hi all new poster here , I put out an intro on the new members forum, but a long time lurker. currently a 993 owner and considering an F car to add or swap into, so far just 355s. I'm not very adept at a manual and have just discovered the existence of the valeo lol. wondering if any ny or LI guys may know of local examples perhaps so that I can get the flavor for one. I'll be happy to swap a joyride in my 993. cheers john
While the Valeo can be an awesome experience, how is that going to teach you to drive a stick? The last thing you want to do is learn on a 355 ($$$$). As a FYI, the only Ferrari that came with the Valeo was the Mondial (and one spec F-40).
hi wade sorry if i was unclear in my post. i was looking at 355 F1's and saw that the mondial had the valeo option. i agree if i really feel the need to learn a stick it wont be on an F car. in that case i would pick up maybe an older boxster or bmw that i could flip back out after a short time. cheers john
Valeo is a manual. The clutch is run effectively by computer. So you still have to shift up and down, and you have to work the throttle. You just don't need your left foot to work the clutch. Once the gearbox warms up, the Mondial's actually shift pretty well. It is just very direct and heavy, so you have to have a firm hand. There might be 5 or 6 Valeo's n the country. So if you want one, you are going to have to expand your geography. But this does not sound like the car to learn how to work a manual shift. Just IMHO. Good luck going forward. Regards, Jerry
hi Jerry thank you I'm confident I can handle the gated Valeo right off the bat without that third pedal, but would not want to buy one long dist without getting behind the wheel. my current level of 'skill' lol precludes me from test driving a true manual. that's why I thought maybe a local Valeo owner would possibly oblige if anyone's even out there. I respect the art of driving a stick but not sure I even want to deal with it being in the NY area. cheers john
John.. I have a 93 valeo outside Philly... Welcome to come down and test drive it.. Works just like regular gated manual without the clutch pedal. Takes a bit getting used to but a cool system and a ton of fun to drive. Cheers JZ
VW made an "AutoShift" transmission in Beetles and Karman Ghias (early 70s). Worked kinda like a Valeo. You still had to move the gear lever. However, there is no clutch pedal. In the VW (I think) the clutch was activated by pushing down on the gear shift. In the Valeo - it's computer controlled. Yes - I'm a VW guy. I don't have an autoshift. Both my Karman Ghias are of the old fashioned manual stick and clutch type. BTW - if you want to learn to drive a stick - an old Beetle or KG is a great choice. Easy to drive. Sid
hi jz thanks for the generous offer. might be a bit out of my geo range but I will ping you if that changes. cheers john
I am guessing that is the closest valeo. I don't know that there are more than 1/2 dozen in the U.S. If you are serious, 90 minute train ride from Penn Station puts you into Philly. Spend some time driving, catch a meal (and a cheesesteak!) and hop back on the train. I could think of worse ways to spend a day!!! Regards, Jerry
Jerry.. WAIT. The deal was a swap for joy ride in 993. No train rides needed. Offer still stands. Was just in NYC for 3 days but couldn't bring myself to drive her to the city.
993? If I bring my supercharged M5 (600+ at the crank) to Philly, I will give you a shout! Regards, Jerry
hi guys just coming back around on this. i see we may be starting a joyride-swap market lol. i will be mostly out east for the duration of the summer in case someones out that way. will ping back after that to see whats up. cheers and thanks again. john