Land Yacht owner here: how can I improve my driving/hooning?

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa) 02/27/2014 at 17:54 • Filed to: None

2

25

I drive that. 2000 Buick LeSabre with 250,000-odd miles on it. Don't worry, I'm going to paint the rest of the wheel, but I'm too lazy to take them off and don't have a torque wrench lying around to make sure I put them back on correctly.

With a meager 210hp and 220ft-lbs of torque, it's not exactly a sports car (though it does weigh less than some modern muscle cars), and the suspension isn't what you'd call "sporty". Taking corners at a moderate speed is enough for passengers to scream that I'll flip the car if I continue my reckless behavior by driving at a brisk walk. However, the steering is precise, the tires are fantastic, and the brakes are immense (just replaced last month), and the sack of meat behind the wheel considers himself competent.

My question is this: how does one go about honing a front-wheel drive V6 full-size sedan? The only thing I've ever done is on a dirt road outside town that has a nice s-curve on it with fantastic visibility. Look ahead, see nobody's coming, floor it halfway ("20-mph recommended be damned) through the S, then a do a Scandinavian flick just as it curves back to line up with the straightaway for a glorious adrenaline-inducing slide, then give it the beans and the car immediately straightens up and roars off down the road.

Other than that there's not much hooning I've been able to do. The foot-operated parking brake has a rachet on it (trying to figure out how to disable this so I can have an instant-oversteer pedal) making it unsuitable for handbrake slides, and the impossible-to-completely-disable traction control means no burnouts.

There is a local SCCA chapter that has autocross events about an hour away from here, but my dad has expressed his concerns that a car this old (but which has been receiving regular maintenance and replacement parts) wouldn't stand up well to a few laps of hard driving. My only concern is the enormous sidewalls might lead to a tire flying off, but I'm not sure.

Edit : Yay! First post to oppo and it actually worked :D

TL;DR: what hooning could I conceivably safely do in my Buick to practice "advanced" driving skills, and how well would a well-maintained 250,000-mi car stand up to a couple rounds of autocross?

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 17:59

1

Magnaflow it.

crowmolly > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:01

1

You can kill the traction control. Pull the fuse. 34 maybe?

Get some W-body parts and bolt'em on! A lot of the GTP stuff will fit.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:02

1

First, find an empty, paved road somewhere. Set up a cone where you're going to start braking. This way, you'll see the Acceleration/Braking the boat is capable of. Then, perform some "emergency maneuvers" (Read: Swerve sharply from left to right). This way you'll see how well it'll handle on a course. Then proceed to do a burnout, and go home/to said autocross

Milky > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:08

1

You could autocross, the Sauce Man should have some advice on that

But that sounds like #UnderSteer to me.

Or you could go tray sliding,

Or say YOLO & trade it for a beater camaro

DarrenMR > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:16

2

Do like that /tuned video of the Jetta pickup truck, and put skinny tires on the back.

D > Milky 02/27/2014 at 18:19

1

yesss tray slides. I've been in a car doing them but am yet to drive a car doing them

DollaMoneyAve > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:27

0

HPDE

deadpedal > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:42

1

I had a similiar buick years ago. I learned more about driving dynamics from that car than many "better" cars.

Mostly, I learned the brakes are there to make you go faster by shifting weight around. I'd use them to pre-load the suspension and whatnot.

You can learn a lot from those boats.

Luken10 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 18:44

1

Stomping the parking brake and pulling the release lever is another driver skill you must add to your repertoire!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > crowmolly 02/27/2014 at 20:02

0

Yep, been looking at sites like 3800performance.com, but things are pricey. I'd love to find a wrecked Park Ave or similar with a supercharged 3800 that I could yank the engine, trans, and wiring harness from. Put in hardened pistons and an aftermarket head, then stick on a smaller pulley. That would certainly be fun, but my shoestring budget right now doesn't allow for such niceties :(

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > DarrenMR 02/27/2014 at 20:04

0

Get some bald 2nd-hand run flats, stick them on the back, and proceed to do mad skids.

I like your thinking.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Milky 02/27/2014 at 20:04

0

Tray sliding sounds like winyes. Camaro would be awesome (or Miata), but I don't pay the insurance and a "sports car" + teenaged driver = hefty premiums.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > deadpedal 02/27/2014 at 20:07

2

I've come up with a saying I often shout when going around corners. "It's not body roll; it's passive weight-transfer technology !"

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Luken10 02/27/2014 at 20:08

0

Even more annoying: no release lever.

Yes, to release the parking brake you have to lift your foot off, then push down a *second* time to actually make the thing release. PITA.

mr2gud2u > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 21:37

1

I would pay money to see you autocross that Park Avenue!! Post some vids if you do

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > mr2gud2u 02/27/2014 at 21:51

0

Definitely. I have a friend with a Canon 7D (used for a lot of secondary shots during the filming of several movies such as The Avengers) who I might see if she could film my runs and make a badass Top Gear/MightCarMods video compilation of it :D

mr2gud2u > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 22:03

1

I really love seeing people having fun tracking cars, that are no stereotypical track cars. I have always thought you can have fun with any car in the right setting.

Shift24 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/27/2014 at 22:18

1

You lean with it, n rock with it... around the those corners.

and wait a torque wrench? for what? just get a 4 way and get them tight as possible and maybe 205hp 200k ago. And from your other comment my 98 Camaro was actually pretty cheap insurance wise even with my tickets. If your good with the 3.8L, the only manual is 96-02 camaro.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > mr2gud2u 02/27/2014 at 23:50

0

More fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to putter around in a Corvette Z06 in a town with a 30mph speed limit :D

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Shift24 02/27/2014 at 23:52

0

My dad is one of "those people" where everything has to be as safe as possible. That's why I'm stuck driving a full-size sedan, even when a '92 Camaro was offered to me for $500 in fantastic condition except for a borked security system. The wheels have to be *exactly* the right torque by him. That means we need a torque wrench.

Bloody annoying.

Luken10 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/28/2014 at 03:01

1

Ouch, that really does cramp your style. Maybe you can substitute double clutching for double (parking) braking? Sounds unbelievably awkward, but you might look pretty bad ass if you can some how manage to get it right!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Luken10 02/28/2014 at 08:23

0

If I could figure out how to access it I want to pull out the brake mechanism and grind off all of the teeth except for the last one, so that I have 90% of the pedal's travel that is free from obnoxious racheting, but I can still use it as a proper parking brake

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/28/2014 at 12:44

1

do everything while he's not home. It's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Shift24 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/28/2014 at 20:57

0

Get one from Harbor Freight 22 bucks and i think a year warranty

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inc…

evilfacelessturtle (Hooning a Ford is Domestic Abuse) > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/02/2014 at 20:44

0

That's basically what I've done this winter with my Grand Am. It really needed new tires, so I put two snows on the front and left the balding ones on the back. I've had great fun with it. The back end slides out so easily and predictably.

I'd like to autocross it this summer, but like you I have no money for repairs should something go wrong, and dad is paying my insurance so I can't get anything more fun.