OK Time to “Fess up”

Before




It was July last year, a beautiful day, out for a spin with “our lass” on the Buxton / Macclesfield Road. I had been driving enthusiastically but slowed for walkers. Back end stepped out caught it and went to far the other way. We hit the hedge about 10 - 15 mph, then our S started smoking from the top of the bonnet. 10 minutes later, she was well alight. 25 minutes later the fire brigade arrived and turned her into a hot tub with 4 wheels.

I have crashed my fair share of motors when I was younger and always held my hand up. But this one ???

Serviced 6 days before at G Lamb Chesterfield – My best guess is the oil filter leaked oil onto my back tyres and manifold. It’s the only way I can account for the complete lack of grip at the rear, then catching fire.

The walkers we passed reported thick black smoke coming from the rear of the car.

The worst part was the smug look on the two MX5 drivers we had overtaken earlier as they went past our smoking wreck.

I will have another one as soon as I persuade my wife they are safe and they don’t crash all the time! (some hope)

“Drive carefully and don’t forget to check your oil filters kids”


JV



The Road



The skid, on a nothing of a corner





After

 

O and to make matters worse, have a guess how much that hedge is worth ??????



£1250 !!!!!

 

Chris.

 

 

OK .. . now I'm scared to get my oil changed.

 

You say nothing of a bend but that crest would of definately shifted the weight.

 

This is depressing.

 

Ouch that's what happens when you don't torque your filters, as per the manual.

Bet the garage that serviced it gave it the, "that's nothing to do with us" line too.

 

I get shouted down, but peeps need to understand the dynamics of this car - it is not conventional in any sense of the word and needs to be treated with a great deal of respect.

The weight split is 50/50 but the engine, the bulk of the weight up front, is located just behind the front axle (FMR). Lift off oversteer is a fact of life with the car and once the pendulum effect is underway it is nigh on impossible to retrieve.

4 wheel alignment and good tread depth on the rear is very very important.

I started an excellet thread on the main forum. It's definitely worth a read if only to try an understand the dynamics of the car and the effect throttle position has on the way the car will behave.

I've had mine for 2 months or so and in that time there have been just shy of 10 cars that have been written off, most spinning off the road backwards.

Drive carefully out there.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=758622

 

Thats the first one i ve seen injured in the line of duty wearing a tonneau cover!

Edit to say:- I stopped letting the dealer rip me off when they decided to fit new pads and left the brake caliper bolts loose on one side. One bolt fell out, thankfully I stopped when i heard that and checked around finding the OSF caliper pivoting around the other loose bolt ready to fail.