Hi everyone, I have remembered or should I say realised that my Z is most definitely......... NOT my Front wheel drive SAAB 9-5 Aero estate ...... It is a rear wheel drive (I want to go sideways) devil in disguise........

I keep making the mistake of forgetting which car I am driving and pulling away a bit toooooo quickly for the road and traction to handle....... basically sideways (unintentionally).......

I had edged out in traffic the other day and went to pull away when some boy racer moron doing about 50 in a 30 with his modified corsa nearly took out the side of me..... he slammed on the brakes and I floored it out of the way....

Unfortunately I ended up sideways drifting down the road with the front of my Z facing his drivers door....... I then needed a change of underwear and to clean my leather seat.......

I seem to have a slippery set of rear tyres or I have forgotten how to drive a rear wheel drive over the 7 years of driving sensible family cars that are (boring) sorry, front wheel drive!

 

OMG, I seriously need to get used to rear wheel drive again and not forget what car I am in and ease down the accelerator....... Not do the stamp it into the floor I do on the saab when I want to pull away a bit sharpish.....

Fine on Saab estate....... Scary as hell on my Z....

 

I have decided to add a post it note to my dash reminding me I'm in the Z........ I need to remember to respect her and take it easy or I will write her off, lose my driving licence or die in a crash....... None of which are good.....

 

So turning down the boost to 9 Psi and going with the post it note for a temporary reminder...... So far having my 5 year old in car with me has made me poodle everywhere carefully..... he just loves the loud exhaust and cruising....

And if he is in the car....... I drive very carefully as he is the most precious cargo I could carry........

 

Sorry, just thinking out loud here......... lol

New tyres and some practice mate.

Yep you have to treat it with respect Russ :biggrin:

Stop driving like a bell end mate :lol:

how do you mistake driving a zed for a saab :huh:

 

and the accelerator isnt a switch so the less you push it down the less likely you are to drift and crash :laugh:

Silly point, check your tyre pressures as well as your alignment.

New tyres and some practice mate.

 

Yep you have to treat it with respect Russ :biggrin:

 

Yes - and yes......:wink:

With my five yr old it is about cruising, driving like an old man, safe and knowledgeable that i am driving something rarer, more unique and stylish than most tin cans on the road.

On me own, then it is different and I just have to avoid the red mist. I have done the rwd drift style seat of my pants losing control thing in my youth so now, practice and concentration keep me lucid and the zed in a straight line. Also the police don't like showoffs!

I'm happy just trundling along in my Z, waiting for people to turn their heads and appreciate seeing a nice car! ;)

 

Then again it is currently an NA auto lol.... Ask me again in a few months :whistling:

As morbid as it sounds, have we had any club members kill themselves in their Zs?

As morbid as it sounds, have we had any club members kill themselves in their Zs?

 

dont know about that but in the last 2 years i have turned my hands into mangled sea monsters...does that count??

There was one of a person whos car caught fire and when he hit a wall/lampost he was ejected from his seat.

 

Pretty sure he survived but he came close..

Let's not forget the lad that had thrown in the towel with his zed and decided to break it. Whilst under the car one evening it collapsed on him causing fatal injuries. I understand he was found the following morning.

Another way that your beloved machine can bite back and definitely a lesson to be learned regarding safe practices when hauling yourself underneath.

good tyres have transformed my handling , Much more confident in her now especially in the wet however I did go from sunny's aka 'ditch finders' to good year

As morbid as it sounds, have we had any club members kill themselves in their Zs?

 

Putting a hosepipe on the exhaust and in the window.....does that count?

Z nut what did you do to yourself? I hope you're ok.

 

I can't say Ive had this happen in a car but on motorbikes I've had these troubled concerns. When I got my zx10r me and it went through a period of storming, like 2 dogs working out who is boss. It would snap at me then I'd go really stupid fast and regret it worried about speeding satellites catching me! Paranoia...

 

But you will settle into it. You need to

 

1) Establish a level playing field. Tyre pressures, alignment, weight and ballance, is there a brake stuck on.

2) Drive it alone, get some space and poke it with a stick, see when it has a go at you. Plan what to do if it does.

3) Drive it regularly

 

You will settle into it, become confident. These cars aren't inherently unstable or dangerous. The speed thing, I do worry about the zx10 you can do 107 in 1st gear on that. But a zed you can enjoy at 3 points speed up to 80, 90. Not kawasaki go to jail speed. I have a strict set of self imposed rules for driving fast, they have kept me out of bother for 6 years (since I got caught speedjng and changed my mindset).

 

I am sure you will be fine mate :thumbup1: I hope some of this helps and dont feel daft I spun mine and found I had a very soft tyre.

There was one of a person whos car caught fire and when he hit a wall/lampost he was ejected from his seat.

 

Pretty sure he survived but he came close..

 

Which model year came with the ejector seat? Wouldn't mind retro fitting one to my 99 spec, or was it US only?

Which model year came with the ejector seat? Wouldn't mind retro fitting one to my 99 spec, or was it US only?

 

Haha why do you think I got a targa model, After hearing this I'm going to be fitting one!

 

Except this guy went through the windscreen, and it was all over the newspapers in my area.

I think you need to check your tyres