notfromthere

Well, maybe you're special ok. 90% of other drivers (and myself included) would probably just slam on the brakes with our left foot with the right foot still planted on the accelerator in an emergency situation.

If it works for you, do it, but there is no "one better than the other", but if push comes to a shove, I'd say braking the normal way is safer for most drivers.

Nothing to do with being special at all ok. I would hate to think that 90% of drivers would leave their foot on the accelerator whilst braking with their left in an emergency, it seems like a sixth sense to stop accelerating. I agree that braking the normal way is safer for most drivers but these defensive driving courses do actually help, and as mentioned in post# 43, there were guys who thought they were gods gift to motoring who learnt more in one day than they had in years of driving. They are called defensive driving courses for a reason and it comes down to the person attending on how much they take out of them. Sadly enough it works the other way where there guys there talking about how they go around speeding and because of what they learnt thought they were indestructible on the roads. There was talk of making learner drivers compulsorily attend these courses as part of obtaining their provisional license as well as a drink driving course. Anyway, my wife does it now so it can't be too hard for someone who hasn't get enough co-ordination to drive a manual...

Yeah but to get rid of the split second difference wouldn't you have to keep your left foot on the brakes?

Doesn't that lead to worn out brake and brake light always on?

Or if you don't let the weight of your left foot fully sit on the brakes, then would that tire your left foot?

Your brain can only execute one command at a time, so what happens to the delay in lifting the gas? (the delay being the delay that doesn't exist in right foot braking)

Maybe some people just don't have the skill. The time difference is minimal, I know that moving my left foot off the floor and applying the brake is quicker than moving my right foot across because i have conditioned myself to do it. My left foot (sounds like a movie) isn't constantly hovering over the brake pedal, only in peak hour traffic and certain road conditions where stopping and starting is consistent. Mind you, I'd rather blow a brake light than hit someone or hurt myself or other people in my car who aren't expecting it. It's a personal choice and one that i have taken on board from what i learnt and as mentioned has gotten me out of some sticky situations.

Unless you're really skilled in it, left foot braking in a emergency stop situation is a big no no. If you don't have a VERY HIGH degree of control of your left foot, all you're going to do is slam your foot down with no hope of recovery. A typical driver already cannot control the right foot slam on the brake in an emergency, what makes you think you can then control a left foot brake in an emergency?

lmao @ very high degree of control in your left foot. It doesn't take super human effort to learn it, what they were teaching is that with practice people can become accustomed to it. What they actually teach you is you don't slam your foot down anyways, it is a constant pressure applied until the brake pedal is fully depressed which stops a car quicker than 'slamming your foot down' and more people should know this but the problem arises in that a lot of people lose all sense of brain function when confronted with a possible accident. It controls my car in an emergency, even allowing me to steer out of danger and guess what, all that using my left foot...

Just incase, there is a smart key for ZR6 or Presara going cheap on ebay at the mo, see link...

Click here!

...now i changed gear (well i thought i did) probably a bit early but it revved out to the limiter and changed when it wanted to and got slight wheel spin when it jumped into second, is that normal or is there a preferable rpm to shift into second or third??

Depending on the surface that you are on, temperature, and tyre conditions (all normal variables), you can experience some slight wheel spin when it is up-shifting from first to second and you've got your foot down. I seem to get that a lot now, but that's only because I really really need some new tyres.

As for the optimum shift point, there is no exact answer for that. That only really comes with experience. The thing is, there are variables which affect how fast the tacho needle will climb (even if the difference is fractions of a second slower), and as a result, the shift point can vary. With a little experience, you will learn to adjust your reaction to be able to select the next gear in time so that the car will shift just before redline. As a general example to get you started, if you have your foot all the way down, shifting about 1000-1200 RPM before redline seems to be around the right spot.

Sorry DJ, didn't see the reply.

Best i get out there and practice, not too good with the QLD weather at the moment but the time will come.

Some of it is contradictory to what you learn when going for your license i.e. don't drive with your shoes off, only use 1 foot in an automatic. All of that was thrown out the door at the training.

I would like to hear the argument for 2 foot auto driving. Last time there was a long debate at whirlpool and there wasn't a single good excuse given by the supporters.

I wonder if any of the guys at Whirlpool are defensive driving experts, maybe the 'supporters' should strengthen their case and call Jim Murcott's to set the record straight!

I don't see how a group of people could come to a conclusion that one way of doing something is better, it feels natural to me to drive that way and has most likely saved me from everything from wet roads to peak hour traffic incidents and kept my driving record in tact, barr the occasional speeding fine.

I would like to hear the argument for 2 foot auto driving. Last time there was a long debate at whirlpool and there wasn't a single good excuse given by the supporters.

2 feet driving is not encouraged because for the normal driver, their left foot is dead and don't have the sensitivities needed.

I alternate between left and right foot brake depending on the circumstances, and especially in the Aurion because of its tendencies to understeer on most corners. Its a skill you pickup, however interestingly, on the circuit, I hardly ever left foot brake potentially only turn 1 (left kink) on Oran Park GP, but thats a almost full throttle to the apex before braking and the car I use is setup differently as well.

Well, reading these 3 pages, it sounds like we're all ready for an Aurion day at Wakefield Park eh?

It was encouraged at Jim Murcotts Defensive driving school that with some practice a person would become quicker if they are required to brake. Their argument was that the split second difference between moving your right foot to the left then jumping on the brake hard as opposed to having your left foot at the ready could prove the difference. For me personally i have always used left foot braking as i used to own a Chev Silverado and after the conversion from LHD to RHD the brake and accelerator pedals were positioned more to the left so it was do or die. It would be the same on a motorbike as everyone is used to pulling hard on the clutch but if reversed (inc. throttle) it would be a hard adjustment at the start but something you would get used to. It was really only applicable to auto's but i assumed that was a given. Everyone has their own preferences and as e240 mentioned 'especially in the Aurion because of its tendencies to understeer on most corners. Its a skill you pickup'...

They give you idea what kind of curve you heading to.

I actually remembered where I was told this information and it wasn't at the defensive driving course it was while obtaining my motorbike license. Apparently, the yellow signs are supposed to a 'safe braking speed' so one can safely pull over quickly if there is an accident etc around the corner.

I have taken the instructors word for it and have not investigated it for myself so i could stand to be corrected.

I loved the guys in the VT SS's who were getting their ***** handed to them by and AE92 and a EP82 Starlet GT :P Power to weight FTW.

Yeah, they (VS/VT SS's) aren't the nimblest of cars (if stock) on the driving courses. Funny watching them when the weight of the car shifts and they can't hold it, needless to say it opened their eyes and hopefully slowed them down on the road.

Here's some trivia for ya's which I learnt at the courses some years ago: On winding roads they have a yellow sign with a speed limit posted (lower than that of the actual speed limit) does anyone know what that speed is there for?

It wouldn't surprise me if people in this forum knew the answer as you are all knowledgeable people, most other people I run this by get it wrong.

There was a bit of that happening down in Sydney - they went through all the safety aspects, taught us braking, getting out of skids, etc then cut us loose on the track to go as quick as we could. The other day I got in a situation where I was heading for a ditch with my front wheels locked, remembering what I had been taught at the training I managed to get out of it and somewhat gracefully skid to a stop. Got plenty of looks from the people at the service station :P

For sure it helps immensely in that regard, i would recommend it to anyone and everyone to do at least the introductory course. There were guys in their VS SS Commondores who they they were g.od's gift to the motoring fraternity who, as it turns out, didn't know a g.od damn thing about braking, swerving etc. except for doing donuts. I still to this day use most of what i learnt back then if in an awkward situation on the road. Very very helpful, i might do the Offensive Driving course next time...

It just takes a little practice to make sure you shift it at the right point since the lag in gear shift is a PITA sometimes.

Ok, gave it a bit of a squirt today and I see what your saying regarding shifting at the right point. Most cars may be different but I sat on the brake in first with about 1600-1800rpm and launched it from the lights (no wheel spin with VSC on), now i changed gear (well i thought i did) probably a bit early but it revved out to the limiter and changed when it wanted to and got slight wheel spin when it jumped into second, is that normal or is there a preferable rpm to shift into second or third??

Silver Ash - In my opinion, the Tungsten colour works better than the Silver Ash in this case.

Hear here, I was tossing up between the Diamond White, Silver Ash (always had silver cars) and Tungsten but went with the Tungsten in the end because I had not seen many (in that colour) around until of course you end up getting one plus the fact that I liked it as soon as soon as i started playing around with the 'Build and Price' part of the Toyota website. Very hard decision which can be made easier, if you are an extrovert then the Reef and Inferno colours may suit, it's all about what you like. I seem to remember the hotter colours when i see the cars around (same with personalised plates) and remember they are the idiot who cut me off etc...

The best advice I can give you is to take your car out to a driver training day at a raceway near you - I took my parents AE92 out a couple of years back and I learnt a ridiculous amount from it. I went with Nationwide Defensive Driving School, but there are plenty of others. When I was working with BMW, their driving days are on par as the one I went to, albeit a LOT more expensive and you don't get to drive your own car.

I've been to Jim Murcotts advanced driving at Sandown Raceway however it was in the company utes we used to drive around. Some of the guys there were taking the wrong thing away from the lessons as you could see that when they got home they would be attempting to brake as late as possible because of what they learnt. Some of it is contradictory to what you learn when going for your license i.e. don't drive with your shoes off, only use 1 foot in an automatic. All of that was thrown out the door at the training.

also, PLEASE dont go trying drifting a fwd car on the streets...

That at the least. NO form of drifting should happen on the streets regardless of the car.

It's a sad sight watching these 'race drivers' in their 180SX's taking on the might of a roundabout. We had a huge roundabout to the rear of the place we used to live and the neighbour and I used to watch them, not because they were good to watch but we would stand there with a beer and laugh our a.rses off when the c.ock smokers slide straight into the gutters and fold their wheels under. Couldn't count how many cars would be left on the side of the road only to be towed away in the morning, but what's even sadder is they would keep going even when people were waiting to enter the roundabout.

Havent' tried reverse as of yet but hey at least they haven't got those paddle's on the steering wheel.

Damn, you must have to get these cars awfully out of shape to get the VSC to light up let alone beep. I've had tyres squealing on windy roads. Good to know I haven't pushed it far enough.

To make the day even better, I beat a BF F6 Typhoon from a standing start at the lights!!!

Well done however it might be a bit hard with the new FG F6's, they had to reduce the kW output to 310kW (approx. 330kW in testing) to lower than that of the FG GT's V8 at 315kW's so as to sell some, which apparently they had well over that in reserve so with some tweaking the new F6 could be a hard act to follow with an additional 90kW's. I don't know if weight would play such a big factor with that much extra power but sure as hell the driver would.

Thanks guys, haven't really tried it out in sports mode as yet, waiting for the right moment.

go a pretty good deal on a demo - huge savings. but had to deal with some arrogant used car salesmen to get it which soured the experience. however the gadgets in the presara has got me smiling again.

after having it for one day i have promised myself NOT to mod it...

Congrats on the purchase. Boss' missus has a Presara with all the gadgets and it's a very nice ride.

Why buy from that arrogant person then?

i remember when i walked into first dealer, the way i was treated was sh!t and looked as if i cant pay for it, so i just walked out straight away, and look for another dealer who can treat me well... you are paying for it rite? it's not like he is GIVING to u?

but forget it~ u got wat u wan anyway~ and its an AURION!!! YEEA~~

'Bad car salesmen', sounds like the start of a new thread. I walked into one Gold Coast dealership on behalf of my boss (who resides in Melbourne) with the intentions of taking a ZR6 or equivelent for a test drive. No one even greeted me or asked if i would like some help even though they knew i was looking through a few cars. Just as i was about to leave, a guy came out so i passed on my details and left and went direct to the other dealership on the Gold Coast. I was greeted straight away and were not pushy and they got my companies business which included with the ZR6 were 3 HiLux Workmates and 2 Turbo Deisel SR5's with optional bullbars and canopies etc. The other dealer rang back a week later, i kindly mentioned what they had missed out on ($210K+ worth of vehicles, with more to come in the future) and that's when all the questions started i.e. how much did he give you the SR5's for etc, 'oh what a feeling'

So hypothetically speaking, if trying to test out the vehicle's maximum potential off the line would one be better off thrashing 'Sports Mode' or 'Auto'?

the aircon rattle is a common issue for some people... do a search on these forums, its been covered a few times..

not sure on the airbag issue though...

but if the noise disappears when the airbag is pressed against, then i would definitely take it back to toyota... if there is something faulty with the airbag, i wouldnt want to let it stay faulty just in case you have an accident... but thats just me... :)

True , it's going in for it's 7500km service this week so i'll see what they come up with, cheers.

CONS:

• High seat - Not much head room
  

How tall are you? I'm six-three and with the seat completely lowered, I have plenty of leg/head room. I can't comfortably 'Fat Arm' it as the seat is too low.

You sure the noise isn't coming from under the dash? That's a common fault.

If the noise goes away when you put window down, does that not suggest the rattle is in the door? If it is in the dash, ask passenger to put pressure on top of dash to see if that deadens sound.

Thanks for all the suggestions. It's definately not in the dash however since i posted this topic i have now noticed a completely different noise coming from the fan vents. As usual the noise disappears when inspected by the dealer. Noise comes and goes when i press the airbag cover as well, weird. Now I have a rattle once the aircon is on a high fan speed, 2 different sounding noises, lucky the stereo cancels out the rattling sounds once they become annoying.

Mine took 1.5 weeks but boss bought 3 HiLux workmates & 2 SR5's so he may have had some pull BUT it depends on the colour.

ah that was quick, i wanted mine out of production line with moonroof just for my own satisfactions lol.

lol, just depends if you want 1km on it or 3km's i guess

I would have loved a moon(sun)roof, is there a difference? Probably is. Only reason i didn't opt for was the waiting time, told an additional 2 months just for a 'roof window'. I live in QLD anyway so aircon doesn't work too well with windows (inc. roofs) open.

AGE: 32

SEX: Male

STATUS: Al Bundy(esk)

REASON FOR BUYING: Didn't buy it, boss did, tried talking him into a TRD but the fuel type was the sole reason he didn't go for it. Other bloke at work has SX6 and he said 'just have one of those', I said 'no' so we settled out for court for a ZR6, only prob is i can't mod it as company car. Love the beast though, no regrets at all plus the best feature i have seen in the car is a marriage saver in the dual climate zone thingy, LOVE IT!

Haven't recieved the car yet, purchased on the 26th July and still waiting! BOO! btw what's the waiting period on these does anyone know? cause I'm too impatient :(

Mine took 1.5 weeks but boss bought 3 HiLux workmates & 2 SR5's so he may have had some pull BUT it depends on the colour.

Hi,

New to the forum and hoping someone out there can give me some advice...

currently looking at a 2003 model Prado GX.. 4l petrol 6 cyl.

170 000km's on the clock going for $19K. this is a good price i reckon but need to know what you think?

very good condition used mostly for city driving.. no rust, chassis and underbelly in good nick.

interior not the best but still very good for the km's done. drives lovely still no quirks or any niggles that I could pick up on the test drive.

also it is fitted with a bullbar on the front.. think this is factory fitted.. want to know if possible this can be removed and replaced with the normal grill/fender for these models. any ideas if this is possible and where this can be done?

thanks in advance.

anton

Hi Anton,

My company recently traded my old company car which was a 2003 Prado to Toyota for $19k. The exterior was in good condition but the interior ended up a bit rough (due to mobile phone kits and 2 way radios fitted) as i was the 3rd person to get the vehicle as a hand me down. The 1st guy used to cart hay around in it the idiot and because he got fired he refuse to give back the 2 rear seats. It had approx. 170000K on the clock (gold colour) with a bull bar. The car drove great, very tight in the steering, strong gearbox, great on the sand and the only thing that was repaired were the pulleys and belt which were replaced at 160000k's.

You can always replace the bar with the normal grill (possibly from a wrecker or trading post or brand new from Toyota) for which you would have fitting costs at your Toyota dealer or 4WD shop, however I think the look of the Prado's with the bar is much better and it gives some added protection as well as the fact you can mount spot lights etc.

how i envy you. i'm not looking forward to this summer - my missus will be comfy and i'll be sweating it out.

It will and already has stopped a few arguments although it doesn't help that much when the car has been sitting in the sun all day and you burn your a.ss on the leather seats!

Tool fan i take it Lateralus?