03 CL TypeS

I don't know if it's because I've been driving a turbodiesel piece of shit VW Golf for 2 years prior to the CL-S. Or because I had a rough accident with my Z28 2 years ago.

But I find myself scared to push this car. I mean I feel bad and guilty of letting her rip to 7K rpm. I feel bad about shifting 2nd semi-hard and hearing the tires go nuts. I also feel bad about finding out that I can also get the tires to chirp shifting 3rd. And my car is bone stock.

I don't know why... but I keep thinking that this is not a car that I should drive like this. I've had a 2000 Civic, a modded 88 CRX Si (171whp Mustang dyno - all motor) and a 98 Z28... and drove the snot out of each and one of them as if they were freshly stolen a few minutes before. I don't know how many people have powershifted their cars at the viciousness and frequency that I used to do it. Also, I must have at least a few hundred 1/4 mile passes under my belt with the Civic/CRX/Z28. Yet for some reason with the CL-S, I always start feeling guilty about pushing it hard - and the way I drive it is nothing compared to how I drove my other cars.

Maybe it's because it's very new (19K miles). Maybe it's because of little things that I am noticing - such as engine shutdown vibrations and various rattles developping. Maybe it's because my shift knob has become loose and can be turned left/right easily (makes me wonder, "am I really shifting that hard?") Or maybe because I've been driving a 75hp turbodiesel for the past 2 years and my driving habits have essentially become < 3K rpm, and barely ever exeeding the speed limit.

I guess what I'm most afraid of is stuff breaking down on the car. I can't help but think that this car should be babied, yet at the same time I think I'm aging too fast (mentally). My friend has a 95 GSR that he babies as if it cost him a million bucks because he thinks the car is too nice. I never understood him, yet now I find myself thinking exactly like him.

Is there a cure to this? Do some of you feel the same way? Can these cars (relatively stock) handle the abuse of say... 3k rpm clutch drops, revs to 7K rpm, semi-hard shifts, and 10 monthly passes @ the strip? I know Honda makes very reliable drivetrains - I just don't know why I'm scared of using this car's potential.

Enough written diahrreah... who feels like me, or has some advice to snap me back into the 22yr old mindset that I should have?

NiteQwill

Drive it like you stole it.... IMO.

Baby it when you can, but let it do what the engine is capable of. When I see an open stretch of empty road, I hard shift from 1-2-3-4, the exhiliration of reaching 120+mph easily in a matter of a few seconds is amazing.

btw... it's "diarrhea"

kensukikatayo

eh.. i feel the same way sumtimes and im only 17

03 CL TypeS

LOL - I don't write that word too often !

Zippee

Why trash a really nice and somewhat unique car?

If you want to tear something up, buy a Mustang or similar shit box.

03CoupeV6

The CL-S can handle the aggressive driving you are talking about easily.

babyblue

I agree with Niteqwill.... I pamper my baby, and real anal about her... but on occasion you just have to rip the engine... and hear the whine of the SC...

In short the engine is rock solid, and you don't have the POS tranny either... so enjoy the ride man.. Have fun with it

Joe5.0

I like to drive mine easy most of the time, but I dont feel bad about hitting 7k at least a couple times a day. I try to limit redline shifts & hard launches though, because I plan on keeping it for a long time. I have ~ 25 1/4 passes & 28k miles with no problems at all. It isnt very fun to take to the drag strip tho, since wheelhop is the rule, and I feel like I'm abusing it when I invoke that lovely banging sensation.

03 CL TypeS

That hurts to even read!

paulff3

You can drive the car aggressively without beating on it. I stretch my car's legs frequently but I'm not dumping the clutch or down shifting in such a way as to make the rpms jump like crazy. The car was built for spirited driving. So, I say enjoy the car but drive it with some level of common sense.

I'm a big fan of the 3rd gear highway merge!

123456SPEED

I guess I tend to baby mine cause I only discovered Vtech after a month of driving it! (I know pretty uncool around here!) I thought it was plenty fast before Vtech kicked in. I try not to abuse the clutch for sure, no rpm drops on it, but I do push the engine thru it's paces now and then, but not much over 5-6k rpms. I love the smooth acceleration in this car.
So yea, I guess I'm a babier, but it's a fast baby!!!

mc_yanzo

This thread makes me want to cry. If you aren't going to push the car at least a little bit you shouldn't have bought a Type S! Stop being a puss!

rcz22

nothing feels better than pulling from the onramp onto the highway passing everyone just as you hit 5K+ (and for most of us with a CAI, looking at heads turn as our cars roar)

wakeboardfusion

the cure is a twin turbo, headers, intake, exhaust, chip, nos

03 CL TypeS

The point is not that I don't push the car. It sees redline perhaps a couple dozen times per day. The point is that I feel bad/guilty about doing it.

03 CL TypeS

On a 2002-2004 Corvette Z06 !

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I push mine alot. I don't abuse it though. 3K clutch dumps aren't a good idea. Full rpm runs I do all the time. I also hit 2nd hard & make the tires dance. Not all the time. Every car is different, every driver is different. I do think the CLS is not a peformance car. Even modded to the teeth. It's purpose is not to be abused, & not for track duty. Your far better off with a car that was meant for that like a Mustang, or simlar car. IMHO
Doesn't mean you can't do it with the CLS I know some do & the car seems fine.

mystikk

Gas makes me scared of redlining nowadays. I filled up yesterday and now it's almost half tank.

spdy0001

I used to get extreme wheel hop until the spring install, and my yokohama es100 tires. I have all but eliminated the wheel hop now and its more fun to rip on the car from a start now.

stevenz

Same here! I know my car is much more capable than what I've seen so far, but I guess the main reason I've never floored it or drove it like a mad man is because I don't want to push it to its limit and say "well, that's it". So far the CLS's true potential is somewhat of a mystery to me and it feels good that way.

erishe69

The main purpose of having a Type-S is so that you can kick it in the ass when you want. Dont feel bad about it, that's what makes life worth living. I just love hearing those mid-line revs when you lay it down, it feels like a launching pad.
Just take care of your baby, (regular maintenance intervals, or more frequent depending on how you drive) and she'll take care of you. It's a Honda for Christ sake!

123456SPEED

You should really test out the performance, you may need it to avoid an accident and will be better prepared, or to gauge when passing etc. Knowing ahead of time how the car performs is a safety issue IMO. I want the least amount of 'mystery' if I need to make an emergency manuveur.

koolmonkey999

you can chirp from 2nd to 3rd?? damn how do you do that? you got a stock clutch?

03 CL TypeS

Stock clutch man, not only can I chirp it, but when I really try, I get a huge chirp!

As for this thread, I think all my wussiness has gone away... I've been driving the car quite hard recently, racing once in a while, etc. And I'm going to the strip tomorow to see what she does stock in the 1/4.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I've never been able to do that either. i also don't have stock tires. I actually have traction...

Rock2534

guilt is not a feeling that should ever arise with regards to driving your car, its not like you are taking it off jumps, and on the flip side its not like its a 100k+ car. They put the power in the engine for a reason, so don't feel bad to use it.

Do you have the stock tires? that might explain the excessive chirping.

03 CL TypeS

Yeah, that's a good thing! I'd rather have traction than wheelspin!

03 CL TypeS

Yep, I do... I have other stuff planned for this year such as rotors, pads, Icebox and perhaps springs... so better tires will come next year!