[trainwreck]

ok, i got a story for you guys. So, as some of you have heard, I had a bit of a mishap with my car last night. Loaned it to a friend, so i could borrow his pickup for a day. He decided that he loved the car, and wanted to keep it for a little while. It was about 6 days that he had the car, and was doing some incrediable tuning with the standalone.

Anyhow, last night, we were all out and about with the cars, chris (my friend) and marc (another friend) were riding around in the car. As i pull into my driveway, i get a call from them. "uh, tom, we have a little problem, had an engine fire, you should come down here." So i head down, assuming that it couldnt be anything big, as they put it out, and the guy driving the car was the engine builder, so he can help me fix about anything. As i pull up, there is almost a quarter mile of skid marks (acutally measured it). I jump out, not pissed at all, realizing that at least they are alive. They told me the story about how they were at about 6000 rpms in 5th gear, and still pulling hard, when there was a loud pop, bang, and fire ball flew out the hood. Immediatly following that, the rear tires locked (at 160 to 170mph), and the car went into a skid. Spun something like 2 or 3 times down the highway for about a quartermile. Came to a stop facing the wrong way in a 4 lane divided highway, and they jumped out with the fire extinguisher. Blew out any flames under the hood, and pushed the car to the shoulder.

So we are all standing around, trying to figure why a fire would cause the tires to lock. I found the severed speedo cable hanging down, and thought that mabye that had something to do with it. Tow truck is called, and on the way. Just before he gets there, i discover a fist sized hole in the block, which explains why there was a fire, and the tires locked.

Overall damage consists of: 4 flat spotted tires (about .25 inche shaved off), some black shit from the explosion, and the fire suppressent shit. All the wiring harness is fine, no hoses are damaged. The speedo cable is fucked, but was anyway before hand. In addition,the motor is pretty much shit the bed, and will need to be totally reconstructed. Everything associated with the chassis is ok.

Motor needs to come out, entire engine bay repainted, and cleaned, and a NEW motor installed with a new speedo cable, and im gonna try the tires, and see how bad they wobble.

I got pics of the tire marks, as well as a video taken the day after, if someone can host that.

 

[trainwreck]

remember this was @ over 6k rpms in 5th gear, with the hammer down. please note the distance of the two tire marks in the one picture, and see how they got closer togethor, indicating that they car was actually rotating. I went back and took video of the whole skid mark series if someone can host it

 

[trainwreck]

oh, it will be back, after some cleaning under the hood, and a new motor,

ill have a new turbo as well, cant wait!

 

[trainwreck]

wtf were they doing 160+ for on a road with a curve like that? F*cking morons...

cause my car handles like a motherfucker, if it didnt, the driver and passanger would be DEAD!

 

[trainwreck]

motors can be replaced, lives cant. If it wasnt for the suspension/ chassis work, im sure the car would have rolled

 

[trainwreck]

* we live in an area where the roads are bare at 2am, and there is no one around. Both chris and I have the common sense to know where and when we can drive fast. The car was 110% capable around that turn at 170mph, we were near no one, and i let him drive the car fully understanding its potential, and his ability to drive.
You will not find me loaning my car to every face in the world, you will not see us going 170 around city blocks, and for gods sake, the rotation of the car was initiated by the rear tires locking, not driver error, it is evident by the oil spill on the road, where the skid starts, the 2 holes in the block, and the oil sprayed everywhere on the car

 

[trainwreck]

we arent sure what exactly happened to the rod, but the end cap was still intact, as we can see through the hole in the block, mabye a stress crack, time will tell when the motor comes out in the next few days

 

[trainwreck]

geez i thought that doing 165 into a 55 degree corner which i forgot was there was bad. glad your friends are ok.

i have a question. if you let your friends drive your high hp car, and they kill themselves with it, will you be charged with their deaths? just wondering. i never even let anyone sit by themselves in my supra, let alone drive it.

apparently, i just found out that hes not even covered on my insuracne, as i am the only driver under 25 that is allowed to drive my "classic car". Its a classic registration, and insurance. :blah:

 

[trainwreck]

yeah, my policy says no drivers under age 25

 

[trainwreck]

So how about this video your were going to put up? Did you find anyone to host it yet?

here is video of the marks, taken the next day driving at 50mph, they are 880 feet long

http://65.30.134.27:5080/forum/host/000_0134.mov

 

[trainwreck]

Why do you think they require roll cages and gloves and all that kind of crap on tracks? Something is bound to go wrong, it's just probobility. Driving fast means taking big chances. Stupid drivers that get into wrecks at 55mph and below don't have anything to do with it.

Where crude oil comes from has even less to do with it.

the car was prepped for highspeed runs, with a VERY controlable suspension, roll bar, bucket seats, restraint system, hell, i used to carry a helmet in the car

 

[trainwreck]

i measured the skid marks, they are about 880 feet, and i would like to note that the tires USED to be toyo proxy RA1. The car was at just over 6k in 5th gear, so you tell me how fast the car was going when the rod failed. rear tires are 245 45 18

 

[trainwreck]

here is how i see it, the haltech doesnt lie, as it data logs. RPMS were at 6237 (in 5th gear, mind you) so, unless my car has an ungodly ammount of power, and can actually spin tires a that speed, i would have to say that the car was traveling between 165, and 170 when the rod let go, and the rear tires locked. http://www.kabamus.com/garage/gears.html try that, inorder to see the speed that the car was moving WHEN THE MOTOR LOCKED. we are not sure at what speed he put the brakes on, and we never will be.

I would like to pose the possibility that a softer tire compound MAY have decreased the stopping distance, the rumble strip would have an influence, the car did roll after the skid marks stop, for a bit, there was a breif time between when the brakes were applied, and the skid marks began, and that MABYE your caculator for skid marks do not account for the fact that the car was infact sliding sideways.

JUST FYI, the car did not completly rotate around (360), but it did spin back and forth several times.

so can we agree that the inital speed the car was traveling was between 165 and 170 when the motor blew, and that there are many other factors.

btw, when was the last time anyone else here locked tires and blew a giant fireball out of the hood at over 150 mph anyway?