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Oct 29, 2009 13:29:52 GMT
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It's a constant theme I encounter amongst car enthusiasts, some of whom are old enough to know better: "FWD cars are like, really boring, RWD cars are much better". I have started to be slightly annoyed by it because I think it's a glib phrase that trips off the tongue easily and doesn't really indicate that the user has thought much about it I'm guessing that it comes from the relative lack of RWD cars these days which means that perhaps younger drivers won't have driven many. To them nearly all the boring cars they've driven will have been FWD and the few RWD cars they've driven are likely to have been sportier cars. Thus to them RWD==sporty and FWD==boring. I'm just old enough to have started driving when there were roughly as many RWD cars as there were FWD cars. My early driving experiences were as much honed by taking a Marina sideways round a wet roundabout at walking pace as they were by taking a mini through the twisties as though it were a roller skate. This means I'm also old enough to remember the RWD cars that were SPECTACULARLY boring. My uncle's Hillman Hunter springs to mind, though that R reg Marina 1.3 could run it a pretty close second away from a wet roundabout. My personal view is that RWD or FWD it depends far more on the car. So FWD Golf Mk2 == win, FWD 1st gen Vectra == lose, while RWD Escort mk1 == win, my uncle's Hunter == lose. Try all four as I have, I'm sure you'll agree with me. So please, next time you feel that particular glib phrase forming in your brain, stop for a minute. Think of the cars you're comparing. Otherwise I expect to see you driving my uncle's Hunter estate rather than say, a Corrado. After all, you have to be prepared to stand by what you say.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 29, 2009 13:35:10 GMT by herald948
"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor |
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,542
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Oct 29, 2009 13:40:01 GMT
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Was this your uncle?   (on the right  ) |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
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Oct 29, 2009 13:47:02 GMT
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Hunters = WIN I'm afraid... so your argument just died... sorry  |
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Your car is not 'epic', this thread is not 'epic'....the OCEAN is epic, the UNIVERSE is epic.... please stop misusing this word!! It would appear Hotrods are the new VWs - aint fashion funny! '69 BUICK LESABRE 350 |
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Oct 29, 2009 13:49:38 GMT
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A car is a holistic package - you can find fun and excitement in anything that's well set up, be it RWD, FWD or 4WD. That said, a car doesn't have to be particularly good for you to enjoy it... you get out what you put in!
I once really patronised someone in a pub car park who saw me drive up in my 2.8 Capri and was banging on about how RWD meant 'proper car', and I countered with a lengthy diatribe on how much I loved my 205 GTi. This behaviour, in hindsight, may have been a mistake. Nevertheless, the point remains that judging every FWD car on the fact that you have a halo-view of RWD (i.e. that the idea suggests to you Mustangs and Corvettes rather than Marinas and Chevettes) is unnecessarily narrow-minded.
Maybe these staunch RWD-ites should have a pop in a Type-R Integra or a 106 Rallye to broaden their horizons a little?
Fun cars are fun. Fun driving is fun. Fun is fun. So ner. ;D
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Oct 29, 2009 13:55:40 GMT
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there's the whole argument right there as far as i'm concerned. a car is a car is a car. i've never had a car that would be unanimously described as 'good' but i've had a lot of fun in everything i've ever driven. it is what you make of it. |
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morgs
Part of things
Posts: 326
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Oct 29, 2009 13:57:55 GMT
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Nevertheless, the point remains that judging every FWD car on the fact that you have a halo-view of RWD (i.e. that the idea suggests to you Mustangs and Corvettes rather than Marinas and Chevettes) is unnecessarily narrow-minded. Woah fella, what's wrong with Chevettes Nah, seriously, each to their own because the world would be a very boring place if everyone was the same. Variety is what makes this forum the welcoming and inspirational place that it is. I've got both variants and can honestly say that in much the same way as coming home from work wanting to watch a dvd, I don't just stick Titanic on every time, but put something on that suits my needs and how I feel. So to me, the argument is a non starter because the circumstances dictating where one format is preferential over another can favour either depending on a multitude of factors. Let's just be glad that we've both variants available to us. morgs [off to woo a lady with some Japanese horror 'cos Titanic's poop] |
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 it ain't really going if it ain't going sideways... '77 Vauxhall Chevette 2door saloon '81 military povo spec Fiesta 950 - now moved on '83 1100 L Fiesta [supersport replica] |
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Oct 29, 2009 14:01:24 GMT
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what about all wheel drive? |
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Someone just shot the elephant in the room. |
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Rich G
Posted a lot
Keyboard Worrier
Posts: 1,059
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Oct 29, 2009 14:06:46 GMT
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Front wheel drive - good
Rear wheel drive - good
All wheel drive - good
No wheel drive - do you knit yoghurt........... ;D
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Last Edit: Oct 29, 2009 14:07:05 GMT by Rich G
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Oct 29, 2009 14:10:27 GMT
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Nevertheless, the point remains that judging every FWD car on the fact that you have a halo-view of RWD (i.e. that the idea suggests to you Mustangs and Corvettes rather than Marinas and Chevettes) is unnecessarily narrow-minded. Woah fella, what's wrong with Chevettes Nothing, I love 'em! I just liked the flow of 'Mustangs and Corvettes/Marinas and Chevettes'. People who are prejudiced against FWD or RWD on the basis that they like the other better are effectively racists, and are directly funding the rise of the BNP - and that's a solid fact. |
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Oct 29, 2009 14:13:22 GMT
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I don't like FWD cars, nowt to do with "exciting" or "boring" its to do with the feel of the steering, no FWD in existance has managed to get rid of all the torque steer however good they are otherwise, and that spoils them for me.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Oct 29, 2009 14:15:10 GMT
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Woah fella, what's wrong with Chevettes Nothing, I love 'em! I just liked the flow of 'Mustangs and Corvettes/Marinas and Chevettes'. People who are prejudiced against FWD or RWD on the basis that they like the other better are effectively racists, and are directly funding the rise of the BNP - and that's a solid fact. oooohohhh - the creeping rise of prop/drive shaft fascism when they came for the vauxhall corsas - i did nothing when they came for the saxos - i did nothing ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Someone just shot the elephant in the room. |
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Stu_B
Posted a lot
Investing in rust!
Posts: 1,266
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Oct 29, 2009 14:15:26 GMT
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Good points... but no matter what car it is the front wheels smoking will never look as good as the rear wheels spinning! FACT! RWD:    FWD:  Point proven ;D How about an originally FWD car converted to RWD  |
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Oct 29, 2009 14:20:24 GMT
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When I was first driving the mantra was FWD= good, RWD = bad. I spent ages telling people who just wouldn't listen that you could set up a RWD car well. I was told it was "old fashioned" and "outdated" and all that. Fashions changed and now its RWD which is all good. FWD suits some cars, and not others. I've driven some fun FWD cars. My issue with FWD is in the fact there are so many compromised implementations of it where torque steer and that terrible "scrabbling" effect mar what would otherwise be a great driving experiance. Most of the cars we think are great are dynamically flawed. We just put up with the flaws, call them character and move on. Marinas are (by any objective measure) dreadful things. I like them though. As are many many of "our" cars. I love the way younger folks assume stuff like Marinas and other plebean family hacks are like uber sports track warrior driftmobiles just because they are RWD.  Meh. Drive what makes you happy. EDIT: Love that guyin the Golf photo with the shades and shorts! WFT! |
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Last Edit: Oct 29, 2009 14:21:41 GMT by akku
1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Oct 29, 2009 14:23:37 GMT
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I've driven some FWD's that have MUCH better steering and overall drive than some RWDs. There are so many millions of different cars around, combinations, by that I mean more than just FWD or RWD, I mean where the engine is aswell etc! Some of the best cars i've driven have been FWD, I like my sierra, not cause it's RWD, because it's a decent car. I like my fiesta and civic equally, and out of the three, the civic is the better drive all round. But to be honest, I don't drive hard enough to even know what wheels were being driven!
On my "list" is a Cadilac Seville, the 4.6 V8 northstar, FWD! Now u'd assume and expect summut like that to be RWD, but it aint, and it don't put me off in the slighest! I'm never gonna want to push or drive it hard enough to care! It's not that kinda car anyway.
It's much like the "auto or manual" or "petrol or diesel" debates.
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Last Edit: Oct 29, 2009 14:24:19 GMT by Deleted
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Oct 29, 2009 14:24:25 GMT
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i just like doin doughnuts and going sideways on roundabouts, I'm a big child really. |
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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Oct 29, 2009 14:26:21 GMT
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I just like doin doughnuts and going sideways on roundabouts, I'm a big child really. THIS plus the point about rear wheel smoke looking cool. Sorry. Mature I ain't |
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Oct 29, 2009 14:31:35 GMT
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 Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com |
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Oct 29, 2009 14:32:00 GMT
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Love that guyin the Golf photo with the shades and shorts! WFT! Pretty sure he's been p-chopped in... |
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topi
Posted a lot
It's a race car officer, I swear!
Posts: 1,039
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Oct 29, 2009 14:33:43 GMT
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I've always sworn to choose a RWD every time over a FWD car.
Then I drove a 106 GTi.... no change of opinion
Then I drove a DC2 Integra type R.... no change of opinion.
For sure, if you take a 70s, small engine, bog standard RWD car, it'll be terrible to drive compared to a modern FWD job. But I also swore to never drive a 'standard' car, so that doesn't really apply.
I have a '78 Opel Kadett C, originally a 1.2 and would of been rubbish. But given the C20XE engine, good suspension and a nice LSD.... it was about 10x more awesome than a DC2 haha.
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Oct 29, 2009 14:35:57 GMT
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Was this your uncle? No, but he does appear to be holding the Golf while wearing some shades... |
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"Jeremy Clarkson, a man we motor enthusiasts need on our side like Lewis Hamilton's F1 car needs a towing ball and a Sprite Musketeer" My motor |
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