Cheers to the 3g!!

[Dr_Snooz]

If you’re too poor to afford a BMW, don’t worry about it. Many of you know that I own a 1995 BMW 540i. As I recall, it was reputed to be the “best handling car in the world” or somesuch in it's day. Driving home from work every night, I take a particular corner that is a lot of fun. It’s a good deal tighter at the end than at the beginning and if you take it at a good speed, you come out of the turn aimed directly at a dumpster that sits on the side of the road. It can scare the piss out of you when you’re at the limit of control and careening toward a solid steel bin with lots of sharp angles. In the 3g, I can take this corner at about 48 mph. In the BMW, I manage about 40 mph.

On the inside corner of the turn, the road surface drops off steeply. Because the 3g’s steering is surgically precise, I can run the front tire off this drop just enough to pull the car around the apex of the turn in much the same way as holding onto the banister gets you around the staircase more quickly. The BMW isn’t nearly as precise, so I can’t do this.

The other day, I was in a dreadful rush up the freeway driving the BMW. I was pushing to pass another car before I ran into the car ahead of me when I cut over hard. As I cut back to straighten out, the front corner dove. Bad. The shocks are brand new. I could drive my 3g into a lake and not get it to dive.

My 3g has the same suspension technology as a Formula 1 race car. The BMW? Not so much. It shares its suspension technology with my ’76 Accord.

About the only way the BMW trumps my 3g is with brute force. The V8 is fast, but the 3g will still get you on the freeway at a decent speed. And will lose the BMW in the first turn, so I’m okay. Nor is the 3g crushingly expensive like the BMW.

So here’s a toast to Formula 1 suspension in a cheap car that’s a hoot to drive. Cheers to a car as reliable as the family dog. Cheers to a car as responsive and nimble as one’s own hand. Cheers to the 3g!

Woohoo!!

[Tdurr]

what?

[A18A]

lol go the third generation honda accord

[codyJDM]

I second this

[LxAcc510]

Are you trying to say the E34 is no good?

[2oodoor]

inspiring tale

Maybe the bmw needs to be going faster for the suspension to kick in? sometimes you have to push rwd cars way harder than you are comfortable with, or drive it like you stole it. Dont be afraid of the rear end coming around, in fact try and make it come around in a curve like that and see if it does. If that is not the case then I suspect the front end may not be streight or has slop in it. That thing should squat in and bite when you gas it in a curve.

there I go playing devils advocate again... I don't doubt the 3gee ability make no mistake

[Rendon LX-i]

lol cheers to THE 3geez x 3

[MessyHonda]

its a solid car for the price and value....i just overspent...haha

[Joay]

I'll happily trade you.

[Dr_Snooz]

Here's another update. I swung the 3g around that corner today at 56. It drifted wide a little bit but never let go. I can probably get it around a little faster. I think I still had some lane to spare. Third gear works well for it.

I flogged the Bimmer around that corner and nearly had a heart attack when it let go completely for a moment. I went shooting across the road with horrible tire screeching in my ears and the only thought in my head was "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!!!!" Fortunately I wasn't even close to dumpster yet so I would only have taken out the guys fence. I'll bet I wasn't even doing 45. Nuts to that car. I love my 3g.

[A18A]

you have a 76 accord? :O pics?

[Civic Accord Honda]

most likely because the bmw has more power and its RWD so its pushing you harder, RWD cars handle completely differently to FWD cars
now 3gees handle good but its far from the best handling car...
my 91 civic pwned the shiiiit out of it in the canyon

[AccordB20A]

my car handles good but im not super happy with its stability, even with the konis and vigor rear swaybar, its still a bit hairy, i blame the worn out bushes and soft lowering springs, but even with all that i can still take 55km/h rated corners at 100k

[A18A]

i can take bumpy 35k corners at 20k. yay cut springs & poor alignment

[MessyHonda]

now if you had some k-sports you might even take up the speed up to 20mph more....also good sticky tires help

[Vanilla Sky]

I'm willing to bet that the BMW is a heavier car that has a significantly different driving dynamic than the 3gee. $20 says that you can get skidpad G's up to that of the 3gee with tires, dampers, and springs.

You can make any car handle. Some handle out of the box better than others, but just because some magazine says something is fucking gold doesn't mean it is.

[Dr_Snooz]

you have a 76 accord? :O pics?

Was my first car. I pretty much destroyed it without trying very hard.

most likely because the bmw has more power and its RWD so its pushing you harder, RWD cars handle completely differently to FWD cars
now 3gees handle good but its far from the best handling car...
my 91 civic pwned the shiiiit out of it in the canyon

Your 3g had three wheels on its best day. Any car with 4 wheels would handle better.

my car handles good but im not super happy with its stability, even with the konis and vigor rear swaybar, its still a bit hairy, i blame the worn out bushes and soft lowering springs, but even with all that i can still take 55km/h rated corners at 100k

My suspension is dead stock. Tuned by Honda's finest engineers.

I'm willing to bet that the BMW is a heavier car that has a significantly different driving dynamic than the 3gee. $20 says that you can get skidpad G's up to that of the 3gee with tires, dampers, and springs.

You can make any car handle. Some handle out of the box better than others, but just because some magazine says something is fucking gold doesn't mean it is.

The BMW is 800# heavier and has a higher center of gravity. Hard to push that around a corner with any speed. I guess you could make something out of it, but why if you could devote it to the 3g? Anyway, I view skid pad numbers with some suspicion. Roads in the real world are lumpy and inconsistent. They have bumps that like to throw the car in weird directions. They have decreasing radius corners with dumpsters. Heh heh.

[w261w261]

most likely because the bmw has more power and its RWD so its pushing you harder, RWD cars handle completely differently to FWD cars
now 3gees handle good but its far from the best handling car...
my 91 civic pwned the shiiiit out of it in the canyon

Who was it that gave you two days before you came back? They were pretty close.

[lostforawhile]

the main reason people think they don't handle is the suspensions are worn out, rebuild the suspension, add some urethane bushings where you can, better struts and shocks and they really handle well.before I started this latest project on my car, I had to swerve around some people who ran red lights, and I can tell you from experience they can handle better then you think when pushed. The hatchbacks get a bit squirrelly in the back, but even adding the factory small sway bar evens it out, I'm not sure I would want the heavy bar in the back, because the back may come around. the dynamics on the hatch are a lot different then the sedans and coupes.

[kentwat]

I think it handles great. On interstate cloverleafs that say 30mph, I've done them at nearly 60mph. Tires howling but it is still fun. That Vigor rear sway bar really improved handling over my original bar. It will be even better when I get new tires. I love having a supposed hot car behind me and lose them in the cloverleaf.

[paul]

My 3g has the same suspension technology as a Formula 1 race car.

http://instantrimshot.com/ ?
I know your making some kind of SLA/double wishbone analogy, but that's like saying my hot air popcorn popper has the same thermodynamics technology as a jet engine

I gota admit, stock 3g suspension is a great match for wet weather driving on uneven roads...

[russiankid]

Here's another update. I swung the 3g around that corner today at 56. It drifted wide a little bit but never let go. I can probably get it around a little faster. I think I still had some lane to spare. Third gear works well for it.

I flogged the Bimmer around that corner and nearly had a heart attack when it let go completely for a moment. I went shooting across the road with horrible tire screeching in my ears and the only thought in my head was "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!!!!" Fortunately I wasn't even close to dumpster yet so I would only have taken out the guys fence. I'll bet I wasn't even doing 45. Nuts to that car. I love my 3g.

Need a 5-speed. Push clutch in, floor it, drop clutch, kick rear out, slide slide slide slide slide, pull out of slide, drive off with smile. This is in the BMW btw.

[lostforawhile]

http://instantrimshot.com/ ?
I know your making some kind of SLA/double wishbone analogy, but that's like saying my hot air popcorn popper has the same thermodynamics technology as a jet engine

I gota admit, stock 3g suspension is a great match for wet weather driving on uneven roads...

it really is, it's almost an exact copy of Honda's formula suspension from before the car was designed, thats where they got the idea, they just put softer struts and springs in it. that was a big point of advertising for this car. If they had sold suspension upgrade components from the factory like Ford did with the Escort, it could have been just as popular in the same category that the escorts of it's time competed, they were very well know rally cars. Whats ironic is the early Honda's such as the n600's the tiny Motorcycle engine coupes, and very early civics were raced extensively off road right along side the Mini coopers, and the cars with the race suspensions didn't get the same support. can you image if they had made forged aluminum wishbones for these cars and factory suspension upgrades?

[A18A]

.................. analogy.............

that almost looked like anal orgy

[King Peetis]

now if you had some k-sports you might even take up the speed up to 20mph more....also good sticky tires help

Hell to the yea on the k sports!