I'll never let anyone drive my car again.......

My oldest son (31) is in for the holidays and had been on me to let him drive my TR6. I kept telling him that the weather wasn't good and just didn't want to have to detail it again for the winter. Dang if the sun didn't come out and I ran out of excuses. I had to crank her up and get her warm and told him to take it easy. About an hour later he comes back and the engine is smoking. With my setup (far from stock), anytime you redline it more than once, I get oil blowing out somewhere and the resultant drip on my custom dual exhaust gives off a mighty smoky engine compartment. It is my little tattle-tale that I may have pushed it too hard. I can drive nonstop for eight hours and this will never happen, even pushing it hard.

The same thing happened a few months ago when a mechanic/friend that owns many LBCs offered to drive my car to diagnose a little sound. He redlined it for about 2 miles in second and almost gave me and the car a coronary.

I may sound like a wimp when it comes to driving my car but I know what it is capable of and how hard I can push it. Push it I do, but not abuse it. Therein lies the difference between me driving my car and someone else driving it. Tain't gonna happen again.

Geez Bill,

Your own flesh and blood!
Driving ya crazy? Sometimes I think that's what offspring do best.
My oldest is 25. Some things never change.

Keep on.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

This is a "rule" I have long tried to adhere to. About every time I violate it, ~I~ pay a big price. Once (1981) after being chided into it by a dozen folk, I folded and the end result was having to re graft the nose back onto the +2! No help of any kind from the guilty party. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif

Nope, NOBODY drives my cars but me. I don't drive others' cars, either. Reluctantly drove clients' cars for diagnostic purposes only. Usually I'd have them take me for a ride to demonstrate what they considered the problem to be.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

Sounds like my brother was driving - the reason I would never buy a rental car. Like Clik and Clak both say "Don't drive like my brother."

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

Bill, sorry about your car. What a bite!

Call me a prig, but I feel the same way about my "special" cars. I hate to admit that I'm the only driver my '05 MINI has ever known! My wife "can't" drive a manual tranny, and I've never let anyone else drive it! Although it's a modern car with all the amenities, the engine has a few goodies in it and applying full throttle in first gear will easily SMOKE the front tires: if you're not paying attention, this could cause problems!

Regarding antique/restored cars, if anyone's going to wreck my restored car, it's gotta be me! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif Antique cars require obscure bits of knowledge and skill.

For example, who knows how to operate a Laycock overdrive unit on a 1970 GT6?? Both of mine had the OD actuator switches on the column (escutcheon) AND on the gear shift knob: you DON'T want to put it in reverse while in OD! And on my restored (perfectly) '70 Mustang: it has about 300HP, a very stiff clutch, pretty bad brakes and a VERY squirrely suspension. Once the rear end gets away from you, it's very difficult to get it back!

Driving these cars is not for the uninitiated.

I'd have to really trust the person who drives these cars. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

I "feel your pain"...I let my long time Lotus friend drive my tired TR3, redline,...me screaming,...then more redlines,all the while telling me that my engine was a slow revver.
I have a good Lotus story to tell some other time.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

I agree with the 'no one but me' unless I know the person really well. Same goes with my horses.
I have a friend that has a 55 MBz Gullwing and he told me to 'get in and drive'. I refused but he kept insisting until I did.
I drove it very gently even though he tosses it around. It's like dancing with another mans wife, observe the proprieties.
It was fantastic though.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

I've a very short list of people I'll allow to drive mine. But, those on the list are expected to drive them as I do.
On the other hand, when I get behind the wheel of someone elses, I'm an absolute <u>wuss</u>!
After I sold the Spit racecar, I got a chance to drive it again, and was nearly three seconds a lap slower than I was before.
No longer mine, you see! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
Jeff

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

My wife ALWAYS tells me to keep-it IN THE GARAGE ;-)
When their's cabin fever.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

I've only let a few select people drive the TR6.
And I'm with them at the time.I've let our oldest drive
it.He didn't want to see it wrecked,or abused either.
Our Daughter drove it while following me,so I was able to observe.
I've always felt that if you drive someone else's car either be willing to pay to have it fixed,or replaced.Also,
fill the gas tank,wash & vacuum it out.

- Doug

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

The only guy who will ever drive mine is the guy who works on it as much or more than me (for road testing purposes only) and my wife. And she hasn't driven it in nearly 18 years, so there's no big concern there.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

My answer is, "You wanna what? Absolutely NOT!" An I don`t care who you are! Drive my car? Do you see STUPID written on my forehead?
Even when I offer someone a ride, my first comment is, Don`t use my windscreen frame for leverage getting in or out. You touch it you die! Keep your hands off of my leather! Is the second comment. That handle on the dash is what you hang onto if you need something to grab is the third. Last but not least I`ll take a good look at thier shoes. NO DIRT ALLOWED! NO drinks or food and NO smoking in the car.
When I finish my TR-3 this time I`m gonna make me a sign that states "The answer is NO so DON`T ASK to drive!

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

There's only one person I would be totally at ease with letting drive my 911 or my TR6 (when it's ready), and that's my Dad. Anybody else, and I would be like a cat on hot halfpennies. Since he lives in the UK and is convinced he'll get Deep Vein Thrombosis if he steps on a 'plane, the chance of him coming over here and driving either is minimal /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

My last 911 was a '79 911SC. If you've every driven a 911, you know how it was to learn the clutch without stalling. It takes a little gas, a little slip to get going. Both of my 911s were this way but the SC more so and it launched with way more power than my 2.4 911T.

So when one of my friends kept asking and asking if he could drive my 911 ("could" was the operative word here), I threw him the keys. He tried several times and kept stalling it just trying to move it off the driveway, and finally gave up.

I also saw him on several occasions try to pass me while seated in my passenger seat!! That thing was fun to hang out the rear in the corners. It did 130 pretty easily too. Friend never did get to drive it though.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

Maybe we all need one of these.
Jeff

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

I'm fortunate. I let a fellow drive my TR3 to his senior prom about 6 years ago. I was at the reception line to retrieve it. The gentleman that was to park the car wanted nothing to do with it and I stepped in before he was given a chance.
I am very selective at letting people drive it. This young man still speaks of that evening to this day. He brought is wife to the house to introduce us and to see the car.

I will allow responsible people to drive the cars with me as the passenger. It is a tough decision, but may help our hobby survive through our lifetimes if enough people do it.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

Im with you guys.
IM the one who has to do all the work & pay for Parts,
So Im the only one that drives it.

its kinda like saying "can I take yer wife out for a ride"
((NOT))

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

Last summer my Daughter came to visit. She said "Dad, when I was young you wouldn't let me drive the 68 Spitfire. I'm 42 now, do you think I could drive this one?" I said sure, why not. I went with her and she was doing very well till a mailman, coming toward us decided to make a left turn into a driveway. We were doing about 45 in 4th gear and here he was, looking down at his mail and right across our lane. He saw us in time to stop but by that time we were compleatly blocked and all that was available was the shoulder and the ditch. She hit the brakes, caught third gear and yanked Ol Yeller around in front of him. We still were going much to fast to stop. Missed him by about two feet. After getting back on the highway she said, "do you think we should stop and go back?" I said, I don't see any good reason to. Da*n, that girl can drive. Her comment was, "here it is, the first time you let me drive your little car we almost kill it." The next day I went to the post office and told them about it. They are going to "talk to him."
I'll let her drive Yeller any time she wants.

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

When I was 17 (pre TR6 ownership) I owned a very nice 1978 Camaro, my step-dad had a very nice and VERY fast 1979 Corvette(425rwhp) and my mom had a Mercedes Sedan. My aunt and uncle came in from Hawaii and borrowed the Mercedes for a two week road trip. Then my mom and step-dad needed to go to Nebraska for a week and needed to take my step sisters with them. Which left me at home for a week with the Corvette in the middle of the summer between my junior and senior year in high school.
Boy what a week that was. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

When my parents returned, they found the Corvette fully detailed with a full tank of gas and not one thing wrong with it, other than the tires having a bit less tread on them. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

My mom handed me the keys to my Camaro and apologized for not having time to wash it. No problem I say and head out to wash it (which can be a chore removing summer Nebraska bugs). This is when I discover that they backed into a pole shattering the paint on the plastic bumper, broke the passenger side door handle, tore the cover on the passenger seat and the gas tank was empty.

I strolled back into the kitchen and asked my mom if there was anything they wanted to tell me about my car. (a bit of role reversal here with a 17 year old kid grilling an adult about damage done to their car) She finally, reluctantly, admitted to everything. After letting them stew in their guilt for a while I took my step-dad out in his Corvette and showed him how I taught myself to powerdrift his Corvette (got all four tires smoking going sideways) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif at the expense of his Goodyear Gatorbacks. We called my abuse of his tires and the combined damage to my Camaro a draw. Then he asked me to show him that powerdift thing again.

To this day, my parents will let me drive any car they own without a bit of hesitation. Which is nice with the high buck cars my step-dad keeps rolling though his garage. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Re: I'll never let anyone drive my car again......

Good heavens, what a bunch of BS! Its ONLY a CAR! What's that among friends? I'll let anybody drive my TR6 that wants, if I think they can handle the pretty tricky manual shift. When I was a teenager, I destroyed the transmission of my brother's V6 Capri (a hot car in those deplorable late-seventy days). He was most gracious and understanding. What a guy! I have always reciprocated and let others try any cool cars I have owned. I want to spread that LBC goodness around.

Don