mattski2

I know we are all aware of the territory we are in owning Impreza's but it never ceases to amaze me what happens when driving around... this within 4 days of owning the car!

1. Day I got it a silly fool + mates in a knackered Cavalier try to get inside my boot lock - I resist the temptation but what are you supposed to do, stay calm and do nothing and risk them hitting the car or do you plant the pedal and attract loads of attention and give them what they want.

2. Someone in a Bora V5, same day as 1., really close up behind and swung out to overtake me really violenty (approaching traffic lights). We stopped and the guy and his mate try to get me to put my foot down when the go green. (where at the side of me) - I resisted...

3. Last night someone in a Cosworth tried to get into my boot lock, trying to get me to 'go'. I didn't and kept going along at 30mph

4. People generally driving much nearer than they need to.

5. Guy in a 3 series bmw saw me coming around the roundabout (slowly, it's a small one) and deliberately pulls out in front of me resulting in horns, swear words and him stopping to let me go!

sigh... rant over...

Still, some nice things have happened as well... bumped into Eliot in a garage with his lovely new shape WRX and had nice experience with a Carrera 4. (not 'racing' but just generally being 'nice' to each other. It's good that people with other quick cars know the score and are generally pretty good.

It must be horrible (in a way !) if you've got a 993/Diablo/355 etc, nothing but envious w@nk3rs out to ruin your day.

M

2WD James

Why buy a quick car to drive round like a tart, use it. If not go out and buy another car.

Tractor

Mattski, I know where you're coming from, just got my new Scoob on Friday and it attracts way more unwanted attention than last my one (being Sonic Blue rather than white may have something to do with this). Don't seem to get it as bad as you though. I just pootle along and gently slow down when thes prats try to get on my ****.

Kosy

iTrader: (2)

James there is a right time and a right place for giving it some,
do you let other drivers "tell" you what to do when u are driving? Muppet.

Matt the title of the thread scared me as i thought something had
happened to your new car! There are plenty of egits out there
(like James ) but plenty of decent petrol heads too. Enjoy
the car its a cracker!

See ya,

Kos.

richards

Matt,

Sorry to say but it sounds very much like you're driving too slowly - understandable as you've just got it...

Just get used to it for now then drive it like it was meant to be driven - 'making good progress' when it is safe to do so.

You'll feel a lot better when you can drive 'quickly safely' - nothing worse than tiptoeing around in a high performance car.

Good luck!

Rich.

2WD James

im not a muppet im just saying that people want to see what the car can do. fair enough you have to be a **** to just sit on the boost of someone to get the to race cos that doesnt achieve anything and risks damaging yours and theirs car. no point.

I was just pointing out that why buy a car if you are gonna drive like a granny EVERYWHERE. there is a time and place and city street are not the place but twisty B roads and 60+ zones are. Thats all.

robski

Mattski,

1 simple answer, there are a lot of arseholes about who think its clever to race on the roads, and speed in 30 limits.

If people sit on my **** in 30s, I start too slow down until they get the message, if they do hit you, its their fault, and if they try to overtake then boot it, and then sit at 30 again.

Can you remember how to drive the scoob, a few posts before me seem to doubt that

robski
p.s. welcome back dude

mattski2

lol... thanks guys

right... I should have mentioned that the speed limit with the cosworth was 20mph and that I was over it as it was! flooring the car would have done nothing as I didn't want to go any faster, didn't want to give them the satisfaction and didn't want to accelerate before the traffic lights about 1/4 a mile away!

And there IS a time and a place for it and imho I was not in that time or place, if I had been they would have seen my beasts fury, I am not scared to use it but I've been burn't before (my own stupid fault) and don't want to risk my license.

I wonder if the Evo guys get the same hassle?

M

p.s. nice to be back Robski

mattski2

oh and James... as for 'driving it like a granny EVERYWHERE' ask the Calibra and BMW owners who saw my fury the other day, they will testify that I am not a granny

and there is a time and a place... race around city streets like a tw@t and you are going to hurt either yourself or someone else.

M

Z75

Mattski,

Where do u live? Just so I know to avoid the place. Never have any problems like that around these parts here probably because all the farmers drive Subarus too! You don't want to get on the wrong side of a farmer.

Only trouble of that sort was in Pau, France. Most hostile bunch of people I've ever encountered. The power of the Scoob really came in useful then because I don't think they just wanted to pick our boot lock either! The next day though on the road towards Oloron-Ste-Marie we met the most friendly petrol station proprietor ever. So best not judge a place on a single experience. The Pyrenees definitely come recommended - infact I'm going there next week

So if you want a fast car that doesn't attract attention you need a Q car.

Scooby-Doo

I too have an RB5 WR and have learnt to laugh and chill with tw@ts on the road, not wishing to generalise but have found 3 series BMW drivers in my area by far the worst. Had one up my **** once so I slowed until I was doing 5mph in a 60, he was too dense to get the message at that speed, I won't continue the story but he regretted his actions in the end.

mattski2

a tank would be pretty good, I think you can get a scorpion for about £10k

M

Timbo33

Mattski,

I'm with Z75 (.."I am Z2" "who is Z1?" "You are Z75"..probably some story there....)

Anyway, back to reality!! No trouble down here in Reading either. The worst kind of goading I get is from my 16 year old stepson and his mates who dribble and drool when they get in the Scoob and want me to go faster. (Have to give in some times but only on the ring road late at night...)

I'm with you Mattski, there are too many plonkers who think that 240 bhp means they've got to drive everywhere at full revs.

Having a Scoob brings a certain amount of responsibility ("..use the force wisely Luke...") and jerks who race around residential areas are only going to get themselves (or more likely someone innocent) hurt.

Keep it for track days!!

Z75

Scooby-Doo please continue the story.

Did you shoot him?

chiark

Mattski

Pull over, let me pass, then carry on your way if it bothers you that much. It's what I do from time to time...

However...

I notice that you'll play with a Porsche but not play with anyone else?

You do realise that a cynical person could see that as double standards...

Nick.

mattski2

ooh, aren't people touchy!

the Porsche situ was not a race of any kind whatsoever, I was talking about the fact that he was very courteous and didn't want to prove anything, as I didn't... that was *really* refreshing compared to the games the Max Power loosers play.

It is definately a case of 'use the force wisely Luke'. I know someone who got hold of a WRX and drives it like a complete tw@t, that is what gives the car a bad name... there is a time and a place for it, simple as that.

Chiark... what exactly do you do? If I decide to drive at/around the speed limit no-one is going to force to put my foot down unless I feel like it, why the hell should I pull over and let people pass me?

Oh, and please continue Scooby Doo!

M

ptholt

My fave trick with the tailgaiters is to to carry on normally, then when they go past, go straight back past them at first oppurtunity, even better if you can get some traffic between you and them and it takes them 30 mins to get back to you again

had a classic going home one night, driving along at about the speed limit, something comes steaming up behind and sits inches from my boot (can see its quite tall as the lights are high), it eventually attempts to come past and its a transit mini bus full of peeps who thinks its great to be overtaking me.

Let it pull in front of me before changing down and going past the tranny and the other four cars that were in front of me (clear roads, sensible speeds no danger).

the look on the trannies drivers face was funny, he attempted to follow but it took him about 25 mins to catch me up again, he didnt bother overtaking again.

Scooby-Doo

Oh OK

Z75

mattski,

My choice of tank would be the T34. Since it has been around since WW2 it should qualify for classic insurance and be exempt from road tax.

chiark

Matt, what I do is this...

If someone's two feet from my bumper, I pull over assuming it's safe to do so, then rejoin the traffic. It winds me up something rotton to be tailgated, especially by someone who is on the phone at the same time, or busy doing something else other than driving.

Sometimes they work out why, but most of the time they'll probably think, "what's that tosser doing", or "yes, that worked"... However, I don't care as it stops me stressing about whether they'll see my brake lights in time to not rear-end me.

I'd never braketest anyone, as I like the shape of my car as it is . Prior to pulling over, I increase the gap in front of me.

The choices are: do nothing, accelerate madly and try to lose them, or let them pass. Option 1 winds me up, option 2 is downright dangerous as they want to prove themselves against you, and option 3 chills me out no end. YMMV

I used to let this wind me up, but now I've got a way of dealing with it that works for me. It's very non-aggressive, but it works for me.

And I was poking fun about the porsche

Cheers,

Nick.

mattski2

thanks chaps... sorry if I sounded pished off... just winds me up!
A T34 would be cool or... an M1 thing, they can break from 40mph to 0 in 15 feet! break-test this ya bstards

M

Scooby-Doo

Well.....after being tailgated for a while the road split into two lanes greeted by red traffic lights. I stayed in the inside lane and the BMW 328 with three goones in entered the outside lane. I sat and gave a pissed off look, bearing in mind I had been doing 5 mph in a 60 to stop the tailgating they were all looking hoping for a race from the lights. Lights change they Zoom off, as they were going in my general direction I said to the Mrs we would follow for a period of time to see what they would do (Keeping distance to avoid a sticky situation). After about 5 miles the BMW started to panic and increased its speed to try and get away from me, bearing in mind it was a quiet damp Saturday night they were not getting away. In the end lunacy took over the BMW driver and attempted to outpace me on a large rounabout (that had metal posts around the outside) as I came round................ooopppsss one damaged BMW in a post. Rye smile as I went on my way.

eliot

Hello matt
All i can say is, there are a lot of ar*eholes on the roads who see a fast car and want to race it - i must admit i always took the bait, but since owning the Scooby, i have come to realise that i don't need to prove myself to a boy racer in a Max Powered Nova.
I just think it isn't until you own a car like a scooby that you realise that you can kill yourself and other people very easily, and my worst nightmare would be to hurt someone else.
I agree with your tactics of just slowing down until they go past, or in certain circumstances just leaving them behind.

my 2 pennies worth!!

Eliot

Z75

Smashing!

mattski2

lovely BMW story deserved what they got imho but it just goes to show some people are stooooooopid ! be careful out there peeps...

whip

My attitude is just to CHILL.

It ain't worth the hassle, the risk to your licence, the risk to yourself, and definitely ain't worth getting all wound up over some plonker who has something to prove and is willing to take risks to prove it.

As to the nova crew, put yourself in their shoes. What would p1ss you off more, getting blown into the weeds by a scoob, or not even getting recognised as a 'fellow performance car driver' by the scoob in the first place?

Don't race, it only encourages em.

Whip

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

I got a Sign Writer to do me a rear window sticker,cost about a fiver.Like a "NO FEAR" one but not quite so sad.Said "NOTHING TO PROVE" At the end of the day any "race" on the road amongst Joe Public only proves who is going to take the biggest risk,not who has the quickest car or who is the better driver.Classic case on A12.Evo draws alongside P1 and looks me over.He boots it.I watch him go.On paper both top out around 155 so why bother?When the Red Mist comes down,the grim reaper sharpens his blade.

Mark

eyeMAJIC

hehehe... Nice thread.

Only had Scoob for 2 months myself ( 01 WRX wagon ) and I cannot BELIEVE how much attention it gets from both the local Nova crowd & the beemer and Volvo T5 types.
Even tonight, I was tailgated @ about 70 mph by a ned in a grey lowered Corsa... I mean... a CORSA!!

Funny thing is, I used to run a BMW 330D, which probably had identical in gear acceleration to the Scoob (after 20k running in period!!). Never even drew a second glance.

Ahhhh, the memories of a quiet life......

tklimes

The secret to a quiet life:

1) Make sure that your car is a 5-door
2) Make sure it is a nondescript silver colour
3) Keep the standard wheels
4) Remove the "Impreza Turbo" sticker from the boot
5) Make sure it has a few parking dents and scratches where the w@~kers at Tesco couldn't control their trollies
6) Drive down muddy B-roads and don't bother to wash it
7) Put a kiddie seat in the back

Works for me

Tom

Forgot to say 8) avoid big/loud exhausts

[Edited by tklimes - 12/12/2001 6:57:44 AM]

EvoRSX

If you think its bad in a scooby, you want to try driving around in an Evo. Bloody hell... You can't even go out to the petrol station without someone up your rear urging you to 'see what it can do'

As for the comment about the Max Power lads 'even being considered a performance car driver by racing them'. That seems a bit of an up your own **** comment. After all, they love their cars as much as we all do and OK they sometimes have strange ways of expressing their interest but if they are driving around in 'Maxed out' Novas and Corsas at the ages of 18 and 19, they will probably turn out to be the Scooby and Evo drivers of the future because they are trying to achieve what they can without the excessive insurance and running costs of a scooby. If we're honest, I bet that most of us started off as the Max Power brigade, I know I did having owned 2 XR2's long before I grew up into my Evo.

In this time of everyone against the motorist I think we should give the Max Power lot a bit of a break because after all, they are on our side....

Rant Over (must be the lack of caffine this morning )

Andy