My stupidity

[KOUKI KA-T]

So today is my first day of my vacation and i just ruined my car. Being a complete moron i kicked the tail out a little too hard on a corner and lost control, over corrected, and met a telephone poll and support line. The damage is all cosmetic but very bad. Whole driver side is ruined and the trunk and rear bumper. I can't even explain how upsetting it is, even beyond the damage and the heavy pricetag, if anyone else had been on that backroad i could have really hurt something besides my ego and wallet. It goes to show that it's better to be safe out there and save all your agressive driving for specified locations, a.k.a. events and tracks. I can't even claim this on insurance as I would have to get a police report and it would be driving to endanger. What a terrible way to start my vacation.

[mrmephistopheles]

It's too bad you (and your 240) had to learn the hard way..

[Bill Roberts]

Perhaps all is not lost. You came out of it with an understanding of consequece and got very lucky. Sheet metal and structure can be replaced. Your life and others cannot.

Consider this wake up call your last and drive responsibly.

I have wrapped a car around a pole once, flipped one 9 times, ran into an imbankment at 140MPH, drove backwards at 85MPH in a 94ZR-1 Vette and all of this was done in controlled circumstances off road.

The worst I have done on the road was to flip off a Porsche that decided my rear bumper was to be mated but his front bumper (tailgating/drafting) and then when he went around me and cut me off...I hit the throttle and litterally pushed him faster at 155MPH all the way to 185MPH...and that was so F U C K I N G Stupid that we all could have been killed and others.

Fortunantly, this fellow became my friend now for the last 11 years.


We race Motorcycles on a course together on certain weekends now to get our blow by.

Don't let your cock think toward the accelerator and make driving a full time responsability and job. Drive carefully at all times.

The highest class you can be behind the wheel is to drive better than everyone else and always on the defensive. We are talking your NECK out there dude..


I have been driving now legally for 28 years and:

Never got a ticket
Never got stopped.
Keep my top speed only 7 MPH over the limit at all times on the public roads.

I have not broke traction in 8 years.


I am pleased to know you are safe...just keep it that way and enjoy your vacation putting your ROD back together.

Their is a reason for everything actually.

[SimpleS14]

Originally posted by Bill Roberts
Don't let your cock think toward the accelerator and make driving a full time responsability and job.

:confused:

[crioten]

not to be an *** but how can you do this:

"Keep my top speed only 7 MPH over the limit at all times on the public roads."

when doing this:

"I hit the throttle and litterally pushed him faster at 155MPH all the way to 185MPH...and that was so F U C K I N G Stupid"


:D -like i said not to be an ***, but just noticing things...


-glen

[mrmephistopheles]

I think he's trying to say he has matured and learned the error of his ways.. Therefore, he behaves himself while driving now. Keep in mind that Bill is older & more wise than the average Zilvia member (and that is most certainly welcome here - at least by me.)

[KiDyNomiTe]

I learnt how to handle RWD in rain the hardway. Took a turn at low speeds but bald tires made me slip, scared the **** out of me so I went home and waited for a dryer day, only to find that my car would be crashed by another the next day :(. But there was only one car on the road, but it was quite far away, and it just stopped after seeing me whip my tail into the other lane.

I guess I had my first drifting experience, first rain experience, and first scared ****less moment in my car all at once.

As long as you don't get hurt and you learn from your experiences its all good, a car is just a car.

[RanciD]

Listen to Bill, that was one of the best posts I've read in a while about safety. It's easy to be reckless and hit the gas but it takes discipline to obey traffic laws, speed limits, etc. Save it for the track and when you get there it will be that much more fun.

I've been a licensed driver for 10 months and:
No tickets.
Got stopped once.. The police officer thought I was drunk cause I was going UNDER the speed limit. At the time I didn't have much experience and didn't feel safe so I was just trying to be safe. I thought I was going to die when he pulled me over.. when he walked up and I explained everything he just laughed though and let me off. :)
I obey speed limits except on the highway where I stay in the middle lane and go with traffic.
I haven't broken traction in a couple days, but that's cause I'm learning how to drift better and only where legal (the track).

I've driven FWD for about three hours total in my lifetime (I haven't been driving long though). I learned on a rwd car, my daily driver is rwd and my MR-2 is rwd. When I was learning to drive my dad brought me out in a huge parking lot like normal so I could get a feeling for stick. He had me start going faster and faster, then told me to cut the wheel hard. Then he pulled the e-brake. That's when I realized how much I loved sliding, but at the same time realized how quickly you can lose control. He kept this up in snow and rain just pulling the e-brake or giving me an instruction like drop into 2nd that he knew would make me spin until I got a feel for how the car reacted, how weight shifts in the car, how to react quickly and control the car, etc. Honestly, even now after drifting around a track I get out of the car shaking and feeling like my heart is going to burst. That's the feeling I love. I've also never once lost complete control of my car on public roads and endangered myself, my passengers, or other drivers. Looking back on it, I'm grateful for what my dad taught me.

Yeah, my dad is a cool guy. :cool: I just have to talk him into a motor swap now..

[KOUKI KA-T]

Yeah I definitley feel like the world's biggest @ss, I bought the car 2 months ago and have pampered the hell out of it, I even got pretty ****ed one day when my girlfriend didn't close the door all the way and instead of reopening it she hip checked it closed. The car didn't have a single dent in it, now there's some very, very large ones. I hardly ever drive recklessly, and usually get ****ed when my friends do, so it's perfect that the time i decide to goof off on a backroad I end up losing it. Bad Karma. Expensive lesson to learn today. It is just a car, but also something iput all my hard work and money into, a shame i throw it all away in one stupid act of showing off. Time to get over it and move on I guess......

[SimpleS14]

Originally posted by KOUKI KA-T
I even got pretty ****ed one day when my girlfriend didn't close the door all the way and instead of reopening it she hip checked it closed.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


You have some issues if you let that get you mad. You should be happy that your girlfriend is working that hip. :p

[Bill Roberts]

..Yea...Really, being older and more wise was the entire point of my post.

You have to play it safe...ALL the time on public roads.

Here is a prime example of what I am talking about below.

A guy I knew back in 1975 was working on a Dodge Demon. He decided to really lay into the throttle. This was on the street I lived. He had approximatly one beer. When he shifted into 3rd, he lost it, wrapped the car around a tree and ended up about 50 feet away from the mangled mess. DOA. It was curtains for him. It all took less than a very few seconds and all was lost forever. The sad thing was when I reached the wreck...the engine was still running and to think that just 3 mins ealier, we were chatting it up and shooting the breeze. I did not learn my lesson from that episode and I continued to do stupid things behind the wheel. One day I simply woke up and said no more. It is either the track...or the car just is driven like any other person behaving themselves on the road. Many times I want to lay into it which I actually did last week on a 55MPH highway, I ran an eclispe from zero to 60 (soft launch 2nd gear takeoff) but it was totally open road, I did not break traction, no side streets, and I kept it under 62MPH. IMO, if the circumstances were to repeat themselves, this was really not doing anything dangerous. Even something as simple as a full throttle takeoff can get you into serious trouble. I am not holier than thou. I just ask myself each and every time I get the urge to do something stupid if it is the right thing to do and the answer is always no. The little pop up to 60 was harmless although something COULD have happened. I should have used better judgement even then.

Most of us will find it very difficult to keep from showing off. Just be legal and you will be happy you did.

It takes willpower. It usually is the other guy you have to watch out for and if you have total control over your vehicle, you are ready for anything that can (and will) happen.

I will also add this:

It is most important to take your ride to the track as often as possable to stay in practice of performance driving. Without being in practice, when the time comes (and it will) to make an emergency choice to manhandle your car, you know what to do and where to go every time. You will be amazed at things that show up at the track that does not when you need them the most, they are not there. Example, low power steering fluid. Drives fine for putting around but when you need that boost, it is not there. The track will certainly show you what time it is.

It simply saddens me to know how much you folks get into your cars dumping time and money to have it all go away in a split second. It simply is not worth risking your arse and others on the streets. Thats all. Clearly, do be careful.

[PARAD0X]

in 13 posts. you've said more than some have in thousands of posts. you are a welcome site to this forum.

[KOUKI KA-T]

So I got my first estimate today...5600$. WHOA. The stock SE spoiler is 650$ No thanks!

[Black 97SE]

Man, that seriously sucks :wtc:
Almost the same thing happened to my friend's new 95 240sx. He lost control of the car on a turn and hit the curb pretty hard. His front right wheel is all screwed up, and the back wheel was bent in. So sad. It looks like he bent the bars holding his wheel and everything.

[elevator]

Originally posted by KOUKI KA-T
I can't even explain how upsetting it is, ....
You don't have to. We know. It sucks, but on the good side...you are okay and that is what is really important. There will come a day when the car is in a junk yard regardless of how much care you take with it, but if you croak yourself off, or end up a quadroplegic as a result of a driving accident, you end up in the junk yard too. That is a much worse alternative.

Glad you are okay and that you will have other chances to drive like an idiot. Be thankful..be safe. ;)

[KOUKI KA-T]

Well after getting 3 quotes of over 5k$ each I bit the bullet and filed an insurance claim to fix the thing. But they are only willing to give me 3800 even after I provided them with the 3 quotes. It's gonna be a battle with them for a bit now.....

[Bill Roberts]

Depending on the shop, It may be worth it...but you got to choose carefully and not allow the insurance company choose the body shop.

Expect a really great repair to actually take around 3 weeks.

[thelinja]

Is it possible to take the check for $3800 and fix the car yourself? I know that parts are hard to comeby for the 240SX, especially the kouki S14. You could shop around at different salvage yards, buy all of the panels you need and pay a shop just for labor. That way you won't have to pay for brand new parts. $650 for a spoiler is obscene, you can probably find one on this forum for under $150.

[KOUKI KA-T]

I looked into it, I'm friends with the owner of the bodyshop so he'll do it for cheaper, he's going to fight with the insurance for me. I'll be getting the K's aero wing and Either the k's rear bumper or one from gp sports if i can afford it. Parts for the kouki are impossible to find.