But not all of the time.

 

I drive my car hard. Balls to the wall whenever possible. I rarely drop below 4g on the street.

But then I built it to do that.........

And I never drive in the rain....


fltsfshr

 

Though it concerns itself with MPH rather than RPM, the Owner's Manual for your AP1 suggests the following and very conservative numbers:

1st to 2nd: 15 mph
2nd to 3rd: 25 mph
3rd to 4th: 40 mph
4th to 5th: 47 mph
5th to 6th: 52 mph

For purposes having to do with racing, on the other hand, I find the following to be most helpful:

http
://www.turnzero.com/technical_resource...gear_calculator

***

I aplogize. For no matter how many times I edit this post, the "php?resources=" portion of the abovementioned URL simply will not manifest itself within the "finished" post.

 

When possible, I drive it like I stole it. in traffic, I shift before vtec. I don't drive in the rain if at all possible, and once I'm committed into a speed turn I never chop the gas. Enjoy.

 

All right Two honest men...hahahaha



fltsfshr

 

Last time I used 6th gear was when I drove to Virginia in July.

Optimum RPMs depends on traffic. If I'm in heavy but fast-moving traffic, I'm usually in the 5,000+ range. If I want people to know I'm there, I stay in 3rd or 4th at high RPMs, if just cruising, I'll put it in 5th once I hit 70mph.

I cruise around town in 2nd, because the noise makes me feel like I'm going fast, which keeps my speed below 30mph, if that makes sense. If I go to 3rd I can do 40mph in a 25mph zone without even noticing. I keep it in 3rd in the 45mph zone I travel on my way to work, and stay in the 55-60mph range.

I don't floor it from a standstill until it's well warmed up. When cold, I shift to 2nd at 4,000 RPMs to avoid the 2nd gear crunch. When it's warmed up, I can floor it 'til the rev limiter flashes before going to 2nd.

I love this car

 

As the saying goes: "There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers".

Here is my attempt at the latter:

Be very careful to put some heat into the S-02s before depending on them to stick! Especially in temperatures below 50* F (10*C). Also, keep an eye on the inside of your front tires for uneven wear caused by alignment settings (toe and/or chamber).

 

If you have had any experience with sport bikes, then the shift points begin to reveal themselves by listening to the engine/exhaust note. This is a free reving engine so it will sound happier as the revs climb. This should not be confused with simply going to redline with every shift. For the most part, the relationship between gear and rev is most appreciated when the car is really in its element; tight turns. In those settings, the car will tell you if you are short shifting because it will simply not feel free.

One way to look at this issue is to consider the S2 engine as powering a very high performance multi-speed road racing bicycle. On a bicycle, the idea is to find the optimum power range for the engine (you) and use the gears to keep the engine at that optimum rpm. In the S2's case you can try this at any engine speed you prefer (above 4.5K or so) and simply use the gearbox to keep the engine in its comfort zone. In any case, don't drive the car at speeds that exceed your current comfort level.

As for the notchy shifting, take a look at the Axial Technologies short shifter. I just installed on (Santa Deb delivered it to me) and the car feels like I am shifting a sport bike. This is probably the best $200-250 mod one can make to this car.

AND, heed Matt's advice about tires.

 

[QUOTE=frank b,Dec 31 2005, 08:52 PM] I've found that the GM friction-modified tranny oil has really decreased the dreaded notchiness. As Rob said, all the fun is in "middle" gears. Hey Rob, we have cruise control?