Ray Grilli Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Hmmm, thought my scariest moment was in my Dad's old westy when I was about 12yrs old. It had been a long dry spell in the summer....and then it rained....my brother was being a little 'enthusiastic' on some of the corners playing at getting the tail out. I WARNED him to not do it, but would he listen? Pulled onto a dual carriageway got into a tankslapper and ended up reversing up the road at about 50mph with all the wheels locked up, hit the lh kerb and smashed the rr wheel and upright. Was more scared of what my dad might do to us than anything else! Then the proper scary moment was on the way home from Stoneleigh 2003. I only live in Kenilworth, so a journey of about 3mls. Was going the opposite way to the stationary traffic coming out of the car parks at the back of the NAC, rounded a left hander to find a complete tw@t overtaking all the stationary cars and approaching me fast on my side of the road. Hit eachother head-on. The result was a very bent car (see avatar), two hurt people, 5pts and a conviction for the driver of the other car and me without my toy for the whole of the summer....grrrrr. Ray Quote
bootleboy Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 My scariest moment in the westy was just after i'd bought the car. Bought some new Avon tyres, took to a mate at ATS to fit - discovered that the the studs and nuts had no thread left on, and all 4 wheels were only really being held into place by the locking wheel nuts It was an A*** clenching moment, i can tell you. A week prior to this i had planned to drive it to the Stoneleigh show - only a broken exhaust stopped me and my 7 year old making the journey Scariest moment in a tin-top. Visiting a mate near southampton in my Skoda Octavia VRS. Following him in his M3 home from work along a road i had never been on before, came to a sharp unsigned left hander, that turned out to be almost a hairpin. Went sideways into the path of 3 cars coming the other way...Ohhhhhh Shhhh###ttttt!!! Took evasive action (read - lost control completely) bounced over the curb on my side of the road, ploughing straight into a tree. Car totalled, front nearside wheel and suspension strut ended up where the front seat used to be! Actually tore the B pillar away from the roof section Had to be cut out, and ended up with 3 broken ribs, broken sternum (from seat belt tensioners! ), broken arm, smashed knuckles etc etc etc. Say what you want about Skodas, but that one saved my life!! Quote
markcoopers Posted February 18, 2004 Posted February 18, 2004 Scariest moment would be joining the M4 in me V8 and looking at the wheel nuts on the artic next to me at eye level. Booting it to get in front and realising that we are fishtailing and not really making any extra forward progress, but getting very close to going under it. Probably didn't get that close to hitting it, but definitely felt very small and crushable at the time. Worst moment would definitely be attending an airfield day at Hullavington, feeling a little worst for ware from the previous night, and throwing up in me helmet. Quote
Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Scariest moment ? Venue, Oulton Park Date, Feb 2002 or was it 2001 ? Glen? Event, Trackday Weather, Snow, ice, hail, rain and gales Place, exiting Foulstons Chicane and spinning Moment, sliding across the wet grass at almost 5mph with all wheels locked up watching the tyre wall getting bigger and bigger and then watching them compress and reform as i bounce off, everything was in very slow motion, luckily the damage was restricted to the plastic bits and we were out for the next session. And if you think thats funny, think Glen Hardman driving to Oulton on the same day, 50mm of snow on the M56, Glen snug and warm in his Vectra while his missus is driving the Westy Quote
Guest Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Not sure about scariest, but certainly funniest in retrospect. When I was still young! Mk1 Escort Mexico, 3.00am in the morning outskirts of St Albans. Having fun but hit sunken manhole cover on bend, clipped kerb and spun Sideway across wide verge between lamppost and telegraph pole, missing both even though width only about 3 feet more than length of car (still sidways) backwards across service road and through brick wall into front garden of house through fence and across front garden of neighbouring house (bouncing through pond) through next dividing wall and came to rest with tree buried in boot of car Some minutes later a guy cam from a house two further doors down to say that a brick from the wall had gone through the rear widscreen of his Morris Marina. It shows the nature of the time as the police came, no breathalysers, accepted my explanation that my foot slipped of the brake!!, and went home again after they had confirmed I was insured. Sure woke the street up though, and theinsurance claim took some completing. Happy days, before too much regulation. John Quote
smayo Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Easy this. Towing my westy on trailer to the SVA on the M6. It was only the second time I had towed and never before on the motorway. Anyway the trailer started to snake, and me not knowing that I should have accelerated, gently leaned opn the brakes. The snaking gets worse and suddenly everything starts spinning. 360 with trailer, oh SH*T! Luckily a lorry behind saw it start and slowed down. Don't ask me how I missed any other traffic or the central reservation, or why it didn't all roll. The 2 of the 4 straps holding the westy down had come away, and I was convinced something must at least be bent, but eventually made to the SVA, and passed!! Quote
Westfields Rock On Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Not in a Westy but in my GT6 1/2hr ago. Country lane. No warning sign for up coming 90 degree left hander. Hit the brakes and flung it round that corner. That guy in the wihte van coming the other way had a bit of a funny face on . Stupid lack of signs, especially in National Limit. Quote
Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Anyway the trailer started to snake, and me not knowing that I should have accelerated, No, No, Noooo, if you accelerate you just end up going off the road at a higher speed, the trick is to gently lift off and gradually reduce speed. Thats me with my Caravanners head on Over 20 years of towing all sorts of big white boxes Quote
smayo Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 Don't really matter what you're supposed to do. I vowed never to tow again after that! Quote
oioi Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 the one and only time ive towed my westie i was busy chatting away lighting a ciggarette changing the radio station looking in the rear view mirror thinking how odd having my car follow me so closely was etc etc when the passenger screamed "BRAKE" which i duly did didnt know you could lock up a trailer Quote
darthurs Posted February 19, 2004 Author Posted February 19, 2004 I can't believe how irresponsible everyone is (or has been) Not only have you messed up in your Westfield's but all sorts of things trailers, GT6, I'm sure I have seen a Skoda mentioned. I have now inherited the curse of WSCC now I have joined? And be losing control in every type of motor powered vehicle there is? Dan Quote
smayo Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 You havn't lived until you have nearly killed yourself! Quote
Paul Hurdsfield - Joint Manchester AO Posted February 19, 2004 Posted February 19, 2004 didnt know you could lock up a trailer Towing my Caravan in Cornwall many years ago, i was trapping on a bit went over a crest only to find the road turned sharp right, I hit the brakes, all 6 wheels locked up i came off the brakes, there was no way i was going to get round the bend, luckily there was a farm track going off to the left roughly in a straight line, I went sliding down the track and managed to stop without hitting anything, I then had to do my best reversing to get out and back on the main road, the best part about it was my wifes younger brother was over from Oz and he had decided to come away with us, it was the first time he'd ever been in a car that was towing anything, not only that we had another incident (not my fault this time) on the way back Quote
darthurs Posted February 19, 2004 Author Posted February 19, 2004 You havn't lived until you have nearly killed yourself! Crashed into a tree at 60mph in an Evo7, but I wasn't driving... does that count? Dan Quote
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