Abusing the pride of Detroit
I''ve one more day of Police Tactical Driving School.
Enlightening.
I'm a man. We all pretty well assume that we each shoot better, make love better, and drive better than the next man. Add in that I'm a Texas man, and the situation is a tad exacerbated.
So it's hard on my ego when I'm creaming cones in what appeared to me to be way too much driving course andplenty of time.
We have acres of course set up and 3 minutes to negotiate the thing forwards and backwards. It's a VERY tight course. They gave us 3:00 minutes and 5 cones to complete it. I kept coming in just over, with 1 cone. Then even closer, with two cones. Understand--- everyone had to run it several times to finally pass it.
Finally one of the instructors came up to me while I sat at START. "You an ol' country boy?"
"Yeah. Used to be."
"Then get on it. Shred that thing."
I smoked out a 2:50, with 2 cones.
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Surprisingly, Crown Vics aren't just holding their own-- they're turning in the best times. The new Impalas, with their comfy rides an 60/40 weight distribution, are doing pretty badly. We've got good photo evidence that they're regularly lifting at least one tire in hard turns.
The Dodge Chargers have that licked-- they actually will brake the tire that wants to lift. Most of their drivers can't do much with 'em.
We have a Yukon that's doing great, surprisingly.
But it's a couple of 2 to 4 year old Crown Vics that are tearing the course up.
Could be cook, rather then kitchen though, couldn't it? :)
posted by Matt G @ 10:51 PM
7 Comments:
I miss the Chevy Caprice with the LT-1 police package. They just felt a little more nimble to me than the Crown Vics do.
Remember: The throttle is for steering; the steering wheel's just something to hang on to. ;)
Crown Vics rule. Gosh...I miss 'em.
You're righter than many may know.
Turn Overdrive off, enter a curve too early, give it too much gas, feel the rear end drift around while you understeer through the curve. Let off the gas, straighten out while the tires regain traction, and punch it to lean the car correctly for the next curve.
I'm impressed at how much they teach here about using the car's body roll.
Some things get meaner with age. That includes rear-wheel drive V-8 sedans.
Next thing we know you'll be out at TMS for Track Day.
Didja get my note about Crown Vics I sent the other day? Saw another one this morning.
Regards,
Rabbit.
No, I didn't. I'll check it out. On THR?
And 'Dog? I've never driven a Caprice LT-1. I've been told by Chevy lovers that they were the bomb.
But I'd be shocked if they could run with these Chargers.
Coupla months ago, a certain local department's instructor ran down his second crotch rocket it 2 months with his. I listened to the whole thing in awe. Allegedly, in his previous one, he was assisting another agency when he pulled up alongside the sportsbike and waved at the rider. If it ain't true, it oughta be. :)
What a great blog. I'm very entertained by all this.
I drive an extremely used "police interceptor" Crown Vic with a 1999 Mustang GT engine, and I must say it doesn't behave like any other large sedan I've driven. The 37xx pounds is hugely limiting, though. It would be fun to try one stripped down to 2900!
I've considered autocrossing mine, but I'd probably lose my job (it's a taxi).
Matt, when you talk about getting through corners, you described false apexing to a "T". Pick a spot nearer than the apex, use the brakes to transfer weight to the front tires and thereby allowing higher speed at turn-in, use the throttle to drift through the true apex, then accelerate out, rolling on the gas. I learned it on GTR, a PC racing simulator. It's worth two seconds per lap on a road course.
Thanks for a great blog, and for listening.
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