close call?

[95zenki man]

Whats up guys,

Had a close call the other night almost destroying the 240, was wondering if you guys had any close calls that where worthy of story time?.... I don’t want to hear about how you destroyed your car or how you were trying to be super cool in the parking lot drifting and hit a light.
I guess I will start.

Around 11:30 Monday night I was getting on the highway, on my way home from dropping some marts off. Right as I got up to speed on the on ramp (65-70ish) I felt the front start to move around, now I didn’t think to much of it and then the back kicked out. At this point im like s*** s***! I can’t drift!! So I do what I know best and try to pull it back in….yeah that didn’t work to good. Started spinning 2 or 3 times I think it was (somehow not hitting anything. ) I managed to avoid the guardrail… All good right? Nope seeing as on the other side was a long hill going right into the highway. Well I said F it at this point and aimed for the hill. To my luck this was the best move. Managed to get it slowed down as I was going down the hill and stopped right b4 the highway ( that was one hell of a ride going down the hill).

I probably just sat there in my car for 2-3 minutes and smoked a cig trying to calm down a little ( at the time I was more worried about the car then anything and didn’t want to see what was wrong)

I finally mange to get out of the car and look up the hill, what do I see you ask??? My rear bumper and half of my exhaust. At this point I was like ok good. Its not as bad as it could have been, walked up and got all the stuff laying on the ground. Now I wanted to know why the hell it slid out on me.. I sure as hell know I don’t have that kind of power. Walk up to the road and bust my a** on some black ice……go figure right. Adding insult to injure.


Well that’s pretty much the good part of the story, on the way home I blew my motor up and found out I bent a rim, and cracked a LCA, and blew out my rear suspension. I guess in the long run it s easer and cheaper to replace all that then try to buy a new 240.

[rsmithdrift]

I had a very close call once due to a nail. I was running a dead end service road for the airport that's very twisty with a wide open view and I got up to 120 on the long straight right before the last two turns (have to be at 70 for the first one) and I heard a loud "TINK" sound come from the right rear. Startled me so I held 120 and didn't shift to 5th... Good thing too. As I got on the brakes for the turn i noticed the car didn't want to brake straight and I couldn't brake nearly as hard as usual and as I had to turn in to the corner now 10mph too fast the back end felt like mashed patatoes and just kept on going straight compaired to the front. Luckily I do know how to drift and was able to feather the brakes and balance the car out to make it drift the turn. Held a perfect line sideways through the turn and exited the turn about 75mph. But I was still gaining angle and I couldn't make it stop since I had NO GRIP in the back end at all. KNowing if I continued this course I would go off the 10ft embankment on the inside of the road my instincts kicked in and I let off the brake completely and overcorrected the car forcing it to spin in the opposite direction. I then locked upp all 4 tires and slid backwards to a stop. This is a two lane road with a 10ft drop off embankement on either side. At one point I dipped a tire off on either side during this skid. I had no clue what had happened till I got about a mile down the road and my tire was on the rim. I slung a nail at 120mph and lost air preassure causing a loss of grip at the back end. I was mortified for days after that. I have still never re attempted that road for the terror those embankements caused me due to no fault of my own. That wasn't driver error, that was tire failure. I am now very aware that doing such things is very dangerous even if you arent driving beyond your limit and even with no traffic at all because you don't know what will happen to the car or the road conditions to cause a problem and on a public road that is a very dangerous because their is no saftey zone if you loose it.

[darens13]

I was driving to school on a rather wet morning and i dropped my glasses on the floor. i leaned forward to pick them up and as soon and i looked up this buick century in front of me was at a dead stop at a rail road crossing. i slammed on my brakes and locked them all up and came to within what had to be inches of his bumper. he was stopped for no reason, guess he had to make sure there was no train! im just glad i always give plenty of room between me and the idiot in front if me.

[n00b240]

LOL at the nail at 120 mph. I did the same thing, about 7 years ago in my s14. I heard a "chunk" @ 120 mph and all of a sudden, the rear left tire had no grip. So I slowed down to stop, got out, tire was flat, proceeded to put the spare on, and what do I find in the flat tire??? A fuggin 3 inch screw bolt, I still have the bolt. It stays either in my car, at the office or in my room at all times. A good luck charm of sorts if you will

[zenki-S13]

aight i got a couple but here is one. it was back when i was first learning how to control my car and drift.
i was on my way to work when it was like 4:30 in the morning. when i worked their i took these back roads instead of the freeway because there was never any traffic when i went through. at the end of this road (which is named racetrack road lol) it made a 90 degree left turn. i took it at about 45 as ive done in the past. but it was colder than i thought so the road was slick. once i initiated the drift i tried to hold it out even though my rear was starting to come around on me. i was able to correct it and started into a pendulum drift. i didnt have any clue at the time how to handle that. all i knew was my car was coming towards a stucko wall. my reactions were fast enough to let of the gas and let the car shift its weight away from it. after i got it to shift i just let it slide around on me. i didnt want to meet the wall so spinning it around and completing the drift was better than hitting a wall. but it was quite a ride and i learned a little something from it. luckly my car was just fine

[breadbox]

It had been raining a lot earlier this year and when making a left turn I started to hydroplane toward the curb, I just let go of the wheel and the car drove itself through the turn. Yep, not very exciting.

[bova17]

i got one,so im 15 and have my temps
so on thanksgiving about 11pm it started to snow and the next day i had a doctors appointment. it was at 10 and me and my mom go in my car(s13) because our private drive was clear and we thought we'd be fine. so because it was black friday we took the back roads. and while we are driving there are some patches of snow. so we go up this hill and just to be careful i was going 5 under the speed limit and hit some snow and started to go side ways i let off the gas and over corrected, luckily the snow patch wasnt too long or that could have been bad. then when we got towards the top the same thing but we didnt get into a wreck, but had about 10 cars behind us.

[krash]

I think the worst has been in the rain. I was going uphill on a 4 lane road (2 one way, 2 the other), and the road was really wet. This was back when I had me sketchy auto trans, and it decided to randomly downshift. This broke the rear loose and the car started getting sideways. Well, there was a car behind me, a car directly to the right of me, and a car coming towards me in the opposite lane. I let off the gas immediately, and the car straightened itself up. It was pretty damn scary.

[zacmil]

At this point im like s*** s***! I can’t drift!!

I had a really close call just a few weeks ago, but it was in my Eclipse, not my 240. I was on my way home one afternoon, and got stuck behind someone who was going way under the speed limit. The particular road I was on didn't really have a good passing zone until I was about halfway home, so when I finally had the chance I was more than ready to pass. Anyway, my side of the passing zone extended all the way down a hill and I had a really good line of sight. I scanned the road ahead and didn't see anything, so I began to pull around the guy. By the time I approach the crest of the hill (and am most of the way into the oncoming lane) BAM! Someone pops over the crest! I hit the brakes and tried to safely, yet quickly, re-enter my lane. Much to my dismay, the cheap-o tires I currently have on my car didn't grip very well and I felt the car start to turn sideways. Fortunately, I was able to let off the brake a bit and get the car back into my lane and under control. I still hadn't completely regained traction when the oncoming car passed. Afterward, I let out a big sigh, pulled over, and began trying to remove the seat from inside my buttocks.

[LoserCard]

I have two stories, two cars, and apparently an overworked guardian angel.

Story One: I had just received my car AND my license that month. My car was a clean little blue 1993 240 coupe with nothing but a cracked windshield and bad tires. So one day, and much to my negligence, I took a wide right turn too fast. All 4 wheels began to slide into the opposing lane and much to my surprise, two other cars were coming straight towards me head on. I quickly panicked and oversteered to the right to try and get back in to my lane. It didn't work. The first car, an MR2, swerved into the opposite lane barely making it past me on the right. However, since I oversteered, my fronts gripped and pulled me right, straight on to the next opposing car, a huge a** SUV. My rear end whipped to the right after I steered to the left trying to not fly into a ditch. The SUV just inches away from the left of my car, flew past just before my car would side slam into them. My car came to a complete stop after pulling a full 180. Moral of the story, don't be an idiot. I will skip all the screaming details, but no one was hurt and nothing was damaged.

Story Two: So in my second car, (also after just receiving it that month) a 1993 240 hatch with again crappy tires. (Just to let you guys know, I became a much better driver after the first incident.) I was cruising along the highway. It had been raining all day and it finally cleared up yet it was slightly sprinkling. I begin to go up a hill, and traffic is fair right now, everyone traveling around 65-70mph. So I notice this HUGE rainbow, hands down the brightest one I have ever seen (because of the angle the hill was and sunset.) So I get distracted for literally 0.5 seconds. Next thing I know, the minivan in front of me had slammed their brakes 0.5 seconds ago (of course), and comes to a near stop on the highway. I slam my brakes (my car has abs). My car isn't stopping fast enough because of the wet roads and my tires, so I slide all the way to the rear end of the van and quickly swerve to the left to aim for the grassy median. I whiplash and my rear end slides out to the left after the left turn. I end up going sideways on the grass at about 30mph. I barely missed the center metal guard rails and I slowly came to a stop. Again, no one was hurt and no damage was done. Moral of the story: NEVER I repeat, NEVER sacrifice your safety with old s*** tire.

After both of these events, I immediately (like within a couple days) purchased new tires. Luckily, those were the end of my days of negligent driving. As much as I would never wish these events on anyone else, I think some people need to experience these things to mature as a driver. Although, some people may not be as lucky/unlucky as me. Drive safe out there guys.

[rsmithdrift]

I'll post another one since this thread has gotten good now.

This one scared the literal holy s*** out of me... I was coming home from work at 7pm on sunday night (worked at ross at the mall at the time) and I hit I-75 south wide open on my way home. The road was literally mine. No other cars in sight other than a H2 hummer in the distance in the center lane (3 lane concrete highway with exit ramps with thier own lane causing mostly 4 lane wide highway) I got up to 125 and decided that was fast enough for now and backed off enough to cruise at that speed. As I approached the hummer that was only going 55mph I got to within 2 car lengths of him and he without warning or reason moved quickly into my lane... I slammed the brakes, my stock suspension nose diving hard and realised that was in no way enough so I turned right, the cars suspension bottoming out. I hit the reflector in the lines on the road and it jolted the car being bottomed out on it's suspension and turned it sideways.. I started doing a braking drift aiming straight at the 20ft tall concrete wall of the overpass that comes in from the side so it is literally 100% facing me head on directly at this point. Time slowed down again as it always does for me in these situations and I overcorrected the car forcefully and the back end actually slid across the rumble strip into the gravel slightly. I drifted all the way back across the highway and slung it back the other direction now infront of the hummer still going faster than him and clouding him in tire smoke and drifted back to the right in front of him till I finally caught the drift in the center lane and realised I was still going 85mph... Brown pants factor of 10 right thier..

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Ahhh, too many to list! Mostly of my own doing though!

But one day I was driving to work. It was raining like a mofo out and if you aren't familiar with Phoenix, we don't really have sewers, we primarily use washes. This equates to lots of standing water and it doesn't help that the ground doesn't really absorb moisture.

Anyways, I'm cruising down the main road in the right lane of three at 40 (limit is 45). I knew I had to be careful as I was riding on COMPLETELY bald Azenis 615s with a welded diff. I thought I'd be alright as it's less than two miles to work. I was sadly mistaken. Coming out of a slight left, about 15 or so degrees maybe, I'm ahead of all the traffic. There's about ten cars behind me scattered throughout the lanes. All of the sudden I try to hold the turn and exit out of it and realize I'm slowly drifting towards the center with no control at all, hahaha, no brakes or anything. I about s*** my pants and realize there's an intersection coming up. I'm now facing towards the center median and am crossing lanes. I look to the left of me (lol) and see the cars are braking. I realize there's nothing I can really do but to ride it out. Jesus must have been watching because the light at the intersection was green and there is no cross traffic. By now I'm completely sideways and about a door's length from the median. I enter the intersection, still sliding, and then regain traction. Absolutely PERFECT "line" if you want to call it. I correct, regain, control, and go on my merry way. Turn into work and can barely get out of the car, was shaken quite a bit.

Needless to say I got the tires in my garage installed the next week and avoided driving in the rain for a while.

[Eion]

aight i got a couple but here is one. it was back when i was first learning how to control my car and drift.
i was on my way to work when it was like 4:30 in the morning. when i worked their i took these back roads instead of the freeway because there was never any traffic when i went through. at the end of this road (which is named racetrack road lol) it made a 90 degree left turn. i took it at about 45 as ive done in the past. but it was colder than i thought so the road was slick. once i initiated the drift i tried to hold it out even though my rear was starting to come around on me. i was able to correct it and started into a pendulum drift. i didnt have any clue at the time how to handle that. all i knew was my car was coming towards a stucko wall. my reactions were fast enough to let of the gas and let the car shift its weight away from it. after i got it to shift i just let it slide around on me. i didnt want to meet the wall so spinning it around and completing the drift was better than hitting a wall. but it was quite a ride and i learned a little something from it. luckly my car was just fine

i would love to watch a vid of this. it sounds pretty epic.

[liquid_cool]

here is a sad tale.....just finnished the roll cage at the time and decided to go check out the parking lot pimps at the del taco meet on tuesdays here in vegas...a few semi pro and pro drifters showed up and we got to shooting the sh*@ about sliding ..after a few hours of jaw wagging and eating they said they were gona hit up a spot they know...i decided, along with the whole meet..to go check em out!...we got to the spot and they were hittin it really hard..great drifts, absolute controll..amazing to watch the pro's...all the suddon there was some comotion with some honda guys who showed up and some girl shouts "GUN!"...every one at that moment hoped in there cars and made a break for it...including me...now there are only 2 ways to go to make it out of that place...go strait and end at an intersection where you can only make a rite turn ...or make your first rite and have many other options..."Little did i know"..since the last time i was around that area, they decided to partition off the street with an island..seems they forgot to paint it thou..the island was totally black from the fresh road reserfacing...as i hit the corner..like many times in the past..i took a wide path...low and behold...there is the freeking island...i hit it with my left front tire...sending my car about 2/12 feet to 3 feet in the air...this destroyed my tention rod, cross member, and front LCA...as i landed i coasted..kinda..into a loading dock area...i turned the car off..got out and looked at the damage and waited for all the honda guys to bail...i jimmy rigged the tention set up with some rebar i found by some railroad track and managed to limp the car home at 10 miles an hour...the best part of this whole storie is the fact that i had the cage to hold the car together throu this event..and that i had a proper full bucket seat to keep me planted..and the 4 point harness....i felt absolutly no jarring or issues from the accident with the safty gear in place...i get asked all the time "Why do you have a street cage?"..and the answer i give is this "Accidents are just that , an accident , you knever know when somethings going to happen"

[zenki-S13]

aight i got a couple but here is one. it was back when i was first learning how to control my car and drift.
i was on my way to work when it was like 4:30 in the morning. when i worked their i took these back roads instead of the freeway because there was never any traffic when i went through. at the end of this road (which is named racetrack road lol) it made a 90 degree left turn. i took it at about 45 as ive done in the past. but it was colder than i thought so the road was slick. once i initiated the drift i tried to hold it out even though my rear was starting to come around on me. i was able to correct it and started into a pendulum drift. i didnt have any clue at the time how to handle that. all i knew was my car was coming towards a stucko wall. my reactions were fast enough to let of the gas and let the car shift its weight away from it. after i got it to shift i just let it slide around on me. i didnt want to meet the wall so spinning it around and completing the drift was better than hitting a wall. but it was quite a ride and i learned a little something from it. luckly my car was just fine

i would love to watch a vid of this. it sounds pretty epic.

i wish i had a video. it was epic man. scared me quite a bit

here is a sad tale.....just finnished the roll cage at the time and decided to go check out the parking lot pimps at the del taco meet on tuesdays here in vegas...a few semi pro and pro drifters showed up and we got to shooting the sh*@ about sliding ..after a few hours of jaw wagging and eating they said they were gona hit up a spot they know...i decided, along with the whole meet..to go check em out!...we got to the spot and they were hittin it really hard..great drifts, absolute controll..amazing to watch the pro's...all the suddon there was some comotion with some honda guys who showed up and some girl shouts "GUN!"...every one at that moment hoped in there cars and made a break for it...including me...now there are only 2 ways to go to make it out of that place...go strait and end at an intersection where you can only make a rite turn ...or make your first rite and have many other options..."Little did i know"..since the last time i was around that area, they decided to partition off the street with an island..seems they forgot to paint it thou..the island was totally black from the fresh road reserfacing...as i hit the corner..like many times in the past..i took a wide path...low and behold...there is the freeking island...i hit it with my left front tire...sending my car about 2/12 feet to 3 feet in the air...this destroyed my tention rod, cross member, and front LCA...as i landed i coasted..kinda..into a loading dock area...i turned the car off..got out and looked at the damage and waited for all the honda guys to bail...i jimmy rigged the tention set up with some rebar i found by some railroad track and managed to limp the car home at 10 miles an hour...the best part of this whole storie is the fact that i had the cage to hold the car together throu this event..and that i had a proper full bucket seat to keep me planted..and the 4 point harness....i felt absolutly no jarring or issues from the accident with the safty gear in place...i get asked all the time "Why do you have a street cage?"..and the answer i give is this "Accidents are just that , an accident , you knever know when somethings going to happen"

are they still having the meets? i use to show up with james (blue 86) and phil (garage tune) i havent heard anything about them lately except for there are a ton of bro kids there nowadays

[mn011890]

well this didnt happen in my 240, but in my 2008 camry. i was living down in mobile, alabama at the time going to school. there was a round about in the middle of campus that all of the roads met on. i was going home for christmas break and it had been raining. i went around the round about (pretty fast cuz it has a slight banking and it felt kind of like a race track ) and down shifted to make my turn off of it (to the right). now they had recently replaced all of the lines on the cross walks and parking spaces with new stickers or w/e. admittedly, my tires were more worn than they should have been so as soon as the back tires hit the wet lines of the cross walk out goes my rear end (i guess my fronts managed to go between the lines of the crosswalk because they never lost traction). being a front wheel drive car, the methods i would have used while off roading in the old jeep i used ot have or in any other rear wheel drive werent really going to work (like letting off the gas and letting the car regain grip, trying to drift through it in an at least semi-controlled manner, etc). all i saw was the curb, followed by a large oak tree. luckily it hadnt rained quite enough for it to be wet under the tree's branches, which extended out over the road. my rear tires caught the dry ground, regained grip, and i managed to avoid any damage. easily one of the scariest things ive experienced behind the wheel and ever since im extra careful in the rain. but my one question is....who ever said front wheel drives cant drift?