tyro

I most certainly concur.

In my opinion, knowing about the mechanical bits only makes one think more about the car/engine/brakes/tires instead of just driving it.

That said, I do most of my own work. It can be frustrating because I can get to splitting hairs - I think too much about it - is that bolt tight, is this measurement proper, and so on.

If I were given car to drive, and didn't have to work on it, or support it's maintenance - I'd drive the **** out of it..wouldn't most anyone do the same?

In any case, I think you should know about maintenance and repair if just to know what is wrong or needs setting up - but if you have enough money to pay someone else that you trust to turn a wrench, who cares?

Sean F

Paolo, the way your car is set up may not be ideal for your driving style. You can't assume that it is set up correctly for you just because Ronnie is a great driver and had the car set to his style. For example, I found that the more I used trailbraking, the more I needed to experiment with sway bar settings. You need to be able to move some things around and experiment based on how you're driving or how your driving style changes as you get more seat time/knowledge. Unless you have trackside support, it's on you. You need to be able to make changes, go out and drive, analyze the results then go out and do it again. In that way, others who can do this have an advantage over you.

Bull

Really Doc??? Well, that would indicate a different problem then wouldn't it? I would stay on good terms with Gary!

Learn about your car....what else are you doing with it this winter????

Gary R.

And I don't drink beer and i'm well known as a wine snob....

VaSteve

Those that can drive fast but can't change a tire must benefit from the reduced weight of having left their ***** at home.

RonCT

You must be talking about F1 drivers that show up and set track records

RickBetterley

Come to Sterling, pull up a chair and I'll show you what you need to know. We can practice on my cab.
If a dope like me can learn how, you're all set (heck, you can already do teeth; they're way tougher, I would think).
If it wasn't for DE, I would never have learned how to do these routine maintenance tasks. With the amount of time you (and I) spend at the track with our older cars, you need to know how to take care of them.
Original question about mechanical knowledge making you a better driver? It will make you a safer driver, that's for sure.

BostonDMD

Sean, Ronnie spent a lot of time having the car just set right and achieved great successes with it. Now, I wish one day I could be half the driver that Ronnie is, but the car feels great to me now (and to the instructors that have ridden with me) why would I start messing with its settings?
I would rather learn and adapt to drive a proven well set up car, than start experimenting based on my driving style......

Am I making sense?....... I guess I need to spend more time with Ron S., and try to to learn his "winning" style of driving......

BostonDMD

Well, between the hands on lessons graciously offered by my track buddies Gary and Rick,

the reading of some of the books, the on track coaching by people like Ron S., Bob R., JimmyLew and other senior instructors that have helped me immensely so far.....

I think I will be ready for a great new season in '08........

Thanks for all your inputs...... see you at the track.........

Crazy Canuck

surprised nobody has mentioned Mark Donohue.

Larry Herman

Paolo, you benefit from having a car that is well setup, and so have a solid platform on which to learn. There are many out there who are struggling with learning how to drive on a car that has handling issues. That makes it doubley difficult.

Mark in Baltimore

I'd leave the car as it is. If you feel that you need to fiddle with it, be obsessive about recording the alignment settings, shock settings (if applicable), sway bar settings, etc. so that you can return back to the original baseline. Every single time I start a track weekend, I record ambient air temp, tire type, tire pressures, nitrogen pressures, compression and rebound settings, etc. so that I can replicate the settings should I completely screw up the handling by dialing it to the edge of hell.

weneversleep

Until recently, I've been one of those people who let the shop handle everything. When I was little, my father always used to tell me "you're not mechanically inclined" and, well, that's what I've always believed about myself. (Thanks Dad)

A couple of years ago, I realized that I _can_ turn a wrench, in the physical sense anyway. Heck, I have an engineering degree (albeit in electrical engineering) and I program computers for a living. So, I started doing the simple things: changing oil, swapping brake pads, etc. I've also tackled a lot of small DIY projects on my M3 with the help of the Bentley manual and the 101 Projects book. And, over time, I've been amassing a collection of basic tools, and have a "track toolkit" that I bring to the track.

Honestly, I still haven't progressed beyond the simple stuff yet. But, I've _read_ about the hard projects, and if I had to, I think I could jump in and do something more challenging, with some help at least. (Having said that, I think I need a new head gasket in my M3, but I'm going to farm that one out to a BMW specialty shop... ) Bottom line is: I'll never be a master mechanic, but I hope that I'll never be stranded at the track because I can't do a simple repair.

Anyway, I've gotten a lot of enjoyment and a real sense of accomplishment out of starting to do my own work. Has it made me a better driver? Maybe. From all of my reading, I've definitely learned quite a bit about car setup, but there's no substitute for seat time.

Finally, one of my life's goals is to restore a car from the ground up. I'm not sure if that will ever happen, but it's a goal...

bruinbro

Well, if money is not an obstacle, with your attitude I'm sure you can do it. Here's to hoping you do.

Bro

kurt M

Yes but they brought their heavy wallet with them. Wallet trumps ***** for getting guys to work on your car while you focus on racing.


This man law **** it getting out of hand.