CBR786

Okay need advice picture this your driving your own car with one of your best buddies. The car starts handling funny so you pull over check tyres and find out they are loose after tightening wheels before you jump in car as you are putting tools away your best mate who was driving shotgun now jumps in the driving seat. I do not want to seem like a spoilsport so let him carry on I jump in passenger. He drives car like he has stolen it red line all the way stop start at junctions etc. Cut a long story short engine now knocking. Engine started knocking while friend was driving he was aware of knock and slowed right down. Checked oil it was half way Mark topped more oil to full Mark drove him home engine knocking all the way. Question who pays for replacement or engine repairs ? Me or him Putting it out their for survey of what you guys think. Would I be out of order asking him to foot repair bill ? Or is my fault should of not let him drive my car ? History on topic I have driven his cars in the past with him sitting in the car but at the dame time I never ragged his car.

Vandit

If his driving was no different then my driving when I'm on the car, then I'd have a hard time blaming him. I run my car to redline, I get heavy on the throttle, etc.

If he operated the car incorrectly, for example, mechanically overrev'd the engine from downshifting to too low a gear, then yea, that would be on him and I'd expect him to pay for that repair.

It's kinda iffy if you ALWAYS drive your car like a saint, never use the whole rev range, etc., then he used the car, drove it harder than you but still within its operating range and it failed.

tbennett017

Tough one. That's one of those really impossible calls to make. Ideally your friend should be stepping up to at least take some responsibility... but if he doesn't on his own that creates a certain conundrum.

Why was the oil low? Was that you? How was he driving it... (you say aggressively... )

ack.

What does your friend say about the situation? Is it something where you could share the repair effort as a bonding experience?

Bates

He may have pushed the engine over the edge, but he did not take a brand new car and destroy the engine. If he does not expect to pay a portion of the repair - find a new friend. I would shut down anyone doing that in any of my cars. It's one thing to drive them hard... another to abuse them.

My brother-in-law beats the hell out of his stuff. He is a good guy, but a bull in a china shop. He was moving his car and bumped the back of my C4, just being careless. I made him pay $250 to have the bumber repainted mostly because of his attitude at the time it occurred. He was more careful around the car in the future.

Marc Shaw

Yes, if he blew a shift and over-revved, etc then it is all him.

Otherwise it is your bill as it was likely gonna happen anyway and he just happened to be in the driver's seat.

If you were not happy with how he was driving, it is up to you to say so at the time.

Granted, I've driven other people's cars (at the track and on the street) and if damage was done with me as the pilot, I'd step up.

Marc

Ken D

You need to find out 1) what precisely is wrong and 2) what is the root cause. Then you can figure out next steps.

Cheeksyboy

There's plenty of oil in the system if it's showing half on the 'dip-stick', so it sounds like a coincidence.

Redlining and missing shifts would defo increase the chance of a pre-existing problem manifesting itself more quickly.

Did you tell your friend that you didn't approve of him driving it like he stole it? If not, he may have felt you approved.

Having said that, I'd still lay the guilt trip and ask for a contribution toward repairs....if they're needed!

Just my 2p worth.

VR6-er

I agree. Its a performance car, albeit a delicate one with age. If the engine was warm (over 4 miles from cold) then it should take a damned good thrashing over a considerable period of time.

I had a conversation with Steve McHale of JZ Mactech fame on Friday and he painted an interesting picture. He described a car that had done very short journeys and needed a rebuild at less than 20k miles (IIRC it was nearer 10k). He explicitly suggested that cars that were driven hard when hot did not wear and the engine was designed for this type of use.

If the engine was low on oil that's not his responsibility.

From what you have said my view is that its likely the motor was on the edge and as such he has no responsibility.

goofballdeluxe

From what I know, these cars are designed to run at long periods at or near red line. That, in and of itself, doesn't amount to negligence. The rev limiter is in place to make sure any aggressive driving doesn't cause any damage.

Now, if he missed a shift and over-revved it past redline, it's his fault. If he didn't, I'd say it was just bad timing and the cost is yours.

CBR786

he has said nothing about it although he is using his contacts to try to find an engine but he did not mention who pays for engine lol .. I know he has some good contacts and he has sourced a replacement engine cheap but who pays for it.? I do not wish to ask him to pay and he thinks I am being out of order. to clear up a few things he drove the car hard and I mean Hard like he was having a track day on the road. I have never drove my car as hard as he drove it. But he is a better driver then me he knows how to handle a car but it felt like we just did a bank job the way he drove ! he was quite on the way home with a glum look on his face so I know he feels guilty, ha I just thought see what others would do or suggest. the oil level was fine.

goofballdeluxe

Well if he feels guilty, maybe he knows he missed a shift and is responsible? That guilt may pay off in more than a few quid. Maybe he'll split the cost with you?

If he's a close mate, I'd not lose the friendship over this.

boxsey911

Sorry to hear about the engine trouble. Many of us here drive our cars hard. Especially those of us who track them. On the presumption that he didn't make any mistakes (see other posts above) my guess is that the problem was already lurking beneath.

FeralComprehension

You were in the car with him; did he miss a shift? They're race cars built to operate on the street- if there was nothing exceptional that occurred it's all you.

f3nr15

1. Never share your wife or your car.

2. Whether or not these cars are made to be driven hard is irrelevant - the car is your property, and for your so-called friend to treat it with anything other than kid-gloves is blatant disrespect of someone else's property.

3. I wouldn't expect him to foot the entire bill, but I would expect a damn good contribution at the very least.

Good luck!

ja78911sc

+1