Changing from FWD to RWD Course

[Kimbie]

Will not be till next year but will be changing from a FWD 2.0 TDI estate with luck to a 6.1V8 RWD

Now I am a confident driver in terms of I know what my car can do, how it handles etc.

But I have never driven a car that big or a car with RWD.

Other than messing about in a Tesco car park to get the feel for it, is it worth looking for some sort of course I can do on to show me how to drive it, get out of trouble etc?

Thanks

Kimbie

[Craikeybaby]

There are plenty of places offering airfield days with instruction etc, looking at your location I'm sure there will be something near you.

[Kimbie]

Cool I will take a look

Thanks

Kimbie

[beanbag]

What do you plan to do messing around in a Tesco car park!?!?!? The local plod are going to be seriously unimpressed with you if you're caught, which no doubt you will be as it's all on CCTV.

Unless you plan to drive around like a boy racer, you don't need to take a RWD course...

If you want to further skills, an advanced driving course is probably your better option. That and not driving around with a lead foot.

[Benbay001]

beanbag said:

Unless you plan to drive around like a boy racer, you don't need to take a RWD course...

I suspect the vast majority of people who crash wouldnt define their driving as "boy racer" ish.
Please define the boy racer driving style for me.

[John145]

Benbay001 said:

beanbag said:

Unless you plan to drive around like a boy racer, you don't need to take a RWD course...

I suspect the vast majority of people who crash wouldnt define their driving as "boy racer" ish.
Please define the boy racer driving style for me.

Couldn't agree more. As part of my work I train people in advanced driving and you'd be astonished how many drivers with 20+ years experience cannot bring a car to a stop in a straight line as quickly as the vehicle can achieve. Never mind avoidance, understeer, oversteer, etc etc...

[John145]

For the Op, you'll gain FAR more real, quality experience doing a trackday with an instructor sat next to you for 20 minutes. Anyone can throw a car around in a car park but you'll learn nothing about how to control oversteer at 60mph.

[MC Bodge]

Kimbie said:

Other than messing about in a Tesco car park to get the feel for it, is it worth looking for some sort of course I can do on to show me how to drive it, get out of trouble etc?

A course like this will teach you a lot about respecting rear-wheel-drive and improving many aspects of your 'road-craft'.

ps. How do you drive your current car? Close to the limit or fairly gently?

[MC Bodge]

beanbag said:

If you want to further skills, an advanced driving course is probably your better option.

I disagree. Advanced Driving IAM/Rospa-style has little to do with advanced/limit handling skills.

Driving on loose or slippy surfaces at low speed will give you some idea of what to expect from breaking traction at the rear. On dry tarmac you may be making a fair bit of noise.

Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 24th June 20:14

[beanbag]

Benbay001 said:

beanbag said:

Unless you plan to drive around like a boy racer, you don't need to take a RWD course...

I suspect the vast majority of people who crash wouldnt define their driving as "boy racer" ish.
Please define the boy racer driving style for me.

The OP suggested using a supermarket car park as a proving ground for "learning how to handle a RWD car", which is not exactly sensible behaviour.

I agree many people cannot handle a car properly but I would suggest defensive driving is the better option and clearly I'm totally wrong with advanced driving courses. I'll reserve my judgement for my own driving.

[Kimbie]

Appears using the term "Messing about in a tescos carpark" was the wrong term to use.

I drive my car to the conditions of the road in all fairness, yes sometimes I have a spirited drive home as my current commute has a nice road for that, but in my new job my general commute will be on the A15 doing 40-50MPH.

Thanks for the suggestions about the track driving with an instructor I will take a look at those.

Kimbie

[MC Bodge]

Good Examples:
Driving Rear Wheel Drive on track
Rear Wheel drive on roads



Rallying course in Mk2 Escorts

Edited by MC Bodge on Monday 24th June 22:05

[davepoth]

The trick is to leave the traction control on, and not drive like a dick. Most new RWD cars are set up to be understeery as standard so it's a bit harder to make them misbehave without excessive use of the "fun pedal". Generally I find the handling balance in a RWD car more predictable and easier to exploit.

[MC Bodge]

davepoth said:

The trick is to leave the traction control on, and not drive like a dick

Eh?

davepoth said:

Most new RWD cars are set up to be understeery as standard so it's a bit harder to make them misbehave without excessive use of the "fun pedal".

...or some suitable suspension mods

davepoth said:

Generally I find the handling balance in a RWD car more predictable and easier to exploit.

[ADM06]

I wish there were open spaces you could go to play about with your car without paying a large fee/fine. There's a big disused car park in my village, but it's locked up.

[davepoth]

MC Bodge said:

davepoth said:

The trick is to leave the traction control on, and not drive like a dick.

Eh?

I've daily driven a relatively powerful RWD car with extremely skinny rubber, summer and winter, and didn't manage to kill myself. The trick was to not approach the limits of the car in day to day driving, much the same as in any other car. Hence "don't drive like a dick".

[MC Bodge]

davepoth said:

I've daily driven a relatively powerful RWD car with extremely skinny rubber, summer and winter, and didn't manage to kill myself. The trick was to not approach the limits of the car in day to day driving, much the same as in any other car. Hence "don't drive like a dick".

Ah, is that what you meant?

[Futuramic]

If it's really that much of a concern then how confident will you actually be in the V8? Driving it, if intimidated, will be miserable.

But if you've got a while, why not buy an old Volvo for a few hundred and get some experience of rear wheel drive with thin tyres, a live axle and no electronic assists. I had one and learned loads about skid correction and so on; all at fairly low speeds.

[Mrs Muttleysnoop]

OP go to Colin Hoad at CAT Driver Training who is based at Millbrook Proving Ground. Colin is a very good instructor.

[chris182]

I really can't see why this would be an issue on the road. If you are driving in such a way that you are losing grip on a public road then you are pushing too hard and if not then FWD or RWD is not going to make any difference with regards to driving safely.

I bought a 5.6l V8 RWD car at the age of 22 and I'm still alive without any extra training. At no point was I concerned that this might not remain the case. Just buy it, drive it sensibly and learn how it feels and if you take it on a track day, get some instruction.