This post is not a Joke ...
05-01-2006, 01:31 PM
#16
Rennlist Junkie Forever
20+ years ago, I woke up and went out to my car only to find it not there. I had initially thought it was stolen.
It was a Datsun 510 (used to race those back then...).
The car rolled about 75 yards, backwards down the street (hill), into a chain link fence, flattened the fence, and was on top of the fence.
The back end of the car was actually supported by the fence, while the front was still on earth.
The otherside of the fence (which was now horizontal with a car on top of it) was about a 20' drop at a very steep angle, into an avacado orchard.
I called a couple of friends and we stood there and starred at it for a while trying to figure out how to get it off the fence (afraid the fence would give way and the car would crash down the hill... like cartoon).
Finally, I decided (stupidly) to get in the car, start it, and drive it off. It worked. The car was saved except for a few scratches on the rear bumper.
Apparently thet e-brake wasn't fully applied.
TonyG
It was a Datsun 510 (used to race those back then...).
The car rolled about 75 yards, backwards down the street (hill), into a chain link fence, flattened the fence, and was on top of the fence.
The back end of the car was actually supported by the fence, while the front was still on earth.
The otherside of the fence (which was now horizontal with a car on top of it) was about a 20' drop at a very steep angle, into an avacado orchard.
I called a couple of friends and we stood there and starred at it for a while trying to figure out how to get it off the fence (afraid the fence would give way and the car would crash down the hill... like cartoon).
Finally, I decided (stupidly) to get in the car, start it, and drive it off. It worked. The car was saved except for a few scratches on the rear bumper.
Apparently thet e-brake wasn't fully applied.
TonyG
05-01-2006, 04:42 PM
#18
Actually it was your lucky day, it could have been so much worse.
Nice to hear that this is something that has happened to more than one of you.
When I was in high school I had a 55 chevy with a 4 speed trans. I came home from school to grab something, parked the car, didn't set the brake and ran in the house. I came outside to leave a couple of minutes later to find that my car had been stolen (so I thought). I started to panic when I realized that the car had rolled down our graded driveway across the street, over the curb, across that neighbors lawn and was now sitting parked on top of the neighbors small shrubs against the house.
I got in it, pulled forward, made sure there was no damage to the neighbors property and drove away.
Nice to hear that this is something that has happened to more than one of you.
When I was in high school I had a 55 chevy with a 4 speed trans. I came home from school to grab something, parked the car, didn't set the brake and ran in the house. I came outside to leave a couple of minutes later to find that my car had been stolen (so I thought). I started to panic when I realized that the car had rolled down our graded driveway across the street, over the curb, across that neighbors lawn and was now sitting parked on top of the neighbors small shrubs against the house.
I got in it, pulled forward, made sure there was no damage to the neighbors property and drove away.
05-01-2006, 05:31 PM
#19
Intermediate
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Massachusetts
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I had one of these stories at a Porsche dealership. I went on a search for a silver / red Boxster back when there was a 6 month wait in early 1999. Found one that was sitting on a Virginia lot and bought it on the spot. Wrote a check and passed it across the desk when all of a sudden the manager jumps up from behind an office divider and yells "oh sh*&". I turned to see a 911 shooting backwards off a flatbed across the lot, rams the Boxster and sends it across into a brand new Audi. Flatbed operator tied the 911 down by hooking the front bumper which immediatly pulled loose as he raised the bed.
My response - I reached across the desk, pulled my check back and left. Found another one a month later across town. Since went back to 911's.
My response - I reached across the desk, pulled my check back and left. Found another one a month later across town. Since went back to 911's.
05-01-2006, 11:16 PM
#20
Advanced
Certainly glad everything turned out well, Iceman. No harm thankfully. Your unintended humor was a great read. You should submit your account to Road & Track magazine. Every month they have short auto related humorous incidents. Your's may win a prize!
05-02-2006, 12:10 AM
#21
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Uh I think I'll pass thanks .. it was bad enough baring my soul in front of you guys .. the car is parked now and may be for some time ...
05-02-2006, 06:43 PM
#22
Drifting
Hey Ice,
Glad to hear it ended incident free.
You should live where I grew up. When I went for my driving licence 25 years ago, there was only one slope available to do an e-brake start for the licence test.
It was the one place the road went up over the railway line!
Apart from that, there wasn't a hill in sight!
Cheers and keep up the good work,
Frank
Glad to hear it ended incident free.
You should live where I grew up. When I went for my driving licence 25 years ago, there was only one slope available to do an e-brake start for the licence test.
It was the one place the road went up over the railway line!
Apart from that, there wasn't a hill in sight!
Cheers and keep up the good work,
Frank
05-03-2006, 01:48 PM
#23
Race Car
My driveway is on a slope.
At the end of it is a river.
When there is freezing rain, I routinely find my car has slid down it a bit.
Yes I have had nightmares.
At the end of it is a river.
When there is freezing rain, I routinely find my car has slid down it a bit.
Yes I have had nightmares.
05-03-2006, 11:56 PM
#24
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Thanks for the encouraging words guys. I am over the shock but remember the lesson,my brake is perfect now, after 2 clicks doesn't role, 3 clicks,solid, and the fourth click when the light comes on my 8 year old isn;t strong enough to undo it ..perfect...
back on the road......
ice
back on the road......
ice
09-20-2007, 05:17 PM
#25
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Man this was a great thread .. any one get any new stories to add ... ?
I have a minor one .. I went into the Bank to go to a Bank Machine. I came out not 5 minutes later and my car was GONE I paniced and and walked up and down the treet looking for my car . My cell phone was in it so I could not even call the cops. I decided to go look for a phone both ran to the corner and ran down the stret and there was my car ..
you see the Bank was on a corner , what I didn't realize it had 2 exits . I walked into the bank on one street and exited to the other without realizing it . Thinking I was on the same street of course my car was not there ...
what a bonehead....
I have a minor one .. I went into the Bank to go to a Bank Machine. I came out not 5 minutes later and my car was GONE I paniced and and walked up and down the treet looking for my car . My cell phone was in it so I could not even call the cops. I decided to go look for a phone both ran to the corner and ran down the stret and there was my car ..
you see the Bank was on a corner , what I didn't realize it had 2 exits . I walked into the bank on one street and exited to the other without realizing it . Thinking I was on the same street of course my car was not there ...
what a bonehead....
09-20-2007, 06:06 PM
#27
Burning Brakes
Friend's wife parked her VW Bug but didn't set the brake...
As it rolled down the driveway she dove in the window, but couldn't pull the lever and finally bailed out just before it hit the building across the street... a bank... probably full of laughing customers (she wouldn't tell us anymore details because we were laughing so hard).
As it rolled down the driveway she dove in the window, but couldn't pull the lever and finally bailed out just before it hit the building across the street... a bank... probably full of laughing customers (she wouldn't tell us anymore details because we were laughing so hard).
09-20-2007, 06:09 PM
#28
Iv had two similar experiences. The first was back when i was fixing up my 46 ****** jeep cj-2a. I was testing somthing and had to keep turning it on and off. It was parked in the garage and my brothers 69 nova was infront of it. You can already guess how it ends 
So the way the jeep is it has a key switch then a push button so start. Well i kept puting it in and out of gear when i had it shut off so it didnt roll away. It does have a parking brake but its crappy. So anyway one of the times i forgot to take it outa gear when i hit the push button standing outside of it and off it went! I scrambled to jump in and shut it off but too late it pushed the nova about 2 feet down the driveway. Thats pretty impressive considering it was idling and only had 10 feet to get a running start with the crappy e brake on. Luckily My tow hook landed right in the tailight housing and dindt damage any bodywork! And super luckily everyone was outa the way. And it was also lucky that his car was there to stop it because it would have went straight downhill into the neighbors house. I pissed my pants a little that time
So the second time i had my nissan 240sx out on the front lawn down up to the fence for sale. It was rear wheel drive with bald tires so it got stuck. I Got my blazer and gave it a tug up the slope to somewhat flat ground and the tow rope let loose! I quickly jumped out but realized i wasnt gonna catch it. It went right through the split rail wood fence and luckily got stopped by a ditch. Luckily it was a filled in ditch so it didnt damage it just slowed it down nicely and luckily no cars were passing they would have took out the nose. My biggest concern as it was rolling away was the windsheild getting smashed by the wood fence but that didnt happen. This was more commical than anything else i was laughing at it rolling away. I was selling it anyway it was a beater. But it was fine i just had to prop the fence back up
So the way the jeep is it has a key switch then a push button so start. Well i kept puting it in and out of gear when i had it shut off so it didnt roll away. It does have a parking brake but its crappy. So anyway one of the times i forgot to take it outa gear when i hit the push button standing outside of it and off it went! I scrambled to jump in and shut it off but too late it pushed the nova about 2 feet down the driveway. Thats pretty impressive considering it was idling and only had 10 feet to get a running start with the crappy e brake on. Luckily My tow hook landed right in the tailight housing and dindt damage any bodywork! And super luckily everyone was outa the way. And it was also lucky that his car was there to stop it because it would have went straight downhill into the neighbors house. I pissed my pants a little that time So the second time i had my nissan 240sx out on the front lawn down up to the fence for sale. It was rear wheel drive with bald tires so it got stuck. I Got my blazer and gave it a tug up the slope to somewhat flat ground and the tow rope let loose! I quickly jumped out but realized i wasnt gonna catch it. It went right through the split rail wood fence and luckily got stopped by a ditch. Luckily it was a filled in ditch so it didnt damage it just slowed it down nicely and luckily no cars were passing they would have took out the nose. My biggest concern as it was rolling away was the windsheild getting smashed by the wood fence but that didnt happen. This was more commical than anything else i was laughing at it rolling away. I was selling it anyway it was a beater. But it was fine i just had to prop the fence back up
09-20-2007, 06:25 PM
#29
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I learned to drive in a rural area in a ‘jitney’. Well, that’s what my friend called it. I think it was an Austin something. No cab, just a dash & seats. The rear had been sawed away & replaced with a wooden platform for hauling crap. Tractor-like shifting. Oh yeah, and no brakes . . .
I ran back to our cottage in it one day & stopped at the top of a 25 ft hill. Can you see it coming? Sure enough, I forgot to leave it in gear & it started to roll. Backwards.
I jumped in & panicked. If I had mashed it in gear & let out the clutch, it would have stopped at the top of the grade. But I road it down. Steered it between 2 trees. Curved it by a campground cookhouse & missed the stone fireplace & the well pump. Remember, this is all backwards. And then I smashed squarely into a dirt & rock hill – missing the rock part by a foot. All of this witnessed by a half dozen campers.
No damage except for my pride. I was 15 at the time.
Ian
I ran back to our cottage in it one day & stopped at the top of a 25 ft hill. Can you see it coming? Sure enough, I forgot to leave it in gear & it started to roll. Backwards.
I jumped in & panicked. If I had mashed it in gear & let out the clutch, it would have stopped at the top of the grade. But I road it down. Steered it between 2 trees. Curved it by a campground cookhouse & missed the stone fireplace & the well pump. Remember, this is all backwards. And then I smashed squarely into a dirt & rock hill – missing the rock part by a foot. All of this witnessed by a half dozen campers.
No damage except for my pride. I was 15 at the time.
Ian
09-20-2007, 09:06 PM
#30
Instructor
Reading that story brought back memories... Almost 40 years ago I delivered mail on a rural route in the Bay Area. I got out of my tall step van truck on a steep hill to deliver a package to the door. Put it park and set the parking brake. Got about half way down the driveway when I heard a pop and turned around to see the truck slowly starting to go downhill. The far side of the road was below grade, so you are looking down at the roofs of those houses... After dropping the box I was supposed to deliver, I ran down the street gaining on the truck as it passed the center line heading for the downhill side. Those stepvans had a U-shaped handle outside the door to help you up into the seat (driver side on the right for delivering mail). I grabbed the handle and swung inside. Got inside and put my foot on the brake. I stopped about 4 feet from the drop off to the houses below. I thought all was well until the adrenaline kicked in and my brake foot started shaking uncontrollably. Every shake would move the truck back about 6 inches closer to the edge. I desperately put both feet on the brake and hyperventilated just in time to keep me from dropping off the edge.
Looking back on it, I'm glad I didn't go through that with my 911...
Looking back on it, I'm glad I didn't go through that with my 911...