Near monumental epic fail
Discussion
Washing the car today (Cayman R) and want to do a good job so decide to wash the wheel arches. Need to turn the front wheels so I can do a REALLY good job. Need to push clutch pedal down (no PDK nonsense) to get it to start.
However - problem; do not want to get all the way in due to damp overalls. So settle for one foot in, start her up, all going to plan.
Slight hitch... the wheels won't stay turned due to the gravel drive. Easy - lift foot off clutch slightly and ease her forward a couple of inches on DFI controlled precision, still in "reversing Lamborghini half in/half out" position.
Then....
Foot slips sideways off clutch, clutch duly dumped rear tyres wheel spin on gravel, left foot now wedged under the brake pedal, right foot going past my ear, pristine Cayman heading rapidly towards garage wall on full lock!
An insurance claim form flashing before my eyes (how can I blame this on the cat to cover my stupidity?) I am momentarily distracted before diving left, yanking up the handbrake, the engine stalls, the front bumper stopping inches from the wall, two curving trenches of gravel behind me..
Relieved I had got away with such toolsome behaviour, I thought it should be shared...
So... any similar experiences to share?
However - problem; do not want to get all the way in due to damp overalls. So settle for one foot in, start her up, all going to plan.
Slight hitch... the wheels won't stay turned due to the gravel drive. Easy - lift foot off clutch slightly and ease her forward a couple of inches on DFI controlled precision, still in "reversing Lamborghini half in/half out" position.
Then....
Foot slips sideways off clutch, clutch duly dumped rear tyres wheel spin on gravel, left foot now wedged under the brake pedal, right foot going past my ear, pristine Cayman heading rapidly towards garage wall on full lock!
An insurance claim form flashing before my eyes (how can I blame this on the cat to cover my stupidity?) I am momentarily distracted before diving left, yanking up the handbrake, the engine stalls, the front bumper stopping inches from the wall, two curving trenches of gravel behind me..
Relieved I had got away with such toolsome behaviour, I thought it should be shared...
So... any similar experiences to share?
pulling away from a drop in an old analogue tacho wagon, I put my arm through the steering wheel to change the fiddly little knob under the speedo from rest to work. I forgot that It was on full right hand lock and as it started to straighten my arm was trapped and almost snapped and nearly smashed into skip. The thought of just stopping took a few seconds to process. 
As a teen in an XR3i I almost had an epic fail (amongst others). Fuel gauge couldnt be trusted so after filling up always reset the trip. I filled up and as I left the fuel station put my hand through the steering wheel to reset it.... as the wheel turned as i accelerated away it could turn no further when it trapped my hand. Result- me mounting the path and just stopping before hitting a wall
Quick look round, relieved no one seen me and drive off.
Quick look round, relieved no one seen me and drive off.
The Vambo said:
pulling away from a drop in an old analogue tacho wagon, I put my arm through the steering wheel to change the fiddly little knob under the speedo from rest to work. I forgot that It was on full right hand lock and as it started to straighten my arm was trapped and almost snapped and nearly smashed into skip. The thought of just stopping took a few seconds to process.
I put my hand through the steering wheel a few weeks ago to reset the trip counter when leaving the petrol station, nearly broke my arm and certainly filled my trousers! Won't do that again in a hurry!
t...Friend of a friend (a good few years ago now) pinged the front end of his mum's borrowed Mondeo on a visit. This was a Friday afternoon. Amazingly, he managed to find a body shop prepared to look at it Saturday morning & even more amazingly replaced the bumper, bonnet & one wing on a private for pound notes the same day with blowover included.
He phoned my mate on Monday to tell him his mum asked why he'd only bothered washing the front of the car. A good few quid lighter, but mum/son disaster averted. AFAIK she never did find out.
He phoned my mate on Monday to tell him his mum asked why he'd only bothered washing the front of the car. A good few quid lighter, but mum/son disaster averted. AFAIK she never did find out.
Me and a mate went to view a Lotus Elise for sale.
When we got there, the chap had the RAC in attendence, because the battery was dead, so a new one was being fitted.
Once the RAC man had fitted the battery, he asked the owner to start the car, which at the time was sitting on the driveway in front of the open garage.
Your man reached in, turned the key, and the Lotus (which was in gear) merrily fired up and drove itself through the garage, taking out a selection of ladders, bicycles and shelving units inside the garage, which all made a huge - almost comedic noise as they smashed and clattered to the floor and all over the Lotus, until it finally hit the rear wall of the garage, stopping dead but caving a good deal of brickwork out from the wall into the garden behind.
There was this all around
Before we decided that we probably wouldn't be interested in buying an accident damaged car with bricks and bicycles upon it, and left the scene fairly quickly...
When we got there, the chap had the RAC in attendence, because the battery was dead, so a new one was being fitted.
Once the RAC man had fitted the battery, he asked the owner to start the car, which at the time was sitting on the driveway in front of the open garage.
Your man reached in, turned the key, and the Lotus (which was in gear) merrily fired up and drove itself through the garage, taking out a selection of ladders, bicycles and shelving units inside the garage, which all made a huge - almost comedic noise as they smashed and clattered to the floor and all over the Lotus, until it finally hit the rear wall of the garage, stopping dead but caving a good deal of brickwork out from the wall into the garden behind.
There was this all around
Before we decided that we probably wouldn't be interested in buying an accident damaged car with bricks and bicycles upon it, and left the scene fairly quickly...
I backed my car out of a chain link gate and thought I would be cool/dramatic by having the door open as I backed up. So of course, I backed the door right into the fence post and folded it back almost to the front fender. It wouldn't close so I had to tie it almost shut until I could get it fixed, which thank goodness wasn't too expensive, and it lined up prefectly.
A mate of mine did a similar thing with his brand new ST220 when he reached through the drivers window to start it up, (I forget why). In gear it leapt forwards smashing into the car in front, causing impressive damage to both cars. The car in front was his wife's.
If that wasn't bad enough, the car leaping forward threw his arm sideways and he punched himself in the mouth. Saved his wife doing it I suppose
If that wasn't bad enough, the car leaping forward threw his arm sideways and he punched himself in the mouth. Saved his wife doing it I suppose
Many years ago, a Spitfire Mk3 and some Redex..
Sunny summer Sunday afternoon, car is parked in the street outside parents' house; people out washing cars, cutting hedges etc,
Earlier I had poured Redex down the bores. Now to the next stage: spin it over, relace the plugs and go for a smokey blast.
Bonnet up, I'm sitting on the nearside front wheel, legs either side of the suspension wishbones. Large piece of rag across the plug holes, held in place by my forearm. With the other arm I can reach and press the solenoid button.
I wasn't in the habit of leaving the car in gear, so I hadn't checked..
It leapt forwards, my arm slipped, I got soaked in Redex, and the bonnet came down on my head.
Sunny summer Sunday afternoon, car is parked in the street outside parents' house; people out washing cars, cutting hedges etc,
Earlier I had poured Redex down the bores. Now to the next stage: spin it over, relace the plugs and go for a smokey blast.
Bonnet up, I'm sitting on the nearside front wheel, legs either side of the suspension wishbones. Large piece of rag across the plug holes, held in place by my forearm. With the other arm I can reach and press the solenoid button.
I wasn't in the habit of leaving the car in gear, so I hadn't checked..
It leapt forwards, my arm slipped, I got soaked in Redex, and the bonnet came down on my head.
I once parked up in the local supermarket at the far end from the shop as it was a Saturday and very busy, as I got out I heard the sound of a motorcycle starting up then stalling as it was put into gear. I knew this exact sound as nearly all bikes including my own have an interlock so you can't ride away with the sidestand down.
The chap on the bike spent the time it took me to walk across the carpark, withdraw some money from the cashpoint and walk up to him to point out that his sidestand was only half up repeatedly stalling the bike.
I didn't stick around as to save his embarrasment but rather two dozen stalls than potentially a very nasty accident.
The chap on the bike spent the time it took me to walk across the carpark, withdraw some money from the cashpoint and walk up to him to point out that his sidestand was only half up repeatedly stalling the bike.
I didn't stick around as to save his embarrasment but rather two dozen stalls than potentially a very nasty accident.
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