I WANT IT!

[Ant]

This forum scares me, I'm outta here...

[DrMordrid]

Crash stories!! YES!!

Going southbound and approached an intersection with a green light. There was a dual trailer semi in left turn lane blocking the view of the oncoming crossing traffic. I pulled into the intersection....

The light was green in both directions. Witnessed by a police officer who said she just closed her eyes and started praying.

I was driving a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado (502 CID, front wheel drive, 225 inches long, 5,600 + lbs).

A full sized Ford 3/4 ton van hit my left front with his right front fender at 50mph.

The caddy needed a frame straightening, hood, grill, fender etc. and was on the road in a few days.

The vans side was peeled off from the front to the rear along the welds like a sardine can. Doors ripped off too. Totaled.

The impact spun that Caddy a full rotation and a half.

NO INJURIES IN EITHER VEHICLE.

Dr. Mordrid

[wizz]

Crashes huh,

How about crashing doing 110 mph on an airfield in a 1974 racing Porche whilst filming a pilot for a car program a couple of years ago. Got out with a few bruises that all, boy that car tough and quick.

The Intergrale, is an awesome car but has now been eclipsed by the Subaru Imprezza, and Mitsubishi Galant EVO VI, gone round a rally course with an instructor in the Imprezza and in a small narrow lane with fenced with trees we were easily doing over a ton and going round corners at 90 mph, never want to do that again.


Scott, I'll have to ask around about the fire thing, hope its just a one off. Getting rid of the Elise next year for a BMW M5, settling down you see and i need the extra seats (sigh)

Tony

[Brian Ellis]

Yeah! You can get horrendous crashes with everyone walking out uninjured and other, minor ones with 4 dead. My worst experience: I was in a brand new Toyota Camry travelling c. 60 km/h on the inside lane and a 28 tonner was in the outside lane and "did not know I was there" (even though we had been running parallel for 300 metres). He decided to change lanes and neatly flicked me in the rear right-hand side, so that I ended up sideways in front of him, being pushed sideways. We carried on in such a peculiar coitus position for about 100 m until he pushed me into a lamp post. I had slight whiplash as only injury: had to wear a collar for 5 days. I was able to crawl out the right hand side back door, the truck jamming both LH doors and the lamp post the front RH one. Needless to say, the Camry was more than a total write off, the average width being reduced by 40 -50 cm. For the anecdote, when the cops arrived, one of them asked where the driver of the Camry was and I said that I was he. He blinked at me as if to say he didn't believe it and then said, "Well, I won't need to ask you if you were wearing your seat belt". At the time, I thought my time had come with a truck radiator on my left and the lamp post coming at me at a goodly rate of knots (it ended up about 25 cm from my right elbow).

In 45 years driving, this was the only serious incident I've been involved in.


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Brian (the terrible)



[This message has been edited by Brian Ellis (edited 09-29-1999).]

[andrewh]

Wizz,

Elise to M5, settling down!!! You mean the new M5, the one with the engine de-tuned to 400 nags??

You must have a very understanding settling partner :-) I managed to con mine into a sensible family car (Peugeot 406). She didn't notice that we got the 3 litre but that's OK. I still have my old 525i but it is getting a bit long in the tooth for real fun.

Andrew

[wizz]

Andrew,

Yeah, wish i could afford the new one 400 bhp, ouch. No its going to be a 95/96 model with 340 horse power, still not bad eh. My misses is a lot smarter than she looks so i gotta be careful, she might want a Nissan instead. 525i's are alright and i like peugeots, verey good handling and ride.

Tony

[DrMordrid]

Bringing this full circle;

I STILL WANT A Y2K DODGE POWER WAGON!!

Dr. Mordrid

[This_Idiot]

Well I'm more than happy with my Espace. Now I wonder if I could get hold of that Williams F1 version......

[Biker]

OK I desperately need to ask -

Is it true, a buddy of mine just returned from the USA and stated that the speed limit in Florida was 45mph in the daytime and only 35mph at night.

Is it true? I was told it was something to do with creatures (non human)on the road at night.

Geez - you only need 10Horse power to go that fast!!!

Love to all.

Biker.




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[Mark F]

Biker- Don't worry it's as much as 70MPH in some areas of the highways.

Mark F.

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OH NO, my retractable cup holder swallowed a CD



[This message has been edited by Mark F (edited 10-06-1999).]

[DrMordrid]

Them creatures are called GATORS my friend, as in several hundred pounds each and on a reproductive tear. That goes to show how overprotecting a species can boomerang on you.

In Michigan we have a similar problem: over 2.5 million whitetail deer, mostly near populated areas. They are a leading cause of single car accidents here. Over a million deer hunters a year and seasons running from Oct. to Jan. can't harvest enough of them to keep the population down.

Then there are the elk (northern 2/3 of the state) and panthers. Yes, panthers. Within 20 miles of Detroit. Photographed by the police and confirmed by the Dept. of Natural Resources.

In fact the DNR chief ran into one on the beach in the upper part of the State a few years ago. Lucky for him all the panther wanted was a drink ;-))

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian Ellis]

Bloody Hell, Doc! One million hunters can't shoot an average of two deer each in 4 months? Are they blind or what? I bet I know what you can do: invite Cypriot hunters to your State. I'll guarantee there will not be a living deer within one month (OK your human population would also be somewhat reduced because they will fire at anything that moves from a sparrow to an elk). The French would make a second best.

This would have a second beneficial effect: I would not have to put up with the shooting just outside our property and being peppered with lead shot.


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Brian (the terrible)

[DrMordrid]

The Michigan firearms season only lasts two weeks starting Nov. 15th. The rest is archery season except for an overlapping two week muzzle loading firearms season in Dec. Crossbows are not allowed.

Also there is no baiting and you can only use shotguns with slugs or muzzle loaders in the lower part of the state where the population density is high. Rifles are allowed only in the upper half.

I hunt all three seasons using a Remington 300 magnum, a Mossberg 12 guage 3" magnum rifled slug shotgun, a .50 cal Thompson Center Hawken plains rifle and a 90 lb pull Bear compound bow.

Michigan deer are SMART. YOU try getting a wily whitetail with a bow. Not easy my friend, even with a 300+ ft/sec compound and razor tips.

Even though deer live in close proximity to people statewide they are nowhere near docile or stupid like, apparently, Eurodeer.

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian Ellis]

Doc

Michigan deer are a problem. Shooting season lasts 2 weeks. Ergo, extend the shooting season. Doooeh!

PS I don't think Eurodeer are stupid, either, but the Cypriots don't shoot 'em, anyway. Why? 'Cos there aren't any on the island.
The only large mammal is the moufflon, a highly protected wild sheep and I think the penalty for killing one would be worse than for killing a man (a number shot by hunters each year). BTW, a Euro directive proposes the elimination of lead from bullets because there is a risk that anyone shot in the head or heart may suffer from lead poisoning


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Brian (the terrible)

[DrMordrid]

Don't laugh. A lead shot ban is already in effect here for waterfowl so it doesn't pollute the wetland sediments.

Most shot is now steel, which is great on shotgun barrels and lousy for long shots.

Maybe someday they'll let us use depleted uranium ;-))

Dr. Mordrid