dare i say it ... ABS
Discussion
Might be worth reading Johno’s thread about comparing wet braking in his Griff 500, a S2000 and a Elise, should put your mind at rest over the T350’s ability seeing as the brakes have been improved since over the Griff ones. www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=9&h=&t=57645
As a race instructor I often do demos of ABS.
As that Chief Constable once said
"it is the most significant contribution to road safety"... etc.
ALL modern 'normal' cars should have it fitted as standard. I've raced a BMW with it and didn't get on with it.
However ABS gets you out of trouble once you have got in it.
The only cause for a lock-up or skid...
is the nut behind the wheel.
Technically I feel the retro ABS fit would be somewhat costly given the sensors and electronics involved.
Key thing is try to avoid needing it.
Smooth progressive braking always in a straight line.
No sudden hard pressure.
If you do lock up try to 'pulse' the pedal smoothly. 'Cadence' braking or the 'poormans ABS' can be just as effective.
Remember when you are fully locked up you can swivel the steering as you like but it will have no directional control.
A TVR with ABS would somehow be wrong.
Against the pure ethic an all that.
PLease enjoy your car safely and to the full.
Think ahead...
Be safe.
best regs
Steve L
As that Chief Constable once said
"it is the most significant contribution to road safety"... etc.
ALL modern 'normal' cars should have it fitted as standard. I've raced a BMW with it and didn't get on with it.
However ABS gets you out of trouble once you have got in it.
The only cause for a lock-up or skid...
is the nut behind the wheel.
Technically I feel the retro ABS fit would be somewhat costly given the sensors and electronics involved.
Key thing is try to avoid needing it.
Smooth progressive braking always in a straight line.
No sudden hard pressure.
If you do lock up try to 'pulse' the pedal smoothly. 'Cadence' braking or the 'poormans ABS' can be just as effective.
Remember when you are fully locked up you can swivel the steering as you like but it will have no directional control.
A TVR with ABS would somehow be wrong.
Against the pure ethic an all that.
PLease enjoy your car safely and to the full.
Think ahead...
Be safe.
best regs
Steve L
Anyone tried ABS on snow? I have a 730iV8 with ABS and it's useless - stand on the pedal and slide straight on. I can stop quicker by using ordinary braking progressively. I've never had the wheels lock up on the Griff. Granted, it doesn't go out in bad conditions but the braking is more than sufficient - light car, plenty of rubber. If condition are slippy, I drive slower, take more care over steering and braking and look further ahead. Simple!
Steve Lewis said:
As a race instructor I often do demos of ABS.
As that Chief Constable once said
"it is the most significant contribution to road safety"... etc.
ALL modern 'normal' cars should have it fitted as standard. I've raced a BMW with it and didn't get on with it.
However ABS gets you out of trouble once you have got in it.
The only cause for a lock-up or skid...
is the nut behind the wheel.
Technically I feel the retro ABS fit would be somewhat costly given the sensors and electronics involved.
Key thing is try to avoid needing it.
Smooth progressive braking always in a straight line.
No sudden hard pressure.
If you do lock up try to 'pulse' the pedal smoothly. 'Cadence' braking or the 'poormans ABS' can be just as effective.
Remember when you are fully locked up you can swivel the steering as you like but it will have no directional control.
A TVR with ABS would somehow be wrong.
Against the pure ethic an all that.
PLease enjoy your car safely and to the full.
Think ahead...
Be safe.
best regs
Steve L
Well said and I agree with most of what you said except the bit about it being the most significant contribution to road safety. I'd say things like disc brakes, seat belts, safety-glass and things of that nature are vastly more important to road safety than ABS. Put another way, it is possible to design a safe car without ABS. It is not possible to do so without another of the other things I just mentioned.
The problem I have with ABS isn't the theory - it is one of those ideas that looks great on paper. The problem is the application.
As you rightfully pointed out, the most important lesson to learn when driving an ABS-equipped car is to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you need it. In other words, learn to drive safely.
In the real world, many ordinary drivers look upon ABS as a excuse to not learn to drive properly and when combined with the general lack of understanding among drivers like these as to what ABS is, how it works and what it can (and more importantly can't) do... I believe it is a recipe for encouraging unsafe driving.
Think about the freeway pileups that will occur as a direct result of a numpty driving an ABS-equipped car in rain and fog while thinking to themselves "Its OK for me to drive 80mph and talk on the phone because I've got ABS and that means I can stop just as well as if the roads were dry".
One of those TV car shows should do a real-world test where they demonstrate the difference in braking distances using the same car with ABS on and off in various situations like dry tarmac, wet tarmac, snow/ice... Oh yeah, and show the difference in good tires vs bad ones. While they're at it, they should probably use a couple different car types from tiny sub-compacts to enormous SUV behemoths. Oh yeah, and also throw in a couple of non-ABS-equipped sports cars like a TVR, Noble, Lotus, etc...
I think everyone who buys any ABS-equipped car should be required to sign a form indicating that they understand ABS won't allow them to either ignore the laws of physics or drive like tw@ts - or more likely both.
Or, as George Carlin so aptly put it: "Some people think that buying a 'safe car' excuses them from the responsibility of learning how to drive the goddamn thing"
We have this discussion from time to time. ABS - many pros, very few cons and for the average driver a godsend in an emergency. Clearly it is better to anticipate the emergency and simply be somewhere else at the time but if in a moment of weakness ABS helps out then surely, surely its a very good thing.
Same argument with traction control.
As I understand it nubbin is correct and a german firm fitted ABS and Traction to an older TVR - it was in Sprint the TVRCC magazine.
I'll bet the job could be done for a few grand...but then why buy a T350. Why not buy a car with the systems on already?
Personally I'd buy the TVR and go on an Advanced Driving course...
Same argument with traction control.
As I understand it nubbin is correct and a german firm fitted ABS and Traction to an older TVR - it was in Sprint the TVRCC magazine.
I'll bet the job could be done for a few grand...but then why buy a T350. Why not buy a car with the systems on already?
Personally I'd buy the TVR and go on an Advanced Driving course...
...or send the cash to me and I'll drive it for you?Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff