re: 164 Handling Characteristics

["Sedon, Doug (OD)" <sedond@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hi roger, among other things, you said:

>Hi.  I'm the guy who just bought a '94 164LS.  
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congrats!  enjoy!!!

>.....Although the car is quite stable and fun to drive, I was wondering about
some of >the handling traits of this car.
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ah yes, welcome to fwd!  :>)

>I was driving around yesterday, and approached a highway off-ramp, always a
>fun way to get the feel of a car (at least for me).  So, I applied the
>brakes to get down to a reasonable speed, released the brakes and turned in
>as the curve started.  My expectation was that the car would responsively
>change direction, and that after the suspension settled into a cornering
>stance, with some body roll, I would apply the gas to power out of the
>turn.  Instead, I was treated to a surprising amount of understeer, with a
>little bit of tire squeal and a bit more body roll than I expected.  The
>car changed direction less briskly than expected and the whole maneuver
>required considerably more drama than necessary.  The car flattens out very
>nicely after applying power, but the turn-in....?  
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ah yes, welcome to fwd!  :>)  as a 164, milano werde and gtwe6 owner, the 164 is
far & away the least favorite car that *i* own, as a lot of a/d'er's familiar
w/my postings will attest.  (rite mr. saul?!?)

>Please don't get the impression here that I was driving recklessly or at
excessive >speed.  Hardly.  
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ah, THAT'S your problem!!!!  (yust kidding!)

>Should one enter turns at lower speed than an equivalent RWD car? Or with
throttle >applied BEFORE turn-in?
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you DON'T have to enter turns any slower than an equivalent rwd car;  i think
you've got the rite idea on your 2nd question:  MORE throttle, not less, when
your car starts plowing, and apply throttle sooner.  your car WILL eat front
tires, if driven aggressively.  i think these cars do quite well, considering
they are big, heavy, 5-passenger fwd cars.  sure, i wish my 164 was rwd, but no
other 5-passenger car i know of has that musical instrument under the hood!

good luck!

dug seed in

'78 ducati darmah
'86 alfa gtwe6 - shankle-ized 3.0 bastard
'88 alfa milano werde
'92 alfa 164L
'95 buell s2

The car is currently wearing 205/65-15 Pirelli P6000 tires.  (Previous
owner's selection).  Odd size choice, too, no?  Isn't the stock size
195/65-15?  If they were going to go to the plus size, I'd imagine the
205/60-15 would be closer to the right size?

I look forward to any comments!

Thanks,
Roger
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1969 1750 Roundtail Spider
1994 164LS
1990 MB 300 TE 4Matic

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