinctual reactions without repeatedly practicing the situation to create new reflexes. That's why we have so many traffic fatalities that start with 2 wheels off -> overcorrect -> spin across the road into oncoming traffic. You can tell people all day what they ought to do, but until they've actually got some practice going 2 wheels off at speed and handling the situation properly, they still jerk the wheel to get back on the pavement out of reflex.

End rant...

Moral of the story - don't be stupid on public highways - get on the track and get some instruction so you can have fun and not kill yourself or others.

 

Yes, I read through it and I can interpret it either way. But reading with context I lean my way.

 

FWD cars are much easier to push at the edge with a lot less negative consequences. Any peon can drive a FWD car fast, takes some skill to do it with a RWD car.

It was a learning experience.. Thank god you came out in one piece, and your family members aren't planning your funeral.

Save it for the track next time, and make sure your car is in tip top shape before even doing that.

Isn't taking your hands off the steering wheel for over steer a FWD correction and not a RWD correction method. I have a clip of when I overcooked a turn at an autocross class and if I had taken my hand off the wheel I would have plowed into the timing car, by the time it corrected itself..... Seat time/experience is the only correct answer as far as I am concerned as far as learning how to do it right

 

Braking inside the turns.
/shakes head

The HP isn't the biggest factor it is the fact that it is a RWD car. In my 150 hp porsche 944 I've had some pretty hairy turns(not on a backroad, but pulling out in traffic where I should have waited.) The tail will come quick if you just do the slightest thing wrong. Now double the hp and you're asking for trouble. I don't have my 7 yet, when I do I plan on getting lessons at an auto-x or track before I ever push the limits. Just my opinion.

 

[QUOTE=seanbrowning]Braking inside the turns.
/shakes head
QUOTE]


No I never braked while turning, not once. Not in gear, not on the gas and definately not on the brake.

all braking was done as much as possible BEFORE I had to turn.

I screwed up yes but damn im not that dumb.

 

Why even analyze...

"Birthday:
May 21, 1983"

Can't fight statistics here.

 

For all you young guys buying these cars:

This was local to me and happend this past Saturday night. A young kid (yes 21 is still young), driving his "new to him" of 2 months, FD. He was showing a friend "what the FD could do" on the highway in not-so-great weather conditions.

I know when you are young, you think you know it all. When you get older, you'll realize you didn't know jack sh*t.

Take the time and learn how to push yours and your car's limits in "controlled" settings (AutoX, Road Racing). I know people say "there isn't a track near me". Make it a weekend trip. That weekend may save your life someday.

 

that would be too much initial d

 

I have no comment.

 

I'd say for stock, they're pretty darn good. They aren't brembos, so yea I'm sure you can do better. For on the road, I think they're absolutely excellent.

Dave, one of the good things I like about the local Mazda club we have here (used to be an RX7 only club, but it takes all Mazdas...still have a majority of 7s and 8s ) but yea...they have ppl come in and talk every now and then, and one of the guys that comes is a senior insurance agent from Liberty Mutual, and he was telling us all these things that the companies won't tell you... including that many companies will fix quarter-sized rock chips in your windshield for free, to save having to replace the entire windshield when it grows... Good stuff, eh?

~Ramy

 

Macdaddy, I'm not a track expert, nor do I teach it. So I don't mean to say MY WAY IS THE WAY, but I've seen and tried both, and like you said, yours takes a lot of skill and practice, and is probably the more predominant method taught. I honestly focus w/ what works for me, plus I have a keen eye for what methods the "big dawgs" in Japan use...I watch a lot of those videos not just for entertainment, but kind of like an instructional video. In fact, I specifically remember when I was watching this very Best Motoring video where they were testing the new Porsche 911 Turbo, and around one of the laps, the car got squirrely w/ the guy, and he immediately regained control. I musta rewound and watched that section in slow-mode at least 5 times, carefully watching what he did. It was perfect. It was a long sweeping left turn, and as he came to the end of the turn, he got onto the throttle too heavy too soon, and the back swung out. He immediately just opened his hands, allowing the steering wheel to immediately find dead center, then corrected while applying gas. Then I went out in my FB and tried it many times. It worked PERFECTLY every single time. Just a few days ago, I took a turn too hard/fast in the rain, and lost traction. I instinctly let go of the wheel, then corrected...no thinking involved. I didn't even break a sweat lol. So that's my method, the one that I found takes less calculation/skill, and seems to be sure-fire in the RX7. But again, I'm no one to argue what's better or what isn't. My original comment was more of my opinion on using the method of the pros...they use it, so I figured it's gotta be the best.

Oh and by all means, if there are cons or downsides to this technique, please let me know. I'm all ears

Again, I'm not one to argue about techniques...and maybe my driving is simply unorthodox, but I can tell you that when I start to lose traction in a turn w/ a FWD car, I def. don't take my hands off the wheel. If the car is large/heavy enough, I actually quickly countersteer, letting the back slide out more, making the car drift through the turn, and I control it in that sense. I've done it many a time, and it's very predictable. Obviously, going sideways on a one-lane road isn't the smartest thing, but then again, I don't try this in traffic But the main method that I use in FWD cars is to slightly let up on the gas for a VERY brief period of time...like one second or so, giving the car an opportunity to regain traction, then plow onto the gas, pushing the car through the turn. Again, none of these methods have been "taught" to me via a track course etc...these are simply things I've picked up from videos and pure practice...

 

I learned the concept of the new sport of "drifting" from watching The Dukes of Hazard as a kid. No kidding.

Countersteering is the right thing to do IF you know what you are doing. Feed in too much countersteer and you'll end up with a bigger mess than you started with. Letting go of the steering wheel and backing off (not 100% off) the throttle does work better than nothing....

 

Removing the keys from the ignition and sending out your mother to return the Initial D video works best, however.

 

Good lord....learning how to drive by watching Japanese videos...

 

I'd LOVE for you to explain to me the difference between watching what an instructor is doing from inside the car vs. from a video. It's EXACTLY the same. At high speeds and risky maneuvers, the instructor isn't gonna be chatting his head off...he's gonna be quiet, having already told you to observe what he's about to do. Oh and the videos can show you things you can't see in the car, like footwork...

Besides, some of these drivers are THE BEST. You telling me that watching "The Drift Bible" is worthless? That instructional video is GOLDEN. If YOU don't like the method, don't try it Kento. Just cuz it's not for you doesn't mean it's not for everyone. I can handle my car very well, to the point that the first time I hit a road course, the instructor w/ me was impressed that it was my first time...

In the end tho, it really comes down to what I try and what works for ME. For example, I've tried for the life of me to heel and toe. OMG I simply CAN'T. For starters, my feet are too darn big to be moved at such an angle...very uncomfortable. My shoes are definitely wide enough so that instead of heel and toe, I can use the left edge of the shoe on the brake, and the right edge of the shoe on the gas, w/ my foot angled to the RIGHT (instead of the incredibly weird position of angled to the left like they teach)

 

I also cannot twist my toe inward, instead I leave the ball of my foot on the brake and catch the throttle with the outer toes of my right foot. Even though I'm a size 12, it doesn't work in all shoes. When I go to driving school I expect it'll be an issue.

But to be honest, learning from videos is a scary idea. You can't feel the g's, tire scrub, or see the track ahead of you like you can in the car.

Dave

 

That's basically what I was trying to describe. I do the same.

True...but I look to them for certain techniques, not the end-all so that I think I can jump up and tackle any track just like that. The example I gave was perfect...I wanted to see how the guy regained control of the Porsche at 100mph+, and his technique was excellent. I've tried it many times, and it seems to work for me.

Of course, track instruction is track instruction. There's no substitute. But my point is, you can definitely get some pointers from videos that you may otherwise miss or not see at all from track instruction. Fair enough? In fact, some track instruction includes what? VIDEO LESSONS

 

Video lessons are ****.

They offer nothing lasting because you are *watching* and not the one *doing.*

 

I would say 90% of the time total age is a huge factor, but what most people forget is driving exp. Say, FOR EXAMPLE, I'm his age but I've been working as a mechanic in a shop since age nine. Because of that job I have had exp with many different cars. At age 12 my father and I built a Kart to have some fun with. Since then I have never known anyone else with eight plus years total age on me that could out drive me anywhere, safely of course. I have never wrecked a car. Yes I have overdriven a car, but because of my exp at an earlier age I knew how to over come it.

So there are a few exceptions out there. The main thing that they have a problem with is controling their hormones to keep their foot in check.

I do believe Most people aren't ready for a car likethis until they're closer to thirty, but there are the few that can handle it at a much younger age.

Blah, blah, blah, I'll stfu now...

 

Indeed...but you must watch and observe before doing, yes? Gotta know what you're about to do, run it through your head, have the technique worked out in your mind, THEN do it on the track.