Good News, Bad News

[vipersaint]

The Good News: I'm a Viper owner again.

The Bad News: I've already wrecked it.

Guys I'm downright sad (I feel low enough to fit under a door) and so embarrassed about all of this. Had bought a 2004 Mamba with 4k miles. Took it out for my 3rd ride and honestly still don't know what I did. Went to make a lane change and didn't even really plug it - next thing I know I'm in a spin and hit another vehicle. God was watching over me - no one was injured which is most important. I'm looking at 4-6 weeks for repair.

I've lived this over and over again in my mind...had fast cars before...'94 Viper, ZO6...and never had problems. It was early AM and there was a lot of dew on a sunny day - no traction control. Wasn't racing or even really goosing it - or so I thought. My son was driving his Mustang GT near me at the time and didn't see anything unusual. I just can't figure what really happpened.

Some of it I guess I can attribute to simply not having enough time in the car and I already know perhaps a good driving school like Skip Barber, etc. might be in order. But still I'm open to advice on what to do with this car to have fun but stay in control - what are your tips?

Thanks in advance to anyone with some constructive advice...and it's great to be back in Viperland!!!

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Original tires (a.k.a. runcraps) still on the car? DITCH them! What were the temperatures at the time this happened? Condition of road surface (wet or dry)?

 

[vipersaint]

Original tires (a.k.a. runcraps) still on the car? DITCH them! What were the temperatures at the time this happened? Condition of road surface (wet or dry)?

Michelin Pilots (don't know what is standard on car but good tread). Road conditions dry on sunny day but dew in early AM. Had just filled with gas and drove through a small bit of water exiting station. Drove down the road about 300 yards before my experience.

 

[2snakes4us]

sorry to hear about the car, maybe the "water" was split fuel or if it was water, the tires were still wet and cold. was your lane change Spirited like a NASCAR lane change maybe?

 

[vipersaint]

sorry to hear about the car, maybe the "water" was split fuel or if it was water, the tires were still wet and cold. was your lane change Spirited like a NASCAR lane change maybe?

Thanks for the feedback.

The tires were probably cold. I was trying to accelerate to change lanes but not in the NASCAR sense (but that is a neat way to describe how I have made lane changes on occasion I'm sorry to say).

 

[Vipermann]

It's easier to do than you think ... I did it with a '72 Vette, back in the day ... you add throttle in a lane change at just the right moment, and bingo, sideways ... add 500+ HP, large, cold, wet rear tires ...

 

[fastmd]

Good News: You know you made a mistake, and it is not the car's fault.

Take some time getting to know the car, in a open area. Try a viper day's event. If you can try a professional school.
Car control is essential. You probably over-corrected or acted to slow. Bertil Roos has slide cars which you learn such techniques.
Good Luck.

 

[vipersaint]

It's easier to do than you think ... I did it with a '72 Vette, back in the day ... you add throttle in a lane change at just the right moment, and bingo, sideways ... add 500+ HP, large, cold, wet rear tires ...

Appreciate the feedback - an '08 on order...congrats...

 

[valentine_viper]

Does the car have stock suspension or modded? An improperly set up aftermarket suspension can cause these kinds of issues.

 

[Bobpantax]

Could be that you drove over a little bit of oil in the gas station from some old clunker that had just been there before you. It would not take much to cause a Viper bite. Also sounds like your tires were not warmed up. If the dew was still on the road and the tires were not warmed up, that would also have been enough to have caused the spin. Even with properly warmed up tires, a Viper and a wet surface means no sudden moves on the go pedal.

 

[vipersaint]

Does the car have stock suspension or modded? An improperly set up aftermarket suspension can cause these kinds of issues.

Stock suspension...I think...hmmm, hadn't considered that one.

 

[vipersaint]

Good News: You know you made a mistake, and it is not the car's fault.

Take some time getting to know the car, in a open area. Try a viper day's event. If you can try a professional school.
Car control is essential. You probably over-corrected or acted to slow. Bertil Roos has slide cars which you learn such techniques.
Good Luck.

Well said and you're quite right.

 

[plumcrazy]

anytime you can WALK away from a crach in a viper, its GREAT news

 

[FrankBarba]

I've lived this over and over again in my mind...had fast cars before...'94 Viper, ZO6...and never had problems. It was early AM and there was a lot of dew on a sunny day - no traction control.

Are you blaming No Traction Control for your wreck? Most of these wrecks are avoidable and are due to the driver.

 

[PET SNAKE]

UHH,OHH !!!!shhhhhhhh vipersaint don't say the 'TC'[TRACTION CONTROL)word on here.....People will tell you your not a REAL DRIVER,IT TAKE'S A MAN TO DRIVE ,STAY ON THE PORCH...some not ALL THOUGH....
SORRY to here that, I had a smaller RIM/PAINT scratch a few week's ago!!
but maybe these guy's are right we just need more driving time behind the wheel....
Maybe we are use too or me, use to all the fancy option's of today,
saving our a$$ and not even recognizing it ??

I've had a few VIPER'S but it's been a while 2001 and a 2003 viper..

But this new 08 is a beast...I noticed the same thing another time changing lane's and of coarse I was on it and I felt the back end shimmy fast !!! and I thought WOW that did'nt feel very safe !! so yeah she can BREAK AWAY FAST like you've seen...SCARY FEELING !!!
At least your safe and did'nt hurt anyone else !!!
You love the new 08 comin !!! HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE THESE THINGS ARE MONSTER'S.................


PETSNAKE.......................

 

[Warfang]

UHH,OHH !!!!shhhhhhhh vipersaint don't say the 'TC'[TRACTION CONTROL)word on here.....People will tell you your not a REAL DRIVER,IT TAKE'S A MAN TO DRIVE ,STAY ON THE PORCH...some not ALL THOUGH....
SORRY to here that, I had a smaller RIM/PAINT scratch a few week's ago!!
but maybe these guy's are right we just need more driving time behind the wheel....
Maybe we are use too or me, use to all the fancy option's of today,
saving our a$$ and not even recognizing it ??

I've had a few VIPER'S but it's been a while 2001 and a 2003 viper..

But this new 08 is a beast...I noticed the same thing another time changing lane's and of coarse I was on it and I felt the back end shimmy fast !!! and I thought WOW that did'nt feel very safe !! so yeah she can BREAK AWAY FAST like you've seen...SCARY FEELING !!!
At least your safe and did'nt hurt anyone else !!!
You love the new 08 comin !!! HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE THESE THINGS ARE MONSTER'S.................


PETSNAKE.......................

He stated there was no traction control... a statement of fact. He wasn't insisting it to be forced upon everyone (yes, even as an "option" everyone has to absorb the R&D). He also wasn't bragging about how great of a driver he is even with past ownership of fast cars. Humility goes a long way.

Saint: Sorry you wrecked, glad you made it unhurt. No point second guessing yourself... just practice practice practice! That's half the fun!

 

[LiquoRT/10]

2000 Black RT10 just said it in another post and it's excellent advice.


"It's hard to say what advice to give since you owned alot, but one of the most dangerous situations I try to be aware of is when passing another car on a 2 lane road is the dreaded flat spin.. best to ease off the gas then change lane, then accellerate, then ease off and change back into the lane after you passed the car, otherwise throttle down zig zagging over the painted stripe and crowned road is a recipe for disaster for these torque monsters.."

 

[Kenny]

Two words---driver error. No other excuses, explanations, or reconstructions needed. Happens to everyone at some point. Pick up, learn from your mistakes, and move on (and maybe next time be smart enough not to out yourself when you screw up).

Petsnake, when are you getting out of the second grade because you write like a *****. Please start posting at viperalley.com so we can beat you properly.

That is all.

 

[Newport Viper]

Only one you.

25,000 Vipers.

Better luck with your next one. Glad you walked away.

 

[vipersaint]

Are you blaming No Traction Control for your wreck? Most of these wrecks are avoidable and are due to the driver.

No not blaming not having (Per Pet Snake can't say it). Driver mistake. I'm just trying to understand better how to tame the snake from folks whose opinions I respect. So far there's been some great input.

 

[vipersaint]

2000 Black RT10 just said it in another post and it's excellent advice.


"It's hard to say what advice to give since you owned alot, but one of the most dangerous situations I try to be aware of is when passing another car on a 2 lane road is the dreaded flat spin.. best to ease off the gas then change lane, then accellerate, then ease off and change back into the lane after you passed the car, otherwise throttle down zig zagging over the painted stripe and crowned road is a recipe for disaster for these torque monsters.."

Good stuff...appreciated...

 

[vipersaint]

He stated there was no traction control... a statement of fact. He wasn't insisting it to be forced upon everyone (yes, even as an "option" everyone has to absorb the R&D). He also wasn't bragging about how great of a driver he is even with past ownership of fast cars. Humility goes a long way.

Saint: Sorry you wrecked, glad you made it unhurt. No point second guessing yourself... just practice practice practice! That's half the fun!

Thanks man...appreciate the encouragement. As you and others so wisely point out the good thing is no one got hurt. Had I spun out a few seconds later and the guy I hit was not there I would have ended up in traffic moving in the opposite direction - I could have been history.

 

[fastmd]

UHH,OHH !!!!shhhhhhhh vipersaint don't say the 'TC'[TRACTION CONTROL)word on here.....People will tell you your not a REAL DRIVER,IT TAKE'S A MAN TO DRIVE ,STAY ON THE PORCH...some not ALL THOUGH....
SORRY to here that, I had a smaller RIM/PAINT scratch a few week's ago!!
but maybe these guy's are right we just need more driving time behind the wheel....
Maybe we are use too or me, use to all the fancy option's of today,
saving our a$$ and not even recognizing it ??

I've had a few VIPER'S but it's been a while 2001 and a 2003 viper..

But this new 08 is a beast...I noticed the same thing another time changing lane's and of coarse I was on it and I felt the back end shimmy fast !!! and I thought WOW that did'nt feel very safe !! so yeah she can BREAK AWAY FAST like you've seen...SCARY FEELING !!!
At least your safe and did'nt hurt anyone else !!!
You love the new 08 comin !!! HAVE FUN AND BE SAFE THESE THINGS ARE MONSTER'S.................


PETSNAKE.......................

Is english your native language? Your posts are hard to understand . If it isn't I appologize.

 

[pteam]

Another wreck saved if the viper had traction control!

 

[Warfang]

Another wreck saved if the viper had traction control!

Traction control doesn't defy the laws of physics. Are you saying cars with traction control NEVER wreck?

It takes a man to realize he possibly made a bad move and ended up wrecking a Viper... takes a boy to look for excuses.

 

[pteam]

He was barely gasing it. I doubt the laws of physics are way out of wack here. He wasn't flooring it , burning out smoking the tires, and totally losing grip of the tires. He said he was barely on the gas, traction control would have prevented this one, for sure.

 

[RTTTTed]

I KNOW EXACTLY how you feel. Driving down the highway (summer) and went into a couple of puddles with water I could see running across the road on an angle. Speed limit, run-craps and spin city. I head-on'd a Semi! Because I was spinning we survived with no injuries, but the $28,000 Canadian hood was busted so I had to buy another car/Viper. Bought a better one with NO runcraps.

Traction control needs to have TRACTION to work. Hydroplaning (he was spinning and didn't say anything about squelling tires)means NO traction period. No computer is going to apply one or two brakes and give you control. If you think I'm wrong - buy a car with TC.

My Father-in-law has a 300 with TC. In the snow he has to turn it off as it won't allow the tires to spin - it locks them up. If you drive into a corner too fast, you'll go off of the corner, TC won't help, it's just a driver aid. And it's not a very good driver aid at that. No race car driver would allow a computer to slow his car and make him lose the race. That's why they woulen't be able to sell performance cars unless the TC turns off. Oh yah, my Father-in laws 300 has a 6 ******. Maybe Vipersaint stood on the brakes like TC would have done. It wouldn't have made any difference.

When I spun out I spun the wheel right then left - NO difference. I revved the engine - No difference. Shut off the engine before impact and that saved it. No TC or driver's course would have helped. Better tires may have. Once the tires lift off the pavement in the rain nothing you do makes a difference until the car slows enough that the tires can get traction and start to turn again.

Ted

 

[RTTTTed]

I am starting to get the impression that the people wanting TC are non- owners, non racers and vette owners? In the snow when the tires spin and the TC locks them up how long would your clutch last with the TC locking up the rear ?

Cruise control - Driving my F150 in the rain I was going up a hill and hit a little water on the road, the cruise control gave full throttle because I was slowing down and I nearly slid off a cliff! Even a puny 5L in a 5000# truck can kill you with cruise control. That's why it doesn't come in a viper.

LOL, I don't want to be killed by a computer!

Ted

 

[Fast Viper]

Sorry to hear about your experience, glad you walked

 

[Warfang]

He was barely gasing it. I doubt the laws of physics are way out of wack here. He wasn't flooring it , burning out smoking the tires, and totally losing grip of the tires. He said he was barely on the gas, traction control would have prevented this one, for sure.

Read RTTTTed's response...