On the 18th of July I took my theory test, I studied about 2 days before for a few hours. I passed.

I went searching for practical exam times and noticed that I was looking at about 9 weeks in my area( I had until the 18th of August to complete my UK license before they wouldn't allow me on the road) So I had found a cancellation in High-whycomb nearish to london. I took two lessesions from my neighbor who is an instructor, he didn't think I had much of a chance of passing having only 2 hours of instructor practice. Anyways today (25th July) I had the test, 2 points off! =) I was happy. He got me on poor hand control of the wheel( basically palming it, thats what I get for growing up on a farm) and he docked my for obsorvation because there was a van that was approaching the intersection very quickly and while I had plenty of room to go he said per the regs I should have waited, other than that it was flawless =)

I think it helped that the guy was a car freak and wanted to know everything about my car after I had passed my test =) He absolutely loved the ride and he could sit all day in it =)

And people say the UK test is hard!!! Attention to detail people! =)

From applying for my theory test to completing the practical it took me less than three weeks.

It is only hard if you cannot drive, and because most people who take it have never driven before they tend to freak and make mistakes. Though to make it harder they want to add a psychological exam to make sure you're not insane, or very angry and such. Was the car you passed in auto or manual?

My SRT-4, Manual.

Yeah if your starting from scratch it could be considered hard, but these are things you need to know to be able to control the car properly.

IMO the mirror checks are more of a way to let the instructor know that your wanting to be aware of your surroundings more than actually seeing whats going on.

Cool, you have a full licence. None of this nambypamby auto only some people do because manual is "too hard".

The trouble is there are people who are driving who shouldn't be. Like most things you are only taught to pass the test, you're not taught to drive. So you see people driving who can't do basic tasks, like park the car.

Well done!

I could allready drive before I started my lessons, but not the "proper" way that you get taught and also drove a scooter for a while so I also had the road knowledge, just had to learn to deal with situations on the road. Took me 10 lessons to pass, had 4 minors, I had 2 for the opposite of you....Undue hesitation, I could've went at a roundabout but I wasn't risking pulling out infront of someone.

It's quite a releif when you pass, I pretty much had the sh*t running down my leg in the morning before it, although while actually driving it was fine, you said your guy was into cars, the girl I had was rather stunning.

You're lucky, cos in a few months time, the law is changing you have to do at least 100 hours at a driving school before you can apply for your Practical. Congrats nonetheless and hope your "driving career" will be as joyful as possible

Quote from Viper93 :

And people say the UK test is hard!!! Attention to detail people! =)

From applying for my theory test to completing the practical it took me less than three weeks.

Not everyone. I had 11 lessons, passed with no minors, 35/35 on the theory. Passed the bike test the same, only that was a 3.5 day course.

Quote from Christofire :

Not everyone. I had 11 lessons, passed with no minors, 35/35 on the theory. Passed the bike test the same, only that was a 3.5 day course.

Your usually the exception =P

Thanks =) It's a big relief, I was nervious all day, but the second the instructor sat in that passenger seat it all went away. Now to go drag racing at santapod this weekend trying to cut a 2.0 60' and beat my 13.77 PB with a factory vehicle =), then to a track-day to Silverstone GP config in September =)

Quote from Xaid0n :

You're lucky, cos in a few months time, the law is changing you have to do at least 100 hours at a driving school before you can apply for your Practical. Congrats nonetheless and hope your "driving career" will be as joyful as possible

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Link? thats amazingly disgusting.

Only thing is is that i hear daft stuff like that all the tim stuff like its going to 21, which is bollocks aswell.

Chris, are you Dodge sponsored or something?

You've got a SRT-4 in the UK, and weren't you talking about a SRT-8 on Road Atlanta? If so how was it (one would imagine a bit soft)?

Anyway, gratz on your liscense!

Quote from Xaid0n :

You're lucky, cos in a few months time, the law is changing you have to do at least 100 hours at a driving school before you can apply for your Practical. Congrats nonetheless and hope your "driving career" will be as joyful as possible

That's ridiculous, one of my friends who wasn't amazingly gifted at driving still managed to pass (third try ) with 25 lessons.

Quote from DeKo :

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Link? thats amazingly disgusting.

Only thing is is that i hear daft stuff like that all the tim stuff like its going to 21, which is bollocks aswell.

Also sounds like 100% BS, as by the going rate that would add up to around £2000 of lessons, before any other expenses. Sure.

Quote from Xaid0n :

You're lucky, cos in a few months time, the law is changing you have to do at least 100 hours at a driving school before you can apply for your Practical. Congrats nonetheless and hope your "driving career" will be as joyful as possible

Um, i don't think this 'law' has actually been introduced yet. I'm sure there would be much more media coverage if it was actually happening.

There has been talk about increasing the amount of lesson time to 100 hours and also talk of not being able to take your test until 18, although being alowed to take lessons at 17.

Anyway, congrats on passing Also passed with only 2 minors.

Oh, now I can see why in Argentina we have one of the highest death rate in car accidents, here if you have the brain start an engine, not stalling it and park with a normal sedan in a space that you could park a battle ship you are ready to go.

I remember getting my drivers license and when I went for a ride I couldn't avoid repeating lots of mistakes, now I'm a decent driver, but I don't know if I could get a license in the UK, seem hard.

Ah, the first day when I got my license a car passed in a red light when I had green light and so by reaction I breaked with my left foot (ahhh LFS influences) and stalled the car in the middle of the road and as I was so nervous I kept stalling it :P

Here the test have become harder and harder over the years. Passing the test in 3 weeks wouldn't even be administratively possible. IIRC the theory test can be taken only 1 month after they registered you to the "prefecture" (so expect at least 1 month and a half) and you have to drive for at least 20 hours before taking the exam (if you can schedule them over less than 2 month you can consider yourself lucky; at least near paris).

Learning to drive the car is the easiest part. They are very pernickety. If you didn't slow down before a street that have the priority (i mean even if you don't see a car comming) you can say goodbye to your licence. If you forget to watch your mirror before slowing down it might achieve a similar result (And you better move your head so that they can see that you did it), even if you watched 10 secondes ago and there was no car comming 1 kilometer behind you, if you look like you're not confident bye bye, if the examinator don't like you... etc,etc...

The stats are funny, around paris IIRC ~25% succeed on their first try.
I passed my licence in march, we were 3, I'm the only one who got it. According to the driving teacher, the other guy drove perfectly but the examinator kept yelling at him and ....

I really love my country

Quote from srdsprinter :

Chris, are you Dodge sponsored or something?

You've got a SRT-4 in the UK, and weren't you talking about a SRT-8 on Road Atlanta? If so how was it (one would imagine a bit soft)?

Anyway, gratz on your liscense!

No, I wish =P Maybe one day =)

Which SRT-8 you refering to? I did an SRT track experience at Road America and I took the Charger, Magnum, and Crossfire around the track. Topped out at 130 or so before braking off the backstrait, could probably get 135 but the braking would have been tight =)

If your refering to the Charger, I liked it, until I went into a corner =) It was very tight when trying to get the car to turn, but then we didn't have alot of laps so it could have been me.

The crossfire was nice, felt really good, but like most factory cars still too tight for me.

The magnum was amazing! I loved it, it was such a big car (over 2 ton) but it just loved those corners, the rear end kicking out every time. The instructor couldn't go fast enough and he was actually holding me up =) It helped that he had 2 people in the car though =)

If anyone knows RA it's an amazing feeling going up thunder valley into the corner on the hill with the bridge at 90+, hoping you put enough steering in to not have an off on the other side as the car goes light over the crest =)

100hours seems reasonable, would give more time for the new learners to control the vehicle. When I went for my test there were people bouncing over the curb and lurching it everywhere.

o25% pass rate?! Scary, glad I did it here =)

Hmm... I might have to look into that if they still do the SRT experience. Sounds pretty neat. My friend has done 3 trackdays there in his E36 M3. I've never driven the track IRL, but he takes trackday videos and the track is nice.

Bridge corner is downright scary. A guy in a brand new Rousch Mustang had a "code brown" moment there the first day of the last weekend my friend ran. The mustang didn't hit anything, but was so shaken he packed it up and went home.

I loved that corner, you can't see a thing on the other side and the car goes light =) Trackdays are fun. I am doing one with my SRT on silverstone here in the beginning of sept.

Chris, your SRT-4 is still LHD, isn't it? What did the instructor say about riding on the "Driver's side?" LOL.

As a side note, I'll trade you my '03 GTI VR6 for your SRT-4 I only wish it was even half as fast...

Yeah it's LHD, he didn't say anything. I think they see a few every month, he seemed very impressed though and said it was the best riding car he ever rode in (ACR edition, standard SRT-4's are a bit sloppy, but still the best handling FWD, but only just, if you exclude the works edition Mini)

I will get right on that =P you have 4 wheel struts or is the rear end torsion beam? GTI's are nice cars and probably have more creature comforts, but if you want a snarling, grunting, snapping and poping street machine the SRT is the way to go!

Struts are not ideal but man they make for a cheap car that handles decent =) These engines are amazing, most people are making over 400WHP on stock internals and driveline, thats crazy. Some people are over 500. There are drag racers running over 800 and even 1200 on a 2.6 bore kit! Can't beat a factory car that the turbo starts to spool at 1600! Full boost(14SPI) around 2000. Soo much fun =)

Quote from Viper93 :

Yeah it's LHD, he didn't say anything. I think they see a few every month, he seemed very impressed though and said it was the best riding car he ever rode in (ACR edition, standard SRT-4's are a bit sloppy, but still the best handling FWD, but only just, if you exclude the works edition Mini)

I will get right on that =P you have 4 wheel struts or is the rear end torsion beam? GTI's are nice cars and probably have more creature comforts, but if you want a snarling, grunting, snapping and poping street machine the SRT is the way to go!

Struts are not ideal but man they make for a cheap car that handles decent =) These engines are amazing, most people are making over 400WHP on stock internals and driveline, thats crazy. Some people are over 500. There are drag racers running over 800 and even 1200 on a 2.6 bore kit! Can't beat a factory car that the turbo starts to spool at 1600! Full boost(14SPI) around 2000. Soo much fun =)

I have front struts and rear trailing arms, I need a rear antiroll bar, but even stock, a GTI handles really well. It's a lot quieter than an SRT-4 though, but with an exhaust system, that's a whole different story

SRT-4s are insane with power though.. 1200 is just nuts. There are VR6 turbos out there that make 700+, and even that's insane.

GTIs and Jettas have leather and can roll up the rear windows from the driver's seat though

wel iv got my first lesson booked for monday and im ABSOLUTELY SHITTING MYSELF! ! ! WAHOOO

Mines on Tuesday, and since i didnt book it with my instructer, ive got to use my Civic to do the test in, no PAS, no ABS, Cable Clutch....Im SOOOO gunna fail :/

Goodluck both of you =)

Quote from Captain Slow :

wel iv got my first lesson booked for monday and im ABSOLUTELY SHITTING MYSELF! ! ! WAHOOO

I'll make sure I'm driving around the Tow Law area on monday then


Good luck for the tests/lessons!