Scary Experience

[Captain_Birdseye]

yes, in the wet is dodge, I span mine after a week of owning it, an obvious school boy error and just enough to make me aware of how not to drive an old beemer in the wet. I was going past the spot I 180'd at and there was a bashed up e36 there with a pole of some kind through its window. What models had the first traction conrol? do any?

[Jhonno]

yes, in the wet is dodge, I span mine after a week of owning it, an obvious school boy error

No they are not.. You even admit to the error being on the pilot's behalf..

[Captain_Birdseye]

I could drive an astra in the same way - 30 mph in the wet on that corner and it wouldn't have spun would it? Yes, ok, the e30 is not dodge, so I'll rephrase - needs respect. Is it possible my bushes are getting old? Would that effect it's handling on corners?

[ross_jsy]

Yeah ha, S50. Damn BMW and their engine codes. Personal preference i guess, boost is fine once you know when and how its going to spool up.

But i agree totally, compared to many cars - porsche 911's as an example, E30's are pussycats. I just think that in standard form, with many wearing cheaper tyres, open diffs etc, with the weight distribution and slow steering, its not surprising that many of them end up facing the wrong way.

Weight distribution in 53/47 (fr/re) for an e30. Quick google doesn't show any definitive answers but 52/48 is a possibity.

Didn't realise we had such a fantastic driver in our midst they could spot a 1% difference in f/r weight distribution

Found this interesting mind, having never driven a saphire:

http://passionford.com/forum/general-ca ... -50-a.html

[Jhonno]

I could drive an astra in the same way - 30 mph in the wet on that corner and it wouldn't have spun would it? Yes, ok, the e30 is not dodge, so I'll rephrase - needs respect. Is it possible my bushes are getting old? Would that effect it's handling on corners?

RWD vs. FWD.. Also, like for like the E30 has a much better chassis..

Yes, very possible they are. Yes it would.

[Captain_Birdseye]

yep rwd v fwd. I may take it to get bushes seen to.

[Karan]

E30s are great in the wet

[hazd31]

Just had a VERY scary reminder of how dangerous RWD cars can be. Travelling in a straight line at 30mph and out of no where i'm doing consecutive spins into the other side of the road, ending up arse end in the woods - inches from a tree that killed 5 people 15 years ago - who were coincidentally in a BMW 3 Series.

It was raining and I was driving slowly - 30 in a national. London Road, Hassocks if anybody knows it. Between the garden centre and the Jack & Jill pub.

All of a sudden i find myself on the other side of the road; the back of the car like a pendulum and I am merely a passenger. Somehow I avoid the row of trees and it parks itself between two massive tree trunks, backwards. Exhaust has fallen off and rear MTECH II bumper is all scuffed, but somehow that is the extent of the damage!

I'm very lucky, if a car was coming the other way I could've killed myself and possibly the driver of the other car, or I could've whacked one of those trees.

UPDATE: Diesel was found in the inner arch of my left rear and the tyre stinks of it!!!

Someone died aloung there in a bmw last year too, very easy to get out of shape at the bottom of the hill, or through the kink just after the pub!!

You must be local, i live on new way lane by the jack and jill!

[mwggriffiths]

I could drive an astra in the same way - 30 mph in the wet on that corner and it wouldn't have spun would it? Yes, ok, the e30 is not dodge, so I'll rephrase - needs respect. Is it possible my bushes are getting old? Would that effect it's handling on corners?

Know what will adversely affect the handling a huge amount?

Driving it like a front wheel drive Astra

[MattTheHat325]

Yeah ha, S50. Damn BMW and their engine codes. Personal preference i guess, boost is fine once you know when and how its going to spool up.

But i agree totally, compared to many cars - porsche 911's as an example, E30's are pussycats. I just think that in standard form, with many wearing cheaper tyres, open diffs etc, with the weight distribution and slow steering, its not surprising that many of them end up facing the wrong way.

Weight distribution in 53/47 (fr/re) for an e30. Quick google doesn't show any definitive answers but 52/48 is a possibity.

Didn't realise we had such a fantastic driver in our midst they could spot a 1% difference in f/r weight distribution

Found this interesting mind, having never driven a saphire:

http://passionford.com/forum/general-ca ... -50-a.html

A 2wd saff and a 325i weigh almost exactly the same (sierra is a shade lighter) and very similar weight distribution. If the sierra comes on boost at the wrong point it will take no prisoners. My 4x4 saff is tail happy when you're pushing on but 34% of the power to the front wheels helps keep things in check surprisingly well for such an archaic set up.

[bss325i]

Sierra's and E30's have a similar semi trailing arm rear suspension set up.

Its the front where they differ completely with the E30 having Wishbones with a separate roll bar and the Sierra having track control arms with the anti roll bar locating them.

Some people are certainly exaggerating about E30's handling limits on this thread!

[mattmk1]

Yeah ha, S50. Damn BMW and their engine codes. Personal preference i guess, boost is fine once you know when and how its going to spool up.

But i agree totally, compared to many cars - porsche 911's as an example, E30's are pussycats. I just think that in standard form, with many wearing cheaper tyres, open diffs etc, with the weight distribution and slow steering, its not surprising that many of them end up facing the wrong way.

Weight distribution in 53/47 (fr/re) for an e30. Quick google doesn't show any definitive answers but 52/48 is a possibity.

Didn't realise we had such a fantastic driver in our midst they could spot a 1% difference in f/r weight distribution

Neither did i, perhaps i should turn pro

Iv been lucky enough to drive quite a few cosworths, of all varieties, and personally i just feel that they have always felt more planted/controllable than the e30s iv driven/owned. Thats all im saying. Personally i feel more confident in them in the wet than i do in an E30, so i dont agree that they will kill you the moment it gets damp.

Iv never had a cossie suddenly boost mid corner of its own accord either, they wont boost until you tell it.

The weight distribution surprises me though, thats interesting stuff, i think the E30s are slightly shorter wheelbase but nothing drastic. I always assumed the E30's were much more nose heavy

[Rav335uk]

Some people are certainly exaggerating about E30's handling limits on this thread!

[bss325i]

Some people are certainly exaggerating about E30's handling limits on this thread!

Well, come on! They don't just "spin out" do they?!

[Rav335uk]

Some people are certainly exaggerating about E30's handling limits on this thread!

Well, come on! They don't just "spin out" do they?!

Not all of them do, but it's down to how they're driven, conditions of roads and tyres.

[Jhonno]

Well, come on! They don't just "spin out" do they?!

Not all of them do, but it's down to how they're driven, conditions of roads and tyres.

So EXACTLY the same as all other cars on the road then...

[bss325i]

Well, come on! They don't just "spin out" do they?!

Not all of them do, but it's down to how they're driven, conditions of roads and tyres.

No shit but you can say that about any car.

[bss325i]

Must click submit faster lol!

[Rav335uk]

Exactly

[harry_p]

. I was going past the spot I 180'd at and there was a bashed up e36 there with a pole of some kind through its window. What models had the first traction conrol? do any?

on facelift e36s you can get traction control on a 318 (possibly even a 316)

no idea why they thought it necessary, my pre facelift e36 m3 evo makes do with 300+ bhp, no traction control, pretty sensible tyre sizes and gets driven all year round in all conditions and because i work shifts often very late at night of early hours of the morning and never come close to spinning it on the road in normal driving and i'm certainly not going to pretend to be some sort of driving god.

[Jhonno]

I spun my e30 by looking at it in the rain once.. It also killed me 6 times everytime it was slightly damp, just because they are so lethal in the wet.

[redcar]

I spun my e30 by looking at it in the rain once.. It also killed me 6 times everytime it was slightly damp, just because they are so lethal in the wet.

Lol

[rich318i]

what tyre presure u lot using?

[turkeysneck]

I religiously check mine once a year whether they want doing or not.

[Speedtouch]

You check your tyre pressures once a year? I do mine practically every week!

[turkeysneck]

I was joking.

[rich318i]

asking what bar or psi u use?

[Jhonno]

What does it say in the manual...?

[Jhonno]

Or on the sticker in the door shut?

[Rav335uk]

Or on the sticker in the door shut?

Come on, that's too difficult

[hennared323i]

I spun my e30 by looking at it in the rain once.. It also killed me 6 times everytime it was slightly damp, just because they are so lethal in the wet.

This

Muppets

[rich318i]

learn how to drive lol

[Jhonno]

Or on the sticker in the door shut?

Come on, that's too difficult

Sometimes I just need to lower my expectations..

[Rav335uk]

Or on the sticker in the door shut?

Come on, that's too difficult

Sometimes I just need to lower my expectations..

Might help you there.

[jmccall85]

my scary experience is actually how well they handle was a bit unsure of it at the start very hard to get the tail out in the dry pushing it very hard !!!!

love drive n my car in the wet usually go and stick £20 in tank and play like a big kid in the industrial estate or private roads

absolute love my e30