It's tough to see a beautiful car like that in that shape, but it's more important that you made it out okay. Best of luck getting that XF back in tip-top shape...

 

Bill,

Sorry to hear about the crash. Glad to hear you are OK. After all the work
you put into the GTG it sure is a shame you had to pay such a steep price.
Here's to hoping that the Silver Fox is back on the road soon!

Coyote

 

I don't know if it applies in this situation, but the Contis are absolute CRAP in the rain.

Be careful on the stock rubber!

 

Funny you should mention this-my wife (who did all the driving on our Dragon visit) was a bit disconcerted about the ESP kicking in on every little puddle we splashed through on the way home Saturday. I knew by the "feel" that it was the traction control helping, but am still a bit surprised that the Conti "Ultra High Performance All Season radial" has that much trouble in the rain.

 

Actually, he was driving brand new Kuhmo Ecsta's.

If you don't know, the Dragon has many sudden turns and strange banks, so it is easy to misjudge, especially in bad weather.

 

Really sorry to see such an accident ! Glad you're OK !
1 rule. Don't drive Xfires in wet places and have good insurance.
2 rule. Don't forget the #1 rule !

You can be glad you're ok and you walked away unhurt ! You can always get an other XFIRE. Lots of them for sale still.

 

I have no traction control and a friend has a set on his SVT focus. We have both come to the exact same conclusion.

 

Hope everyone is OK. Sorry about your car. Looks like the hill decided to occuy your half of the road.

 

I think this is the main reason. The Dragon has tarmac as near to pristine as one can get, but the road is hellishly difficult to drive quickly on in the dry let alone in the rain. It's so easy to misjudge entry speed into the corners because it is quite literally like no other road in the US. You may have a 30mph left-right-left combination and then a small straightaway which lets you get up to 40-45mph, but then you have to brake HARD for a hairpin that has to be taken at 20mph. If you brake too late or go in too hot, then you are going to understeer and blammo.

The REALLY lucky thing is that SF hit the dirt wall and didn't go off the side of the cliff. Judging from the looks of the crash, it looks like right-lane understeer on the entry to a very tight right-hand turn.

This could have happened on any tire and in any weather.

Keep the traction control on, go in slow, and come out hot!

 

And that brings up the second gripe I have with a stock Crossfire...

Why the hell does a car with such neutral weight distribution between the motor and passengers have such a serious problem with understeer?

I've decreased the pressure in the rear tires slightly to promote oversteer, but it doesn't make much of a difference. Then I found plastic end-links on the ends of a pencil thin anti-sway bar.

Ugh. No doubt more "tolerance" built-in to eliminate the detrimental effects of electronic stability control on cornering behavior.

My solution: Lose the electronic crap and put in a mechanical LSD and a stiffer swaybar. The car will be faster, more balanced, and more predictable in corners... provided you don't loop it and drive off the montain backwards.

 

Well, I don't know about the SRT6, but my base coupe is quite neutral at speeds between 50mph and 100mph. I agree, it's not a drift car, if that's what you want.

As for the Dragon, well let me just say that any car will understeer on that road if one goes in hot into a corner. Motorcycles will lowside. The definition of "hot" on that road is any speed above 25 mph in certain corners. I don't know many if any cars that will oversteer at that speed.

Opticon, if you're interested in getting a mechnical LSD for this car, email Gary Peloquin at info@peloquins.com and tell him to hurry up and get one designed for the car. I've been emailing Quaife and Peloquins and Quaife will never deliver. Gary said that he can make one 6-9 months out, faster if there's more interest.

 

DONE! Thanks.

 

Bill - sorry to hear about your mishap. Glad you are ok. I wish your Crossfire a speedy recovery. Hopefully we'll see you in Carlisle.
Pat

 

Hope your feeling better Bill, im a little stiff still took some motrin and drank some ale... loosend right up lol. keep me posted as far as how you and your car are doing, personally i hope they total it, because you know it will never be right again. just do what we were talking about at the lodge, fly up to woodward and drive back with that 06!

 

I had no problems with my stock all season tires at the dragon. ESP light never came on and held the road great thru the hairpin turns. If anything I was very surprised on how well the car handled in the turns.

 

Thanks All ,for your Concerns & Well wishes!

I'm going to start getting the missing half of my tooth replaced at 2PM today & seeing my Family Dr after that, for a few minor concerns.

My tongue is repairing itself & feeling better. I'm still quite stiff & sore, especially in the chest from the Seat Beat (Thank God!).

& My neck & upper back need to be realigned, by the best Chiro in the Area (I'll have to find him or her )

Also the Remains of Fox II are being brought to Murphy from Marville, TN this Afternoon to My Body Shop!


That's it for now.................

A Down, but NOT Out SilverFox (Bill)

 

Glad to hear that you are pretty much doing okay. It is a shame about the car.

Hope you get better soon and we hope to see you at Carlisle in July!

 

Glad to hear that you are feeling better Bill.

 

I will join the rest in giving my concern for you and your ride.

 

sorry to hear about the car...Glad you are ok