That reminds me of another, in the same Vega.
After tuning up the car, I decided to go for a test run. Out the drive
and out towards the golf course. About one block past my house there were
no more houses (can't say the same anymore for the old neighborhood). Two
lane blacktop, straight as a sting, but a bit up hill, for about 3 miles,
then a solid 90 degree left, off camber from the way I was going.
Anyway I was turning a pretty good clip as I topped the last hill and
looked to see how fast I was going. As I recall, about 90. Looked up and
was in the turn. Fishtailed 2 or 3 times to a near stop. Thought I had it
made.
As I spun off the side of the road, pointed the other direction (90
degrees from original direction and 180 from the direction I should be),
the left rear peeled from the rim. First gen tubeless tires. The wheel
promptly dug into the grass and I started a slow roll over the drivers
side. The ground was coming so slowly I thought I could just stick my arm
out and stop the car. Very nice impression of my hand in the roof is all
that accomplished. Ended up hanging from the seatbelt, looking out the
windscreen looking at the grass.
A fellow drove by a minute later and we rolled the car back over, I
changed the tire and drove home, albeit a little sheepishly. My dad just
happened to notice the "little" dents on the side and roof, but I expect
that the missing luggage rack helped. Well, that was the end of my little
testing sessions after tune ups, and also my driving for a "bit".
Then there was the time in my Dad's 67 Firebird at over 110 and a right
hander, but I made that one!!!
Larry
>>>>On 7/20/00 4:55 PM so and so (Michael Lupynec) said. (And I quote:)
>1966 - Night racing a Consumer's Gas (blue flame) VW bug flat out
>on a very dark unlit (but well practiced) cottage road. My copilot
>is on the stop watch and clipboard. Both of us are trying to pin
>down when that unmarked but inevitable right hairpin turn is
>coming up. After two or three false alarms, copilot says - "we're
>OK for a bit, I can see a parked car tail lamp reflector up
>ahead" - and I keep the gas pedal at full max.
>
>As we whizzed by it turned out to be a parked car alright - parked
>at the end of a long residential double driveway that happened to
>line up perfectly with the road, just as our 90 degree hairpin in
>a flash disappeared to the right at 70 mph.
>
>Veered hard to starboard, missed the house and plowed through the
>adjacent mature woodlot complete with VW sized boulders. Both
>pilots came out the other end alive (but severely humbled) and the
>VW sans hubcaps and missing much of its floorpan (but still
>running).
>
>My best ever summer job didn't last too much longer - that's
>another story.
>
>Mike L.
>60A,67E,59Bug
>
Larry Macy
78 Midget
Keep your top down and your chin up.
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu
System Manager/Administrator
Neuropsychiatry Section
Department of Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce St. - 10 Gates
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Ask a question and you're a fool for three minutes; do not ask a
question and you're a fool for the rest of your life.
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