Had the car on the road yesterday and today to put some miles on it ready for Ireland next weekend and had a huge moment , had a few 360's before ending up in the middle of 2 dual carriageways stuck on a bank in a load of bushes , just missed a lamp post and 2 big tree's , just held my head in my arms while spinning waiting for the bang which thankfully didn't happen , I did some damage but luckly its all superficial , pulled the front bumper off , damaged the N/S wing , broke the rear bumper , ripped the rear spoiler off but luckly the carbon flap is ok , cracked the screen , bent the exhaust up so its rumbling on the gearbox ,and filled just about everywhere with mud ,  have refitted the front bumper , and jet washed it all off and took it back out again to make sure all felt ok , to say I sh*t myself was an understatement !!

Luckly a few people stopped to help us get the car out the ditch and back on the road , after seeing the wheels were all pointing the same way , and chucking the bits that were off in a mates car who came accross the accident , we were off again to see the old bill lights flashing coming the other way up the dual to get to the scene , they didnt catch up with us so at least I didnt get a rollocking off them as well

I will be ordering a rear spoiler and bumper tomorrow to get on tuesday to spray and fit it as I'm off on wednesday , so going to be busy

Going to be corner weighted tomorrow and a spanner check then off to Cork mid week , Hopefully I can keep it in better shape on the rally

Ian Godney wrote:

Is that an M3 shell I see sitting in the background there?

Ian Godney wrote: yes it is , the way its going I may need it sooner than I think !!

At least the RHD conversion won't be so difficult 2nd time around

Northernman , who said it was busy , the road was clear when I was on it , I wouldnt be driving that fast if it was full of traffic , the traffic came up behind me once I was off the road , so get down from your high horse ! so you've never been over the speed limit then have you ?

I had a problem with the car , I got cheapo sh*tty road tyres on and it kicked out under high speed braking as the bias was adjusted slightly too far to the rear , I had a few tank slappers that helped loose a lot of speed , but ran out or room and left the road

Blimey, put the handbags down ladies.

I don't think Ian is "Bragging", just sharing his experience with us. Just glad that he is ok and nobody was hurt. Ian has probably learned a valuble lession from this.

Top muppetry Ian. Reminds me of when I destroyed the prototype Aerial Atom in similar style. On that occasion all the mud was inside my Arai!!

I have to agree with Northernman -car taken too fast in the wrong conditions with a car that had cheapo tyres and braking system not working correctly.!!! 

Llandow test track would have been a better place to try the car out.

Karl

Ian, I have a spare spoiler (though not a sport evo type) in white if you can't find one, I'm not lending my bumpers as I want them back without scratches!!

Glad to see you're OK though that's the main thing!

I'm not bragging , nothing of the sort , just sharing my experience , something I wouldn't want to happen to anyone else . The car is all legal with brand new road legal tyres , I know now they are crap , I didn't before I went off , the car was having some road miles put on it to bed everything including the brakes in , I chose the road I was on as its a straight road , and had no traffic on , I had been adjusting and building the speeds up all day to get it all set , and it went **** up  , no-one else was involved and no one was hurt , I am lucky I know , and if you want to give me a piece of your mind I guess I deserve it.

I fitted the front bumper back on and took it out again yesterday afternoon , put some more miles on it and is now set up perfect. will be putting more miles again over the next 2 days to make sure everything is 100% before going to Ireland wednesday

"Sharing my experience"...?       Sounds like bragging to me.

"Something I wouldn't want to happen to anyone else"...?       I think that anyone driving like that deserves what they get.  Even if the road was empty when you decided to floor it, you couldn't guarantee that someone else won't end up in your mess.

Glad to see you're ok but I think you're the one who needs to learn from the experience, not others.

Ian, all I am saying is that I know what its like to lose someone to a 'speeding motorist'.  I dare say the 'speeding motorist' who killed a friend of mine believed the road to be clear.  Your car looks a fantastic BMW & nobody appreciattes a piece of engineering like your car more than I.  All im saying is there is a time & a place. 

oh come on you lot , Yes I know there is a time and a place , with no one around it felt like the time and place ,

yes I got up to speed on a dual carriageway , I bet everyone on here has done that , show me anyone who says that have never sped and i'll show you a liar , so pot kettle black springs to mind.

Chas , take pauls advice and look for one of those Metro's on ebay , you obviously dont need the list of cars your 'bragging' about in your sig going the speeds you do.

Ian Godney wrote: Chas , take pauls advice and look for one of those Metro's on ebay , you obviously dont need the list of cars your 'bragging' about in your sig going the speeds you do.

Hehe, they were my thoughts, but decided against posting!

This is going to be one of those 5 page posts again.....

Well said toby

Simon , say what you want everyone else is  

are you sure you dont want to lend me your bumpers , call it sponsorship

215m3 wrote: l. It sound like a mechanical error which caused the off. . What would it have been like if Ian decided, oh, it's to dangerous to test the car on an empty dual carraige way and just go straight to the rally and have it happen on a stage with spectators. He could have done the testing on a track and if it had happen on the track, he could have collided with another car. It is just one of those things. It's good to see all the people slagging Ian have never broken the highway code! i don't think so, we have all had mad moments and thought afterwards, that was lucky.

Mechanical error - I don't think so.  By his own admission it was cheapo sh*tty road tyres and brakes that weren't properly set up. In my book that's poor judgement and driver error, pure and simple. Mind you, I still don't understand how you can lose it and do several 360's on a straight. 

If you want to test yourself and your car to the  limit then you do it on the track, not a public road. If you take part in track days or spectate at rallies then by being there you accept the risk.  Your ordinary Joe out on the roads has a right to expect other road users to drive responsibly.  Losing it big time when doing a ton is irresponsible whichever way you cut it.  I'm not, and nor is anyone else, claiming to be an angel but those of you who condone such irresponsible driving do not do yourselves or this site any credit. 

It just smacks of boy racers.

Well I guess if were all as bad you should find another more responsible site to go on ,

I do call the rear brakes working stronger than the fronts mechanical error , what would you call it

go and pull your handbrake up at speed you will then will realise how easy it is to lose it on a straight ,

Ian, hope the car gets sorted in time.

By the way Chas, I take it that honda blackbird you have with a top speed of 185mph never sees more than 40% of its potential.  ur right. 

Ian Godney wrote "I do call the rear brakes working stronger than the fronts mechanical error , what would you call it"

You set the brakes up (badly) and as a result you rendered the car unsafe.  Then you tested it on a public road.  I call that irresponsible.

Hope u get the car sorted, it looks great

Northernman wrote: Ian Godney wrote "I do call the rear brakes working stronger than the fronts mechanical error , what would you call it" You set the brakes up (badly) and as a result you rendered the car unsafe.  Then you tested it on a public road.  I call that irresponsible.

I didn't set the brakes up , I WAS setting the brakes up , to set them up they needed trying and adjusting , it was whilst adjusting and trying the incident happened , yes I did try it on a public road , one with no cars on so I would say I was acting responsibly , unfortunatly there is no other place around here including Llandow that I could do what I was trying to achieve.

But at the end of the day it did happen , no one was hurt , so get over it , I have .....

Uwe , I have a bias pedal box which you can adjust the braking pressure front to rear as the two systems work independently from each other , the brakes were adjusted slightly too far rearwards , the rears locked and lost traction and it just kicked sideways , I just about caught it but it tankslapped eitherside which I eventually  lost control over , luckly it had slowed a lot by the time I went off the road , it would be the same as trying a handbrake turn at high speed , pull the handbrake and it will not stop straight , the brake ballance is now perfect , just went through a lot of sh*t to get that done though , the brand new road tyres didnt help , they dont seem that grippy , but then I'm used to motorsport tyres that will grip more in the wet than a road tyre will grip in the dry.

In Ireland I will have an in car camera , so if I go off at least the 'experts' on here can let me know where I went wrong

Ian, if you give me a guarantee they will come back in 1 piece you are more than welcome

The spoiler is there if you need it though and can't get another.

Cheers Simon , but I have a spoiler and back bumper coming from Moseleys tomorrow , couldn't guarantee that anyway so best keep them up with you

Jon - what are these corners you speak of , I thought they only existed in a Galaxy far far away , what you done to yours ? watch what you say on here though !!

You tell em Daz ,

Cheers Ian

Blimey!

That got you all going didn't it.  Ian, I'm glad you are OK.  Cars are just work & money, life is a lot more important.  Looks like we might be seeing a bit more car porn on here then.

I think there are lessons there for all of us.  I regard myself as a safe and intelligent driver who wouldn't drive outside the box - not on a public road at least.  However, hands up who had been comfortably driving within their particular envelope till they had a near miss of one sort or another that helped them recallibrate where that envelope actually lay.  I know that I have frightened myself a few times and learnt as a result. 

Full marks to Ian for being prepared to share it with us.  I don't think he was bragging, and I'm sure he thought he was being safe.  What happened proves he was not 100% right in that judgement of the situation, but that is very easy to summise after the event, with a smashed M3 as evidence.

Not a man of religion, but "judge not, lest ye be judged" creeps into view for me.........

Be safe, be happy, and don't be bitchy.

My god there's alot of fannys on here!

If the road is an empty duel carriageway then you can guarantee that no one else will be involved unless some light aircraft pilot has to make an emergency landing but that's as much his fault as anyones!

I'm sure all you do-gooders have never exceeded the speed limit in a built up area, and never driven a car that you weren't 100% sure was completely perfect! Liars!

Yes he ****ed up, no one else was or could have been involved. So be quiet.

Bad luck Ian, hope it all comes together ok. Maybe some better tyres for the rally.

And not the best idea admiting it on here with pics of the car with your name on!

From my earlier post :-  Well Ian, i dont know what you expected when you posted this it's bound to cause some mixed reactions,

I told you it would didnt i eh, you will always get those that think your a utter and complete moron, then you will get those who think your a hero, but everyone, everyone is entitled to there own opinion weither its what you want to hear or not, Ian you posted it so you have to accept peoples comments from both side of the fence and take it on the chin me old son, ive lost quite a few goods friends doing what you have done but at less speed i must add, and on a clear road, me im just happy that the road didnt claim you as another statistic and i dont even know you.

Ian Godney, you are a danger to society

Seriously though, I am amazed at the reaction from some of the forum members.

I think whether he was going at 100mph or 70mph, he would have still had the issue with the back snapping out and at 70mph, he still would have damaged the car and his ego.

Remember, speed limits are laws, not gospel. So, going at 100 in germany is alright on the autobahn, whereas 71 on a dual carraigeway in Britain is wrong, but only by the law.

Just remember, no one was actually hurt in the making of this thread, but Ian will surely learn a lesson to perhaps be less hasty with testing his brakes and then posting the results on a public forum.

Also, would people be up in arms if Kwikfit had done the brake bias adjustment. Seeing as Ians 'thing' is brakes, he is probably the best person to set it all up.

Lesson is, if you are going to speed, don't admit it on a public forum.

If anyone remembers, a lass got convicted of speeding via admission on a forum.

Hope you get it sorted.

And breathe...

well said

215DMX wrote: Thats right eh, Paul..........

Dave, if you were referring to our drive from my house to my work, I guess its best to keep quiet!   

Simon.......

no lets not keep it quiet, I think its time for some of you speeders to bring the skeletons out of the closet.  :)

I think its good that Ian posted about the incident. what harm is there in knowing what can happen if you have improper brake bias? atleast some people are a bit more sensitive to the issue now, so not all is lost.

Although, I set brake bias on my car too, usually use the autobahn because I set it at high speed say 160 mph down to 80 mph and I raise the rear bias so that it is just twitchy. That is a good start for the track and then you may have to back off a step further to account for road irregularities, off camber, downhill, etc.  Also, the bias on semi-slick or slicks is different than on street tires. so if set on street tires, you have too much rear bias for your race tires.

Im usually braking very progressive and trying to "feel" the rear brake. while the rear end will move around on you, it has never snapped on me. could be suspension too.  the driver could provoke a snapping effect if they just stomped on the brake with too much rear bias. That would spin the car.  Dont underestimate the road either, I once came into bruenchen (ring) pointing the wrong way at first because of too much rear brake bias.  if the rear moves such that we turn in to the turn more that is ok and easy to compensate, if it turns away from the turn thats bad. so I dialed it back a bit. this happend when I swaped to new tires.

John

it could be worse this happened when i worked in canada just trying toooooooooo lighting the mood

dazz