Few Questions About The Typhoons

[scotty014]

hi everyone my name is scott and im a member of skylines australia. ok so I used to own a skyline r34 gtt then for 10 months I owned a very nice r34 gtr which got professionally stolen a few weeks ago :( now I have been paid out so I have money for a new car which is why I have come here to get some help about these typhoons.

Ive been looking at plenty of cars and thinking of going something a bit different so here comes the questions:

1. whats the handling really feel like eg. does the steering feel instant or floaty? I know it weighs about 200kg more than my old car so was wondering does it really feel heavy? I was going to buy tein coilovers and swaybars for it anyway which should help.

2. is it true that if you put an aftermarket exhaust on it you have to get it tuned? because on my skyline you didnt have to it would just run a bit more rich.

3. im probably going to go with manual but is the auto really that good and better then the manual?

thanks everyone if you have anything else to add about these cars please post I appreciate it.

thanks.

scott.

[Goose]

Hi Scotty,

I'm onto my 3rd turbo falcon now and I gotta say, I do love them.

1. The handling is really quite good for a big, long, rear wheel drive. Coming out of a GTR I think you might find it a little disappointing though. I've had my new FG for a couple of weeks now and the steering is definately a lot lighter than the BA/BF. It's still very acurate and direct though. The car definately doesn't feel like it weighs 1800kgs. The seats on the otherhand are pretty average. I find through heavy cornering I'm fighting a lot more to hold myself in the seat than hold the car through the corner.

Given that (apparently) in 2010 Ford only sold 22,000 Falcons compared for around 80-90,000 back in 2002, they're definately very open to "selling" cars at the moment and if you find somewhere quiet, the salesmen might be very open to allowing you a good test out of the car on a test drive.

2. Pretty much any change you make to the car to gain a performance increase will require a re-tune to get the most out of it. "Ford Flashers" are around $600 and then some dyno time at a reputable tuner will be around $1000. If you're just out for more noise, then you might be able to skip the tune.

3. My first falcon was the old 5 speed manual and I loved it to bits. The second time around I grabbed a Tyhpoon with the ZF 6-speed auto and as far as auto's go, it's amazing. Still on the track and on twisty roads it really felt lacking to me. I've got a manual this time around with the new one and gawd I've missed it. It's a Tremec 6060 in the FG's and it's unreal. If you're ever going to be doing spirited driving, I've gotta recommend the manual. As nice as the auto is, the new 6speed manual doesn't really have any downsides for me. I sit in stop/start traffic to and from work each day and it's very driveable from that point of view.

Hope this helps.

Adam

Edit: fixed spelling.

Edited 19/04/11 03:24 AM by Goose

[scotty014]

thanks mate, I understand the handling wont be like a gtr but im hoping it doesnt feel loose, I like my steering to be tight and direct. the only reason im saying this is because my parents used to have a ford BA model and I didnt like driving that because I could wobble the wheel around and the car wouldnt react and it felt very floaty.

if I do go exhaust it will be a full turbo back system.

also I agree with you I will be going with a manual forsure.

[Wenier]

With your suspension mods you'll probably find it alot tighter. You could pm Senna_T on the forum he would be the man to sort you a good handling package as that is his area.

As for tuning anytime you remove a major restriction a tune is recommended as it will generally overboost and could blow your motor, so cat back exhaust you would be fine, turbo back requires tune. On the intake side same thing if you remove the restrictive point it will need a tune otherwise it should be fine.

As for auto or manual, I have a manual bf2 ute and absolutely love it. I deal with start/stop traffic as well and it isnt a problem, and on the track it loves the abuse. If anything the shifting at the track is better than normal lazy road driving.

Best thing would be to test drive both auto and man and see what you think. As for power these things love making it with mods so with your previous car history your heading in right direction, pity bout the gtr that would have been awesome.

[scotty014]

thanks, I think ill go with suspension first and definitely manual ive always had a manual so I think ill continue that. ill admit I loved my gtr alot but wasnt a great daily because I worried about it all the time and now I can see why to have an unmarked tow truck with no number plates to rock up and put it on the back and drive off to never see it again was a heart breaking experience that I dont want to go through again. so I think one of these will be a great daily plus have fun on the track and skidpan and eventually get another gtr as my second car.

thanks for your help so far guys I really appreciate it.

scott.

[will-82]

Hey mate

I own a Gtr as well as a typhoon,

Both cars have their good and bad points between each other, the Gtr stops and handles alot better then the typhoon but the typhoon is smoother and and alot more comfortable,

As we know both cars are capable of making 400kw at the wheels, the Gtr will put it on the ground a lot better (that's obvious) but the typhoon will be making power almost from a standing start where the Gtr you really need to wait for it.

Then there are the little things like the typhoon being less likely to be stolen, cops leave them alone a lot more and you can fit everything in the boot of them,

The other thing with the typhoon is you only need one car

You don't need the daily driver like with a Gtr cause the typhoon will do both

But in saying all that I still love my Gtr and don't think I could ever give it up

Cheers brett

[Dillz]

The FG's feel allot "tighter" then the B series as far as handling but if you want it to even come close to the GTR I'd be looking at spending a little on suspension upgrades.

They will never be an R34 GTR but in a straight line these taxi's can definitely hold there own, even in stock form.

(For the record a bayside GTR will be my next car )

[Phoontastic]

Mate, I highly recommend Tein, Nolathane and Whiteline to help make the taxi handle. Once you've done these upgrades you will definitely be happy with the handling of the beast. No GTR but still respectable and a bundle of fun, all day, every day.

[arronm]

Grab a BF typhoon or an FG typhoon if you have the extra money. The typhoons have better brakes and a nicer interior dual zone air and a better stereo standard. Buy a manual for fun or an auto if you want to drag race. Then as Phoontastic suggested spend some cash on tein and whiteline.

[bcl]

Hi Scotty,

Sorry to hear about your GTR.

1.The Ford will feel a lot heavier in the front end, largely due to the weight, and won’t turn in as well. The Ford, with the correct suspension set-up, will feel very stable the other side of 200kph and not float at all (as I have tested). Will feel good with Teins, but I would not describe it anywhere as “tight or direct” as a GTR, Sti or Evo.

Compared with a 1500kg STi or Evo ( similar to the 1530kg R34) the Ford feels a lot heavier and bigger (which it is). However, you can get the Ford to handle pretty well, but you will not have the awd traction that you had with the GTR.

2. get it custom tuned if you modify the exhaust

3. you cannot beat the ZF, as it mates best with ZF, unless you do mostly country driving.

A ZF F6 is a very quick car. The ZF can be very economical as well, especially on long trips with its very tall gearing.

If you want practicality and comfort an F6 is a good choice, and if you want to stop well you can pick up cheap 6-pot brembos.

Good luck.

Brian