What's the Craziest Thing....

[BigWheel]

....to happen to you and/or your Festy? An experience earlier today made me think of this question and thought it would be fun to hear your stories.

Earlier today after completing some cosmetic work on Hot Rod I went for a drive with the windows down (it's 73 & Sunny). A short distance into my ride the throttle stuck wide open. Fortunately I didn't panic, slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting the car in front of me and then shut the engine down to keep from blowing it up. I managed to get to a parking lot and checked the throttle but nothing out of place. Drove home and within 2 minutes had the same problem. Babied the car home with a few more interesting moments. Crawled under the hood, checked the carpet to see if I stirred something up when installing the console and still nothing. Then noticed a faint glimpse of a string under the throttle peddle. To my amazement there was a very small but long string that somehow gotten wrapped around the throttle & brake peddles. Whenever I would depress the brake the tension would lessen and the car would idle properly. When I would take my foot off of the brake peddle and press the throttle peddle the tension would would become tighter and then stick. All my fear and trouble caused from a very thin piece of string. Can you just imagine me explaining that to the poor woman in front of me had I hit her?

Fortunately no accident today and now that it's over it's funny!!!

[GenevaDirt]

Well just the other morning on the way to work about 6a.m. (still dark out) I was heading down the road and I could see an Amish buggy coming towards me (they have lights on them like a car). It was a good distance away yet and I was cruising about 55-60. As I got closer I could see a pick up come from around the buggy to pass it. No biggie...there way still plenty of distance between us and he was barely in my lane anyway. Well I was getting closer and the truck was just getting next to the buggy, another car comes out around the truck. At this time I was a lot closer and I am sure the truck was doing about 55 too.
I thought WTF and thought for sure that as soon as the car saw my headlights he would slow down and fall back behind the wagon till I was by. Well that didn't happen. The truck was not slowing and the car was coming around.....it got to the point I started slowing and moving over....I hit my horn and started slowing as fast as I could. Luckily I had just did the brakes and replaced my front hubs ( with the new ones I got during the summer ). I was slowing pretty fast but it was like no one else was. I got over as far as I could (there was a gaurd rail next to me that I was within inches of) and just as I thought me and Festy were done for the car cut over in front of the truck and missed my front end by about a foot and almost took out the truck and the buggy. I looked in the side mirror and no one stopped, I was running sorta late and didn't have the time to turn around and chase the piece of crap down (thats a good thing because I do not know what I would have done). After I was able to brethe again I continued on my way.....the whole time I do not think I ever dropped below 45.
Sounds like a lot of time passed but at 55-60 it only took minutes for all this to happen. Luckily I am here typing instead of somewhere else. Hehehe.

[deathegg]

Three things come to mind for me, none were much fun:

First in 1991, I wrecked my Festiva (before it was named the DeathEgg) when a tractor-trailer made an illegal left turn right in front of me. In the rain. Hit the tractor on it's rear wheels at about 45 mph which totaled the car. I was not hurt at all! (let no one tell you a Festiva is not safe). Fortunately I got a good break from the insurance company and not only got the car back repaired but actually got cash from the trucking company as well for their negligence. (bought a '65 VW Bug with the money).

Second: The following winter, I was driving in a snowstorm along a sweeping off-ramp/bridge structure in Pittsburgh (one lane, quite narrow) and suddenly came across another Festiva in the middle of the road, sitting sideways, stuck on the ice. I managed to pump the brakes lightly and gently avoid hitting it, but the moron behind me wasn't paying attention, and didn't slow down enough, hitting me in the rear bumper pretty hard. I maintained control, but looked in the rearview mirror and saw him spinning out of control, bouncing off the guard rails. Looked at the bumper later and no damage at all!

Third: just last fall here in SoCal, lost all my brakes on the freeway! AAAAGGHH! Drove home (12 miles in rush hour) with no brakes. Not fun!

[ketchup]

I had an 89 carbed lx and the trottle stuck on the way to work about 30 miles away. it was wierd cause the gas pedal didnt stick down and operated normally.. so what i did was turn on and off the ignition for a throttle it wasnt bad on the freeway but when i pulled to a light people thought i was trying to race. but in reality it would rev up then id turn it off then turn it back on befor it stopped so it would start back up.. anyway i made it to work put in my eight came out to my car and it started normal and drove it home like nothing happened.. wierd all i could think was it was something to do with the choke

[festymick]

This was early 2002 I THINK??

Early morning on the way to work, around 3:45am Cruising LEFT (slow) lane of three on the freeway.
End up travelling alongside a semi-trailer who is travelling in the MIDDLE lane doing about 90kph.
End up behind another semi who was indicating LEFT in front of me to leave the freeway.

Decided (once the semi started shifting off the freeway) i would squeeze the throttle and pass the first semi. BAD MOVE.

2nd semi changed his mind, and merged back into freeway traffic. I was forced between the two rigs and subsequently copped this.....

[BigWheel]

This was early 2002 I THINK??

Early morning on the way to work, around 3:45am Cruising LEFT (slow) lane of three on the freeway.
End up travelling alongside a semi-trailer who is travelling in the MIDDLE lane doing about 90kph.
End up behind another semi who was indicating LEFT in front of me to leave the freeway.

Decided (once the semi started shifting off the freeway) i would squeeze the throttle and pass the first semi. BAD MOVE.

2nd semi changed his mind, and merged back into freeway traffic. I was forced between the two rigs and subsequently copped this

I remember seeing pics of your car wrecked and wondering what in the world happened. Man you so fortunate to have escaped that. Wow!!!

[graywolf_14]

Well about 5yrs ago I just got out of church and went for a drive on the dirt roads around the church( wanna b rally racer) and hit this straight got it up to like 50 well than noticed the road Td and tried to slow down when that didnt work I paniced and slammed on them while trying to make a left turn. Well lets just say I didnt make it and went down the ditch my front end was airborne for about 7 feet till I hit a tree. Knocked the tree down bent the frame wrecked the left fender and pulled the left half shaft out about quarter of an inch. The right wheel was the only one on the ground. A f-250 tried pulling me out but being 2wd it had no hope. Than a suzuki sami tried but even with jeep axles and 33's it had no hope with the stock motor. And luck had it that a chevy 1500 4wd came by and pulled the dang thing right out. Which it was lucky because right after I got in the car started it up and started driving away a shariff pulled up asking if everything was ok. Course the unlucky thing was that I got left without a car and I started school 15 miles away the next day.