Dangerous driving - tips for a newbie to muscle cars

[KilgoreLSU]

I'm all for the HPDE to understand your car.

I've only done 2 days of it, but it changed my entire understand and outlook of what to do with my car.

The Street is not the place to really enjoy the car and it can be dangerous to you and others.

get out there on a track with an instructor and you will be blown away by how fun it is to brake as hard as you can and hit apex of turns.. then gun it to the next one.. hit a straight away and get up to 135.. slam brakes and hit the next 90 deg turn.

You will understand tires as the heat up.. how the rear end behaves and understeer much better than the street will provide.

The street will never be the same and you won't even bother with spirited driving on public roads. It'll never match the experience of a track designed for it.

Good Luck!

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[cerbomark]

after reading the last 2 posts I think you guys are right on and maybe the wisest advice. Shouldn't t be playing around on public roads with the kind of questions you are asking and with the location which was also pointed out as not being the best for this type of spirited driving in this car with limited experience. Not meant to disrespect the Op er at all. It s just wise advise . Lots of us have had decades of time and experience around these cars and like someone already said, it will bite you in the a$$ faster than you know. Enjoy your car but think about being careful as #1 priority . just my 2 cents.

 

[SdoubleW]

Haven’t had an accident since 18, that’s when I learned to respect a car. This is almost 3 decades ago. Will surely take the advice of a race track, and using winter/wet mode too.
I also look forward to some grip & drift courses, there is a special track close to where I live.

Spirited driving is possible here within the limits of the law and I would argue safely if you know where to do it. Visibility is key and that you do it where there is a margin for error, eg no trees waiting for you. I wanted to test the car out and its limits. I think approaching carefully the limit is helpful to understand the car and react the right way when needed.

Looking forward to lots of safe fun in this car. Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[Paris MkVI]

My favorite lesson was the 100% rule.

Your post reminded me of something I forgot to mention in my earlier post!

Back in '06, my bride and I went to one of the Skip Barber driving schools at Lime Rock, CT. Much of what I shared earlier grew out of those couple of days. I learned more there than I had learned in a lifetime of driving up to that point.

One of the instructors shared this with me. image a length of rope lassoed around my right foot and tied to the bottom of the steering wheel. The rope length allows me to steer if my foot is lifted - but if my foot is pressing the brake or throttle, it prevents the steering wheel from turning.

He taught me to always be mindful of this relationship. If I want more maneuverability, the steering wheel needs to be more free of pressure from throttle or braking. If I want more acceleration or deceleration, too much simultaneous steering input may well end up in sadness.

This balance is all part of the smooth driving style approach. Can't believe I forgot to include it!

 

[JetGray_Mach1]

Just want to mention, sport + is not linear. Only track and normal mode are.

 

[ShadesOfBloo]

Also, I can hardly ever use gears 4-6 unless on the highway. I try to shift only as of 6k RPM...

6000rpm is loud. I'd be surprised if the police haven't noticed you yet.
Where the manual tells you what speeds to shift, it keeps you at 2200rpm and below.
My GT can go uphill in 6th at 1800rpm.

Are you downshifting at 60mph from 3rd into 2nd gear???

Well... It will survive. A few times. With the Tremec transmission and 7500rpm redline, the car can go 70mph+ in 2nd gear.
But that's got to be a very noisy downshift.

 

[cerbomark]

Preference , I hate the non linear feel. I want exactly what my foot put s in, no more no less.

 

[JetGray_Mach1]

yep I love sport + I always have it selected as well. I only turn on wet mode in rain, learned my lesson I almost spun out with sport + lol

 

[OH3Cobra]

old adage, do your braking and accelerating (hard) in a straight line. throttle modulation is like taming the beast and enjoying the thrills of rolling on the throttle and even some trail braking are what make these enjoyable. Schools and track time with a good instructor will help a ton. Don't write checks with your feet and hands that your wallet and talent can't cover. Respect is key, knowing your limits and the cars are paramount. I have 4 vehicles with over 450 HP each, by the way the Miata I own with 142 can be the most fun. Drive smart, have fun. JP

 

[Strokerswild]

old adage, do your braking and accelerating (hard) in a straight line. throttle modulation is like taming the beast and enjoying the thrills of rolling on the throttle and even some trail braking are what make these enjoyable. Schools and track time with a good instructor will help a ton. Don't write checks with your feet and hands that your wallet and talent can't cover. Respect is key, knowing your limits and the cars are paramount. I have 4 vehicles with over 450 HP each, by the way the Miata I own with 142 can be the most fun. Drive smart, have fun. JP

The last bit in the bold is so true.

My lowly GT with ~500 HP isn't fully usable on public roads. My brain keeps wanting more, but then remembers when I had my hopped up GT500 that was even more ridiculous.

 

[gone_n_60]

Keep your track settings in normal, this will leave on all the electronic safety nannies until you get better used to the car.

Also as others mentioned, find a local auto cross club or open track event and run in the beginner groups with an instructor. This will be invaluable to learning what you and your car are capable of

If others replied good but yes THIS is the BEST investment in yourself and enjoying your Mustang ever!

 

[Bluemustang]

Haven’t had an accident since 18, that’s when I learned to respect a car. This is almost 3 decades ago. Will surely take the advice of a race track, and using winter/wet mode too.
I also look forward to some grip & drift courses, there is a special track close to where I live.

Spirited driving is possible here within the limits of the law and I would argue safely if you know where to do it. Visibility is key and that you do it where there is a margin for error, eg no trees waiting for you. I wanted to test the car out and its limits. I think approaching carefully the limit is helpful to understand the car and react the right way when needed.

Looking forward to lots of safe fun in this car. Thanks again for all the advice.

Remember to check your ego at the door. I know it. Many of us think we are better drivers than we are. And, especially when you are dealing with a new car to you, you won't know what will happen when things get hairy suddenly on you.

There is no real way to test the limits on the street, although I know you want to. The real limits are way above what is safe on a public road. I do understand where you're coming from. Have fun with it, but don't be focused on finding the limit.

 

[17MagMetal]

I recently bought a Mach 1 and while I have 20+ years of driving experience, sitting on such much power is a novelty to me.
My teaching was to drive in lower gears rather than higher ones, and particularly ahead of curves to either hit the break or let the motor break by downshifting.

And here is where I seem to get into danger zone with my Mach 1: when I come in 3rd with 60 mph towards a curve, and I shift down into 2nd, the car seems to become "hyper": sensitive to every touch of the pedal, I can feel how the wheels are full of force and ready to burn. And so it happened twice, actually accelerating out of a curve in 2nd, maybe 60-90° turns, when the rear of the car broke loose a bit.

I am not surprised, I am just saying, this is new for me and I can see the dangers of such brute force.
So my first question is: do you have any general driving tips for me and the Mach 1, with the goal to have 'safe fun'? Do I have to unlearn what I learnt and are there some key principles of driving a 500 HP car like the Mach 1?

Also, I can hardly ever use gears 4-6 unless on the highway. I try to shift only as of 6k RPM, so mostly use 2nd and 3rd gears.
The second sometimes sounds weird, a crick-crick like an insect is in the gear shift. Maybe it's the wear of using 2nd and 3rd like 80% of the time - any thoughts on that? The first question above is the more important one, in case you are tight on time.

Really appreciate your suggestions.
SWW

Just don’t disrupt the “balance” of the chassis (no hammering around corners, slamming on breaks mid turns, etc.) and keep out of peak torque.

If you want to have fun beyond 4500rpm just make sure no one is near by unless you’re certain you won’t be a danger to anyone once the rear end breaks loose.

I think muscle cars are supposed to be sketchy, you just need to pick your time and place.

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