Is 128mph "reckless driving"?

[subi-crosser]

At 105 mph in a convertable with the top up, causes concerns that the top may rip off!, at 105 with the top down, the problem is that the back seat may be sucked out, and lost!

SOOOO, keep your convertables UNDER 100 MPH to avoid these problems!!

Now why would anyone lock this thread? I've been talking about completely legal driving speeds

We got both Justy and SVX while living in Switzerland, where the highway speed limits are 120km/hr. With that speed limit, there was absolutely no trouble driving the Justy on the highway. It also helps that the Swiss are very strict about enforcing the speed limits (especially cars with non-Swiss licence plates ) Since we only took the SVX for longer trips, I didn't drive the Justy on the autobahn until we moved to Germany about 3.5 years ago. It was a bit nerve wracking at first, given the lack of acceleration and not being able to keep up with the normal left lane (occasionally middle lane) speeds. I wasn't used to being relegated to the slow right lane.

Most of the time, we keep the Justy in regular 2 wheel drive. We only switch into AWD when we need it. Don't know if it would perform better or worse on the autobahn in AWD mode, but I think it would end up using more gas, wouldn't it? But as a second car, and especially in the city, we're quite happy with it. Hubby does push it a bit more than I do, but rarely goes above 140km/hr.

Meanwhile, I'm now driving Mom's Saturn around Toronto, and it feels worse than the Justy. I don't know if it is the car, or if all 4-cyl Saturns are like this, but it seems to be shifting a bit weird. At 60km/hr it seems to sometimes be shifting up and down on its own, like it can't make up its mind what gear to stay in. I think I'll probably take it in for maintenance and ask the mechanic to check the transmission. Yet with only 25,000km and being 4 years old, it shouldn't be having any problems already. I'm hoping it just needs a tune-up.

It is funny how you miss the little things. Not just speed and power, but I even miss the solid "thunk" when I shut the SVX trunk. The Saturn sounds tinny, and only gives a metallic "clank" when you close the trunk, plus you have to give it a good push to get it closed or else it just bounces open again. With the SVX, you can let the trunk drop closed on its own and not worry that it will spring open.

Meanwhile, I find that I've forgotten how it is to drive in a North American city. In Germany there are red light cameras at almost every intersection, so almost everyone slows down to stop as soon as the light turns yellow. Here it seems that yellow means everyone should hit the gas. Almost got hit just last night while making a left turn because my instincts still aren't quite right. Was sitting in the middle of the intersection waiting for traffic to clear when my light went yellow. One opposing car stopped, and I saw another opposing car approaching in the second lane, but he had plenty of time to slow down and stop. Yet just as I touched the gas to complete my turn, he sped up and honked at me as the light turned red. I honestly was caught by surprise, since I was certain that he would stop. I hit the brakes, he swerved, and then I finished my turn. Guess that from now on, I'll just have to remember that as long as I'm here, yellow means speed up to most people, not slow down and stop as it should

Oh, well... no harm done, chalking it up to a learning experience. But I'm also having a bit of a tough time getting used to being passed on the right. That's a gigantic no-no in Germany, yet here it is accepted as the normal way to drive. People are driving slow in the left lane, blocking traffic, while the right lane is often clear. Guess I'll have to re-learn and start using all those bad habits I gave up when I moved to Europe

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by subi-crosser

I've seen 200 from the passengers seat of a 'Pro street Dodge', in an A-100 Dodge van was 155 MPH., a Hemi Roadrunner, 175 MPH. 49 Dodge p/u, 165 mph, 47 Dodge p/u, 135,

THIS explains why you are GRAY!!!!!


j/k




But it DOES explain it!

[mohrds]

Posting track achieved times is fine but, we need to stop posting street times or we will have to whip somebody's butt

Doug

[mohrds]

Originally Posted by Earthworm

I've been up to 157kph with our 88 Justy (no EFI, 5MT, 4WD) with a strong back wind

Have you heard of the "Super Justy"? I've posted about it a couple times here.

On the track, right? Otherwise please edit those details out of your post.

[mohrds]

Originally Posted by subi-crosser

At 105 mph in a convertable with the top up, causes concerns that the top may rip off!, at 105 with the top down, the problem is that the back seat may be sucked out, and lost!

SOOOO, keep your convertables UNDER 100 MPH to avoid these problems!!

You learned this on a closed track, right? Otherwise please edit those details out of your post

[mohrds]

Originally Posted by Boxer6SVX

130 in the SVX... felt pretty good... very stable and calm... Could have added another 10 but that was enough...

On the track, right? Otherwise please edit those details out of your post.

[subi-crosser]

Originally Posted by mohrds

You learned this on a closed track, right? Otherwise please edit those details out of your post

we took (2) 61 Fords to Daytona. A sunliner and a Starliner. The sunliner ran out of physics before it ran out of 'top end, the starliner W 428 Cobre-jet, and 4 sp, beat the 352 auto sunliner by 24 mph. the 'issues' were mentioned prieviously.
the guy w the star worked as a guard at the Pittsburg Civic Arena, He had ALL the good tickets, and to a fellow that owned a 61 Ford, he was very GENEROUS with those tickets!!

Also, I grew up within 200 yards from a track that my car club rented by the week. and I OWN a 1/4 mile dirt track, and a launching pad that shows up on NASA photos.

[subi-crosser]

Originally Posted by svxfiles

THIS explains why you are GRAY!!!!!


j/k




But it DOES explain it!

My Dad passed from this world on Martin Luther King day, of this year, With the full head of RED hair that I posess!!! He had 'whitewalls, at the temples, and the rest was his God given color!!
My best recollection of my 30'th class reunion , was watching all those bald, or grey covered idiots trying to act like nothing has changed, while I (again) take the best looking woman from the pack, and drop the top on the SAME 61 Ford,and leave all those LOSERS behind!! Just like I did in '72'

[NapaBavarian]

Originally Posted by subi-crosser

and leave all those LOSERS behind!!

You must be so proud of yourself But I have found a higher than average maturity in this group, the F body guys like to brag about how they are better than everyone else, try them

[UberRoo]

Roughly 50% of fatal car accidents are a result of head injuries. Do you wear a helmet when you drive? Why not? That sounds like a careless disregard for safety to me. That's reckless by the definition of the law. Have you ever used a cellphone while driving, or eaten food? How about changing the radio station? Do you buy the cheapest possible tires for your car? Do you always drive with your headlights on? Do you drive a dark colored car, or one with bright, visible paint? All those things unnecessarily increase the risk of an accident. Get off your high horse. Don't get bent out of shape about exceeding an arbitrary speed limit. I don't know the circumstances, but if it was a clear stretch of road with good visibility all around, the rider wasn't significantly endangering anyone unless he exceeded his own abilities, in which case he only endangered himself provided there was no traffic. The judge was right except for one point: Having a passenger doesn't change the merit of conviction. Endangering yourself is sufficient to prosecute reckless driving - which is stupid, but the law is written that way.

And by the way, a day at the track would cost me a lot more than $300. There's no mystery about why people drive like that on public roads. People drive all over town to save a few cents on gasoline. Why spend all day (and several hundred dollars) at the track for a few minutes of fun? For safety? Unless you strictly adhere to all the previously mentioned safety factors, I don't think the safety argument holds any merit.

[Boxer6SVX]

id wear a helmet and a 5 point.... looks sweet

130 was at Langley Speedway at Wacky Wednesdays Street Showdown against at 97 Probe GT.. 2 laps.. had some interesting oversteer in the ol Subee

He had 2 grand wrapped up in that Ford and still couldnt run... Must have been 2 grand in stickers

[subi-crosser]

Originally Posted by NapaBavarian

You must be so proud of yourself But I have found a higher than average maturity in this group, the F body guys like to brag about how they are better than everyone else, try them

I thought you might appriciate a little humor! My senior class president ( the last time I saw him, had a 13 year old boy on his lap, it seems that he became a 'CHICKEN HAWK" ) he has since died of AIDS, the girls that were the drop dead sweethearts had 'cocaine eyes',or subscribed to the 'Jenny crack' weight loss plan, and the guys were wearing purple jump suits with sequined shoes! and had their 'boyfriends' , in tow. The 'rich kid' with the 55 chev convertable couldn't be there, cause he had 5 to 10 to do on his latest 'coke' conviction, and had just finished his second bankruptcy.. It seems that the only ones there that had a clue about the world were the MISFITS like me, That came from the 'lower class' and had to WORK HARD for everything!The "best looking woman in the place," that got into the old Ford was, and still is my WIFE! I'm done this RANT

[Electrophil]

Originally Posted by subi-crosser

I thought you might appriciate a little humor! My senior class president ( the last time I saw him, had a 13 year old boy on his lap, it seems that he became a 'CHICKEN HAWK" ) he has since died of AIDS, the girls that were the drop dead sweethearts had 'cocaine eyes',or subscribed to the 'Jenny crack' weight loss plan, and the guys were wearing purple jump suits with sequined shoes! and had their 'boyfriends' , in tow. The 'rich kid' with the 55 chev convertable couldn't be there, cause he had 5 to 10 to do on his latest 'coke' conviction, and had just finished his second bankruptcy.. It seems that the only ones there that had a clue about the world were the MISFITS like me, That came from the 'lower class' and had to WORK HARD for everything!The "best looking woman in the place," that got into the old Ford was, and still is my WIFE! I'm done this RANT

I agree. I think the "middle" become the most successful on the overall. Maybe not the wealthiest, but overall the most successful.

The wealthy kids end up in trouble their entire lives... well....some do become US Presidents occasionally like the idiotic party boy we have now... and the extreme at the bottom either go to prison for robbing a liquor store to pay the light bill, or fade into some other type of oblivion. The extreme bottom are the ones that I feel the most for, cause they were shafted from the beginning. The middle always seem to be the best adjusted. Which.... makes sense. They started out in the middle... which is the best adjustment.

[NapaBavarian]

Subi-Xer, I was refering to your derogatory refrences to others, have fun patting yourself on the back! It sounds like you really are proud of yourself