I'm 57 and no wrecks on the street yet. I have tried roof racing a couple of times in an ITB Volkswagen. From that I did learn that I wouldn't want to roll a street car, or add some trees for extra fun. My street driving actually slowed down afterwards once I realized how far a car will slide after leaving the road/track and how the roof will crush down. Wouldn't want to find out how 3 point belts work in a roll-over either.
DeadSkunk wrote: I'm 57 and no wrecks on the street yet. I have tried roof racing a couple of times in an ITB Volkswagen. From that I did learn that I wouldn't want to roll a street car, or add some trees for extra fun. My street driving actually slowed down afterwards once I realized how far a car will slide after leaving the road/track and how the roof will crush down. Wouldn't want to find out how 3 point belts work in a roll-over either.
Even worse, I don't want to find out how 5 points work in a roll over in a cage-less car. Something about being strapped in an upright position as the roof is being smashed down seems like a really bad idea.
I have had "offs" in most of my cars.. but nothing that caused any real damage. However, and one of the reasons I do not race.. I have no periphrial vision on my right. I have at one time or another.. scraped up EVERY car I have owned on the passenger side because of it.
I've raced with guys that didn't seem to have any peripheral vision on either side. Tunnel vision was usually working though.Didn't stop them!!!!
I wrapped my first one around a tree about 2 weeks after buying it at 18. Then I stopped driving like that. Well actually I stopped driving period until 22, I got a late start I guess. Had 2 totalled for me when in a non moving position. One at a red light and one when parked.
I've never crashed a car...
I hit a deer when I was 18 (yes, Michigan) while driving my parent's truck, but it only caused minor damage, which I fixed.
I put my first car in a ditch once. Nothin for the second car. My third though, all of you with the hitting deer are Bob Costas, try hitting a cow. 1200# Black Angus + 1986 Chevy Scotsdale C10 at 60mph it was a tie they both died. Fourth one, I rolled my CJ-7 down a hill, icy roads and downhill and curve, oops . My fifth car I was rearended by a kid not paying attention on rain slicked surface.
smog7 wrote: So the other day I was talking to a couple of car buddies, and the topic of first cars came up. All, besides myself, agreed that first cars are meant to be crashed while driving... I mentioned that I am still driving my first car after 4 years, and have yet to crash it.. they replied by saying that I haven't pushed it hard enough.... what do you guys think?
I think you may be "less" a couple of friends less unless they grow-up/man-up very soon. Congratulations for keeping an adult perspective on the responsibilities for driving. For your friends, not so much.
For the record, the only accident in my first car (a '68 Sprite) resulted from tire puncture on a speedy off-ramp (from one interstate to another). The damage was slight but it was enough to learn valuable lessons.
It took twenty years to forget those lessons but after the second incident (entirely my fault), I've considered my street-time even more seriously than my seat-time. That attitude has served me well on both accounts.
Congrats on your accident-free history. May you drive many more years before you join your friends' "club".
thanks for all of the replies..
I was wondering about this because both of these friends have racing experience, one being in track, the other rally.
I haven't raced at all, though I want to get into rallyx.. made me wonder if I was just "too" calm of a driver...
To win in rally or rallyx or any other race, you have to not wreck the car. 
86 Crown Vic is my first car, after 8 years and over 150,000 miles, I haven't crashed it. And you can ask anyone of my friends, they will tell you I push my old Crown Vic farther than most of them dare push their performance cars. I just don't push past my limits where it's not safe to. Never on the streets. You just have to pick your places, and know your own limits, and that you should never push your limits on any public road. Pushing your limits is for the track, empty streets are just for having fun.
If you've never spun on a race track (after a year), then I agree you aren't pushing it hard enough. Spinning regularly is not good. But you have to cross the line at least once to know where it is. Even if you are winning events left and right, if you have never gone off track, then apparently your limits are much higher than you think.
Thankfully never crashed a car that resulted in any damage. I've done a couple love taps but nothing serious. I was driving once in San Diego back from the junk yards doing about 85mph and I got behind a work trunk and I'll be damned if the truck didn't shoot out a rock at my windshield. It didn't crack but put a hell of a star in it.
Man, its funny that this thread is up. My little brother just experienced his first car wreck yesterday in his Jetta. Ive always told him what our dad has told me - "Save it for the track..."
So he was coming home from high school yesterday, going down a hill, i guess dropping a friend off at their house. Im assuming he was trying to show off by apex the turn into the neighborhood when it happened....
BAM!!!!
He carried way too much speed into the turn and understeered into the curb at probably a good 40mph. Clobbered the curb, bending the control arm and CV axle. It has about 10 degrees positive camber now, and needs all new front suspension. Hes very lucky he came out in the shape that its in and nobody else was involved
I never wrecked my first car. I did have to replace a headlight when I had one of those agonizing slow slides into a truck bumper, but that's it. I take driving on the street very seriously, and won't mess around in the slightest.
I didn't wreck my first two cars, a '90 Sentra Coupe and an '02 Cavalier coupe. They were my pizza delivery cars, and out here that means dirt roads and other places to pull all sorts of nonsense. I did, however, wreck my mom's escort by breaking no laws other than not paying enough attention to what I was doing. Wrong exit lane, which turned out to be substantially shorter than the one I thought I was on. The Olds 88 I hit looked fine and the Escort was toast.
My current car is an SRT-4 which has awesome brakes, twice I avoided deer that most cars would have hit.
Rusty_Rabbit84 wrote: Man, its funny that this thread is up. My little brother just experienced his first car wreck yesterday in his Jetta. Ive always told him what our dad has told me - "Save it for the track..." So he was coming home from high school yesterday, going down a hill, i guess dropping a friend off at their house. Im assuming he was trying to show off by apex the turn into the neighborhood when it happened.... BAM!!!! He carried way too much speed into the turn and understeered into the curb at probably a good 40mph. Clobbered the curb, bending the control arm and CV axle. It has about 10 degrees positive camber now, and needs all new front suspension. Hes very lucky he came out in the shape that its in and nobody else was involved
I saw a kid do that once. The look on his face was priceless, a mix of fear and confusion.
My first car left me as pretty as it was the day I got it. In fact, it left me as pretty as it was when my dad bought it for himself in June of 1992 (May 1992 production date). God, I want that car back so bad. I might try to track it down some day soon.
DeadSkunk wrote: I'm 57 and no wrecks on the street yet. I have tried roof racing a couple of times in an ITB Volkswagen. From that I did learn that I wouldn't want to roll a street car, or add some trees for extra fun. My street driving actually slowed down afterwards once I realized how far a car will slide after leaving the road/track and how the roof will crush down. Wouldn't want to find out how 3 point belts work in a roll-over either.
My first damage-causing incident with a motor vehicle was putting my car on its roof at an autocross when I was 19. 9 years later it's still the dumbest thing I have ever done in a motor vehicle.
hell i have yet to wreck a car of my own doing, now when stupid people do stupid things theres not much you can do... now next year hen i go wheel to wheel i pray i don't wreck but lets face theres a chance it will happen, just hope its a single car mess
I will throw out my father's first vehicle. Grampa gave him their '69 chevy P/U for graduation. He got drunk and totaled it that night. IIRC, rolled it and had people in the bed.
ProjectVIN wrote: My current car is an SRT-4 which has awesome brakes, twice I avoided deer that most cars would have hit.
Having hit two deer in the past 30 months, all the brakes in the world would provide no relief.
The first deer collision was at 50 mph at 5 AM and it slammed into the drivers side of the vehicle at the a-pillar and wiped out the entire side. New fender, two doors, quarter panel, rear wheel, and rear bumper. Had I been a second or two slower, the thing might have come through the windshield.
The second collision (just a couple months back) was at 25 mph at 8 AM on a residential street. The thing appeared out of nowhere and went across the hood from left to right. Absolutely ZERO response time. Wiped out the left fender, bumper, and hood.
Because of the second deer incident, I am acutely aware of how quickly a "slow" speed incident with a pedestrian (God forbid a kid) stepping out from behind a parked vehicle can go wrong.
YMMV
gwhutch wrote:ProjectVIN wrote: My current car is an SRT-4 which has awesome brakes, twice I avoided deer that most cars would have hit.Having hit two deer in the past 30 months, all the brakes in the world would provide no relief. The first deer collision was at 50 mph at 5 AM and it slammed into the drivers side of the vehicle at the a-pillar and wiped out the entire side. New fender, two doors, quarter panel, rear wheel, and rear bumper. Had I been a second or two slower, the thing might have come through the windshield. The second collision (just a couple months back) was at 25 mph at 8 AM on a residential street. The thing appeared out of nowhere and went across the hood from left to right. Absolutely ZERO response time. Wiped out the left fender, bumper, and hood. Because of the second deer incident, I am acutely aware of how quickly a "slow" speed incident with a pedestrian (God forbid a kid) stepping out from behind a parked vehicle can go wrong. YMMV
Not much that can be done with no response time, no argument from me there! In the Cavvy, I had a fender replaced after stopping for the deer but it charged the car and rammed it. That one was interesting to explain to insurance...
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