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Brind
02-06-2003, 07:07 PM
Just been pondering over giving a Skid Pan a try.
I've not been on a track as such apart from off road go-Karting about.. twice.
I'd like to have a go and see what it's like and maybe learn how a car reacts to skids and trying to correct them etc.. I span once on the road after hitting black ice in the 200SX and scared the sh!t out of myself, but I believe I over steered it in a panic which is why it ended up quite a distance from where it started! lol, never do it a again, rear wheel deserves respect!!! :cool:

Anyone know where you can do this?
Obviously I live down south as far as you can get so I'm not interested in places half way up the country.
Castle Combe isn't really all that far and it'll make a day of it to visit again.

Anyone know whats what?
Do you drive their cars with that stabiliser thing with wheels attached to it or can you take your own car? INSERT INTO post VALUES (which would be great to see how the VR reacts)

If you can do it in your own car, maybe some of us could get together and have ago, as another mini meet sort of thing and perhaps get some more pictures!!:cool:

Roadrunner
02-06-2003, 08:16 PM
Been on skid pans three times - first time in a Rover SD1 with bald tyres, second time in a Vauxhall Carlton with the instructor operating the stabiliser/wheely thing and the last time in a Ford Sierra with bald tyres again.

I didn't like the stabiliser/wheely thing - didn't feel like a real skid at all, but that was probably more down to the operator of the device, you could lose it in a straight line with these! The others were OK, but still felt a bit false. Don't know why, but maybe down to the variable skid surface INSERT INTO post VALUES (some oil, lots of water, some dryish bits).

Personally, I prefer to hone the skills in the winter time on country roads in the snow. Much more fun! :D

Brian

Brind
02-06-2003, 08:38 PM
Oh, so you can use your own car then?

I do chuck the car about round corners but after I span once I'm very careful.
I'd like to give it a try though.
Can you do a skid pan without the stabiliser thing or is it for safety? or is that what actually makes you skid?

Roadrunner
03-06-2003, 08:33 PM
Not aware of any skid pans that allow you to use your own car INSERT INTO post VALUES (apart from a wet track day! :D ). The stabiliser thingy is what makes the car skid - there's a hydraulic lifter at each corner that is operated by the instructor in the passenger seat, allowing him to lift any corner to reduce grip and induce a spin.

Brian

Brind
03-06-2003, 09:18 PM
Oh right cheers.

I've also wondered off to look at these off road rally days you can do, may even give that a try.
Never really thought much of it before.

chris g
08-06-2003, 06:47 PM
Essex Police haver arranged skid pan day for MR2 Drivers Club using thier own cars

Not attended myself but reported to be lots of fun and quite a challenge

Brind
08-06-2003, 08:00 PM
Oh right cool.
I doubt they would appreciate being shown up by a VR-4 though!:cool:

peterernest
22-07-2003, 01:52 PM
It has to be said; i've slid many cars in my time but earlier this week when I pushed by VR4 past it's limits it was one of the most difficult cars to correct.

I must admit though; it was still handling beyond any other car i've driven and it was more powerful.

This was in wet weather.

Roadrunner
22-07-2003, 04:05 PM
Have you previous experience of four-wheel drive cars? IMHO, they need to be driven more like a front-wheel drive car than a rear-wheel drive car so, if it gets out of shape, keep the power in and let the front end drag itself back round. Takes a bit of courage the first few times INSERT INTO post VALUES (so practice in the snow, or on a wet track or airfield) but confidence improves with experience. I've had the VR-4 drifting in the wet but it felt so controlled with the power in that it would be easy to go beyond one's abilities. In comparison, I could get my Legacy RS-B sideways and it needed fairly quick reactions to keep it pointing in the right direction. That said, it was more controllable than a INSERT INTO post VALUES (UK) Impreza because the Legacy had the torsen centre diff. Seen too many Imprezas in the tyre walls to go back to one of them ;)

Brian

peterernest
22-07-2003, 04:09 PM
Yeah; valid point. I think that I was also not used to driving a car with so many anti-skid gadgets. I have slid 4X4s before but they had none of the gadgetry the VR4 has.

Won't be going out of my way to practise this though!