260z Brake Failure - Jump, Roll & Fire

[Captain Obvious]

Pffffft. Flat top carbs. Didn't anyone ever tell you those things are junk? You can't go fast using them!!!

 

That's probably why you crashed. 

 

Seriously though, I hope you're OK and it's just muscular. Necks are complicated.
 

[John Coffey]

The roll cage has probably kept the car straight from the firewall back.  I assume the car is very bent up front.  At a minimum it needs to be put on a frame machine to see how bent it is and if it can be pulled back.  Pull the hood and fenders off the car, pull the engine and transmission, and tow it to a frame shop.  

[Mark Maras]

I agree with John. A good frame shop can assess the damage & determine if it's worth repairing. Years ago I loaned my Z to a good friend who promptly ran it head first into a curb when he didn't make a corner. The entire nose of the car was drooping a couple of inches & the insurance totaled it. Fortunately, a fellow sports car buff ran a body shop here in Portland & he repaired it. I drove the car another 15 years with no problems. Thanks Ted.

Should you decide to repair it, will you have to fix your marriage too?

[Patcon]

I totally understand about the wife part. Glad you're doing ok. You would need a good frame man to pull the chassis straight. It would probably cost more than its worth.

[Jeff G 78]

Ouch!  Sorry about your car and your injuries.  Hopefully both can be returned to 100% over time.

 

My 260Z race car has a kill switch within driver's reach.  Hopefully if I ever have to bail quickly, I remember to kill the switch and fuel pump.  Wiring the pump through the oil pressure switch will be on my to-do list.

[Chickenman]

Those Ford Inertia  switches are a good idea on any Race Car ( or Vintage car ) with an Electric fuel pump.

 

Summit Racing sells them as does any Ford dealer:

 

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/sum-890145/overview/

 

Edited June 24, 2015 by Chickenman

[Patcon]

Do you think that switched would have tripped in this particular accident since he didn't hit another car or a barrier?

[John Coffey]

Personally I would not wire a kill switch to oil pressure.  If you're hard in a turn and the oil pressure drops you do not want the engine to shut off.  That will send you off track.  The impact switch mentioned above is a good idea.

[preith]

Ouch!! Glad you made it out ok, thanks for sharing.  Similar experience myself, not going as fast, but LF suspension failure, happened right as I nailed the brakes, tire rolled under the fender and immediately took me off the track driver's left (right hand turn approaching), on dry grass it seemingly did not slow down one bit... the worst feeling knowing you're just a passenger at that point.  Didn't go airborne but went into an embankment.  I had additional front bracing and the chassis was ok for the most part.  Sore shoulders from the belts but that was it.  The ego was bruised more than anything.  Anyway the experience really cemented that the car could easily be a write off at any time.

[gnosez]

Fire bottle with at least two (2) nozzles in the engine bay and two (2) aimed at you (feet and back) plus one in a fuel cell box if you have one.

A kill switch inside as well.

Glad you made it out okay.

Edited July 1, 2015 by gnosez

[Chickenman]

Do you think that switched would have tripped in this particular accident since he didn't hit another car or a barrier?

Probably. He hit that dirt berm pretty hard.

 

The main feature of the Inertia switch is that it will trigger in an event where the driver could be knocked unconscious or incapacitated. . Kill switches inside won't help you, if the driver can't physically actuate it. 

 

The Ford Inertia switch is designed for street cars and the Trigger point is reasonably low. There have been cases where it tripped while going over a BIG pot hole or Racing Kerb. Usually the problem is traced to the purchase of a used or Junkyard switch. The new switches seldom cause problems. It's hard to find specs on the OEM Ford switch as far as G-Force required to trigger.

 

 

Pegasus sells one that apparently triggers at 10 to 12G's. That should be high enough to eliminate any false triggers from  " Kerb Hopping ". I'd consult with your fellow racers to see what they use.

 

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=87

 

Edit: The above is just a Standard Blue Streak part #FV7. Available just about anywhere. But at least there are some specs on it.

 

http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/smp-fv7/overview/

 

Most Safety inspectors recommend putting both a Master Kill switch and an Inertia Fuel Pump Kill switch ( ...and Fire System switch) within easy reach of the driver. If you do make a huge F1 style leap over " Sausage Kerbs " at least the driver can quickly reset the Inertia switch if need be.

 

And of course you need another Kill switch outside as per most regs. An outside Fire switch is a good idea as well.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Chickenman