Daily Drivers: Does It Ever Get Easier?

[Scuba]

Remind me where this was, so I can steer away from it
[/QUOTE]

The one I hit in 2018 was the southbound lane of NW Pryor about 1/8 mile south of Bannister road- I haven't driven on that segment of road since then, but I heard it was re-surfaced and wasn't bad anymore.

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[wingnutt]

I drove the R yesterday for 1 hour and actually thought to myself afterwards, no joke, "How do people daily drive these?" Maybe it's me getting old (33, yes I know...) and the daily beater being more cushy.

lol…I had the opposite yesterday, had to drive the F150 because of possible hail and the whole way there I was wishing I had drove the R

You need to ask yourself why you need carbon fiber wheels on city streets. Is it for clout? What was the purpose in buying the R? The wheels are the main difference between the two cars. You better cherish them.

because…R

You'd drive them on city streets? Out here in California on these Governor Newsom roads, if you can stay on for 8 seconds, you feel like you've accomplished something.

dont disagree… but Ive had my R from Medford to Sandy Eggo on the I-5, the entire 405 loop, I-10 all the way to El Paso, I-40 to Amarillo, and all points in between. Loved every minute of it!

heres me on the side of the 405 after the stock shifter vibrated itself to death and I had to walk to AutoZone to buy a jack, two stands and a pack of cotter pins to get home…and yes, those were my Covid-ain’t-nothin-available tires

 

[MAGS1]

You'd drive them on city streets? Out here in California on these Governor Newsom roads, if you can stay on for 8 seconds, you feel like you've accomplished something.

The one R that I see somewhat regularly around here is on the CF wheels for street driving. Same with a couple CFTP’s I’ve seen around. The R gets taken to baseball tournaments (where I usually see it) so it’s for sure getting driven on the street a fair amount. The CFTP’s I don’t know how frequent it is, I only see them occasionally. Chicago area roads (unless they’re new) are pretty much minefields for reference.

 

[Tomster]

You'd drive them on city streets? Out here in California on these Governor Newsom roads, if you can stay on for 8 seconds, you feel like you've accomplished something.

Yes, especially on californiastan streets. The canyon roads are some of the best drives that can be had. I do envy your roads (where they count).

 

[526 HRSE]

Oh i'm not talking about I-5 or the back roads through the foothills. California is mostly wide open roads, but the city streets are horrible. When you can find a newly paved road, it's like you hit the lottery. You plan trips around these stretches of roads - albeit only a few hundred feet. Still.

 

[526 HRSE]

I recently went down to Santa Clarita (Magic Mountain) the streets made me want to move there. Also, i don't think i ever saw a cop. Saw a gt500 at the condo we stayed at so someone on this board could be that guy.

 

[MAGS1]

OP, just saw this on Instagram. Found it very fitting LOL

 

[Ahung12]

There’s a thread that Tom @Tomster has about repairing the CF wheels that is really good and worth the read. I know there’s a few others that have done it as well.

Unfortunately a lot of our roads here in the Chicago area just plain suck. Do your best to avoid the big car eaters. I have been starting to see crews out making repairs to the really bad spots out here in the western burbs. Hopefully they start tackling your area soon.

OP, just saw this on Instagram. Found it very fitting LOL

There's definitely a common thread there!

 

[UserName]

The only time a wheel was removed or even damaged on my buddies 350R was for a puncture. The dealership ended up breaking the wheel while fixing the flat and ultimately replaced the wheel. Definitely a regional/situational decision if it’s on your own dime.

 

[jalts]

Ha! I grew up in Arlington Heights and know the area very well.. Winter and construction as they say! I have a 2020 g350 with FP lowering springs and stock 35 series sidewall. Now I live in SoCal, where the roads might be slightly better, but have lots more dips than I care for. I feel comfortable with the common routes that I cross, but going to new locations gives a bit of apprehension.. My front spoiler (again base) has been scuffed up good underneath but holding shape and not loose. I don't daily drive, but it does get driven and enjoyed.

 

[Revan9]

No, I daily my GT350 in New Orleans. I've just learned what roads to go down and which ones I can't. We have to have the worst roads in America.

 

[Hack]

No, I daily my GT350 in New Orleans. I've just learned what roads to go down and which ones I can't. We have to have the worst roads in America.

I did the same thing when I drove my GT350 a lot. It never really got easier, but you learn the tricks and you learn which areas you have to bypass or be careful in. Stock GTs are so soft and squishy pot holes feel like nothing, and even with the FP track handling suspension on my GT, it almost never drags the splitter. It's a lot easier getting around in a GT, but also some of the joy I felt driving the GT350 is missing.

My Camaro is actually worse than either Mustang model on potholes and bridge expansion joints. It often will make a loud banging noise when hitting any kind of sharp bump at speed.

Maybe your roads are worse than ours, but freeze/thaw cycles will surprise you and change the roads really quickly. The year before last I saw a hole on the interstate - I swear it was a foot deep and 2x2 feet wide/long. The hole was in the shoulder, but I was driving a GR86 at the time and I'm positive I would have wrecked the car if I dropped a wheel into it.

 

[Kabayo]

For those who street drive their GT350/R's regularly, how concerned are you about bottoming out the suspension and/or belly pan when moving quickly over the rough stuff?

I live in the Chicago suburbs and commute into the city. My beater is taking a break so I've been daily driving the R for the past few weeks. I get worried about going normal speeds over some of the extremely shitty road surfaces we have here (those who know Rt 53 by Streets of Woodfield/Woodfield Mall all the way to Half Day Road know what I mean). So much so that I'm swerving and/or slowing down significantly. Am I overdoing it?

For comparison, in the past I've owned an Evo IX and S2000 with aftermarket suspension and I've never been concerned about this stuff before. The Evo was probably closer in terms of damping, but the S2000 was closer in ground clearance.

I’d worry a lot more about all the salt they put on the roads.

 

[wingnutt]

 

[sukhoi_584th]

I find worse than the potholes in CA is the design of driveway entrances. We didn't have tree lawns/whatever you call them so the steep ramp angle across the sidewalk width plus the drainage channel along the curb makes many driveways impossible. Whenever I go out of town I have to preplan gas stations via Street View to find ones with compatible driveways.

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