Psycho Drive Customs

[SaberFire]

Welcome to Psycho Drive Customs:
Drive for the experience

Here, at Psycho Drive Customs, we don't tune for speed. We don't tune for competition. No, no, we tune for a unique driving experience.
Many of you will probably scoff at the concept of cars being not being tuned to win. But, within lies the question.
What's the point in tuning a car until it feels like every other hard tuned racer out there? Different cars have different characteristics, and PDC aim to bring these unique quirks to the forefront.

From Grand Tourers to Kei cars, from Pickup Trucks to family saloons, each car has particular characteristics that separate it from competing models. These character quirks can be felt when driving, but usually, it's a subconscious feeling. On the back of your mind, you can feel the car itching to let the back slide out, shift more weight to the left, generate more downforce during a turn, but it hasn't yet been tuned to the potential it wishes for.

And, also in addition to our tuning philosophy, we aim for a minimalistic tune. We try to keep the car as true to it's original form as much as possible, while bringing out the personality. If the car doesn't need a triple-plate clutch, we won't use it. Why replace parts until you're just driving what is essentially an engine swap with a particular body?


But of course, not to say that these cars won't win races . You'll find them a much more energetic beast than their contemporaries in most cases, but not overly so. As we stated before, driving different cars should feel unique, and more speed doesn't necessarily make a better car.

But sometimes, fast gives a drive like no other.

Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
Aston Martin DB9
Fiat Punto
Alfa Romeo 156
Nissan Skyline R33 N1
Chevrolet Chevelle

Previews: The Works in Progress​

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AMMT​

If you're interested in racing tunes, the tuners at AMMT will almost certainly be able to facilitate your racing needs!

I plan to post up at least two car tunes soon. Just please note that this is more or less my first tuning foray and I expressly state that these cars may drive like a dream for me, but your driving style might reflect something totally different in your tests. 👍

I also wish not to step on any toes, and if I'm, like, infringing on any already claimed copyrights or similar car tunes, please let me know. If something looks eerily similar, it's probably because I lurk this board often and sometimes a particular setting roots itself into the back of my mind. Apologies if this occurs

 

[Lucas]

Let me be the first to congratulate your amazing opening! There seems to be potential in here, at least in the grammar area. Oh, and I want to asume that you are running this garage with someone else. If not, you will find yourself with trouble

 

[Rotary Junkie]

What about the cars that you can subconsciously feel trying to kill you?

Is that going to be made more prominent?

 

[SaberFire]

What about the cars that you can subconsciously feel trying to kill you?

Is that going to be made more prominent?

Almost certainly .
If a car wants to slide, but the suspension is just a bit too uptight? Loosen it and let it do a roll or ten down the track!

Let me be the first to congratulate your amazing opening! There seems to be potential in here, at least in the grammar area. Oh, and I want to asume that you are running this garage with someone else. If not, you will find yourself with trouble

...am I breaking the rules or is this some sort of hazing where I have to drink antifreeze while spinning at 6000RPM? I don't have a partner yet, unfortunately, since most of the guys I know prefer NFS and I'm a relative newbie to GTPlanet. .

 

[Lucas]

Ask around the forums. It is not that it is impossible, or going against the rules running a one-man garage. But you will find that it will be hard to live up to the expectations of other members. I have no intention to scare you, I'm just being honest. With two or three people, four would be even better, around you, it will become easier for you to find time to tune

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Almost certainly .
If a car wants to slide, but the suspension is just a bit too uptight? Loosen it and let it do a roll or ten down the track!

Wanting to slide and wanting to kill are two different things my friend.

Ask around the forums. It is not that it is impossible, or going against the rules running a one-man garage. But you will find that it will be hard to live up to the expectations of other members. I have no intention to scare you, I'm just being honest. With two or three people, four would be even better, around you, it will become easier for you to find time to tune

Mafs is alone, d24/7 is alone, shoman was alone...

Having extra people is certainly not necessary, and there's certainly no "rule" against being alone.

 

[SaberFire]

Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 '95
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3000GT
Exhaust: Racing

Computer Type: Equip

Tyres: Sports Medium

Turbine Kit: Stage 2

Intercooler: Racing: Large

Brakes: Racing

Brake Balance Controller:
10/8

Suspension: Racing
Spring Rate: 9.0/4.8
Ride Height: 120/130
Bounce: 8/8
Rebound: 6/6
Camber: 2.0/1.0
Toe: 0/0
Stabiliser: 4/4

Clutch: Triple Plate

Flywheel: Racing

Propeller Shaft: Equip

ASM Oversteer: 0
ASM Understeer: 10
TSC: 0

Weight Reduction: Stage 3

Roll Cage: Yes

Body Refresh: Yes
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Originally this started out as a racing modification, as evidenced by the weight reduction and triple plate clutch, among other frivialies. It was a proficient, if boring racer. Although it drove well, nothing particularly screamed personality about it. It held corners well, flew down straights and accelerated very well. But it came to a point where the car had lost all personality. It was no longer fun to drive as when I first bought it. It was stiff, overly grippy and all in all rather subdued.

That is where the idea of Psycho Drive came from. When I first drove this car, I noticed that when you took a wide corner such as the last one on Special Stage 5, while the body yearned to slide out wide, the 4WD system kept its hold on the tarmac, and this was at great expense to speed.

Although I admit nothing much has changed in the tune, it has made quite a large difference. It slides on but a whim, yet when the situation requires it, it can grip the corners without spinning out into a frenzy of smoke.

However, throttle control and nerves of steel will be required if you wish to keep it going at least somewhat straight, as it tends to go sideways if you are particularly heavy handed with the steering or lead footed with the accelerator.
It may share much characteristics with perhaps a car tuned for drifting, but in essence, this is what the car likes to do. It hasn't been hard-tuned towards the purpose, but rather guided PDC to the tune.

Reviews and criticism greatly appreciated! After all, who are the best drivers, but you, the customer?

 

[SaberFire]

Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '03
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DB9
Exhaust: Racing

NA Tune-Up: Stage 2

Tyres: Sports Medium

Brakes: Racing

Suspension: Racing
Spring Rate: 12.0/9.0
Ride Height: 105/115
Bounce: 8/8
Rebound: 7/7
Camber: 2.0/0.0
Toe: 0/0
Stabiliser: 5/5

Propeller Shaft: Equip

ASM Oversteer: 0
ASM Understeer: 7
TSS: 2

LSD: Fully Customisable
Initial Torque: 15
Acceleration: 40
Deceleration: 25

*NOTE: Apparently, by reducing the Acceleration to 35, grip is improved at the expense of the sliding ability and slight speed reduction*
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The Aston Martin DB9 is an odd one. On the one hand, it seems like an eloquent Grand Tourer, perfect for those long drives on the highway after a hard days work. On the other hand, it's simply a heavy supercar. I tried finding the balance in between the two, and I think I might have been successful.

When I first bought this car, I must be honest with my opinion here, I thought it was awful. It had heavy steering, a weak engine punch and brakes erring on the side of dangerous. And with the aids turned off, the weight turned into something capable of throwing you across both sides of the track during the same turn.

I attributed this to the suspension. It never had much sway, and even rumble strips threatened to throw the car onto two wheels. So I adjusted the dampers, spring rates and then gave it a spin. It was an unsatisfactory result, so I applied more power, and adjusted the aids. And I think that's where I nailed the proverbial "it".

Although these pictures may lead you to believe otherwise, this car is in fact quite in control at all times. You never feel as if it's suddenly about to lose grip during a slide. It just keeps the wheels spinning while making sure the car is kept on the path you set it in.

In fact, it rather feels as if the sliding is unnecessary, as there is literally no effort into having a controlled slide. It's just like driving normally, yet the Aston feels like it wants to show a bit of that supercar muscle and expresses it by going sideways.

This is a lot more of a minimalistic tune, and I think it shows. It's still a DB9, but it occasionally comes out of its wing back armchair only to turn up the stereo and thrash it out to some speed metal. 👍

Comments and criticism good or bad is greatly appreciated, after all, where do I know where I'm going wrong?

 

[PF]

Gotta say mate, I'm impressed with your efforts so far. Layout and presentation is exceptional. Can I suggest that you list the refresh before the rollcage, as it does apparently make a difference doing it in that order.

I'm keen to review a car or two but have a lot on my plate atm. However, it seems that this garage will be around longer than the current average of 15min/new garage so surely I'll get to it. It might be worth PMing Camryfan to ask if he has time to do a review. He's an intelligent and passionate reviewer and a top bloke, will probably come down to whether he has time with study etc.

some speed metal

Check out The Bezerker. I've seen some surprising results with fast metal or techno that I'd attribute to a possible relation b/w a fast tempo and motor neurone behaviour.

One final note: if you continue to use AIDS other than TCS 1 or 2 you will be hanged on a street corner by a bunch of pitchfork-waving inbreds (I'll be among them). The consensus since circa '05 has been Aids=AIDS. It's not part of the rules of the board or AUP, nor bad etiquette, but the result of tens of thousands of hours testing, analysing and arguing by gtp members. I'm just warning you, if you do use AIDS you will be heavily criticised for doing so.

 

[MinoltaMan89]

Nice pics there.

 

[SaberFire]

Gotta say mate, I'm impressed with your efforts so far. Layout and presentation is exceptional. Can I suggest that you list the refresh before the rollcage, as it does apparently make a difference doing it in that order.

I'm keen to review a car or two but have a lot on my plate atm. However, it seems that this garage will be around longer than the current average of 15min/new garage so surely I'll get to it. It might be worth PMing Camryfan to ask if he has time to do a review. He's an intelligent and passionate reviewer and a top bloke, will probably come down to whether he has time with study etc.



Check out The Bezerker. I've seen some surprising results with fast metal or techno that I'd attribute to a possible relation b/w a fast tempo and motor neurone behaviour.

One final note: if you continue to use AIDS other than TCS 1 or 2 you will be hanged on a street corner by a bunch of pitchfork-waving inbreds (I'll be among them). The consensus since circa '05 has been Aids=AIDS. It's not part of the rules of the board or AUP, nor bad etiquette, but the result of tens of thousands of hours testing, analysing and arguing by gtp members. I'm just warning you, if you do use AIDS you will be heavily criticised for doing so.

First I'd like to say thanks for the advice, and thanks to RotaryJunkie and Codename L as well. Being a n00b is difficult, so it's nice to know the smart people are there to give you a tip or two.

About the rollcage thing, that's news to me, so I'll have to test that out someday and see the difference. I find myself constantly surprised by the hidden physics of this game and I've got a long way to go before these tunes get to where they should be.
Since I'm as fresh as a daisy to tuning, I usually use the aids to set a benchmark of where I need the mechanical tuning to reach. Whenever I buy a car in this game, first thing I do is take the Aids off to actually drive the car per sé, then build a tune around that, and apply the aids where necessary.

Thanks for the tip, though!

Nice pics there.

I do try

 

[SaberFire]

Previews: The Works in Progress
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[Lucas]

Things look pretty well. I will give a try to Aston Martin tomorrow. Seems like PF pointed out the driving aids. I was going to, but in a much less honest way

 

[SaberFire]

I know, I'm really just a delicate flower, really
On my WIP Punto, I'm slowly eliminating the Aids through ballast. So far, it just makes me look and drive like a drunk driver.

 

[CamryFan]

It might be worth PMing Camryfan to ask if he has time to do a review. He's an intelligent and passionate reviewer and a top bloke, will probably come down to whether he has time with study etc.

Ahh. Nice too know I still got the right touch for car reviews. Anyway if a car is really exciting or interesting or radical then it normally will lead it self into a passionate review which some of cars seem to be tuned for, excitement.

One final note: if you continue to use AIDS other than TCS 1 or 2 you will be hanged on a street corner by a bunch of pitchfork-waving inbreds (I'll be among them). The consensus since circa '05 has been Aids=AIDS. It's not part of the rules of the board or AUP, nor bad etiquette, but the result of tens of thousands of hours testing, analysing and arguing by gtp members. I'm just warning you, if you do use AIDS you will be heavily criticised for doing so.

Pitchfork-waving inbreeds, nice touch. But yeah just reinforcing the point aids= AIDS (the std).

Hope you have a lot of time and really enjoy tuning cars cause you're going to have to pumped them out pretty fast if you're working by yourself. I know that from personal experience.

 

[CamryFan]

Ahh. Nice too know I still got the right touch for car reviews. Anyway if a car is really exciting or interesting or radical then it normally will lead it self into a passionate review which some of cars seem to be tuned for, excitement.



Pitchfork-waving inbreeds, nice touch. But yeah just reinforcing the point aids= AIDS (the std).

Hope you have a lot of time and really enjoy tuning cars cause you're going to have to pumped them out pretty fast if you're working by yourself. I know that from personal experience.

Also from the PF quote above PF is a damn good review, like he said he's just busy with other things.

 

[SaberFire]

Fiat Punto Abarth '00
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Punto

Exhaust: Racing

NA tune-up: Stage 1

Tyres: Sports Medium

Suspension: Racing
Spring Rate: 10.5/11.0
Ride Height: 92/100
Bounce: 8/8
Rebound: 5/6
Camber: 2.0/1.5
Toe: 0/0
Stabiliser: 4/4

Flywheel: Racing
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The Fiat Punto is common sight on city streets. Its small size and agile body are quite useful for city commuting and it has enough power to suit all needs.

However, there is a particular circle where this is all appreciated, along with the aesthetics and more. In every city, you'll find a vibrant street-racing scene. Many of the participants are, however, quite young. As such, it is difficult to get a "cool" car, yet keep the insurance Premium down.

Enter the Punto Abarth. The exact same as the common city car, yet it has a little more character to it. It has a lot more kick, and a distinct engine note to convey the power contained in such a small car and to keep it agile, which is crucial for races in tight city districts, the suspension has been adjusted. Yet despite all this, it is still relatively cheap to insure compared to some of the more popular coupés on the scene.

Although it may be agile, it is advised that steady throttle control is used to make sure you don't clip the walls on exiting corners, as the FWD set up of the car is a slight hampering factor.

Reviews and Comments are appreciated, of course. 👍

 

[SaberFire]

Alfa Romeo 156 2.5 V6 24V '98
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Alfa 156

Exhaust: Racing

Computer: Equip

NA Tune-Up: Stage 1

Tyres: Sports Medium

Brakes: Racing

Suspension: Racing
Spring Rate: 8.7/9.3
Ride Height: 120/133
Bounce: 6/6
Rebound: 8/8
Camber: 1.5/0.0
Toe: 0/0
Stabiliser: 4/4

Flywheel: Sports

LSD: 1 Way LSD

Ballast:
Weight:30
F/R: 45
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The Alfa 156. First impressions of this car allude to the idea that it's geared towards families or businesses. Seems kind of a so-so car. It's average. Run of the mill. The same as every other Mondeo, Vectra and Golf out there. But beneath the relatively tame, if distinctly Alfa look, there lies something that will make Daddy come out all boy racer again.

One of the main drawbacks to this car is that for sakes of making the car simpler to manufacture and cheaper to buy is that it is a FWD. This means that whatever grunt the engine has is usually misrepresented, and the handling is usually adversely affected. Much weight and all the power is at the front, which means the back end is a lot lighter than it should be.

So, to get the most fun out of the engine while retaining that family friendliness, ballast was added to the boot of the car, to help the back end stick to the ground, and even weight distribution. The car is already particularly heavy, so I saw fit to improve the engine to provide a little extra power to make the extra weight work to its advantage.

As this is primarily a passenger car, and I have not forgotten that fact, the ride is quite smooth, as it should be. Wheel spin is minimal, even without traction control, and at lower RPMs it is quite civilised. But when you need to let your hair down a bit and race through the beautiful country side in peace, this car will co-operate in a manner quite un-befitting its target market.

The suspension was tightened to ensure that the car turned smoothly, yet left the ride smooth enough for the passengers. Care was taken to reduce wheel spin by installing a rudimentary differential to keep the car as refined and civilised as possible.

Comments and Criticism would be nice!

 

[in.s@ne]

Alfa Romeo 156
I recently drove an Alfa 159 Diesel, and after that, I wanted to shoot myself in the head. Instead, I stepped into this 156 Petrol, hoping for a bit more fun and excitement.
This car has been prepared by the team at Psycho Drive Customs, and has been given some stiffer suspension as well as a power boost. The new exhaust gives it a rousing exhaust note, and in a straight line, I got it up to 124 miles per hour on the Twin Ring Montegi back straight.
The efforts to keep this Alfa as a family car have worked - the suspension, while stiffer than the original, is still relatively smooth and on the open road, rides the bumps brilliantly. It's not too loud, and nor is it too dangerous - on a whole day's testing, I never once got the tail out, nor spun.
On some racing laps, I found that the car felt very neutral through the bends - a satisfying amount of grip through even the faster chicanes on our Twin Ring East test circuit, although 20 more bhp would be nice.
Handling, however, definitely isn't the strongest point here. Yes, it's neutral and grips well, but the car feels big and heavy, and very lethargic. OK, I'm not expecting it to be an athlete around the corners, but when I turn the wheel, I would like something a bit sharper than what it is. The gearing is also very tall, I only used 4 gears throughout our whole circuit, and the power is only really available at 6500rpm+, so this car would definitely benefit from a shorter range box.
Overall, this car grips well, and rides the road well. If you need a family coupe for the kids, but want a car that's still OK to thrash around the track, then this isn't bad.
If only it was a bit stiffer...

 

[CamryFan]

Nice Review Ins@ne. Very clear and concise.

 

[Watchman]

Hello SaberFire! Congratulations on your garage 👍 I hope it'll get better and better from day to day like others at GTPlanet .. If you need help or car reviews, feel free to tell me and I'll see what I can do for you ..

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

 

[MinoltaMan89]

S-Line Audi Fan, it's been months since I last saw you on here. What happened?

 

[SaberFire]

@ in.s@ne

First, I'd like to thank you for the very detailed and clear review! Although it is by no means an unfinished tune, I do feel that the best way to get the perfect tune is through the opinion of others, especially since my driving skill is far surpassed by many others.
As for the criticism, I do agree that the suspension needs to be stiffer, and I feel as if it could be a lot more stiffer without sacrificing the ride quality.
I still feel that if this car was perhaps a RWD it would make all the difference in terms of using the power effectively, and reading your comment about the gearing, I shall review and alter the gearing in the near future.

As is the custom around many garages, you may request a car for tuning if you so wish 👍.

@ S-Line Audi Fan

Thank you very much for the warm welcome!

 

[Watchman]

S-Line Audi Fan, it's been months since I last saw you on here. What happened?

Sorry buddy .. But I had no internet connection for one month.. What d'you think about talking private? Maybe in my website chat? 💡 Just PM me ..

@ S-Line Audi Fan

Thank you very much for the warm welcome!

You're welcome, buddy ..

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

 

[senamic]

Great Garage Saberfire, brilliant line up so far. Keep up the good work.
P.S. I may post a review soon

 

[SaberFire]

Alright, after that horrible time gap, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things, and within the next two days or so plan to release at least 4 cars or so.
It feels good to be back!

 

[Watchman]

Welcome back, man! I can't await to see those cars

 

[SaberFire]

Nissan Skyline R33 N1 '95
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R33 N1
Exhaust: Racing

Computer: Equip

Tyres: Sports Soft

Turbo: Stage 1

Intercooler: Sports

Brakes: Racing

Brake Balance Controller: 16/10

Suspension: Original
Spring Rate: 7.0/9.0
Ride Height: 74/74
Damper: 4/9
Camber: 2.0/1.5
Toe: 0/0
Stabiliser: 4/3

Transmission: Fully Customisable
Autoset: 11

Clutch: Sports

Flywheel: Semi-racing

Propeller Shaft: Equip

TCS: 1

Downforce: 30/10

VCD: 20


Weight Reduction: Stage 2

Port Polish

Re-bore/Displacement

Stiffness

Spoiler Equipped
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The "middle child" of the most popular Skylines (R32/R33/R34), this car never garnered much attention compared to the R32 or the R34. I can't recall this being very popular as the R32 in the race scene or the R34 in the street scene. But the car introduced a lot of new gizmos and it felt like it had something to prove. So, after purchasing a used N1, I got to work.
With the VC settings diverting power largely to the rear wheels, you wouldn't be mistaken for believing that the 4WD stability has been sacrificed for the handling. Indeed, upon reaching high speeds, the steering became a deathwish, with snap oversteer being a major problem. As such, it was necessary to add an adjustable spoiler to provide much needed downforce.

But even though it provides quite a copious amount of grip through the corners, and give stability at high speeds, if you try pushing too hard, the car will let you know. It'll start sliding gently at first, just to let you know you're approaching the limit. I recommend you listen

 

[SaberFire]

Chevrolet Chevelle 454 SS '70
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Chevelle

Exhaust: Racing

NA Tune Up: Stage 3

Tyres: Sports Soft

Brakes: Racing

Suspension: Racing
Spring Rate: 6.4/3.9
Ride Height: 106/115
Bound: 6/7
Rebound: 8/10
Camber: 2.0/1.0
Toe: 0/0
Stabiliser: 4/4

Transmission: Fully Customisable
Autoset: 12

Propeller Shaft: Equipped

Port Polish

Engine Balancing

Stiffness
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The Chevrolet Chevelle is without a doubt, one of the greatest muscle cars of the golden age. The styling, the engines, the drive, it isn't hard to see why this car was so popular back in the days. And being somewhat partial to muscle cars, I didn't hesitate to take it to the rolling hills of the Nurburgring and see what it could throw at me. It failed to disappoint.

Being somewhat of a purist when it comes to older machines, I was glad to see that electronic aids such as Traction Control and Stability Management were in fact, holding such a great car back. Bowling down to a corner at 70mph before sliding around it without a drop in RPM is an indescribable feeling. The only problem was the tenancy for snap oversteer and ending up spinning around in a gravel trap somewhere. So, slapping on some Soft tires, bigger brake discs and a suspension package, the snap oversteer became practically none existent.

Not completely satisfied, though, I turned to an area which can always use an improvement; the engine. In a muscle car, bigger always means better, and I follow this rule to a fault. Careful to avoid technological frippery, I stuck to a strictly mechanical upgrade sheet to keep the car working by itself. And, after the engine came the transmission, adding an extra drive gear and increasing the top speed to 160MPH+, I'm glad to say that this is some of the best fun I've ever had around the Nurburgring.

There were thoughts about adding an LSD, but in the end I decided not too. Apart from drastically changing the handling characteristics, it took away something that makes it a muscle car. The simple, cheap thrills of putting your foot down, making a cloud of smoke and rocketing into the distance that you sadly just don't get with today's "Muscle Cars". Capable of spinning the wheels full throttle up to 4th gear, corners become a measure of how much mettle you have.

Enjoy 👍

OPTIONAL: Adding a 1.5 LSD will generate a LOT of oversteer when you break traction, as RJ pointed out, at the expense of being slightly less responsive in corners

 

[Rotary Junkie]

You do realize that the lack of an LSD in that Chevelle is not keeping the car true to its roots, don't you? Rather it's dumbing it down to drive. More wheelspin, yes, but less sideways action because it just spins the inside tire to death all the way down the next straight if you keep your foot in it.

Most any 454SS is going to have a posi-traction rear differential IRL (and go VERY sideways when it breaks traction), but PD decided to give EVERY muscle car of any sort an open differential which means they 1-wheel-peel into oblivion and don't oversteer near as much.