Been using the STR for my teenagers driving experience which currently requires me to ride along. Just thinking ahead when he might be able to drive solo; as I am not comfortable letting him use the 400 hp missile.
Are there any easy and reversible ways to lower the power but still make the car drivable.


I note that when I get my intermittent knock sensor malfunction signal it triggers restricted performance until about 30 minutes after the car has reached operating temperature. The car actually performs pretty good with that restricted performance. Pulls well up to about 2200 rpm then cuts out a bit. Any way to turn on this type of restricted performance would be a possible option.

 

I believe there is a valet key supplyed with all STR's.
That puts the car in a low power output mode .
Your dealer may be able to hook you up with a replacement key ?
Otherwise just buy him a Toyota anything . Will hold him back sufficiently .
As long as it is not powered by a 1UZ or 2jZ he will be fine .
Or alternatively just buy a 2.5 or 3.0 s type to learn the ropes in ?
my guess would be the v6 s type will be a cheeper option than getting a valet key from the dealer .

 

I'd find out why the RP light is coming on and fix rather than risking doing damage to the car.

If you're not confident about your son's ability to drive responsibly, then get him a civic. better yet, let him buy it.

 

Well when I lost an idler pulley and tore the SC belt in half on my 2005 STR. The car was lot tamer to drive!

Pull the SC belt. It's pretty simple to do and it only costs a bit of time. Completely reversible. I drove mine like that for a couple of weeks waiting on the parts to arrive.

It was doggy but adequate to drive and no increase in fuel mileage either!
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I agree a small car with 4 cylinder motor might be good but hoping to keep the fleet size from growing too much too soon. Supercharger belt is an interesting idea. On any car, it might be a nice feature for the parent to be able to limit the top speed? Kid would really like to drive the '72 XJ6, but like most older cars it is slight fussy.

Btw. My RP is for a false signal from the Bank 1 knock sensor which is faulty after the car has been sitting overnight during rain or heavy fog. There is no engine knocking and RP disappears after engine is warmed and about 30 minutes of driving. I'm not planning on pulling the supercharger again on this car! I do plan to take a look at the electrical harness plug from the bank 1 knock sensor to see if it is the culprit?

 

+1 on thread #3.

 

Have a speed restrictor fitted, like on the heavy goods vehicles. Here in the UK they cannot go above 56mph.