Hard cars?

[vanman]

Welcome to "vanman world" john!!

[jcochrane]

Thank you Tom, for your warm welcome as a new member of the van club.

Certainly a bit different from those high performance cars I am most reluctantly forced to drive.

[vanman]

Thank you Tom, for your warm welcome as a new member of the van club.

Certainly a bit different from those high performance cars I am most reluctantly forced to drive.

Yeh, try em with a tonne of charity bags in the back. Hang on handling I call it. By the way what van were you in?
The kangoo wasn't that bad and the expert is a bit heavier and less knocked off line, but neither seem as bad as what you experienced.

[jcochrane]

Thank you Tom, for your warm welcome as a new member of the van club.

Certainly a bit different from those high performance cars I am most reluctantly forced to drive.

Yeh, try em with a tonne of charity bags in the back. Hang on handling I call it. By the way what van were you in?
The kangoo wasn't that bad and the expert is a bit heavier and less knocked off line, but neither seem as bad as what you experienced.

Not good on these things but I think it was a Suzuki mini van but not new. Gareth probably has a better idea as to what it was.

[gannet]

Fascinating discussion about vans

Hardest car Ive driven - depends on what you mean...

hardest to drive smoothly - my current car - 3.0 Z4 until that is I had the stupid clutch delay valve removed...

other than that, I think Ive had it relatively easy given my car history:

1989 Vauxhall Astra 1.3L (first car)
1997 Peugeot 206 XS 1.6 (first new car)
2001 Alfa 147 2.0 Lusso, lovely car but not built well...
2003 Peugeot 206 GTi 2.0
2004 BMW Z4 3.0 (Current car)

[jcochrane]

To be honest Dave I did not give much thought in trying to analyse what I was doing. I relied on my senses and feel rather than consciously thinking about it.

On first turning the wheel the understeer was all too obvious, needing to be managed, and the van was unbalanced. After a little experimentation I found sensitive use of the throttle, turning very early and steering slowly reduced the understeer and the van then became smooth and balanced and more importantly went where you intended. It seemed crucial to get the combination of steering and throttle inputs just right all the way through from approach to exit of a corner.

Neither the owner or I could achieve the pace you managed on the day so I clearly have much to learn.

[GJD]

In my stint, I was having little trouble keeping a Caterham 7 behind

Wouldn't have wanted to come past anyway - we were enjoying the spectacle .

[jcochrane]

On first turning the wheel the understeer was all too obvious, needing to be managed, and the van was unbalanced. After a little experimentation I found sensitive use of the throttle, turning very early and steering slowly reduced the understeer and the van then became smooth and balanced and more importantly went where you intended. It seemed crucial to get the combination of steering and throttle inputs just right all the way through from approach to exit of a corner.

Or, in other words, cornering using the method I've been banging on about for quite a few years... I told you it was a universal system that worked with everything.

Too true and "the pogo stick" proves it beyond any doubt.

I still can't figure out how you maintained the pace you made on the day. Both the owner and I could not begin to match it. Just goes to show I have much to learn.

[jcochrane]

There'll be a 'News article on how at some point. Doing 'Eco' driving for my DSA check test last week galvanised a few thoughts on how I do things differently.

BTW before anyone chucks their toys out at the thought, my Eco, involves economy of thought and control usage rather than anything in the DSA syllabus

Had me worried there for a moment.

[Horse]

What is meant by a narrow wheelbase?

The van in question is both short (wheelbase) and narrow (track)

People often seem to talk about wheelbase when they really mean track.

But if said van is going sideways . . . ?

[GJD]

No comment. I must have had my eyes closed at that moment...

[waremark]

There'll be a 'News article on how at some point. Doing 'Eco' driving for my DSA check test last week galvanised a few thoughts on how I do things differently.

BTW before anyone chucks their toys out at the thought, my Eco, involves economy of thought and control usage rather than anything in the DSA syllabus

Tell us more about the check test Dave.

[TripleS]

There'll be a 'News article on how at some point. Doing 'Eco' driving for my DSA check test last week galvanised a few thoughts on how I do things differently.

BTW before anyone chucks their toys out at the thought, my Eco, involves economy of thought and control usage rather than anything in the DSA syllabus

Had me worried there for a moment.

Aye, and just think what it will have done to MartinI Quick somebody: nip round and revive him.

Best wishes all,
Dave - a proper eco-driver.