Hi laura, hi everyone...
latest update... i'm probably going to pass on the spit i told you about,
but i have decided to spend the absolute minimum on an oil-and go 10 year
old japanese piece of shit in the meantime so that the next decent spit i
see i can snap up right away... investments? pah!
incidentally, i was interested to see you (laura) mention a fiat spyder (i
didn't even know they existed in the US)... i could never make my mind up
about them, they look kinda cute in a wierd sort of way... but i know
nothing else about them. has anyone ever owned or driven one?
cheers
Joe
___________________________
Dr. Joseph Garner
University of California
Department of Animal Science
One Shields Avenue
Davis
CA 95616
USA
Phone: (530) 754 5291
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laura.G@141.com [mailto:Laura.G@141.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 10:58 AM
> To: Banbury, Terrence; 'Susan Hensley'
> Cc: spitfires@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Spitfire collisions/safety
>
>
>
> I never got Susan's message-but upon reading it, and her
> comments on the
> shoulder vs. lap belt question, I think I would have to
> agree. You know,
> when you think of how many little convertibles were on the
> road with only
> lap belts and I can't think (personally) of having heard of
> anyone who was
> killed or maimed in a Spit-or a Fiat Spyder, or...or...or...I
> did have a
> friend in Italy whose cousin was killed back in the sixties racing his
> Lancia coupe sportscar-missed a curve on a twisty coast road
> that he'd been
> driving all his life and went down a cliff. We always thought
> there must
> have been a mechanical failure for him to have missed that turn.
>
> I know that, driving the Spit as much as I do, I've thought
> often of the
> blowout that we had in my dad's station wagon when I was a
> kid-my mum laid
> down in the seat when she realized we were in for a bad
> one-if she'd had
> shoulder belt, she wouldn't have been able to to that. And I
> have often
> thought about the tension on my shoulder belt, and how would
> I be able do
> duck in a split second-I wouldn't. I must admit that many
> times, I put the
> shoulder part of the belt under my arm.
>
> The only people I have personally heard of getting killed in
> a car accident,
> have been properly belted, driving along like rational and
> sensible human
> beings, in bigger cars than Spitfires-and have been plowed
> into by drunk
> drivers. (One was driving a car the same size. The other, the
> drunk driver
> was driving a pick-up.) Of course, the drunks walked away
> without a scratch.
> I figure that even if I were driving a Humvee, if a drunk is
> going to plow
> into me I'm dead!
>
> I was hit by that Drunk driver in Italy and statistics show
> that what is
> it-one out of two or one out of three Americans will have a
> run in with a
> drunk driver-does it count if that encounter was outside of the U.S.?
>
> Laura G.
>
> Vita brevis est: rapide agite, vigore strigate!
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Banbury, Terrence <Terrence.Banbury@dnr.state.oh.us>
> To: 'Susan Hensley' <susan@bearcom.com>
> Cc: <spitfires@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 8:21 AM
> Subject: RE: Spitfire collisions/safety
>
>
> >
> > Well, my worst accident WAS a driver's side collision. A
> pickup truck was
> > speeding through a one lane construction zone head on at us
> and hit me and
> > my brother. I thought we were dead when I saw that huge
> grill coming at
> us.
> > I turned to the right, off the one open lane into the
> > under-construction-lane and that's when he T-boned us. No apparent
> > injuries. The next day I had a sore spot on the right side
> of my head and
> > my brother had one on his left side. We must have hit
> heads. I don't
> think
> > we had seat belts on (in 1974). I can't explain why we
> weren't really
> > injured more, BUT I can say that turning out of that lane
> prevented a head
> > on, which I'm sure would have been ugly. Old truck, bald
> tires, skid
> marks
> > a mile long, known local punk and bad boy at the wheel and
> the cop said he
> > couldn't issue a ticket. Unless he issued it to me for improper lane
> usage.
> > Funny guy. In hindsight, I could have sued the State DOT and the
> > contractor, but...that was another time.
> >
> > Interesting thoughts on the shoulder belt/convertible
> issue. My wife's
> > Mustang does have the shoulder belt design; I don't think
> they can be used
> > only as lap belts.
> >
> > Terry Banbury
> >
> > > ----------
> > > From: Susan Hensley[SMTP:susan@bearcom.com]
> > > Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 10:46 AM
> > > To: Banbury, Terrence
> > > Subject: Re: Sensible advice please
> > >
> > > "Banbury, Terrence" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > This brings up a curious thought. I have read the
> descriptions of
> > > > 'encounters' with large vehicles. I've had one myself.
> No one was
> > > injured
> > > > beyond being bruised. Is this just that we don't hear
> about the more
> > > > serious injuries or is there some kind of LBC voodoo
> going on here?
> Is
> > > this
> > > > lack of serious injury the norm? Don't want to get gruesome or
> > > anything,
> > > > though.
> > > > Terry
> > >
> > > Hi Terry!
> > >
> > > I have had two Spitfires that I have logged many miles on
> (my first one
> > > I drove for Domino's Pizza every day for over two years
> and also all
> > > over Louisiana and parts of Texas) and had a front-end
> collision in the
> > > first one at about 35 mph (IDIOT ran a stop sign on a wet
> street right
> > > in front of me), and I was not hurt in the collision at
> all, except a
> > > bang on my knee from flying up into the dash support.
> > >
> > > In all of my experience with Triumphs (since the early
> 80's) and Triumph
> > > people, I have never personally heard of anyone who was killed,
> > > seriously injured, or hospitalized from a wreck in one.
> A friend's
> > > brother flipped his Datsun roadster on the TX highway at
> a high rate of
> > > speed last year, and walked away, and I personally saw
> the horrendous
> > > damage to the car -- not one body panel left unbent. The
> passenger
> > > compartment was relatively intact, though.
> > >
> > > I would put money on the safety of a properly-belted
> person in a Spit in
> > > a front- or rear-end collision, but I suspect a side
> collision (like
> > > someone running a red light) would not have the same odds. And by
> > > properly-belted, I mean a lap belt only. In a
> convertible, a shoulder
> > > harness is insurance for getting your head torn off in
> the event of a
> > > roll-over, since it keeps you strapped up and not able to
> be flung over
> > > into the passenger side and away from contact with the
> ground. I know
> > > there are all kinds of arguements for and against
> shoulder belts in
> > > convertibles, and how often do you get rolled over vs.
> rearended and put
> > > your face into the steering wheel, and I am not intending
> to open a can
> > > of worms with this comment. I have a lap belt only in
> Elliott, and
> > > that's the way it's going to stay. I like my head.
> > >
> > > Keep Triumphing,
> > > Susan :)
> > >
>
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