Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: SP_3.2 on 15 December 2010, 14:59:39
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Just wondering how they where taught to get the most out of them and the handling. Seen as most seemed to be autos. Would that have used the box in manal mode, keep sports mode on all the time.
What where the tricks of the trade. :question
Thanks
Steve :y
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90% of the Omegas owned by the plod were manuals not autos. Autos were generally staff or dignitary cars ;)
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i'd have to disagree there matey,i dunno why the bizzys seemed to love a v6 vectra sri b with a auto shifter and the omegas too, i saw loads at auctions and they mostly were auto.
Now the blue light big lad 24valve senators i had were all manuals and i never ever saw a bizzy 24valver auto ::)
just my thoughts ;)
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Lee's correct, the majority of Omega's in service with the police were/are manuals.
Chiltern Transport Consortium (TVP and Bedfordshire) - 93% of the V6 Specials are manual.
The Metropolitan Police - 99% of Omega's were auto, I only know of 2 ex met manual Omega's.
In most other force areas, typically more than 80% of each force's fleet of V6 Specials were manual.
If anyone's interested I have figures from VX SVO about the V6 Specials and how many manuals to auto's were out there etc and some other basic details.
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Well 95-98% of Police cars I've seen this way are manual. Only seen x2 Autos.
Think most Officers prefer to drive manuals as more control of gear for conditions, autos obviously can be overridden, but if you're going to do that you may as well have a manual.
Mind you I have an auto and it's still quick ;) ::)
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All the AR vehicles I've seen have been auto, nd seen a fair few previously battenburg'd white ones with autoboxes. Often have LSDs that make them quicker
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Traffic police drove the Omega just like any other patrol car.
Various techniques when in pursuit included braking in high gear, without the use of engine braking, to give maximum revs when finally dropping a couple of gears through a block change an accelerating out at high speed.
I know because I was trained in those techniques, amoungst many others, by a senior police Traffic officer;) ;)
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I have three ex-plod MV6's - all automatic. Well they were anyhow.
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Mate of mine drives an ARV. All Omegas he's come across are 3.2 auto.
Kevin
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I drive an ex police unmarked 3.2 Manual ARV.
Suffolk had quite a few of these, all manual blocks.
As for driving ...it's all about bend assessment you know...looking far ahead for any dangers etc.
With those principles you can drive any vehicle at speed safely.
Ploppy
::) ::) ::) ::) ::) :y
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I don't know if there are any transmission preferrences, but I agree with many comments relating to the style of driving plod was instructed to use as I took the IAM advanced driving test where both my instructor and examiner were class 1 police pursuit drivers and used their official material to assist, which in the video showed only manual from my recollection. :D :D
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..... and I wouldn't hold Police drivers up as in any way special - they are without doubt the worst and most dangerous class of drivers on UK roads.
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I understand and agree to some extent considering some the MV incidents they have been involved with, but I believe there must be some starting point. If anyone out there is interested there is something that RoSPa do which is has 3 grades bronze, silver and gold.
Don't get me wrong, I am not advertising these orgs' just trying to give some useful info 8-) 8-) 8-)
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I don't know if there are any transmission preferrences, but I agree with many comments relating to the style of driving plod was instructed to use as I took the IAM advanced driving test where both my instructor and examiner were class 1 police pursuit drivers and used their official material to assist, which in the video showed only manual from my recollection. :D :D
As was mine when passed in 1990, Met Police as I lived in Hertfordshire at the time... Now I bought a Rover P6B (V8) auto and asked about techniques in my local IAM group with no particular advice re auto,s I guess then that this would be different now, I think there has been a massive increase in auto cars these days, and rightly so imho ;) ;)
I have borrowed my Mums car, a 2.0l HDI Pug 206????? little thing anyway, very quick but horribly uncomfortable and you need 3 legs to drive it, why would anyone use 3 pedals when 2 will do nicely for comfort or serious driving..... ;) ;) ;)
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living in london autos more advantageous although I have a manual through circumstance but will change in the future. However, it seems from a thread elsewhere on forum it is believed manuals more fuel efficient.
Whats your opinion? :D :D :D
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manual up to 5mpg more efficient.
my auto MV6 does about 8mpg less than my 5.7litre Holden
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..... and I wouldn't hold Police drivers up as in any way special - they are without doubt the worst and most dangerous class of drivers on UK roads.
I would agree with that to a certain extent as a result of bitter experience.
Some TrafPol I worked with were accomplished drivers as were the drivers used in other squads I worked in over the years.
While CPU drivers were well trained, in all those years I never saw a situation where that training was used in anger.
Finally in spite of what people may think armoured vehicles cannot be driven with destain as I once again found out after yet another interesting experience.
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agreed - I did a spell teaching what they call "on-limit" manoeuvres to Police drivers, they were all without exception of the "you can't teach me anything" variety.
ask a person the question "are you a good driver ?", and if they say yes, you've pretty much proved that they aren't
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I certainly found that. The only truly great driver I remember is the guy who taught me to drive (as a civilian)
He was an ex C8 driver who opened a driving school when he had his 30 done. He drove like a dream and a very impressive car control.
I needed four lessons in his Mk 1 Escort to pass the civvie test. Immediately afterwards he coached me for the AIM test.
In contrast when I was in the police driving school I found the instructors to be efficient and fast but not particularly stylish and certainly lacked the confidence inspiring car control that my first driving instructor had.
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I certainly found that. The only truly great driver I remember is the guy who taught me to drive (as a civilian)
He was an ex C8 driver who opened a driving school when he had his 30 done. He drove like a dream and a very impressive car control.
I needed four lessons in his Mk 1 Escort to pass the civvie test. Immediately afterwards he coached me for the AIM test.
In contrast when I was in the police driving school I found the instructors to be efficient and fast but not particularly stylish and certainly lacked the confidence inspiring car control that my first driving instructor had.
Is that, in part, because old skool cars had to be driven where as modern cars have so much electronic help you never really feel that you have full control. just a thought as in a moment of 'pig sick of modern cars' I was tempted to buy a pre electronic car... :D :D :D
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the truth is they are all told to drive it like you stole it ;D
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I guess I was very lucky, I obtained my ticket driving around london.. the red routes in a cheese grater or should I say manual Senator ....
Progress.... progress ....progress :y :y :y :o :o
It really is about getting to a job, safely ... hazard awareness and in one piece .
No one should put themselves or other road users in danger...
Blimey ... i must stop sounding old ::) ::) ::) :y
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I guess I was very lucky, I obtained my ticket driving around london.. the red routes in a cheese grater or should I say manual Senator ....
Progress.... progress ....progress :y :y :y :o :o
It really is about getting to a job, safely ... hazard awareness and in one piece .
No one should put themselves or other road users in danger...
Blimey ... i must stop sounding old ::) ::) ::) :y
I remember being told to "Crack on, son" by driving school instructors when in the midst of the most (to me) inappropriate circumstances. ;D
The basic problem with many police drivers is that they're not only driving but observing as well. (A completely different job)
Although it's a requirement for drivers to be vigilant in the general sense (over and above driving) the two things don't always conspire to allow the driver to drive safely.
The vast majority of the squads I worked in had dedicated drivers for that very reason. While I'm a reasonably good driver, I simply didn't have the skill set necessary to feel comfortable driving in the extended way often required.
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absolutely - it's all about observation, anticipation and smoothness.
The actual process of handling the vehicle comes way second to that.
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A lot of ordinary Officers (and some driver trained) fail to do the basic things like indicate when turning and I've seen a fair few carrying on going through traffic signals when there changing on the amber/red cycle ::)
the truth is they are all told to drive it like you stole it ;D
As for the above, well if they stuff the car, it's not their personal vehicle so doubt they're too worried.
Okay, so they'll have some explaining to do upon the investigation side of things after the accident, but they're is a different approach from Police being involved in an accident and a general member of the public.
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A lot of ordinary Officers (and some driver trained) fail to do the basic things like indicate when turning and I've seen a fair few carrying on going through traffic signals when there changing on the amber/red cycle ::)
the truth is they are all told to drive it like you stole it ;D
As for the above, well if they stuff the car, it's not their personal vehicle so doubt they're too worried.
Okay, so they'll have some explaining to do upon the investigation side of things after the accident, but they're is a different approach from Police being involved in an accident and a general member of the public.
Indeed, any POLAC, no matter how trivial, is investigated by a senior officer. They can face prosecution if it is found that not only have they breached Road Traffic Law, but also Police Driving Regulations. Unlike you and me (outside of being found drunk in charge or causing death by dangerous driving) they can lose their job, or be demoted.
All for going to the aid of the public, where life and death could be in the balance!
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I did 20yrs with the London Ambulance Service and the main thing that was strongly impressed on us that get to the call without taking any unecessary risks no matter how urgent it was, as to be involved in an accident would undoubtably require two or more ambulances to deal with a call that originally required one vehicle.Also immediate suspension from driving followed until the accident had been investigated. >:( :y
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personally, I think they all drive like they know they aren't going to be investigated.
well not until they've injured someone, anyway.