Driving Habits

[no1agitator]

gmjunkie, are you in texas?

 

[Heavy Duty]

Okay, let's take other traffic out as a variable. Here's a scenario: you're in the middle of the Utah desert en route to Las Vegas. There is no one around you on the road in any direction for at least 20 miles. The sun is bright in a perfectly clear sky, the temps are in the mid-80s, and the only thing you have to fear from the weather is getting a sunburn if you didn't use the right sunblock. The road is dry and clear (save for the occasional heat mirage).

In this situation, do you drive any differently behind the wheel of a Vette than behind the wheel of your other vehicles?

-Patrick

All I have to say is that i would have a hell-of-a time keeping my foot out of it.

I am not an aggressive driver in any of my vehicles when I am on a public roadway. Too many lawyers looking to see how much money they could get from you if something was to happen. On the track I think I would be. As far as running the vettes up to an insane speed, I'll do that on occasion. But I pick my places where I know I have a slim chance of incountering the cops, traffic, and both domestic and wildlife.

When I get into the vettes to me it is like strappng on an F-16. I do find that my driving habits do change. Heck, I've even got a check list posted in the Z and the C4 for start up and shut down to make sure I don't forget anything. I guess that is the ole military flying experiance that is in drilled into us. I love the power, handling, and the tightness of the vettes. I also like how everything is layed out right where you needed it. I also like just cruzing with the vettes. I don't go looking for trouble but I like knowing that if trouble does appear that I've got something that can handle just about any situation. In traffic I do tend to hang back when I am driving the vettes and take notice and watch the morons as they drive.

I love driving my truck also but in a different way. When I am haulling the horses I am usally in the left lane running with the high speed traffic. The thing about diesel engines is that they are made to be driven hard. Even with a load it has no problems at staying with traffic.

Hey someone mentioned sheep.....where are they.....I'd like to meet them:L . just kidding. You guys are:crazy .

H.D.

 

[Patrick]

HD,
Interesting perspective about the peace of mind driving the Vette gives you because of it's capabilities. I never thought of it like that, but it's sort of another form of driver "expressions." Rather than aggressiveness, it's confidence about how the Vette will get you out of situation. Hmm... something to ponder this morning.

Tammy,
We have Kopbet to thank for originally spreading the completely spurious, libelous and flatly untrue rumors about sheep in Colorado. We have women here, so we don't need to go importing sheep. Now, Wyoming is a different story... (there are no women in Wyoming.) :L

-Patrick

 

[Heavy Duty]

HD,
Now, Wyoming is a different story... (there are no women in Wyoming.) :L

-Patrick

Kind of makes you wonder what they do on those cold winter nights . A little of topic, but Monday night on the news they did a segment on the Univ of Nevada and their sheep. It appears that the sheep have human tissue in them. Even in the brain. I wonder if they got the sheep from Wyoming or are they hiring guys from wyoming to come down and work there:L ?

H.D.

 

['04 Torch Red]

You know, it is really weird. One minute I'm calm, cool, and collected, and then I slide in the............, and the.............. trembles obediently, and suddenly....

The spirit moves me!!!

Thats nice...now what "moves" the Vette?........... ...oh my bad...I get it...thats what moves the Vette......for a moment there I got lost...thought you were saying thats what moved YOU...:L

 

[Patrick]

[QUOTE='04 Torch Red]Thats nice...now what "moves" the Vette?........... ...oh my bad...I get it...thats what moves the Vette......for a moment there I got lost...thought you were saying thats what moved YOU...:L[/QUOTE]


04Torch,
Tammy's "spirit" is sort of an all-encompassing sort of spirit, and appears capabable of multi-tasking. :L

-Patrick

 

[MsSchroder]

[QUOTE='04 Torch Red]

You know, it is really weird. One minute I'm calm, cool, and collected, and then I slide in the............, and the.............. trembles obediently, and suddenly....

The spirit moves me!!!

Thats nice...now what "moves" the Vette?........... ...oh my bad...I get it...thats what moves the Vette......for a moment there I got lost...thought you were saying thats what moved YOU...:L

I was :L

So, all those discussions about sheep reminded me of HS lit class. Anybody ever read any James Dickey? http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/507.html

 

[Heavy Duty]

[QUOTE='04 Torch Red]

I was :L

So, all those discussions about sheep reminded me of HS lit class. Anybody ever read any James Dickey? http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/507.html

That has got to be the strangest poem i have ever read.

H.D.

 

[Hotwing]

Sounds like a lot of Sheep Shuckin' to me.......You know what I'm talkin' about !!!

 

[XLR8]

That has got to be the strangest poem i have ever read.

H.D.

I agree... add that one to the list of Hallmark cards you'll never see. :L


... As to Patrick's question...

In the past I have been an aggressive driver, I laughed out loud at Tammy's admonishment to all those "sheep" in the way. Been there. Done that.

But I think I'm less aggressive in my Corvette. I'm less likely to tailgate when I'm in my Vette. I like open road around me so I'll give it plenty of throttle to break away from the pack if I can, but I'll settle back to the posted speed limit or no more than 10 mph or so above it. But I'd do the same in my truck. If I were on Patrick's imaginary road, I'd likely run about 100 mph just to enjoy the power of the car and satisfy the need for speed. But I probably wouldn't race if I was sharing that road with someone else and they wanted to. I consider myself a skilled driver but my reflexes aren't what they used to be. :eyerole

The more I think about it, instead of increasing aggressiveness in my driving, my Corvette seems to have tamed it. It's like I know what I've got and what it's capable of, and I don't have to prove it.

Does that make sense?

 

[Scottsredvette]

[QUOTE='04 Torch Red]

I was :L

So, all those discussions about sheep reminded me of HS lit class. Anybody ever read any James Dickey? http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/507.html

He has to be from Wyoming. That captured the true essence of a real Wyoming Cowboy! Now you know why I would always travel at a high rate of speed while crossing Wyoming. If the jackalope didn't get ya, one of those "other" creatures would! I always carry the Colt when traveling up there.
Scott

 

[MsSchroder]

I looked it up, and it seems he was born in Atlanta. I'm with GMJunkie, I think it is a very cool poem.

Patrick, this is all my fault. It all started with the sheep.
I apologize, and now return you to your thread.

I agree with XLR8. Just knowing that the power is there, is usually satisfying enough, without having to flaunt it. Usually.

 

[Patrick]

Patrick, this is all my fault. It all started with the sheep.
I apologize, and now return you to your thread.

Tammy, if you hadn't brought up sheep, I have a feeling Kopbet would have eventually chimed in here and been "baaaa-aaaa-aaaad". :L

-Patrick

 

[rwpeders]

I've never been much for high speed driving, but I really enjoy the feeling of sinking into the seat back as the g-forces increase with a heavy throttle. I like an engine dominant sound of a throaty hum when under full acceleration. So I like to get to speed in a hurry, but I stick to reasonable speeds on the highway with people more tuned into their cell phones than the roadway. I have always been this way no matter what car I had. Obviously, a Corvette can feed this acceleration junkie better than most cars.

Have you noticed there is the group of drivers who seem to be inspired when they see a Vette to where they just have to pass you?

 

[Scottsredvette]

Have you noticed there is the group of drivers who seem to be inspired when they see a Vette to where they just have to pass you?

I've noticed a lot of that in Colorado. And whats more funny is one can almost hear the guy driving telling the passenger (usually female) "My (enter name of rice burner here) is better than a Vette any day" He wont make eye contact but the passenger always will and always seems to have that wistful wishing I was in the Vette with you look.

Scott

 

[cruzer99]

It seems that most of the younger drivers want to show that there engine will rev all the way up to around 3K and show off the $50 they spent on some used Turbo mufflers when ever they pass you on the road, even more so when the top is down.:L:L

 

[no1agitator]

L M F A O @

gmjunkie
​

 

[Hotwing]

Don't fool yourself, some of those Rice Rockets with the fart cans are really hot !! Give credit where it is due. You have to take your hat off to some of those Ricers for taking a cheap $13,000 car and mechcanically turning them around to make them super hot, I know my dayly driver a $13,000 Stock 2001 1.5 liter Sentra does'nt smoke the tires off the line ( My Vet is another story). However, I just don't get the lodgic of wanting to spend $25,000 in Mods to make a cheap car Hot like the pimple-faced punkers do. Besides the basic engines in those Rice Rockets won't last long motor-wise because they are not built to withstand those kind of Mods and abuse. They will be lucky to get 25K miles on the car, much less any warranty work because most of the waranties are voided after the first Mod. Then they are just stuck with the car payments and bills for the the Mods long after the Ricer is in the junkyard. But Hey whatever floats yer boat ....do it !!!!!! I'm just happy to Shine and Cruz.

 

[cole]

Interesting responses, as is the fact that we have multiple Corvette generation owners responding.

I'm hearing a common theme develop to the responses: we adapt our driving (timing, acceleration, breaking, lane placement, etc.) based upon what we're driving. The Corvette, having more nibleness and power, allows us to be a bit more daring in traffic than we might be if behind the wheel of a different vehicle.

Okay, let's take other traffic out as a variable. Here's a scenario: you're in the middle of the Utah desert en route to Las Vegas. There is no one around you on the road in any direction for at least 20 miles. The sun is bright in a perfectly clear sky, the temps are in the mid-80s, and the only thing you have to fear from the weather is getting a sunburn if you didn't use the right sunblock. The road is dry and clear (save for the occasional heat mirage).

In this situation, do you drive any differently behind the wheel of a Vette than behind the wheel of your other vehicles?

-Patrick

I have TWO very interesting cars. The Corvette convertible and a Supercharged GMC Denali. The Denali is a very fast car, unless you are in a Corvette - then the Denali seems slow. 8>)

No tickets in either car - agressive driving for me means using the power when there is limited traffic and staying alert to avoid being picked up by the random patrol officer. I never try to intimidate anyone by overtaking too rapidly - I have learned that unexpected bhavior confuses other drivers, so I am cautious around them. But I surely enjoy both cars when traffic permits.