Lost Your TVR?
Discussion
Leading on from the "scares the ****" topic, has everyone at some stage lost control of their TVR? Not wanting to hear horror stories of right off's and the like. No sad ones please. Just curious to know if we all at some time or other have pushed that little bit more and ended up where we shouldn't. Like in a field and got away with it!
What's your story?
What's your story?
When I first had my old 350i, span it in the wet turning off a main road into a high street. I was hardly caning it but it taught me how to respect them in the wet! Gladly, there was nothing on the other side of the road because I'd have hit it.
Also, momentarily lost the Griff on a roundabout but managed to catch it just in time on my exit. The guy coming the other way couldn't have opened his mouth any wider.
I think I did a good job of catching it as it must have looked quite controlled and so, as is only right, once I straightened up, I floored it, just to make it look like I meant it all. 
(which I didn't - I very nearly skidded in my pants in sync with the skid on the road)
Also, momentarily lost the Griff on a roundabout but managed to catch it just in time on my exit. The guy coming the other way couldn't have opened his mouth any wider.
I think I did a good job of catching it as it must have looked quite controlled and so, as is only right, once I straightened up, I floored it, just to make it look like I meant it all. (which I didn't - I very nearly skidded in my pants in sync with the skid on the road) 
And of a 75 bhp Citroën ZX 1.4i... twice. 
About 90mph in the wet not on the m25 I had a m5 up my ass and kept flashing me to move over, so i threw it in 3rd and floored it,
But the wheels span up and the back end was about 1.1235mm from the Armco when the back decided to over take the front
s
t my pants, controlled it and left the m5 ;-)
But the wheels span up and the back end was about 1.1235mm from the Armco when the back decided to over take the front
s
t my pants, controlled it and left the m5 ;-)When I first got my TVR Chimaera about 22 years old, I came to a set of traffic lights and a lambo Murc (I cant even spell it) pulled up I gave mine a little rev he didnt respond so thought nothing of it. The lights changed and his revved like fk so quickly and shot off! I though bd mashed my pedal to the floor leaving the people behind me at the lights covered in tyre smoke! Got to the island which is usually really busy lost control did a spin and a bit more. Drove off shaking like fk to cool the car down when a man showed me his badge out the window and said pull over :st: I had smoked away from the lights and the car behind me was a police car!
I pulled over and he asks "Bet your insurance is expensive on this aint it"
me "yes officer"
officer "whys that then you think"
me "group 20 car"
officer " no because people like you drive like wkers"
me "I dont normally drive like that"
officer " I love TVR's dont wreck this one!"
me "I love this car"
officer " can I sit inside"
me "yes of course" (thinking at this point Ive sneakiily got away with it)
And I did but lesson learnt....now Ive done the sensible thing 6 years on and twin turbod it just to make sure I get away quicker..lol
k so quickly and shot off! I though bd mashed my pedal to the floor leaving the people behind me at the lights covered in tyre smoke! Got to the island which is usually really busy lost control did a spin and a bit more. Drove off shaking like fk to cool the car down when a man showed me his badge out the window and said pull over :st: I had smoked away from the lights and the car behind me was a police car!I pulled over and he asks "Bet your insurance is expensive on this aint it"
me "yes officer"
officer "whys that then you think"
me "group 20 car"
officer " no because people like you drive like w
kers"me "I dont normally drive like that"
officer " I love TVR's dont wreck this one!"
me "I love this car"
officer " can I sit inside"
me "yes of course" (thinking at this point Ive sneakiily got away with it)
And I did but lesson learnt....now Ive done the sensible thing 6 years on and twin turbod it just to make sure I get away quicker..lol
Had the Chim 5 years now, but still managed to lose is a few months back. Approaching a roundabout on an NSL DC quite briskly decided to leave braking late. No problem, dry road lots of space. Hit the brakes hard then belatedly remembered that the pads (redstuff) were cold. No real braking effect to speak of.
Made it round but was going way too fast on the exit and joy of joys the exit is off camber and has a ruddy great bump in the middle of it. Back end didnt just step out it snapped round and I ended up going sideways over the DC, bumped over the kerb and BETWEEN two lamp posts, ended up parked on the grass facing the wrong way covered in dirt.
Very lucky escape ,not even a scratch on the alloys.
This was followed immediately by a trip to topcats to replace the brakes with something that works all the time, and while replacing them found the disks (drilled and grooved) were all badly pitted on the rear side AND had cracks coming from the drilled bits
So it wasnt just the pads being cold, there wasnt much decent surface to grab on the back of the disk either.
Made it round but was going way too fast on the exit and joy of joys the exit is off camber and has a ruddy great bump in the middle of it. Back end didnt just step out it snapped round and I ended up going sideways over the DC, bumped over the kerb and BETWEEN two lamp posts, ended up parked on the grass facing the wrong way covered in dirt.
Very lucky escape ,not even a scratch on the alloys.
This was followed immediately by a trip to topcats to replace the brakes with something that works all the time, and while replacing them found the disks (drilled and grooved) were all badly pitted on the rear side AND had cracks coming from the drilled bits
So it wasnt just the pads being cold, there wasnt much decent surface to grab on the back of the disk either.
First year of T350 ownership, floored it coming off a slip road on the M40 in the wet. Crossed the white lines and so ended up fish tailing for a bit - saw the underside of an articulated lorry a couple of times until getting back to normal. A bit of heart stopping moment and lesson learnt about driving in the wet!!
If you go to Chiddingfold in surrey there is a metal fence around the cricket green. A certain pistonheader took a kid out for a spin in his Griff only to give it too much welly as he went from the main road into a side road, and drove the car into the fence. The fence is still bent and wonky for some 10 meters or so where the car hit it.
I did on my first day of ownership. Slip road onto a NSL d/c was slightly greasy, travelling about 30mph, put my foot down, span the rear wheels and ended up briefly facing the hard shoulder before catching it and carrying on my way rather sheepishly. Think I was lucky I reacted calmly to the back stepping out rather than lifting off too suddenly.
In a way I was rather glad it happened (and got away with it!) because it made me respect the Tuscan no end.
In a way I was rather glad it happened (and got away with it!) because it made me respect the Tuscan no end.
Nothing but the odd tail-wag on the road.
But at Castle Coombe in 2-seperate Sprint events, once coming out of Tower before the chicane in the wet, managed a 360 and stayed on the track and engine running, but totally disorientated.
In another Sprint, again in the wet after that same Chicane, did another 360, just a bit of grass collected. Both were after the braking/turn in, just applying too many beans when wet in a straight line. salutory lesson learnt - now 3-years and 20+ Sprints/Hillclimbs later without any further mishaps!!
Trv
But at Castle Coombe in 2-seperate Sprint events, once coming out of Tower before the chicane in the wet, managed a 360 and stayed on the track and engine running, but totally disorientated.
In another Sprint, again in the wet after that same Chicane, did another 360, just a bit of grass collected. Both were after the braking/turn in, just applying too many beans when wet in a straight line. salutory lesson learnt - now 3-years and 20+ Sprints/Hillclimbs later without any further mishaps!!
Trv
45 mph following the wife in her landrover and with my son in the passenger seat my cerb went for a 720 degree spin on spilled diesel (yes honest it was). Ended up with hitting the only bit of curb in 400m and with me swearing my son says, "you ok dad". Felt so guilty as I for one bloody second thought more of a car than my lad.
took a white Cerb out for a test drive with James Agger, went across a big junction in Nottingham in the dry, back stepped out complete with yelps from both James and myself.
Had a couple of slow speed "facing the wrong way on a roundabout" experiences, where I didn’t quite get the balance right. people just beep... as if you didn’t realise you were facing the wrong way... rather than stopping so you can turn around.
then there was the terminal (for the Tuscan) straight wet motorway, backend steps out at c60mph. 3sides of the car interface with the Armco
warning graphic images:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Custard
Had a couple of slow speed "facing the wrong way on a roundabout" experiences, where I didn’t quite get the balance right. people just beep... as if you didn’t realise you were facing the wrong way... rather than stopping so you can turn around.
then there was the terminal (for the Tuscan) straight wet motorway, backend steps out at c60mph. 3sides of the car interface with the Armco
warning graphic images:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Custard
custardkid said:
took a white Cerb out for a test drive with James Agger, went across a big junction in Nottingham in the dry, back stepped out complete with yelps from both James and myself.
Had a couple of slow speed "facing the wrong way on a roundabout" experiences, where I didn’t quite get the balance right. people just beep... as if you didn’t realise you were facing the wrong way... rather than stopping so you can turn around.
then there was the terminal (for the Tuscan) straight wet motorway, backend steps out at c60mph. 3sides of the car interface with the Armco
warning graphic images:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Custard
And now you drive a Had a couple of slow speed "facing the wrong way on a roundabout" experiences, where I didn’t quite get the balance right. people just beep... as if you didn’t realise you were facing the wrong way... rather than stopping so you can turn around.
then there was the terminal (for the Tuscan) straight wet motorway, backend steps out at c60mph. 3sides of the car interface with the Armco
warning graphic images:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...
Custard
dvs_dave said:
No wonder that happened!
Looks like you had a Smart Roadster (Brabus) up your chuff that you just couldn't shake and he pressured you into making a big mistake.
Same happens when a BMW 335d (mapped) is filling your rear view mirrors.
Looks like you had a Smart Roadster (Brabus) up your chuff that you just couldn't shake and he pressured you into making a big mistake.
Same happens when a BMW 335d (mapped) is filling your rear view mirrors.
That's never going to be forgotten is it,
dvs_dave said:
No wonder that happened!
Looks like you had a Smart Roadster (Brabus) up your chuff that you just couldn't shake and he pressured you into making a big mistake.
Same happens when a BMW 335d (mapped) is filling your rear view mirrors.
Looks like you had a Smart Roadster (Brabus) up your chuff that you just couldn't shake and he pressured you into making a big mistake.
Same happens when a BMW 335d (mapped) is filling your rear view mirrors.
I was just lining them up for the kill, got a bit too excited. 
This'll be the kiss of death, but in 7000 miles I haven't spun the Chim on the road (yet). Managed to 180 it on a trackday at RAF Hullavington, though. First time I'd tracked it, and was impressed at the way the car resolutely resisted all understeer, and as a result was getting braver and braver with throttle-steering it through the corners. Pretty much did exactly what pwd95 did at Castle Combe (above) and ended-up pointing the wrong way. In general I've found the Chim to be quite benign in the dry with small angles of slide, with little tendency to snap the other way. It's like a V8 MX5 with heavy steering.
Mate had a TVR V6S before his Caterham and ended-up backwards in the wet on two occasions. Little bit too much throttle on roundabout exits; he reckoned no amount of opposite lock made any difference, but I don't know how well set-up his car was!
Mate had a TVR V6S before his Caterham and ended-up backwards in the wet on two occasions. Little bit too much throttle on roundabout exits; he reckoned no amount of opposite lock made any difference, but I don't know how well set-up his car was!
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