It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
#3057597
07/09/22 08:19 AM
07/09/22 08:19 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,168 Wichita Kansas
B Dartman
OP
master
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OP
master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,168
Wichita Kansas
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DVW posted a thread about inspecting your race car - it could save you.. Check this video out. Good analogy in hindsight.... Autotopia Crash
Last edited by B Dartman; 07/09/22 08:23 AM.
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: B Dartman]
#3057605
07/09/22 09:17 AM
07/09/22 09:17 AM
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Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 744 Almost Heaven
Bob Stinson
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 744
Almost Heaven
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The throttle's sticking I'm having to ride the brakes
They were sort of given two warnings but chose to ignore them.
69 road runner A12 ex-racer 71 Duster w/ a 400
Shiny paint causes stress.
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: B Dartman]
#3057638
07/09/22 11:53 AM
07/09/22 11:53 AM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,303 Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,303
Bend,OR USA
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He should have turn the ignition off right away, too bad he didn't I had a similar experience years ago when I forgot to reattach a spark plug wire holder on my old max wedge car(1963 Plymouth Belvedere sedan) driver side carb and it ended up getting stuck under the throttle linkage making the motor stay at around 3500 RPM in low gear after showing off driving into the yard at work, I went through chain link fence and scratched up some of the trim around the windshield and broke off the "426" emblem off the hood I got lucky that it didn't do any other damage to the car or me or at work
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: Cab_Burge]
#3057753
07/09/22 07:20 PM
07/09/22 07:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,035 Tulsa OK
Bad340fish
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,035
Tulsa OK
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Jamming it in reverse would have made for a violent and messy slow down but likely would have helped substantially. Easy to say from the ouch.
Looking at the video again i don't know that I could get one of those junk shifters in reverse during a stressful moment, I hate those things!
68 Barracuda Formula S 340
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: Bob Stinson]
#3057793
07/09/22 09:34 PM
07/09/22 09:34 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,527 PA
moparacer
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,527
PA
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The throttle's sticking I'm having to ride the brakes
They were sort of given two warnings but chose to ignore them. The brakes would have been fine if the throttle sticking issue would have been fixed. Those look like the Dynalite's I have on my drag car from way back in the day. Nice and light but don't try to stop in a hurry.They were never intended for street use with those rotors IIRC. Watching him face plant the metal dash brought back bad memories for me when I was a kid, was riding in a 70s Dodge van and the driver wasn't paying attention, rearended someone and my friend face planted the steel dash....Knocked out all his front teeth on the top and bottom. Wasn't pretty.
Last edited by moparacer; 07/09/22 09:40 PM.
67 Barracuda street/bracket car 11.27-119 68 Dart 502 BB 8.70s-152 414 cid SB Dragster 7.65-174
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: B Dartman]
#3057797
07/09/22 10:03 PM
07/09/22 10:03 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,081 CA
crackedback
top fuel
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top fuel
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,081
CA
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Hi Performance car
Low performance driver
Bad outcome.
Just click the thing OFF. Instead of grabbing the shifter, hit the kill/key/whatever to shut it down.
Last edited by crackedback; 07/09/22 10:04 PM.
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: crackedback]
#3057838
07/10/22 12:10 AM
07/10/22 12:10 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,498 Minnesota
Hemi_Joel
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,498
Minnesota
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This kind of thing is not that uncommon. He had a TV show there to film his new car, he didn't want to stop and ask them for time to fix the car. I've seen guys get out on the racetrack with obvious and dangerous problems because they didn't want to miss that round. Or guys get in a car to drive to work because they don't want to be late or miss a day and they know the car is unsafe and don't have time to fix it right now. Several years back there was a farmer around here hauling a load of silage in an old 2-ton flatbed. He plowed through a red light and wiped out a family. There were a half a dozen empty cans of brake fluid in the cab. He had been trying to pour it into the master cylinder under the floor every time he needed brakes because it was leaking out so fast.
It's all the same line of thinking. I'll be okay this one time, I'll fix it after. Similar to people getting hurt at work. Most of the time they say"I knew I shouldn't have done that".
There are so many things in life that we do that can't be undone. We need to do a good job of thinking ahead of what the consequences could be of careless behavior.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum RS23J71 RS27J77 RP23J71 RO23J71 WM21J8A I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do. "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: Cab_Burge]
#3057962
07/10/22 12:26 PM
07/10/22 12:26 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,061 Atlanta, GA
mgoblue9798
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,061
Atlanta, GA
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He should have turn the ignition off right away, too bad he didn't I had a similar experience years ago when I forgot to reattach a spark plug wire holder on my old max wedge car(1963 Plymouth Belvedere sedan) driver side carb and it ended up getting stuck under the throttle linkage making the motor stay at around 3500 RPM in low gear after showing off driving into the yard at work, I went through chain link fence and scratched up some of the trim around the windshield and broke off the "426" emblem off the hood I got lucky that it didn't do any other damage to the car or me or at work I had something similar happen where the damn wire harness for the lean burn somehow made its way to jamb the throttle open. I turned the ignition off immediately after realizing the brakes were not going to stop the car. It was an interesting few seconds navigating a twisting winding mountain road to say the least.
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: mgoblue9798]
#3058048
07/10/22 08:19 PM
07/10/22 08:19 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,384 Las Vegas
Al_Alguire
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,384
Las Vegas
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A comedy of errors with an inevitable conclusion. Dont know anything about the guy or shop he represents narrating the video but the fact he knew about a sticking throttle and still agreed to the shoot/drive says volumes to me.
"I am not ashamed to confess I am ignorant of what I do not know."
"It's never wrong to do the right thing"
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: Al_Alguire]
#3058050
07/10/22 08:26 PM
07/10/22 08:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,212 Park Forest, IL
slantzilla
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,212
Park Forest, IL
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His "Won't go to the track because he might wreck it" did not age well.
Good thing they had those nice belts on.
"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: B Dartman]
#3058224
07/11/22 01:15 PM
07/11/22 01:15 PM
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Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 1,185 Loudoun County, VA
Brad_Haak
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 1,185
Loudoun County, VA
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I didn't bother watching the whole sh!t-show... saw & heard enough before seeing it all play out in agonizing detail
2021 Challenger 6.4L Scat Pack 1320 100% stock: 1.680, 11.894 at 113.75 (DA 175 ft) weight reduction, wheels, tires, Hellcat air box: 1.661, 11.686 at 115.97 (DA 710 ft)
1973 Challenger 452 ci street/strip [2008] pump gas, DOT radials: 1.454, 10.523 at 126.44 (DA 514 ft)
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: moparx]
#3058855
07/13/22 12:01 PM
07/13/22 12:01 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,233 Someplace you aren't
SomeCarGuy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,233
Someplace you aren't
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I saw a guy in a better get loose around 80’ out and he got out, then nailed the gas again. I thought it looked like a bad deal right then for some reason, just struck me funny how it looked. The throttle hung open and it being a pro level like blower car, it ran out the back end of the eight full blast and was doing at least 175 when it plowed the oak tress well beyond the shut off.
Every one of us in my group that day thought shutting it down was the most obvious thing to do, but not being in the heat of the moment I don’t know if it would’ve occurred to do that. I think you have to have that in your mind as a reflex when you strap in or you will end up with a helicopter ride or worse.
The ihra pro stock driver I knew personally was with us that day. He said he never got back in when a run went to crap like that. His family ran the car themselves and as more of a hobby, it wasn’t worth it to push things to the absolute edge.
I want my fair share
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: SomeCarGuy]
#3058876
07/13/22 12:57 PM
07/13/22 12:57 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,705 Fulton County, PA
CMcAllister
Mr. Helpful
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Mr. Helpful
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 11,705
Fulton County, PA
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Cliff notes? Pushrod fell out? Brakes just didn't work right? Billy Bob designed the system? Couldn't get it bled? Looked like a lawn sprinkler when he pushed the pedal?
If the results don't match the theory, change the theory.
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: CMcAllister]
#3058887
07/13/22 01:26 PM
07/13/22 01:26 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,100 Rogue River, OR
Jeremiah
master
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master
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,100
Rogue River, OR
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Oh my. I have had a few run away muscle cars over the years and two things need to happen - 1) click it off! and 2) put it in f'ing neutral man! Not a whole lot of self preservation going on with either of those gentlemen.
Always wear your safety belt!!! The passenger was probably picking red PPG chips out of his teeth after that.
I find it funny that they say it was a brake problem when the car was clearly under power. Is the driver an experienced racer?
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Re: It could save you II (Autotopia 64 Merc Comet Crash)
[Re: CMcAllister]
#3058916
07/13/22 02:36 PM
07/13/22 02:36 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,378 Rancho Cordova, CA
Exit1965
master
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master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,378
Rancho Cordova, CA
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Cliff notes? Pushrod fell out? Brakes just didn't work right? Billy Bob designed the system? Couldn't get it bled? Looked like a lawn sprinkler when he pushed the pedal?
I wondered about that too, but I haven't seen a definitive explanation. He did a follow-up video where he took questions from the audience, and he talked about it maybe being the brakes being over heated (from riding them) and boiling the brake fluid. When I watched the crash video, it seems like the driver has his foot go to the floor when he's hitting the brakes.. not just unresponsive brakes that took more effort that usual. I think that's why the boiling brake fluid explanation makes sense to me.
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