Drivers Ed Idiot

Kayser28 · 11-08-2005, 07:48 PM

Well, I was very excited to participate in my first DE. All was going well until lunch when I had a little extra time. I decided I would check on my car and went over to see if it had cooled off a little. I turned the key and at the last moment decided I would start it to hear it run (it sounds cool). No need to get in, I just reached in and turned the key. Well it started and to my surprise and then embarrassment it drove away. Like some kind of souped up Herbie the love bug, it takes off through the freaking parking lot. I still cannot believe it happened. This is a CIS car after all, it never freaking starts. I have to rev it at the stop light to not kill it when I let the clutch out.

No excuses, all my fault I should have remembered it was in gear, but I always set the parking brake and leave it in neutral, not after hot laps though. In retrospect I would rather be replacing warped rotors.

Okay, my fault, but who ever heard of a car starting in gear and then leaving the area. Can you imagine my suprise and horror as my car began slamming into the cars parked in the lot?

You know sometimes as time goes by, you begin to forget what an idiot you are, and then something happens and its all right there. I can't even convince myself I am not an idiot. It is going to be hard to show my face at the track any time soon.

Where do you think my car was trying to go? Perhaps it wanted a new front end. Mission accomplished.

porschenut · 11-08-2005, 08:02 PM

You're kidding of course.....right?

FrayAdjacent911 · 11-08-2005, 08:08 PM

I can imagine that, but unless it was in probably first gear, and the starter was strong enough, it would have lurched and started rolling right away. I've had to start my coupe in gear a few times due to clutch failure, and it lurched and inched forward a little before it started up.

Kayser28 · 11-08-2005, 08:16 PM

You're kidding of course.....right?

No, totally serious. Couldn't make something like that up.

Yes, it was in first gear, but it didn't just lurch. It litterally drove away. It slammed into a big chevy truck behind the left rear tire and then turned 90 degrees and hit another big chevy four door truck on the driver's side rear door. Big, big dents in both vehicles.

Perhaps another explanation was that these or some other chevy trucks in the past had seriously pissed off my Porsche.

Fishcop · Fishcop's Garage

Dude, where's my car?

Todd Simpson · 11-08-2005, 08:20 PM

Hitting tow vehicles is not nearly as bad as hitting someone's P-car.

Feel better?

Jack Olsen · 11-08-2005, 08:29 PM

Wow. I read the first post, and I thought; that's either very funny fiction, or an insurance headache.

But it's just a couple of Chevy trucks.

Hitting guys' race cars would be worse.

It'll be a while before the local PCA guys let you live this down, I'd guess.

How was the on-track driving?

Kayser28 · 11-08-2005, 08:31 PM

I am glad I didn't hit any "talent". And everyone involved was very understanding.

Kayser28 · 11-08-2005, 08:36 PM

Jack, I tried to convince the insurance company that I shouldn't be "at fault" since I had at least 10 witnesses that could verify I was not driving the vehicle. They didn't buy it.

My insurance adjuster was laughing pretty hard when I explained what happened. I had a perfect driving record, so my rates will probably go up substantially. I am more worried about their response when the estimate for my car comes in.

My guess is that for the front fenders, bumper with all light assemblies, labor and paint... this could hit a pretty high number that might make them try to total the car.

Kayser28 · 11-08-2005, 08:42 PM

The DE driving was great. It was a BMW event so maybe I can wear a disguise and go to the Porsche events in the spring after everyone has had time to forget about this. My instructor was a talented driver, but this was the first time he had driven (I let him drive my car for the demo ride) or rode in a Porshe at the track. All he knew was the rep for the tail coming loose, so he was very tentative driving and instructing. I think if he would have had more time behind the wheel he would have recognized how high the limit is before the thing bites you. As it was while I was driving, I was exceeding his comfort level so he was uncomfortable. If we would have had some more time I think we would have had a lot of fun. Oh well.

Kayser28 · 11-08-2005, 08:47 PM

Any thoughts on going with a 993 front end instead of stock?

rick-l · 11-08-2005, 09:31 PM

In my youth, a buddy of mine and I were helping another buddy in a large parking lot, at night, in the snow, figure out why his starter wouldn't crank. Buddy #1 decides to let his car warm up while we're using the headlights to look under the hood and crawl under the car. The three of us are wiggling things around when Buddy #2 says "man I can't see $h!t". Next comes "Vince where's your car"? He must not have got it all the way into park because it took off, all by itself, across the parking lot. I never saw that guy run so fast. He got to it just as it smashed some garbage cans but before it went down a hill into the street.

EdT82SC · 11-08-2005, 10:55 PM

Wow. Do you have any pictures?

Emission · Emission's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by EdT82SC
Wow. Do you have any pictures?

I didn't want to be the first to ask that... but since you brought it up.... yeah, where are the pics?

Your car wanted to be set free. The Chevy's just got in the way!

MotoSook · 11-08-2005, 11:50 PM

Micheal,

It appears you are taking it well. Your sense of humor is just excellent! A friend had the same thing happen to him...the car drove off! Had he not dove through driver's window to pull the hand brake, a couple of the "talent" would have suffered.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I hesitate to say "cheer up," because it appears you are handling it far better than 99% of us. Either that or you were at least 1/2 way through the bottle of wine when you posted

Good luck with the rest of the story. Thanks for the grins.....really best of luck.

Geronimo '74 · 11-09-2005, 01:08 AM

Hahahaha!!! LMAO

sorry, the situation is just too funny, i'm not laughing with you, but this only happens in movies starring Leslie Nielsen.

I hope you can laugh with it as well.... in a few years

Quicksilver · 11-09-2005, 02:00 AM

Years ago I saw a "driveaway" with a brand new Volkswagen Rabbit at a dealership. Salesman is showing the new car to a woman and leaves her for a moment to run in the building. She half sits in the car and turns the key. Car launches itself off the curb out into heavy traffic on a 4 lane one-way street. As the car heads across the street a fully loaded 2 trailer semi comes skidding to a halt about a foot from the passenger door.

About this time she manages to drag herself completely into the car so at least she isn't dragging behind it. Tha car arcs across all four lanes and then back to the side of the street where she started. There are cars stopped everywhere - except the last lane where a pickup comes flying past all these stopped cars and t-bones her right as she gets to the curb.

It was one of the most jaw dropping things I have seen and it all took place at 5 miles an hour. I saw the salesman just standing next to the building staring. I always wondered how the aftermath panned out. The police report had to be interesting. Wonder what happened to the salesman.

hoosierdaddy · 11-09-2005, 02:12 AM

I had a customer last week come to pick up his 996 and as we were talking he opened the door reached in and started the car while it was in reverse , fortunately the car was backed up to fence so it only moved about a foot and a half . The scary part was the fact that he had the door open and it probably would have drug him down had the car moved any real distance.

Thomas Owen · 11-09-2005, 02:15 AM

There was another story like the this three or four years ago. May have showed up again under the infamous 'Admit your Stupidity' thread.
Seems someone had worked quite some time on a restoration and decided the day to roll out the finished product was the family reunion at a big picnic park. As the entire family stood around the car he proudly leaned in the window to start her up, and that she did - right across the park and into a huge oak tree.
Sorry to hear about your bad luck - those things just seem to happen. Good luck with the repairs -

NY65912 · 11-09-2005, 02:38 AM

First.......sorry for your misfortune, but thankfully the car hit no other Porsches........whew!

Second....when I was in college, I worked pumping gas and repairs at a local Getty station. I have seen drive aways on no less than 4 cars. ALL these cars were automatic. You haven't lived until you see a '72 Montego drive away while still attached to a hose pumping hi test and driving onto and across a 4 lane blvd. Oh yea, those gas hoses stretch a long, long way and when they let go come at you like a rubber band snapping while spewing gasoline.

Third...I'm not doubting you but in all my years I have never seen a manual trans car start up and drive away on it's own, but I guess there is always a first.

Tough luck but as long as nobody was injured you got away lucky.

Cheers