jinxxycat

good point

irish27

I grew up driving RWD cars, especially muscle cars. My best advice is to alway expect the rear end to break lose. ALWAYS. If you are waiting for it to kick out you are in a much better position to correct. Second, practice! Take you car out in a slick parking lot (weather allowing) and try to kick the rear end out and practice correcting. Soon it becomes automatic to reverse wheel and when the unfortunate happens you will have a much better chance of collecting it before you get into a guardrail. Good luck and have fun.

bjr

I think that is the biggest one to learn right there man. If you have never had a RWD car before you can become quite surprised one day - and I'm guessing that it sounds like you won't know what to do. I'm old enough that my first car was RWD and the dynamics of a RWD is still instinct to me even though my other 2 cars in between were FWD before my Z. I doubt that unless you did something incredibly stupid or got into autocrossing and got too agressive with braking too late into a curve that you ever had the rear end on your FWD cars swing out on you or knew it could. That is probably the #1 thing RWD will get you into trouble with and you better know what to do about it without thinking. If you don't under stand the classic steer into the skid avice, don't try and beat it into your head in theory, just go out to the parking lot and learn how to do it. If you do not learn to correct an oversteer condition you can make it much worse than it started out. If you ever lived in a snowy region have you ever yanked the parking brake to swing the rear end of your FWD cars for fun? If so you alread know the feeling and probably know how to countersteer already. Maybe the best thing you can do is try to follow all of the advice above. Find the big parking lot - dry and rain progrssively get more aggressive to get a feel for all different speeds. Get a feel for how to correct. Find out where you can autocross and you will improve a great amount in a short time. Know that if you push too far the rear end will not come back in line. The other guy was right - you will never be able to do it until you understand a little advice and theory then go practice in a lot, do a driving class or go autocrossing.
Did anybody mention to you that if you get the rear end loose under acceleration you do not just abruptly jerk your foot back off the gas? You have a few basic rules to learn then go out there and get comfortable with your car. Good luck dude - doesn't sound like you would do anything stupid but it sounds like you might surprise yourself someday. Do some research and practice what you learn to get a feel for all of it. People drove RWD cars for 70 years before most stuff was FWD without even thinking about it so I don't know what you are worried about - just keep your gas foot in check and you'll do fine

bjr

If you are living in Chicago and are going to drive the Z in the winter and you did not see the other 100 posts here DO NOT DRIVE IN THE SNOW WITH THE STOCK TIRES. I hope you know this already but apparently there are a ton of people that don't realize what summer tires are. You do not have all season tires - be carefull when it gets below about 40 or 45 degrees. You just start to loose traction becuase of the cold alone.

InSaNeZ

iTrader: (9)

Best thing you can do, is to just go to a track and get to know the car's limits a little better.

md350

The only difference you really need to watch out for...is don't underestimate the power the car can put to the road. Give it too much gas standing still, you'll spin your tires out of control. Give it too much gas making a turn, you'll spin yourself out of control.

Just be conscious of the fact that you are now pushing the car instead of pulling the car.


However when you learn to control it...RWD is MUCH more a friend than an enemy...it will put grins on your face you've never had while driving a vehicle.

redsoxfan184524

Dont Do Jumps!!!! Or Backflips!!!

neeferea

By the way: Thanks everyone for great responses.

neeferea

I have decided to get a driving instructor or go to performance school. Please advise if there are any schools in Illinois that you would recommend.

neeferea

I had a chance to drive in snow last Wendsday. Stock tires suck I had to drive 10 below limit. So the tires are gone as soon as I burn half of the thread.

tienlo

Take the car to a skidpan and learn how to control oversteer.

drivenCSZ

iTrader: (2)

oh no you didnt? you're lucky you arent dead. seriously, im not kidding. dont try that again.

trodis

I had to bring mine home from the dealership, 1st time in RWD and 1st time behind the Z wheel minus test drives and it was snowing real bad. I live near boston and on a hill. Tried turning into my driveway and slide 6inches from my brothers car when the rear end slipped out! LAST TIME EVER IN THE SNOW

I1DER

WE HAVE A NEWBIE WITH BRAINS SHOWING. Performance school would probably be the best bet as many driving instructors today may not have much experience with rear wheel drive high performance cars.

Trial and error experience is your best teacher. That's why so many are recommending safe places for your landing. It's like dealiing with the opposite sex. Advice can only go so far.

drivenCSZ

iTrader: (2)

judging by his post about driving in the snow, i would say not.

spf4000

I don't think we can emphasize enough the importance of a performance driving school to learn the dynamics of the car. If you've never done one, it's one of the best things you can do for yourself.

I'd start off attending a school that starts you out on a skid pad. An hour at the skid pad with an instructor will completely change your outlook on driving.

TurboTrey

I think the most important thing to get ahold of is when you are turning if you give it too much gas you will spin the way you were turning. If this happens just let off the gas and get ready to counter steer some. If you keep VDC on the car pretty much drives itself.

6894kevin

iTrader: (1)

Come on down to SC for a weekend.

BMW performance driving school is great!

I know BMW isn't a Z, but it helps alot. And if you got the money do the M school ya get to beat the crap out of about half a million worth of cars over two days

Cheers

Kevin

O and the basic is 600 for the entire day and they use to include meals

Willie

If you start to spin out, just look in the direction you want to go and you hands will natuarally go where they need to.

spf4000

A big +1 on that. It'll be the best $600 you'll spend on your car!

Easier said than done. It's something that has to be practiced over an over to get it right. People who just read about it and think they can do it when the situation arises is in for a nasty surprise.