Do you brake with your left foot?

daniel · 10-20-2008, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by effwitt

An F1 race car driver tries to keep his carbon fiber brake pads at about 1600 degrees Fahrenheit for maximum performance. On some tracks they're completely worn out after 90 minutes of use. A single carbon fiber brake disc can cost $5,000. Multiply that by four wheels and then add in the cost of the carbon fiber brake pads (two per wheel) and the braking "consumables" used by an F1 racer cost more than a new, fully equipped Prius!

That boggles the mind!

hyo silver · 10-20-2008, 07:02 PM

It's taken (taking?) me a very long time to rid myself of a childhood fascination with racing. The insane amounts of money spent on literally going around in circles is obscene and immoral.

effwitt · 10-20-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyo silver

It's taken (taking?) me a very long time to rid myself of a childhood fascination with racing. The insane amounts of money spent on literally going around in circles is obscene and immoral.

Obscene? - no doubt, immoral - perhaps. The average budget of an F1 team is about $250,000,000 to send two cars to 18 races (plus R & D and testing). Toyota's F1 budget is said to be between $400 M and $750 M. I've heard they treat all their employees well so I'm not ready to call them immoral. They exist to provide a return for the shareholders, not mankind in general. Oh and Toyota has been in F1 for about seven years and haven't won a race yet.

The only sport I follow is F1, mostly because the technology is so amazing and I admire the excellence in engineering.

TJ - sorry for hijacking your thread

daniel · 10-20-2008, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyo silver

It's taken (taking?) me a very long time to rid myself of a childhood fascination with racing. The insane amounts of money spent on literally going around in circles is obscene and immoral.

It's show business. Just like movies or wrestling or football or golf. People are willing to pay money to watch, that generates big prizes, so people spend a lot of money to compete.

Racing doesn't interest me because I don't like loud noise. That's actually one of the reasons I like EVs: gas engines make noise. Obscene to me is when people converting gas cars to electric offer to throw in a CD of engine noise that you can put on the car stereo so that people in nearby cars will think your EV has a gasoline engine! How sick is that?

TJandGENESIS · 10-20-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daniel

...when people converting gas cars to electric offer to throw in a CD of engine noise that you can put on the car stereo so that people in nearby cars will think your EV has a gasoline engine! How sick is that?

I saw something like that on PIMP MY RIDE, they took this mini van, and put this system on that made the mini van sound like whatever car you wanted, from a muscle car to a VW Bug. So you would push the gas, and the sound would come out these speakers mounted under the car. Made the whole thing seem real, I guess.

I might not say it's sick, but it is interesting, a bit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by effwitt

TJ - sorry for hijacking your thread

No problem. I think I helped a bit in that area!

daniel · 10-21-2008, 11:26 AM

I can understand making a gas car sound like a different kind of gas car. I cannot understand making an EV sound like a gas car. Why convert a car to electric at all if you want people to think it burns gas? With the present cost of batteries, the lifetime cost per mile is greater with an EV, and the EV has the limitations of range. You convert a car to electric because you want to quit burning gas. So why would you then want to hide that fact?

DaveinOlyWA · 10-21-2008, 01:36 PM

i have had a few cars like TJ where the gas had to be feathered all the time to stay running, if on a hill that meant gas and brake AND clutch....

also had a car with no clutch. drove it around 14-15 months. just had to turn it off everytime i stopped. you think people get PO'ed at you now for coasting and timing lights to save gas, just think of what it was like 20 years ago when gas was 70 cents a gallon!!

rigormortis · 10-21-2008, 07:10 PM

idea
-----

get one of those popular prius mods like the any time camera mod, or the ev mode mod, and modify it for foot use, so you can have something to use your left foot for.

im thinking one of those push buttons, the ones that click would be the same thing as a regular switch

hyo silver · 10-21-2008, 07:16 PM

Does anyone else remember when the high beam switch was on the floor?
I've noticed the 'dead pedal' on the left can be quite useful for cornering.

perryma · 10-21-2008, 11:11 PM

Yes

10-21-2008, 11:26 AM	#16
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 11,278 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 59 Thanked 201 Times in 127 Posts Friends: 0	Re: Do you brake with your left foot? I can understand making a gas car sound like a different kind of gas car. I cannot understand making an EV sound like a gas car. Why convert a car to electric at all if you want people to think it burns gas? With the present cost of batteries, the lifetime cost per mile is greater with an EV, and the EV has the limitations of range. You convert a car to electric because you want to quit burning gas. So why would you then want to hide that fact?

10-21-2008, 01:36 PM	#17
DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: South Puget Sound, WA Posts: 12,321 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: IV Package: Solar Roof Thanks: 23 Thanked 119 Times in 101 Posts Friends: 10	Re: Do you brake with your left foot? i have had a few cars like TJ where the gas had to be feathered all the time to stay running, if on a hill that meant gas and brake AND clutch.... also had a car with no clutch. drove it around 14-15 months. just had to turn it off everytime i stopped. you think people get PO'ed at you now for coasting and timing lights to save gas, just think of what it was like 20 years ago when gas was 70 cents a gallon!!

10-21-2008, 07:10 PM	#18
rigormortis Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 1,313 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #5 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 1	Re: Do you brake with your left foot? idea ----- get one of those popular prius mods like the any time camera mod, or the ev mode mod, and modify it for foot use, so you can have something to use your left foot for. im thinking one of those push buttons, the ones that click would be the same thing as a regular switch

10-21-2008, 11:11 PM	#20
perryma Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,781 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 4	Re: Do you brake with your left foot? Yes

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10-20-2008, 07:02 PM	#12
hyo silver awaaay Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 10,646 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: Base Thanks: 46 Thanked 146 Times in 103 Posts Friends: 63	It's taken (taking?) me a very long time to rid myself of a childhood fascination with racing. The insane amounts of money spent on literally going around in circles is obscene and immoral.

10-21-2008, 07:16 PM	#19
hyo silver awaaay Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 10,646 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: Base Thanks: 46 Thanked 146 Times in 103 Posts Friends: 63	Does anyone else remember when the high beam switch was on the floor? I've noticed the 'dead pedal' on the left can be quite useful for cornering.