View Single Post
widebody911 widebody911 is offline
Too big to fail
 
widebody911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Carmichael, CA
Posts: 33,894
Garage
Send a message via AIM to widebody911 Send a message via Yahoo to widebody911
Worst car? 1976 MG Midget (oh, and I'm 6'2"). Lasted me less than 48 hours before it put threw a rod. I'd had my eye on it for months. When I got my tax refund, I rode my skateboard down and bought it. The next day, it threw the rod. I called the lot and *****ed, they said "sorry, no warranty." I did some grousing around and investigating, found that I couldn't take title until it had been smogged - it hadn't yet, I was supposed to take it in on that Monday. I called the lot with this new bit of info, they *****ed a little, then sent a truck to pick up the car, "It's probably just a battery" (no, really, he said that!) After their wrench looked at it and gave it it's last rites, they offered to pay 1/2 of a new motor. I insisted on a new motor or my money back; the cash was in my hands in a matter of minutes.

The strangest handling vehicle I ever drove was when I was in the US Forest Service. We got this funky prototype engine; it was an International S-cab, with a turbo, but a really short wheelbase, and 4-wheel disk brakes, which were really cool! It only had a 400g tank, but some rocket scientist built the tank with NO BAFFLES! It was a treat to drive that up and down mountain roads with 1/2 tank of water; after every turn you could count off one second, then the slosh would hit, and the rear would chirp slightly as the weight shifted and it broke traction. I learned to brake in a straight line years before I ever got a 911. It also had a split rear-end, which I hated (and why, on a truck that small?) I could up-shift it fine, but many times found myself coasting into a turn trying to get the ass-end re-engaged again.
__________________
"You go to the track with the Porsche you have, not the Porsche you wish you had."
'03 E46 M3
'57 356A
Various VWs
Old 03-11-2003, 11:01 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #14 (permalink)