please critique what I'm doing

[theholycow]

The lights most commonly made of stickers are turn signals. After all they're just for show.

Are we talking about Rhode island now?

Years ago I was waiting at a light in providence and turned on my left hand blinker (as one does in many parts of the world). I saw the young guy in front of me look in his side mirror. Noticing my blinker he turned on his windshield wipers and then, seemingly flustered, the light turned green.

I think I remember that technique from the RI Driver's manual from when I was 16.

The state inspection manual says to check for acceleration but nothing about brakes. It also specifies that headlights should be aimed directly into oncoming traffic's eye level and high beams should be permanently on.

[DrJerryrigger]

Are we talking about Rhode island now?

Years ago I was waiting at a light in providence and turned on my left hand blinker (as one does in many parts of the world). I saw the young guy in front of me look in his side mirror. Noticing my blinker he turned on his windshield wipers and then, seemingly flustered, the light turned green.

I think I remember that technique from the RI Driver's manual from when I was 16.

The state inspection manual says to check for acceleration but nothing about brakes. It also specifies that headlights should be aimed directly into oncoming traffic's eye level and high beams should be permanently on.[/quote]





When driving on the highway, pick someone driving erratic speeds and match their speed while in the lane next to them (ideally in their blind spot, you don't want then to see you)

[theholycow]

When driving on the highway, pick someone driving erratic speeds and match their speed while in the lane next to them (ideally in their blind spot, you don't want then to see you)

That one is also law in MA and CT.

[DrJerryrigger]

When driving on the highway, pick someone driving erratic speeds and match their speed while in the lane next to them (ideally in their blind spot, you don't want then to see you)

That one is also law in MA and CT.

And popular in NY and NJ.

[PaintDrinkingPete]

Geetings,
So I haven't been driving stick for long, but first learned to drive on one, so I've been frustrated by the lack of control for many years now. So;
The car '04 matrix, 1zz-fe and a w59 (1.8l straight four and a 5speed).
Mostly I just drive to work, and back 7 miles each way. Two stop signs, two lights one two right hand turns and one left....and the opposite on the way back (what's the opposite of a light?) It's mostly 30 & 35 zones and a little bit of 25 when I'm almost there (FYI I drive 5 over like everyone else.... I mean my speedometer is off, in MA it can 9mph off legally). I also drive a mile or so to get lunch, often more "city driving" at that time of day. I end up driving on the interstate and some 45-55 mph highways a little on weekends.

So how I drive; I shift at about 2800rpm and try to give the throttle 80% (so I'm getting up to speed rather quickly) then it put it fifth. So I usually don't hit fourth at all. In 25 zones I often go from second to fifth. The thing that confuses me is; fifth feels right for maintaining 30 on flat ground, where is the gear for 40 or 50?

I'm a bit late to this party, and realize the conversation has diverged a bit, but I'd like to go back to the OP...

As someone who has owned a few 4-cylinder, 5-speed toyotas, I can say that 2800 RPM for a shift point isn't that unreasonable at all (most of the Toyota 4 bangers I've had the pleasure of owning run a bit high on the RPMs), but I am a bit surprised you're not struggling for power in 5th gear at 30mph...? I would think at that speed, I'd be using 3rd gear for acceleration, 4th gear for cruising.

[RITmusic2k]

As long as they are "stock trucks".... funny I don't remember seeing any vehicles with sticker lights last time I as at the dealership.

Interesting tidbit: "Stock" in this instance doesn't mean 'unmodified'. It's referring to "giant batches of liquor".

'Stock' is an industry term for a distiller's product. Back during prohibition, distillers often had to deliver their stock to customers, and the best way to do this was in a heavily-modified fast car. Something that can move large quantities of hooch and evade Johnny Law when necessary. Eventually, humanity's competitive nature led bootleggers to start competing and bragging on who owned the fastest "stock car" around. Fast forward a few years, and we have NASCAR. True story. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR

[theholycow]

Sources vary on that. Some say exactly what you said. Some say that it used to actually mean stock as in the same car that is in the showroom; and indeed that's exactly what they raced in the past. There's no question that stock car racing has its roots in the moonshine trade, just whether "stock" originally referred to the moonshine or the cars.

This was linked in that NASCAR wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_car_racing

From the Stock car racing wiki:
A stock car, in the original sense of the term, is described as an automobile that has not been modified from its original factory configuration. Later the term stock car came to mean any production-based automobile used in racing. This term is used to differentiate such a car from a race car, a special, custom-built car designed only for racing purposes.

Also:
When NASCAR was first formed by Bill France, Sr. in 1948 to regulate stock car racing in the U.S., there was a requirement that any car entered be made entirely of parts available to the general public through automobile dealers. Additionally, the cars had to be models that had sold more than 500 units to the public. This is referred to as "homologation". In NASCAR's early years, the cars were so "stock" that it was commonplace for the drivers to drive themselves to the competitions in the car that they were going to run in the race.

[DrJerryrigger]

Geetings,
So I haven't been driving stick for long, but first learned to drive on one, so I've been frustrated by the lack of control for many years now. So;
The car '04 matrix, 1zz-fe and a w59 (1.8l straight four and a 5speed).
Mostly I just drive to work, and back 7 miles each way. Two stop signs, two lights one two right hand turns and one left....and the opposite on the way back (what's the opposite of a light?) It's mostly 30 & 35 zones and a little bit of 25 when I'm almost there (FYI I drive 5 over like everyone else.... I mean my speedometer is off, in MA it can 9mph off legally). I also drive a mile or so to get lunch, often more "city driving" at that time of day. I end up driving on the interstate and some 45-55 mph highways a little on weekends.

So how I drive; I shift at about 2800rpm and try to give the throttle 80% (so I'm getting up to speed rather quickly) then it put it fifth. So I usually don't hit fourth at all. In 25 zones I often go from second to fifth. The thing that confuses me is; fifth feels right for maintaining 30 on flat ground, where is the gear for 40 or 50?

I'm a bit late to this party, and realize the conversation has diverged a bit, but I'd like to go back to the OP...

As someone who has owned a few 4-cylinder, 5-speed toyotas, I can say that 2800 RPM for a shift point isn't that unreasonable at all (most of the Toyota 4 bangers I've had the pleasure of owning run a bit high on the RPMs), but I am a bit surprised you're not struggling for power in 5th gear at 30mph...? I would think at that speed, I'd be using 3rd gear for acceleration, 4th gear for cruising.

Well some would say "struggling for power" but on flat ground it goes. On slower roads (you know, the special needs ones) I'll go as low as fifth at 25. That's about 900 rpm, so there isn't any power, but just enough to make it go without flooring it. FYI I down shift for hills.

[DrJerryrigger]

Sources vary on that. Some say exactly what you said. Some say that it used to actually mean stock as in the same car that is in the showroom; and indeed that's exactly what they raced in the past. There's no question that stock car racing has its roots in the moonshine trade, just whether "stock" originally referred to the moonshine or the cars.

This was linked in that NASCAR wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_car_racing

From the Stock car racing wiki:
A stock car, in the original sense of the term, is described as an automobile that has not been modified from its original factory configuration. Later the term stock car came to mean any production-based automobile used in racing. This term is used to differentiate such a car from a race car, a special, custom-built car designed only for racing purposes.

Also:
When NASCAR was first formed by Bill France, Sr. in 1948 to regulate stock car racing in the U.S., there was a requirement that any car entered be made entirely of parts available to the general public through automobile dealers. Additionally, the cars had to be models that had sold more than 500 units to the public. This is referred to as "homologation". In NASCAR's early years, the cars were so "stock" that it was commonplace for the drivers to drive themselves to the competitions in the car that they were going to run in the race.

This.

[DrJerryrigger]

Okay, so I've been away (on my regular forums, sorry I can only handle two at a time). So back to the original topic;
Since I'm driving in 5th all the time; to take a turn onto a side street a downshift is needed...so I got pretty smooth with a heel toe. But then I started playing with double clutching. I can't pull of a smooth heel toe double clutch often enough to do that all the time....yet.
I'm starting to think I'm getting further from teaching my wife how to comfortably drive a standard.

[IMBoring25]

There are people who go entire driving careers without knowing a whit about heel-and-toe or double clutching. Those are tools to be used, refinements to the basic technique.

If she were to take a driving test in a manual, there's a possibility she'd run into an examiner who was enough of a purist to expect the demonstration of advanced techniques, but I think anymore it's more likely to get an examiner who would be impressed she'd try it at all, even if she coasted around corners in neutral.

[potownrob]

Okay, so I've been away (on my regular forums, sorry I can only handle two at a time). So back to the original topic;
Since I'm driving in 5th all the time; to take a turn onto a side street a downshift is needed...so I got pretty smooth with a heel toe. But then I started playing with double clutching. I can't pull of a smooth heel toe double clutch often enough to do that all the time....yet.
I'm starting to think I'm getting further from teaching my wife how to comfortably drive a standard.

i wouldn't obsess about mastering heel-toe. for most street driving situations, braking and then downshifting (whether double-clutched or single-clutched) is sufficient. i also doubt you'd be any less of a teacher for not mastering, let alone not knowing about heel-toe or double-clutch downshifting. i also doubt any (non-racing) driving instructor or driving test examiner would expect you to know how to do that.

[theholycow]

Holy crap, a question about manual transmissions. I can't remember how long it's been since we've seen one of those!

You'll get the hang of DCHT with more practice.

Why do you feel like you're getting further from teaching her?

[DrJerryrigger]

Holy crap, a question about manual transmissions. I can't remember how long it's been since we've seen one of those!

You'll get the hang of DCHT with more practice.

Why do you feel like you're getting further from teaching her?

Because when she is the passenger I'm doing silly shifting rather than what she has learned in the past.

[potownrob]

just tell her you're practicing some advanced driving techniques. this thread is too long (tl;dr), but i thought i saw something about acceleration laws in here. it was brought to my attention a few years back that, at least here in NYS, you can be pulled over for accelerating too quickly. i forget the term for it, but i think it is a subjective judgment rather than a measured one (i.e. they don't have to pull out their gun and figure out your 0-60 time), FYI