Mikey B coool brother Lee!
Discussion
You never walk alone fella. 
mikeb said:
Hey man I am like totally chilled - Despite spinning the car twice, hitting the kerb, just missing an old bloke and his dog and an oncoming lorry. And all happened about 30mph!
Chill, chill, chill...................
MikeyB
Chill, chill, chill...................
MikeyB
know the feeling 
Wasn't exiting a roundabout was it? P.S. any damage when you hit the kerb?
Edited by pwd95 on Saturday 2nd September 14:28
Well the gearbox seems fine, the clutch fantastic, much lighter and sharper. Only issue I have is I did seem to get some 'gear chatter' when the car is hot at idle and thought it might be the release bearing(?) had a word with the garage and he reckons its the Castrol SMS synthetic oil I put in.
He reckons that once warmed up it gets thinner causing the slight 'chatter' in the gears on tickover anyhow I am keeping an eye on it. Got a few other pressing issues now though.......
Anyhow back to the 'off'. Picked the car up from the garage (in the rain). Coming around a slight bend in the road out of Caerphilly town doing only about 25 to 30mph, the back end snaps out - I can honestly say I didn't know why (usually you know when you do something wrong to cause a spin, too much revs, too fast into a corner etc) but on this occasion I can't think of anything that caused it.
I know the road has been recently resurfaced and obviously wet, perhaps they still have oil on the road.... Anyhow I try to correct the spin, unfortunately overcompensate the car spins the other way completely around and basically backs itself into a kerb back first!
It was literally like being on ice. Scared the bejesus out of me. I thought it's Clarksons 'owning a TVR is like keeping a Grizzly bear as a pet, you know that one day out of the blue its gonna rip your head off and kill you' speech time!
Luckily the kerb at that point was really low, cleared the back lower spoiler and the back box took the hit, buckling the back cylindrical box considerably. Also pushed the left rear wheel frame out of whack ever so slightly. Didn't do any other damage. Need a new rear exhaust and have to get the geometry of the wheels set back up again on the rears.
There was an old guy on the pavement with his dog - the car span 180 degrees right past him missed his mutt by inches, and the telegraph pole right next to him, I even managed to miss an oncoming truck on the other side of the road! ..... which was nice.
Got out of the car and was expecting fibreglass carrnage but not a scratch! really lucky. That will teach me to not respect the 450 in the rain!
So the moral of this story is be carefull out there kids.
MikeyB
He reckons that once warmed up it gets thinner causing the slight 'chatter' in the gears on tickover anyhow I am keeping an eye on it. Got a few other pressing issues now though.......
Anyhow back to the 'off'. Picked the car up from the garage (in the rain). Coming around a slight bend in the road out of Caerphilly town doing only about 25 to 30mph, the back end snaps out - I can honestly say I didn't know why (usually you know when you do something wrong to cause a spin, too much revs, too fast into a corner etc) but on this occasion I can't think of anything that caused it.
I know the road has been recently resurfaced and obviously wet, perhaps they still have oil on the road.... Anyhow I try to correct the spin, unfortunately overcompensate the car spins the other way completely around and basically backs itself into a kerb back first!
It was literally like being on ice. Scared the bejesus out of me. I thought it's Clarksons 'owning a TVR is like keeping a Grizzly bear as a pet, you know that one day out of the blue its gonna rip your head off and kill you' speech time!
Luckily the kerb at that point was really low, cleared the back lower spoiler and the back box took the hit, buckling the back cylindrical box considerably. Also pushed the left rear wheel frame out of whack ever so slightly. Didn't do any other damage. Need a new rear exhaust and have to get the geometry of the wheels set back up again on the rears.
There was an old guy on the pavement with his dog - the car span 180 degrees right past him missed his mutt by inches, and the telegraph pole right next to him, I even managed to miss an oncoming truck on the other side of the road! ..... which was nice.
Got out of the car and was expecting fibreglass carrnage but not a scratch! really lucky. That will teach me to not respect the 450 in the rain!
So the moral of this story is be carefull out there kids.
MikeyB
Glad to hear no serious damage, or injury, Mikey - I guess its easy enough to get the rear box repaired/replaced?
Not having much luck this season boyo, lets hope this is the last set back for you & the car!
On the cause for the spin (& not wishing to tell my granny how to boil Lava bread)you were`nt by any chance changing down in mid bend, without thinking?
Done this a few times when pootling along at low speeds (below 50) mind on something entirely different and "snap" with the added engine braking of the down change the diff locks up one wheel and the back end steps smartly out to the right(usually)in an attempt to spin the car, add to that a greasy, diesel covered bit of smooth tarmac and its hello hedgerow/lampost/van/building/dog/pedestrian - delete as appropriate.
I`m sure its a possible cause in many of the now famous quick exiting of the roundabout spins.
Just my twopennuths.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
These observations are entirely ficticious and do not represent the actions of any past, present or future Wedge owners, living or otherwise, or members of their family.
Not having much luck this season boyo, lets hope this is the last set back for you & the car!
On the cause for the spin (& not wishing to tell my granny how to boil Lava bread)you were`nt by any chance changing down in mid bend, without thinking?
Done this a few times when pootling along at low speeds (below 50) mind on something entirely different and "snap" with the added engine braking of the down change the diff locks up one wheel and the back end steps smartly out to the right(usually)in an attempt to spin the car, add to that a greasy, diesel covered bit of smooth tarmac and its hello hedgerow/lampost/van/building/dog/pedestrian - delete as appropriate.
I`m sure its a possible cause in many of the now famous quick exiting of the roundabout spins.
Just my twopennuths.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
These observations are entirely ficticious and do not represent the actions of any past, present or future Wedge owners, living or otherwise, or members of their family.
Good that you got away like that. Had sort of the same type of experience, but it was luckily on a trackday a couple of years back. For me the reason was: standing water and very old tyres. Tyres had a lot of profile (like 4 mm)), but the rubber compound hardens and did the step-out tricks in small fashion on the road in the wet. But on the track, not pushing (and thus thinking that nothing would/could happen) the back suddenly snaps and there you go round and round at like 45 mph. Couple of rounds later (still thought first time is my not-driving skills) it happens again at same spot only with 60 mph.... That is the advantage of a track were you can play and try. Moral of the story was: get new tyres asap and of a softer compound. Based on this it (until now) only steps out when to be expected. My check to see if the tyres are becoming dangerous is to push hard during cornering in the dry. And if I then get strange road manners it is time to get new tyres.
Rob
Rob
On the cause for the spin (& not wishing to tell my granny how to boil Lava bread)you were`nt by any chance changing down in mid bend, without thinking?
Done this a few times when pootling along at low speeds (below 50) mind on something entirely different and "snap" with the added engine braking of the down change the diff locks up one wheel and the back end steps smartly out to the right(usually)in an attempt to spin the car, add to that a greasy, diesel covered bit of smooth tarmac and its hello hedgerow/lampost/van/building/dog/pedestrian - delete as appropriate.
I`m sure its a possible cause in many of the now famous quick exiting of the roundabout spins.
Just my twopennuths.
Glad you are OK Mike. The only time I've ALMOST come to grief in a wedge was exactly Gandalf's scenario in the SEAC! Thing was, I could only have been doing 35mph!!
I don't think I was changing gears at the time, the road has a gradual bend to it, nothing sharp and is slightly up hill, it is also a residential type of bit so I was taking it really easy as well (especially as it was raining).
Theoretically I could have been changing up (I honestly cannot remember as it all happened so fast) and I do have a brand new clutch / gearbox, AND I haven't driven the car for months!!! so thinking about it that combination probably caused it, along with the pissing down rain, brand new tarmac and old tyres......
The tyres have been on there since I had the car and there is plenty of tread left on them, but I must admit I think I will get them changed for something better / softer.
Jeffo and gang, a couple of things.
1. What tyres you all running?
2. jeff, wWho did your exhaust?
MikeyB
Theoretically I could have been changing up (I honestly cannot remember as it all happened so fast) and I do have a brand new clutch / gearbox, AND I haven't driven the car for months!!! so thinking about it that combination probably caused it, along with the pissing down rain, brand new tarmac and old tyres......
The tyres have been on there since I had the car and there is plenty of tread left on them, but I must admit I think I will get them changed for something better / softer.
Jeffo and gang, a couple of things.
1. What tyres you all running?
2. jeff, wWho did your exhaust?
MikeyB
mikeb said:
1. What tyres you all running?
2. jeff, wWho did your exhaust?
MikeyB
Bridgestone SO3 when they were around I found to be the best. Then Toyo Proxies but there are new ones out now and at the moment I am on Falken Z1EX (?). The Falken is cheaper but I have been pleasantly surprised and did not visit the hedge today despite trying.
Zorst. Gave ACT a call then gave it all to Ron in Fforest gargae to play with. Complete apart from the manifolds and in stainless.
Currently running Pirelli P Zero`s but they tramline like bu**er and make the arse skittish at high speed so will not be going that route again - I`ve run Falkens till now and cant fault em` great grip wet or dry very cheap & available will be returning to them next time (only switched to the Pirellis as they came almost free with a set of OZ split rims.
I got (had!) a custom stainless bespoke exhaust jobbie on mine. The front half is allright, I was gonna get somebody like 'Longlife exhausts' a look in, they are down Cardiff and I have heard good things about them.
Might get a quote off them to rebuild the back bit - perhaps leaving out the final baffle and go for a straight through pipe
Have a word with them in the week me thinks.
MikeyB
Might get a quote off them to rebuild the back bit - perhaps leaving out the final baffle and go for a straight through pipe
Have a word with them in the week me thinks.
MikeyB
mikeb said:
Well the gearbox seems fine, the clutch fantastic, much lighter and sharper. Only issue I have is I did seem to get some 'gear chatter' when the car is hot at idle and thought it might be the release bearing(?) had a word with the garage and he reckons its the Castrol SMS synthetic oil I put in.
He reckons that once warmed up it gets thinner causing the slight 'chatter' in the gears on tickover anyhow I am keeping an eye on it. Got a few other pressing issues now though.......
Anyhow back to the 'off'. Picked the car up from the garage (in the rain). Coming around a slight bend in the road out of Caerphilly town doing only about 25 to 30mph, the back end snaps out - I can honestly say I didn't know why (usually you know when you do something wrong to cause a spin, too much revs, too fast into a corner etc) but on this occasion I can't think of anything that caused it.
I know the road has been recently resurfaced and obviously wet, perhaps they still have oil on the road.... Anyhow I try to correct the spin, unfortunately overcompensate the car spins the other way completely around and basically backs itself into a kerb back first!
It was literally like being on ice. Scared the bejesus out of me. I thought it's Clarksons 'owning a TVR is like keeping a Grizzly bear as a pet, you know that one day out of the blue its gonna rip your head off and kill you' speech time!
Luckily the kerb at that point was really low, cleared the back lower spoiler and the back box took the hit, buckling the back cylindrical box considerably. Also pushed the left rear wheel frame out of whack ever so slightly. Didn't do any other damage. Need a new rear exhaust and have to get the geometry of the wheels set back up again on the rears.
There was an old guy on the pavement with his dog - the car span 180 degrees right past him missed his mutt by inches, and the telegraph pole right next to him, I even managed to miss an oncoming truck on the other side of the road! ..... which was nice.
Got out of the car and was expecting fibreglass carrnage but not a scratch! really lucky. That will teach me to not respect the 450 in the rain!
So the moral of this story is be carefull out there kids.
MikeyB
He reckons that once warmed up it gets thinner causing the slight 'chatter' in the gears on tickover anyhow I am keeping an eye on it. Got a few other pressing issues now though.......
Anyhow back to the 'off'. Picked the car up from the garage (in the rain). Coming around a slight bend in the road out of Caerphilly town doing only about 25 to 30mph, the back end snaps out - I can honestly say I didn't know why (usually you know when you do something wrong to cause a spin, too much revs, too fast into a corner etc) but on this occasion I can't think of anything that caused it.
I know the road has been recently resurfaced and obviously wet, perhaps they still have oil on the road.... Anyhow I try to correct the spin, unfortunately overcompensate the car spins the other way completely around and basically backs itself into a kerb back first!
It was literally like being on ice. Scared the bejesus out of me. I thought it's Clarksons 'owning a TVR is like keeping a Grizzly bear as a pet, you know that one day out of the blue its gonna rip your head off and kill you' speech time!
Luckily the kerb at that point was really low, cleared the back lower spoiler and the back box took the hit, buckling the back cylindrical box considerably. Also pushed the left rear wheel frame out of whack ever so slightly. Didn't do any other damage. Need a new rear exhaust and have to get the geometry of the wheels set back up again on the rears.
There was an old guy on the pavement with his dog - the car span 180 degrees right past him missed his mutt by inches, and the telegraph pole right next to him, I even managed to miss an oncoming truck on the other side of the road! ..... which was nice.
Got out of the car and was expecting fibreglass carrnage but not a scratch! really lucky. That will teach me to not respect the 450 in the rain!
So the moral of this story is be carefull out there kids.
MikeyB
sorry Mike. Ithought you were taking the pi55 after getting out the scalextric after a bottle of wine!
I'm glad to here that you are ok & got away with only slight damage.
There but for the grace.....
Mike, had it just started to rain by any chance?
Just so happens that every incident/puncture/mishap/spin whatever on track or not has always happened to me in the first minute or two of it raining. I now drive half speed in the rain, a little faster if its been raining a while.
-Jim
Just so happens that every incident/puncture/mishap/spin whatever on track or not has always happened to me in the first minute or two of it raining. I now drive half speed in the rain, a little faster if its been raining a while.
-Jim
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