Acceptable amount of time to get up to speed?

[Mr_Luke]

Originally Posted by Duffyjr
What I've never been able to figure out is why people wait to the last minute to do things, this includes drive time, if it takes 15 minutes to get to work don't wait until 7:45 to leave home. I live about 2 miles from work, if I hit all the lights (all two of them) I can be at work in five minutes if I hit both lights more like 10, I always leave the house at 7:40 to give me plenty of time.


Excellent idea.

In that case this thread wouldn't have even been necessary.

 

[bunnspecial]

One of my vehicles I don't think can accelerate at the rates the OP specifies even if I'm thrashing it. 80hp+an old slushbox+3000lbs aren't exactly a recipe for getting going quickly. As time and money permit(and other projects get finished) I'm planning on "warming up" the engine a bit with a cam and upping the C/R, but I'm still not expecting miracles.

With that said, I'm VERY conscious of how and when I drive that particular vehicle. I don't drive it at busy times, and will also try to get as far as I can without going out to main roads. When I have to pull out into traffic, I make sure I have a clear shot with no one coming(which ties back into what I said about not driving when busy).

I don't necessarily time my acceleration away from lights in other vehicles, but basically I will keep up with the car in front of me. If I'm out front, I try to be up to the limit within a block or so. That's key in parts of downtown Louisville, for example(and I'm sure many other places) where driving right at the speed limit will generally allow you to hit every light green provided there's not too much traffic.

As for hanging out in the left lane-I do tend to run 5-10 over on the interstate, which puts me in the range of both passing a decent amount and also being passed. I pass and get back over whenever possible. At the same time, though, I've pulled over into the left lane before and found myself "boxed in" by a left lane bandit, and getting tailgated when I quite literally can't get over or move any faster irks me to no end. As bad as camping out in the left lane is, aggressively trying to pass them is-in my mind-even more dangerous.

 

[R1jake]

Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
Originally Posted by ls1mike

Same stuff here in Kitsap. I am not asking everyone to put it on the floor, I am just asking them to be considerate.


How about an 87 year old lady who may not feel safe accelerating as fast as you'd like everyone to accelerate?
Or someone who may have just got out of the hospital and is trying to get home and is on pain meds?


That's just the problem though, the majority drive like this 87 year old lady on pain meds.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I usually keep it under 30% throttle as that's about where the air/fuel ratio seems to start richening up. If I keep it under 30% throttle, the AFR hangs around 14.0-14.5:1. Above 30%, it dives to <13:1.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by R1jake
Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
Originally Posted by ls1mike

Same stuff here in Kitsap. I am not asking everyone to put it on the floor, I am just asking them to be considerate.


How about an 87 year old lady who may not feel safe accelerating as fast as you'd like everyone to accelerate?
Or someone who may have just got out of the hospital and is trying to get home and is on pain meds?


That's just the problem though, the majority drive like this 87 year old lady on pain meds.





One day you will be in that category.

 

[R1jake]

Originally Posted by gatorfast
As someone who loves to drive fast, I honestly dont understand how anyone can drive below the speed limit and/or not accelerate at least at a moderate pace if not a brisk pace. If I am at a red light and the first one in line I am always getting on the gas heavily once the light turns green. The people that press their gas pedal maybe 2% to accelerate blow my mind...how do you drive so slowly?? The only thing I can surmise is that many people are very distracted while driving thus the act of driving becomes second fiddle to whatever it is they are doing/thinking about. I ALWAYS prioritize the road when I am behind the wheel and am aware of my surroundings as well as the pace I am driving at.


Im the exact same way I just like to drive fast, I'm always running early too so it's not that I'm late at all. The thing that gets me most is the person in front of me won't just hold 45/50mph so my vehicle can stay in OD with the torque convertor locked. Soon as we get below 40 my OD downshifts . I just turn the OD off. When I see it's a older driver It doesn't bother me but almost always it's just the average slow poke.

 

[RDY4WAR]

I don't care if I drop off 5 mph climbing a hill. I refuse to hammer the pedal just to maintain an exact speed. When other people on the road start paying for my gas, I'll drive however they want.

 

[Cujet]

I'm honestly wanting a C7 corvette. I'm also old and I am slowing down. I promise to move right and let you pass ...‚...‚...‚