The joys of a good driving car....

[CTX-SLPR]

My fiance' still lives in Dayton, OH so I go back to visit her about every 3 weeks. While the interstates between here and there aren't filled with challenging curves or terrain, there are spots that are fun to drive on the exchanges between the major roads. This weekend I was just enjoying how smoothly my 3.0L V6 Lincoln LS pulls away from a rest stop and how well it holds a long sweeping 35mph curve at over 50 without much drama. Throw in that I have the base model with the "soft" suspension I'm thinking this could be more fun with the "Sport" model bars on it. I know lots of ya'll like the face flattening acceleration of a stump pulling, tire shredding big block car but I have to say that this is a totally adequate level of fun to have on a daily basis, though I guess it does make me wonder how much more fun it would be with the 3.9L V8 Sport model but I couldn't find one in dark green and the mileage is marginally worse. Overall, I have to say that for a daily driver, I'd rather have one that would hold 50+ on an offramp than one that would blitz to the next stop light in a general sense.

[Joeys66chevy]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

My fiance' still lives in Dayton, OH so I go back to visit her about every 3 weeks. While the interstates between here and there aren't filled with challenging curves or terrain, there are spots that are fun to drive on the exchanges between the major roads. This weekend I was just enjoying how smoothly my 3.0L V6 Lincoln LS pulls away from a rest stop and how well it holds a long sweeping 35mph curve at over 50 without much drama. Throw in that I have the base model with the "soft" suspension I'm thinking this could be more fun with the "Sport" model bars on it. I know lots of ya'll like the face flattening acceleration of a stump pulling, tire shredding big block car but I have to say that this is a totally adequate level of fun to have on a daily basis, though I guess it does make me wonder how much more fun it would be with the 3.9L V8 Sport model but I couldn't find one in dark green and the mileage is marginally worse. Overall, I have to say that for a daily driver, I'd rather have one that would hold 50+ on an offramp than one that would blitz to the next stop light in a general sense.

Dude you should seriously right a book......"I know lots of ya'll like the face flattening acceleration of a stump pulling, tire shredding big block car..."
Thats the best sentence ever written in the english language

[squirrel]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

heh....I take that same ramp at 70 in my kid's stock 6 cyl camaro....

But I still get more of a thrill getting up to 80 at the end of a very short on ramp with my ill handling old car

[Joeys66chevy]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

heh....I take that same ramp at 70 in my kid's stock 6 cyl camaro....

But I still get more of a thrill getting up to 80 at the end of a very short on ramp with my ill handling old car

i love 40yr old suspension that is as scared to take the corner as you are

[mike343sharpstick]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

I agree and totally appreciate a well built and executed street car be it a Hot Rod, a Stocker, or something in between.
Acceleration is one thing, admittedly a very fun part of this hobby. I however prefer a balanced car, a hot rod that has had improves each part of the car, not just making the go-pedal work better.
I tend to think a ‘street’ car with 500HP and drum brakes and wobbly suspension is not a real good idea.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

Turk can speak to this as a Healey owner, but wringing the crap out of an old British car with no real power to speak of, pizza cutter width tires, and no modern ammenities is an experience all to itself.

I've been able to tool on an old MG TD and a a couple let 1950's early 1960 Limey-mobiles. Those babies talk to you...mostly plead I guess.

There's something to be said about a big grand touring car as well. Something that can just eat up miles on the highway.

Most tools are designed for specific applications.....that's why Turk has 250 different files and that's why we're all hung up on cars.

Brian

[Joeys66chevy]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

I agree and totally appreciate a well built and executed street car be it a Hot Rod, a Stocker, or something in between.
Acceleration is one thing, admittedly a very fun part of this hobby. I however prefer a balanced car, a hot rod that has had improves each part of the car, not just making the go-pedal work better.
I tend to think a ‘street’ car with 500HP and drum brakes and wobbly suspension is not a real good idea.

it may not be a good idea but its a fun one ;D ;D

[fast Ed]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

That's what I love about my mildly modded T-Bird SC ... enough suspension, brakes and tires to have fun around the turns, enough torque to move its pig weight decently in a staight line, and auto A/C and other toys to make it a nice highway cruiser.


cheers
Ed N.

[HoosierGTA]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

That's what I love about my mildly modded T-Bird SC ... enough suspension, brakes and tires to have fun around the turns, enough torque to move its pig weight decently in a staight line, and auto A/C and other toys to make it a nice highway cruiser.


cheers
Ed N.

I have to agree with you on this . Basically what the GTA is . 4wdiscs 230 hp , 5 spd to make you one with the car, !6" wheels 50 series rubber. All for less than 3k .

[min301]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

heh....I take that same ramp at 70 in my kid's stock 6 cyl camaro....

But I still get more of a thrill getting up to 80 at the end of a very short on ramp with my ill handling old car

By the way, I read that 94 issue again, love that burnout!

[KeithTurk]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

Brian... it's something you really have to be into... it's surely not because they are "Great cars"... it's that they give you so much feedback of why you suck... or they suck... depends on the situation... if they suck it's usually because it started with you putting it somewhere it shouldn't have been...

The 550 Hondas are all about exactly that ... they truly aren't great... or even average.. but they are "good enough" and demand a level of respect... cause they don't have brakes or wicked handling... or any of that modern Comfort... but they Speak to you...

I guess it's something you just have to "get"

Keith ( semi true sickie... )

[Mr4Speed]

Re: The joys of a good driving car....

I'm going to back Keith up on this having owned dreadful/wonderful British roadsters myself. For everything that's wrong with them (and it's a lot) there is a level of connectedness with the machine that I have never experienced with anything else-and it makes no sense since the mechanicals of them make a tractor look sophisticated. Having been spoiled by them in that way has something to do with my love/hate relationship with modern "civilized" cars. I've driven Z06 Vette's and they are truly awesome, but for as good and precise and immediate as they are I still feel somewhat "insulated" from the tires and the road and the outside world in one. Given the choice I will take the slower, bad mannered, mid-year Vette with manual steering, manual brakes, solid lifters, and no a/c every time. I feel much more like a driver and a lot less like a passenger in them, and it's all about how they make you feel in the end.

To get back to the topic of the original post, I totally agree. If I'm going to spend all day in the saddle I like to be coddled a little bit by a car that's nice and comfy but does exactly what I want it to do. Thunderbird SC's are great GT cars that have that "Benz-like" quality of not giving you any sensation of speed-you look down at the speedo to see to your surprise that you're going a 100mph. Love cars like that!