Off Topic Perils of driving your 500 too much

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Off Topic Perils of driving your 500 too much

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The other day I had to take the modern car on one of my work expeditions because it was physically impossible to keep to the timings of my appointments in the Fiat.
First thing I noticed was that I kept reaching for the window winder when obviously the modern has electric window. But more seriously I kept misjudging the width. We have some exceptionally narrow roads up here and these are perfect for a 500. But first I walloped one front tyre on a kerb when passing a bin lorry. Later I repeatedly found myself bumping down potholes at the left-hand edge of the tarmac. Finally I nipped the sidewall on the rim and now need a new tyre. That tyre was thankfully near the wear limit anyway, but the final straw came when I did the same with the spacesaver spare and dented the rim. It might just be that I'm a rubbish driver but I blame my addiction to the Fiat 500.?
 
Oh it's not only the Classic 500. I drive my Fiat Fiorino van 90% of the time. 1.3 turbo diesel with a restrictor on it so it can't go over 70mph, 75bhp. No rear view mirror, it's all wing mirrors. The other modern has 210bhp does 0-60 in about 6.6 seconds.

Reverse gear is in completely the opposite place on both, the brakes are just complete opposites, the van you just touch the pedal and the brakes come on, the other much more progressive and longer travel. So after driving one for awhile, you can't find reverse to begin with, keep looking in the wrong mirror and nearly putting yourself through the windscreen when braking. It doesn't take too long to adjust but I still find myself double declutching the moderns quite a bit.

Then add the 500 into the mix, double declutching, brakes you need to stamp on in an emergency, not very fast! All about keeping the momentum going so you don't need to slow down and thinking ahead, reading the conditions, particularly in a non synchro.

As I said to Peter before I think driving a classic 500 makes you a better driver of moderns, as you are much more aware of what's going on around you and having to work harder to drive it but obviously this is the case for everyone!:D
 
i drive a 3.5tonne MWB Sprinter van, for my work....
I do about 100 - 200miles a day
I get back in my car and i do the same, cant find the wiper stick, keep going to the door for windows (mine are in the center console)

Its stupid what happens when you settle into just 1 car too much

weird thing is tho - in the auto i keep going for a clutch that aint there
In the manual im not shifting cause i keep thinking it'l do it for me...

Ziggy
 
keep going to the door for windows (mine are in the center console)


My Mrs is going thought this at the moment, just changed her 2012 R56 Mini Cooper for a new F56 Mini Cooper and with the new model they moved the window controls from the centre of the dash to the drivers door, quite funny watching her prodding at switches that aren't there to open the window.
 
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