pcressey

iTrader: (3)

Take off the traction control then punch it coming off a corner in 2nd gear...

The Z is very easy to get in trouble with... if you don't know its limits, how far you can push them, or how to correct your mistakes when you push them too far... you are done.

The fact is, there are very few good drivers than can really push the limits... and even the best make mistakes.

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

Due u realize hw stupid it loks 4 u 2 type the wy u due?

SargentZ

every car has its limits, the z just has a smoother 'edge'. For me its easy to tell when you are about to get in trouble, everything seems smooth and controllable. Have yet to have the z do something 'scary' or sudden. The only thing that scares me is the idiot drivers around me that keep me on my toes.

SargentZ

you can blame the whole text-phone kiddie craze for that. There is a funny commercial of this little girl that talks in acronyms to her mom. Its rediculous, yet funny.

bbs350z

iTrader: (85)

i think the z is an easy car to control, just take it to the track. i just find it humorous that these ppl can flip a car, split it in half, somehow manage to make it up a tree. all while not speeding whatsoever lol.

cubu

iTrader: (21)

stock Z tires suck. after getting more meat underneath me i've found it pretty hard to break the rear loose, with the stockers it would come loose sometimes when i didn't want it to. i have much more confidence accelerating out of a turn now.

dedmoonstears

iTrader: (3)

got a rwd noob question

if tcs is on and i go drive on a puddle , then you heel the hydroplaning what do you do...


2nd scenario tcs is on as your driving at 60 to 70 on the highway as you change lanes after mild braking the car starts doing a drift that would end in a spin what do you do.

-im trying to figure out if turning the tcs would be better ive read the threads on tcs and im still 50/50 on using it for daily driving, in case something happens tcs will make it worse wont it?

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

Maybe true, but I don't see nearly so many on other forums for the other 3 cars I drive (Altima, '91 SE-R, Dodge Ram 1500). Do a quick search here - while I am sorry to hear anyone get into an accident with their Z, you can find case after case where -
a) Brand new to the car, driving too fast
b) Doing something dumb and distracting (death of my Z was almost certainly paying more attention to his buddy following, who was coasting and out of gas, let the corner sneak up on him)
c) Can't handle the car in the wet weather, forget that it doesn't have the traction same as dry

"Joining the "totalled my Z" club...." (hit a puddle at 60 mph, oversized tires, totalled into wall)
"The death of my Z (56k no no)" (50 mph understeers into a rock wall, his friend coasting behind him out of gas, blames it on being in 6th gear)
"spun out broke something" (brand new Z, spins "hanging the rear end out", wonders "did I break something")

My forum favorite is the girl who just got her new Z, spun it out first time in the wet, despite her "extensive experience driving sports cars" then demands the dealer tell her "what's wrong with the car" (auto-trans, lost it in the rain on a corner). Second place to the guy on his way home from the dealer who totalled it into a light pole pulling a WOT stunt pulling onto a main road, lost control on the 2-3 or 3-4 shift probably due to tire spin, took down a metal pole (no injuries).

My least favorites are the very new driver who bought his Z from another forum member, was last I knew critical in the hospital after street-racing someone FIRST day he had it, crashed so hard he broke it half. Think how hard it is to break a 350Z in half, and I guess you could say "driver" or "car" but same applies - total lack of experience and judgement, very sad.

The car doesn't crash itself, but it is fast enough people get in over their heads much faster than with a lot of less powerful cars.

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

Scenario 1 your main issue is loss of front wheel traction and directional control, TCS won't matter, VDC may. Scenario 2 again TCS will matter less but VDC will p/u the yaw and probably IMHO help you.

Search on VDC and TCS. Many good threads on TCS and VDC, not the same thing, read up on it, make your own call - most definitely NOT a noob question. Even if you use it 100% of the time knowing what it does really helps you.

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

If by stock you mean the 225/17 and 235/17 RE050's, yes, that's not a lot of rubber on the road but it does stick well in the dry, not so great in the wet in the rear, but also going too wide up front has hurt people (see post on "Joining the Totalled my Z Club"). It's a decent fair weather tire but I do prefer the 235/245 combo for the extra meat. I put a fair amount of track miles on my RE050's and they worked pretty well, other than losing thousands of miles of tread life in a day...Falkens definitely better, as are the Pilot Sports on my G Coupe.

SteveZ

iTrader: (3)

So true, take a stock one to the track and you're comfortable in a few hours or less - very predictable at the limits, progressive, easy to control drifting through corners, etc. The stock brakes are under-spec'd for the weight of the car and power, but that's less of an issue until you hit the track. I've seen people smoke their stock brakes (non-Brembo) in less than 30 minutes by over-using them and completely lose brakes (heat, cooked the fluid and smoked the pads).

dbasal

I agree with SteveZ. This car is way too much for many people. Certainly not a good choice for a first car.

It is also a disaster waiting to happen if the driver is immature.

bailey bill

"Cars" don't crash car, DRIVERS crash cars.

XxDeliciousxX

IMO the z should never have been sold with a base...no tcs or vdc shouldve been on the track model or something....figure what stevez has been saying...in experience with a lot oh hp and no driving aids is asking for disaster...especially as the car depreciates and more younger drivers can afford them...

but in the end its still the driver...

350z2k3

iTrader: (5)

WeRd y0

SargentZ

I can tell you what not to do for scenario one. Brake or turn!

coreapoc

Bottom line if you cant control a stock Z (which is crap for HP) then you need a 4 door sedan.

rkd350z

iTrader: (3)

because it is very attempting to go fast in our Zs!!

Mewantbfp

Well were on a 350z site and we have alot of members so its only natural we see a few crashes a month im sure alot of other cars crash just as often maybe more but we dont notice it because its not constantly being talked about on here.

Im sure its just the normal factors inexperience, poor weather, and bastard in another car.

Anomaly

iTrader: (7)

I agree that the Bridgestone Potenza tires on the Z really suck. I feel much more confident that the car wont slide out now that I've upgraded to BFG KDWs (stock size).


However, I also think that many new RWD drivers need to ease themselves into the vehicle and get used to the different handling characteristics gradually before racing around thinking they can drift any corner without reprisal.