|
|
Oct 15, 2017 17:57:45 GMT
|
You may have watched the video of us hiring a classic on holiday and if you were paying a bit of attention you may have heard me mention that we had a Peugeot 404 convertible to drive the day before. One of the oddest and hardest to learn bits of driving it wasn't the usual first time in an unfamiliar classic thing of how good the brakes are (or aren't) or exactly how responsive the steering may be at speed. No, the hardest thing to get used to was the column shift. I've never driven a column shift before and boy was I out of my depth, I spent about fourty minutes or so driving it and I think in the last five or so minutes I managed to make a number of changes without misplacing the gear stick. However it still wasn't smooth, revs were all over the place and really it was very difficult. Equally my Datsun is currently difficult to drive because of the insane driving position I've ended up with due to some rather odd pedal placement, my knees are basically on the steering wheel and the seats as far back as it can possibly go. All round a difficult driving experience because steering and using the pedals, or lifting off at the same time means all sorts of odd contortions. So I'm wondering what cars you've found difficult to drive, I've heard rumours that the Lamborghini Contach is a nightmare to drive, as is the Bizzarini. Anyone lucky enough to be able to confirm that?? Have a picture of a beautiful (if tricky to get used to) Peugeot 404
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:00:32 GMT
|
My Trabant has similar problems with the column shift. I am now used to it thankfully, but it took some getting used to. I often found reverse instead of first! Still, the hardest part about driving it is getting the bloody thing running reliably!
|
|
Project - 1990 Trabant 601 Daily - 2006 Saab 93
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:07:04 GMT
|
Austin A35, on or off brakes and throttle. Although I was only 13 at the time, but didn't have problems with any other manul lol.
2nd place is was my 4y/o e46 320d, i have driven probably close to 60 car's (at the very minimum) and none have been stalled as many times as that, also loved to fall off boost and had zero torque when off boost. God do I hate the BMW 2.0 diesel engine.
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 15, 2017 18:08:05 GMT by joem83
|
|
|
Hardest car to drive?Mercdan68
@forddan68
Club Retro Rides Member 68
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:15:16 GMT
|
Citroen 2cv that crazy dash mounted gear-lever Hate the things
|
|
Fraud owners club member 1999 Jaguar s type 1993 ford escort
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
Hardest car to drive?Dez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:26:48 GMT
|
I don't see why people have issue with column change , or especially dash mount gear sticks like a 2cv or renner 4.
You move the gearknob in exactly the same direction for the same gears as if it was a normal gearstick. You just have to ignore what it's connected to and move the knob as you would normally, and it works fine. I think people get too hung up on what its connected to being different, when it actually works exactly the same.
|
|
Last Edit: Oct 15, 2017 18:27:39 GMT by Dez
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:27:50 GMT
|
My Trabant has similar problems with the column shift. I am now used to it thankfully, but it took some getting used to. I often found reverse instead of first! Still, the hardest part about driving it is getting the bloody thing running reliably! I found the column shift really easy to get used to. The first one I drove in Berlin kept going into first instead of reverse but my one at the moment needs a proper push to get it behind first into reverse. The hardest thing I found about driving them is the lack of freewheel on the gearbox so unless you're in 4th you cant coast along. Nowadays I just rag along and don't have to think about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:31:51 GMT
|
Citroen Ax, size 14 feet, worlds smallest pedal arrangement, quite often had feet on 3 pedals at once. I developed a a method for doing it, but couldn't for the life of me remember when I had a go in a Saxo a few months ago, couldn't drive it at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 18:36:14 GMT
|
love column change , learned to drive in '70's hi aces and mazda b1800..great fun!!
|
|
'80 s1 924 turbo..hibernating '80 golf gli cabriolet...doing impression of a skip '97 pug 106 commuter...continuing cheapness making me smile!
firm believer in the k.i.s.s and f.i.s.h principles.
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 20:18:56 GMT
|
Citroen Ax, size 14 feet, worlds smallest pedal arrangement, quite often had feet on 3 pedals at once. I developed a a method for doing it, but couldn't for the life of me remember when I had a go in a Saxo a few months ago, couldn't drive it at all. That brings back memories of my old 106s too! Yeah, this is a pain in the ! I either end up putting it in neutral or downshifting to avoid coughing.
|
|
Project - 1990 Trabant 601 Daily - 2006 Saab 93
|
|
duncanmartin
Club Retro Rides Member
Out of retro ownership
Posts: 1,320
Club RR Member Number: 70
|
Hardest car to drive?duncanmartin
@duncanmartin
Club Retro Rides Member 70
|
Oct 15, 2017 20:23:49 GMT
|
924 Turbo. First gear syncros can often be dodgy, second gear is a bit hit and miss (I believe they used to go 1->3 when racing), and it's a dog box, so you have to remember how the box works, or you end up in reverse at traffic lights and scare the curse word out of the guy behind you!
|
|
|
|
|
Rob M
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,915
Club RR Member Number: 41
|
Hardest car to drive?Rob M
@zeb
Club Retro Rides Member 41
|
Oct 15, 2017 21:00:54 GMT
|
Scimitar 5A I had a few 6As before hand so going for an earlier 5A, an ebay buy, seemed to make sense. I picked mine up with a drivers seat jammed too far forwards making the 60 mile journey home a nightmare. Once I was home and the seat was shifted back as far as possible for my 6ft 1 frame, I still found it bloody uncomfortable. The original seats were thin on support and sitting in them was like laying down. The pedals were too close together for my kipper feet, hitting the brake and accelerator the first time I took it to work ( I was wearing my work boots) had me almost careering over a mini roundabout. The aftermarket steering wheel was too small to make the non PAS overly viable at anything less than 30mph but the standard size wheel would have ended up sawing through my thighs. The interior space was almost Mini like instead of Grand Tourer, it felt claustrophobic and a grim place to be. All in all it looked great and sounded awesome but was utterly hideous to drive. 6As are way way better, IMHO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 21:03:08 GMT
|
I also love column change. Got my licence in a 1980 Hilux with 12R 1600 and column four speed. Bought a '51 Standard Vanguard when I was nineteen and loved it. Still have it but it hasn't been driven since the '80s. I dailied a '78 Ford Falcon wagon with the 4.1 litre iron head crossflow six and three speed manual for a few years in the early 2000s until the rust killed it. My wife hated driving that because the column change linkages were worn to hell and it had no power steering. Most difficult thing I have driven is probably a Fiat 850 sport. Typical Italian small feet requirement with all three pedals ridiculously close together. Did not suit my un-small feet at all.
|
|
|
|
vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 7,085
Club RR Member Number: 146
|
Hardest car to drive?vulgalour
@vulgalour
Club Retro Rides Member 146
|
Oct 15, 2017 21:56:58 GMT
|
I'm average sized, under 6 foot, have ordinary size 8.5 feet and am a normal sort of a weight of about 10st. I cannot drive this car. I've been given the opportunity but no matter what I do with the seat I cannot operate the steering wheel and pedals while sat in the seat without some part of me colliding uncomfortably with some part of the interior. It is the only car I've ever got in that I have this problem with and is, I assure you, monstrously disappointing. Everyone else that's driven it says it's a lot of fun.
|
|
|
|
ivangt6
Part of things
Posts: 776
Club RR Member Number: 132
|
Hardest car to drive?ivangt6
@ivangt6
Club Retro Rides Member 132
|
Oct 15, 2017 22:03:52 GMT
|
The modern daily after driving the landrover. The two could not be more different!
|
|
1979 Mini 1000 1972 Triumph GT6 2007 VW Golf GTi 1979 VW T25 Leisuredrive 1988 Range Rover Vogue SE
|
|
melle
South West
It'll come out in the wash.
Posts: 1,984
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 22:06:39 GMT
|
My LHD Saab 95/96 V4s have column shifters, never had an issue with it. The hardest cars to get used to for me were RHD Saab V4s which have a mirror image shifting pattern from what I'm used to. Never had any issues with floor shift RHD cars (got my license in an LHD country and mostly drive left hookers still because that's what I have).
|
|
www.saabv4.com'70 Saab 96 V4 "The Devil's Own V4" '77 Saab 95 V4 van conversion project '88 Saab 900i 8V
|
|
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 22:17:38 GMT
|
Agree about the 924 Turbo, but for different reasons, 1 every time I took my foot off the clutch I bang my knee on the (non adjustable) steering column and 2, the Turbo, it's in or out and when it's out there's no go in it at all, requiring high pedal movement. Then suddenly it's in - and you're up the ar*e of the car in front before you can react!
Love column shift, having had a Cortina woody estate for my 3rd car and innumerable Zephyrs, Zodiacs and Consuls thereafter. The optional 4 speed floor shift for the MkIII Zodiac was AWFUL!
Other disappointing hates, the Citroen SM for its ridiculously high geared steering, the MkI MR2 cos it cornered worse than my GT6 and was slower too and my old 1980 Celica liftback, billed as a Japanese Capri, it was slow, thirsty, undergeared, overweight and the steering (box) was so vague, it might as well have had ropes from the steering wheel!
Steve
|
|
|
|
steveg
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,565
|
|
Oct 15, 2017 23:00:42 GMT
|
As much as I love Minis I really didn't enjoy driving mine due to the driving position, at least until I fitted a decent seat and moved the steering column. I once worked for a classic car specialist and was given the job of running in a BMW 328 as it was due to be taken to an event somewhere. That really was awful. It wasn't the cars fault. more to do with the fact someone had been messing about with it. It had what was supposed to be a modified engine and whatever they had done to the distributor gave a timing figure that altered so much while driving it was almost impossible without lots of jerking when changing gear and frequent stalling. This was a problem as the starter motor didn't work every time leaving you stranded in the middle of the road. What should have been a memorable experience driving such a great car turned into a nightmare. They did at least fix the distributor after I had driven it !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've always liked column shift cars. The Wartburg I looked after for a while had one, and it was LHD, which was not only fun but also educational so that when I got my LHD Column shift Cadillac I motored off home without looking like a numpty.
I've driven plenty of small pedalled cars too but despite size 9.5 foots I've always been ok if I take off the work boots and put on some skinny gutties. Gutties, by the way, is a word particular to Northern Ireland for the kind of sports shoes that are not trainers, but also not plimsolls. So not only many tiny-pedalled Peugeots and Alfas, but I even have a special pair of "Austin gutties" given the pedals have a contact area the size of a shilling.
I can't think of anything I've ever driven that has been too horrific to consider undriveable. Plenty of bad cars, but good examples of them would have been fine.
If we can nominate cars that we've not personally driven, I'd suggest the Ford model T as being pretty unfathomable to get to grips with.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ferrari 348. It's just way too much car. It's for race car drivers only.
|
|
|
|
kabman
Part of things
Posts: 348
|
|
|
I drive a lot of high-end, new cars in my job and, while they're easy to actually drive, manufacturers feel the need to constantly fiddle with the layout and operation of controls. Once upon a time you jumped in any car and turned the key and pressed the clutch and stuck it in gear and you were off. Now....first spend 15 minutes working out where, if anywhere, you need to put the card/fob/widget, then what sequence of pedals you need to hold down, where the starter button is, how to release the **** electric handbrake, how to get it out of Park, work out if the lights are on or off, and so on. It's not much better trying to turn the damn thing off. It's even worse should you want to change the radio channel or adjust the heater or something - what once required pressing a button now needs you to scroll through umpteen menus using whatever twiddly dial/keys/touch-sensitive-haptic-nonsense their styling department intern has decided is the coolest.
|
|
|
|
|