First near miss
 

Thought I'd post this for the benefit of prospective owners, or anyone that hasn't gotten their car sideways yet.

I was traveling on one of the older parkways in Westchester: narrow, twisty, 50mph speed limit type road. I was passing a car in a gentle right turn, showing off a bit, and got it up over 4500 rpm in 3rd (75 mph) when I went to shift into 4th just as I was alongside the car I was passing.

Instead of 4th, I shoved it into 2nd and, when I let the clutch out, the rear wheels locked and I started spinning clockwise. I knew instantly what I'd done, and recovered, but not before envisioning the rear end hitting the guard rail and the front hitting the car I was passing. The driver of that car had his window down and I could hear him going "Whoa!!" as he, fortunately, pulled to the right and made some room.

It was over so soon and without incident that I didn't even get an adrenaline rush. Thinking it over afterwards, I'm pretty sure that the three Skip Barber schools I attended, where we spent an hour or so on the skidpad at each, surely helped avoid disaster. It was there that I learned about the danger of locking the wheels in a downshift (or a missed shift, in my case) and practicing, once in a skid, keeping my eyes fixed on WHERE I WANTED TO GO, and steering there.

Peter P. warned me early on that I'd "get that car sideways in an instant", which motivated me to go to the schools during the build. I'm glad I did.

Of course, only a lawless pariah goes 75 in a 50 zone, but that's a different issue...

Glad it worked out for you, Jeff. I experience the same thing in auto-x from time to time, but it's mostly caused by late braking into a tight apex. For some reason, the rear brakes on my ERA rear susp come on a little sooner than I would like....balance bar seems adjusted as prescribed in the manual, but in heavy braking, the rear definitely has a high bias...

Always something...

But I'm glad you/the car/fellow motorist are OK and you might want to take that beast out to one or two of the Philly area auto-x events...;)

Edit: Pat yourself on the back for making a sticky street tire choice.
- Allen.

Because the weight distribution can vary by several percent between the heaviest engine and the lightest, (not to mention some variation in pad coefficient) you can always fiddle with the balance-bar shims to change the brake balance.

That was a no-brainer, appropriately enough...

Glad evrything worked out!

Initially when I was reading the story I thought you were going to say that you got throttle-lift overrsteer in the turn, which can happen quick in these cars, but the miss shift is just as good! Hah

Turn was pretty mild. I haven't been pushing hard in the corners, yet...

From reading your post, I would imagine you might have been on the Sawmill River Parkway. That road is just plain unforgiving. I drive up there once a year in my M3 and, while you can get into the pleasure of the 'spirited drive', you can easily end up in the woods, or worse. Glad you didn't hit anything.

Nope, the Sawmill is an easier drive and feels wider than where I was. I was on the old Bronx River Parkway north of the Cross County. Seems like a pair of sidewalks!

Tell me again what transmission you chose for your car?:confused:

Hey Jeff,

My name is Rick and I live in New Rochelle, NY. The Bronx River Pkwy is a trip! Did you ever follow it to the end at the Kensico Dam and then take Rte. 22 around the reservoirs? That is a great ride! Do you live in the city? We oughta go out for a ride one day. Glad you didn't go off the road and into the river or worse!

Rick

My wife and I often take a drive "around the block"; over to Route 22, West on 35 to 100 north and then cut over toward Lake Carmel and then back down (via some back roads) to 100 south, etc. ...usually with a stop along the way at some "Dinner, Drive-in or Dive."

It takes about an hour or so and is highly recommended to chase the blahs away.

Jim

Hey Jim,

Nice route! Maybe one day I'll chase you up Rte. 22 in the Coupe, if it didn't rain every other day. Let me know if you feel like a drive one day in the future. You live in White Plains? Just a stone's throw from New Rochelle!

Rick

That drive sounds like fun! Yeah, I live in Manhattan, but garage the car near Sarah Lawrence College. Let's try to get together this summer.

Jeff,

Good reminder ... will have my car on the road in the near future and will keep this in mind. Thanks!

- Tim

Rick:

A little run up into the north in of the county is always fun. Each fall on Columbus Day weekend for the past ten years or so, I have run a fall foliage cruise up into Dutchess, Columbia and Litchfield Counties. A half dozen or so cars is all we do (otherwise I become like a camp counselor). Put the date on your calendar.

Jim

Hey Jim,

Sounds good! Will keep my eyes crossed for good weather around Columbus Day.
___________

Hey Jeff,

Now that's scary! I went to college at Sarah Lawrence! Do you keep the car in Bronxville?

Rick