Are 1.4's slow?

[theo2468]

I don't mean this as "I won't a fast car" cause I know I'm not going to get that and if i did I would only end up crashin it ha
I'm asking this because I get stick off a few mates about my car bein old and shit, doesn't really bother me and most of my close mates or ones who are in to cars love it!
What I don't want are these people flying past me in their shitty 1.1 106's, I know I'm not going to be faster but do you recon I would be able to keep up with them? Or I they going to leave me in the dust ha

[SteveP]

Yes!

But not as bad as you might think, in terms of bang for yer engine capacity the 1.4 is probably the best out of all of the 300's. If you have a 5 speed box it helps as the diff is much better suited to the engine, back when I was driving a 1.4 they were enough to keep up with 1.2 Corsa Twinportz, Clio 1.2's etc but not much more... However, saying all that I know what I'd be driving around in! Learn to ignore your friends comments, they'll soon change their tune when lady friends enjoy the comfortable seats, and you can put it sideways on any loose surface*

*Disclaimer: Don't do this when the beach warden is watching

[theo2468]

Damm I was hoping I would give my mates 106 a run for its money

[macplaxton]

What I don't want are these people flying past me in their shitty 1.1 106's

Get a 1.4 106? or immobilise them...

I used to be several days behind my mates when had a 1.6 auto. They left me for dead with a Nova 1.3L saloon, a Metro 1300 "Red Hot", a Renault 21 Savanna and even a Metro 1.0L. Didn't help that it was a 1968 Wolseley 16/60 with a 1 1/4" SU carb, lever arm dampers and a lethal set of 165/80 14 remoulds. The only time I was quicker is when I outdone them on the short-cut routes across town. But it did have style by the bucketload

[volvosneverdie]

Damm I was hoping I would give my mates 106 a run for its money

Ive got a 1.4 205 man. Which is probably a lot older and tireder than a 106.
And mine eats 360s and will give a valver something to look across at up to the speed limit.
So I dont think youll win many drag races. Be good fun on the twisty cornish lanes though.

300s are just too heavy for the power I recon. B14s arnt really about going fast though. Go slowly, sideways.

[volvosneverdie]

But it did have style by the bucketload

Hmmmmm.

[jon-ovlov]

Mine wasnt/isnt bad, pretty revy, and for how old it is, still had a load of pull. That was when the front left caliper was binding to the brake! After that is was quick, nippy. Not super fast, but it would get up to speed pretty decent like. people would think, ha, volvo, and then be surprised when i took off. that and its under a tonne, which helps. Who gives a crap what your mates think, you've got something with a bigger engine, and its RWD. that, and its waaaay simpler and lighter than the more modern tat about.

[2 Fast 4 U]

The fastest I have driven my 1.4 is 160 km/h on the German Autobahn and I still had some room between the pedal and the floor, but I had to slow down for the wife , so I wouldn't say a 1.4 is slow

[volvodspec]

a standard B14 can really give a lot of driving fun. i think that on a straight line the slow-shift gearbox is probably one of the disadvantages that really take time. above 60mph you start to miss more horsepower. there's a solution though; convert it to turbo like i did , my mates 555 impreza is only a tiny tat quicker than me on straight, and i still run relatively low boost atm

[theo2468]

as long as its revvy im happy because cornwall back roads, nice and twisty, up and down hills you need some revs

[Hell Driver]

It's a long time since I "compared" the performance of a 1.4 with other cars However as mine was a variomatic other drivers had a heart attack when they went for second gear and I just surged ahead in a tatty 15 year old car . I would soon be out run however by a more power full car once they got going. I learned to pick my fights carefully! Very nippy in traffic and in short bursts between lights but thats all.

One thing a 1.4 teaches you about though is momentum and how to conserve it when approaching traffic lights and planning overtaking. Don't tailgate a car you are about to overtake and then try to accelerate past it. Stay back and catch it up before you pull out, then less acceleration is needed and you have some in reserve if you need it. This is something I use to great effect regularly in the truck to pass little old ladies who insist in doing 5mph below the limit. Just be ready in case the driver you are passing doesn't notice you and pulls an unexpected stunt as they won't have seen you in their mirror for as long. Also be ready to break if the situation ahead changes, you'll need more space between to slow down if you can't pass.

Most important of all don't get involved in racing, just think how important your car and licence is going to be to you, apart from all the other stuff involved in crashing

[jon-ovlov]

I'd agree with that! Taught me how to overtake with low power, and keep the speed up. Seconded on the "racing on the street" too. Its stupid. I know you wont do it Theo, your a pretty sensible lad, but racing is pointless, ont street. You'd just be another YOUF racing a corsa innit blud.

easy for me to say though, I have no competitive side to me what so ever.

[theo2468]

of course im a sensible lad
theres one thing im dieing to do once ive learnt how to get my back end out a bit, theres a huge "T" junction on this back road and it gets some slippy in the wet. ill make sure know ones about of course and o it in the night. even tho harderly any one uses these roads any more accept people who love burning there cars up and down them

[jon-ovlov]

ha ha! cool. I keep eyeing up my uni's entrance, you could drift the whole thing if you set up right. 1.4s do slide in the wet quite easy. Scandi flick works best ive found, and speed. Handbrakes crap, and dont clutch kick, it just flops around. that and I didnt want to risk breaking stuff!

I dunno, theres me talking bout not doing stuff and "dont be silly", but as soon as anything drift related comes about, im all over it. Terrible.

I'd watch for the other lads burning up and down the roads, sooner or later the po-po will wise up, and sods law you'll be the one whos caught. They're shneidy buggers they are . . .

[mrsoundcraft]

I dont find the 1.4 slow and my other car's got 4x the power. It's definatly not as quick but in the volvo I do find my self considering overtaking the car in front or activly having to maintain a gap. Having a side exit and no interior probably makes it feel faster than it is though.

I enjoy the effort involved in getting to 60 in it and with all the suspension mods and wide wheels I feel as confident in it in a corner as I do in the celica.
An just to top things off I let my mate have a go in it on the track (he has a fully track prepped imprezza) and he came out the car saying it was more fun on the track than his.