>before I could ease off the brakes into an uncontrolled spin. The van did a
180<

joel... makes me glad I live in Hawaii!  But actually, I did a similar thing
one winter on an icy bridge between Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska.  The woman
in front of me in a toyota tapped her brakes as we started across a very
long bridge over the Platte river.  She went into a skid, so I (as you)
instinctively tapped my brakes (in a 64 Cutlass Supreme)and also went into a
skid.  She was able to straighten out, I was not.  I did a complete 360 and
then another 180 (I guess that's a 540) and ended up just barely touching
the guard rail in the right lane of a four lane divided interstate highway
facing the wrong direction.  Before I could catch my breath from thinking I
would have been killed going off the bridge, I looked up to see a brand new
Buick Regal a couple hundred yards away coming straight for me.  He moved
over a little... then a little more... and by the time he got to me he was
almost over  into the other lane... almost.  He clipped my front right
fender, went into a spin and slammed into the guard rail, totalling his car.
No one was hurt thankfully, but boy did I feel like an idiot.  Actually my
car was stopped, so technically it was not my fault and I was not ticketed,
but actually, it was my fault.  Scared me to death.  And no, that's not why
I moved to Hawaii, but now that I think of it, there are worse reasons.

Mick Kalber
89 Syncro Westy "Daddeo"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Cort" <joel_cort@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2001 2:37 PM
Subject: Slippin' and slidin' in a Syncro - Mr. Lucky!

> It's still winter in Rochester.
>
> Before the snow season hit, I got some great gnarly Nokkia Hakkappp.
> tires on my Syncro Westy and they have been great in the Rochester
> climate so far.
>
> I got to test everything today including my will power to keep that
> foot on the brake pedal.  I was coming up a small rise at an OK speed
> when I spotted a Doge Van spinning on the left side of the road, just
> as I crested the rise about even with the van there was some other
> car spinning around in front of me.
>
> Instinctively I slammed on the brakes of the sure footed Syncro.  All
> four wheels locks and there we were, my 2 kids and I, before I could
> ease off the brakes into an uncontrolled spin. The van did a 180 and
> all I could think of were those cheesy-ass fiberglass bumpers that
> would not protect anything.  The spinning van luckily was able to
> move enough out of the way to be missed.  The spinning car in front
> saw me slidin' and quickly got out of the way up a driveway.
>
> Then Horror!  I'm now stopped, I'm facing the wrong way and here
> comes the guy who was behind me and he is sliding around heading for
> the front of the van with eaqually cheesy fiberglas bumpers and my
> legs.
>
> Well the VW gods must have been hovering this afternoon.  Luckily I
> did not hit the two spinners in front of me.  I came to a stop and
> did not smash into the sidewalk or the telephone pole, and the other
> guy managed to spin to a stop without hitting me.
>
> Everyone was Ok.  I turned the van heading forward and headed home
> with my syncro tail between my Nokkias.
>
> SO even Syncros with great tires can spin out of control when you
> least expect it.
>
> Thanks you know who.
>
> Joel
>
>
> =====
> Joel Cort
>
> 89 Syncro Westy - CinnabarVan
> Rochester NY.
>
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