E30 Zone

Just had a VERY scary reminder of how dangerous RWD cars can be. Travelling in a straight line at 30mph and out of no where i'm doing consecutive spins into the other side of the road, ending up arse end in the woods - inches from a tree that killed 5 people 15 years ago - who were coincidentally in a BMW 3 Series.

It was raining and I was driving slowly - 30 in a national. London Road, Hassocks if anybody knows it. Between the garden centre and the Jack & Jill pub.

All of a sudden i find myself on the other side of the road; the back of the car like a pendulum and I am merely a passenger. Somehow I avoid the row of trees and it parks itself between two massive tree trunks, backwards. Exhaust has fallen off and rear MTECH II bumper is all scuffed, but somehow that is the extent of the damage!

I'm very lucky, if a car was coming the other way I could've killed myself and possibly the driver of the other car, or I could've whacked one of those trees.

UPDATE: Diesel was found in the inner arch of my left rear and the tyre stinks of it!!!

Driving an E30 in the wet you need to be awake, a bump in the road sent me spinning once.

FFS that is scary!

I was awake and concentrating because I know how lethal these things can be in the wet.
It's scared the hell out of me how it was so unprovoked. At first I thought tyre blow out- but they're fine. Then I thought something must've let go on the suspension, but after a member of the public helped me out in his volvo, I drove it home (slowly!) and nothing seems out of the ordinary.
Perhaps there was diesel on the road or something. Who knows!!!

I dont think RWD is dangerous, forgetting that your in a RWD car is !!!

ive had a few, but thats down to inexpeirence,

could of been some shit off the trees on the road, made worse in the wet.

Seems like that spot is perhaps tainted or jinxed

Something similar happened to me when i had the 1.6, driving on a straight on a back road, doing 40mph as i had slowed down for a passing car.. then boom back end snaked all over, tried stamping on the clutch and brake but feet slipped and headed to the verge and saw the hedge race towards me, ended up 8ft on its side in a ditch. Took two tractors to pull her out but thankfully i was ok and the only damage was two small dents and knocked the tracking out. Until you have to bail out of an e30 on its side you do not realise how heavy the dors are!

Another incident ive had was due to an oil leak in a carpark, drove out of the carpark fine un-aware my wheels were laquered in engine oil, pulled out of the junction and the car just went completely send me spinning a good few times before drifting around a bend and just missing my tail with a passing car.. i pulled straight over and shook like raver on a comedown for five minutes!

Its ok when your ready for it but when these old girls catch you out you can bet its not shepherds pie in your pants!

At least your still here and not much is damaged on the car!

i had my first scary moment in a e30 a few days ago. car is a automatic so lively events are not a frequent occurance.

the road was wet, but not fully wet, as it just started drizzling,

coming up to a round about, going a bit quick and had to do a late break, car wasn't stopping in time, and i had to go on the round about at a bit faster speed then usual

the e30 ended up doing a HUGE drift round the roundabout and I pretty much had no control.

if there was any cars coming i would have been F*****.

there even worse in the snow spun about 3 times in 316 on the snow
the oil reminds me abou two years ago in my fathers jeep on the way to a match ( suzuki grand vitara xl7) came off the roundabout and just about on the straight about 20mph and the whole back of the jeep went fronm left to right to left to right and ended up hitting and getting caught in the wire railings destroying the whole back, but we were lucky and drove on. going by there now there has been lots of crashes, there must be oil on the ground

worst i had was in the winter on a strait duel carage must have hit black ice.... i just accelerated slowly lsd kicked in and sent me through a 360 still traveling forward at 50 mph I got the car strait but don't know who had the more shocked look on his face me or the guy following

i always liked the idea of "provoking" the slide with a boot full of throttle then i knew when it was going to slide (no nasty surprises), especially on roundabouts

Wet road after a prolonged dry spell will be slippery until the coating of rubber dust is washed off.

I have noted a tendency for my E30's to aquaplane on surface water,the steering suddenly feels light and the car follows the camber of the road.I usually find that this is much worse with front tyres worn below about 3mm,but I had a brown trouser moment on the A47 last Monday,fortunately I re-gained control before the grass verge! And this was with almost new front tyres....

It's got to be worth reposting my "when I bought my E30" story

http://sticksout.blogspot.com/2009/08/b ... uring.html

Sounds like Diesel on the road surface, nothing else would do that at a low speed.

Try contolling the car at 70mph going through standing water on the motorway, that'll wet your pants for sure, it did mine

I totally agree with Rav.. Having owned big rwd cars all my life from trans-ams to cossies I've never swapped ends apart from once in a manta of all things.. And that was on a diesel spill.. You can't just 'spin' an E30 and RWD cars aren't particularly dangerous as long as you drive them like a RWD car!

Glad everything is ok though and the tree didn't claim your car!

I've done the same rolled up to a roundabout rolled around it at about 20mph pulled out of it hardly no throttle looked down at the stereo to turn it up a split second later I was faceing the opposite lane pointing to wards a garage was scary shite I did manage to pull it bk luckily but must have been something on the rd to go at that low speed

I reckon it must've been something on the road then. It's annoying because everybody (bar you guys) thinks I must've been driving like a t*** ! The police were the first people on the scene and all they had to say was " ooo has somebody had an oopsie?! It'll cost you £300 for a tow out of there" hmm, helpful!!

I had a failing front NS wheel bearing 'snatch' on me a couple of times violently pulling the car towards but the verge, luckily I reacted in time, had I not had two hands on the wheel in the proper position we would have been in the hedge sharply at around 60mph.

After the first event I checked everything over but couldn't find anything untoward, after the second it went to the garage under strict instructions to find what the fcuk was wrong with it.

I've also had the back snap unexpectedly on a wet cold roundabout, I managed a perfect save with no tank slapping, a miracle considering the oncoming traffic!

I think there's no doubt, soft sticky toyo's are worth their weight in gold on an E30.

Tyre choice is critical on an e30 or any BMW with semi trailing arm rear suspension.

The best I have found so far for road use (I have used in track to with great results for a arias tyre) is a 225/45R16 continental sport contact 2. Awesome wet or dry.

The worst of well known brand, a 205/55R15 avon ZV5. Leathal in the wet!

I have also driven e30 with cheap shit nagkang ling long woo sung dark horse stunner zeon triangle talon etc etc Chinese shit in various sizes up to 17" which just render them useless.

I see do many many zoners e30s where the have spent money in other areas, quite often on expensive wheels but chuck some Chinese shite tyres on.

Major fail!

Tyres are what keep you on the road FFS!

bss325i wrote:
The worst of well known brand, a 205/55R15 avon ZV5. Leathal in the wet!

Sh1t - I think I have those in 16" flavour on my new wheels

Good job it only gets used in the dry

sounds like that trees a 3 series magnet man, atleast u and the car arnt too badly shaken up or hurt. alot of people have said to me buying an e30 as a first car is stupid but as mentioned above driving sensibly and not running plastic chinese tyres makes the difference.

Reading these stories I'm surprised anyone is left alive on the zone.

Might trade mine in for a nice safe Saab

I'm of the same opinion as Barry

I'd rather fit decent branded part worns than budget cheap Chinese crap.

Just had a good look at the car. Smelt diesel straight away in the wheel well of the rear left. Inside wheel arch is stained with it.

Didn't realise quite how dangerous diesel spillages are, especially when it has just rained!

i spun out in my e30 a few weeks after i got it, for the very 1st time...whilst en route to my 1st zone meet, on a truckers roundabout industrial area scary business

although it makes you learn and respect the rwd+wet combination

spun out on another occasion on a very busy roundabout only going slowly straight over not even round with lots of traffic about,scary business

HJG-E30 wrote:Just had a good look at the car. Smelt diesel straight away in the wheel well of the rear left. Inside wheel arch is stained with it.

Didn't realise quite how dangerous diesel spillages are, especially when it has just rained!

Were lucky we have 4 wheels on the tarmac, pity the poor sod on 2 if he hits the diesel slick

Rav335uk wrote:

HJG-E30 wrote:Just had a good look at the car. Smelt diesel straight away in the wheel well of the rear left. Inside wheel arch is stained with it.

Didn't realise quite how dangerous diesel spillages are, especially when it has just rained!

Were lucky we have 4 wheels on the tarmac, pity the poor sod on 2 if he hits the diesel slick

my dad almost broke his knees when he hit diesel and slid into a roundabout at about 40 miles an hour. hes come off a few times cos of it

bss325i wrote:Tyre choice is critical on an e30 or any BMW with semi trailing arm rear suspension.

The worst of well known brand, a 205/55R15 avon ZV5. Leathal in the wet!

I'd be inclined to agree with this. I had a major 'off' in my Sport when hitting standing water running off a field onto a dual carriageway, and that was shod with Avon ZV5 tyres all round by the previous owner (fairly new, so plenty of tread).
Cruising along on the inside lane at normal speed, the car hit the water and violently flipped, sending me into the central reservation crash barrier at 70 mph.

I've never had a car behave in such a way before; normally when you drive through some standing water, the car will shudder a bit and the steering go light as it aquaplanes but carry straight on.

It never ceases to amaze me how tight fisted people are with tyres, a bloke I work with has a 3.0l Z4 with Wanli tyres on it, they're shocking although not as bad as the Camacs I experienced once, they were like driving on ice, even in the dry, I swear they were made from granite.

SeymourCake wrote:i had my first scary moment in a e30 a few days ago. car is a automatic so lively events are not a frequent occurance.

the road was wet, but not fully wet, as it just started drizzling,

coming up to a round about, going a bit quick and had to do a late break, car wasn't stopping in time, and i had to go on the round about at a bit faster speed then usual

the e30 ended up doing a HUGE drift round the roundabout and I pretty much had no control.

if there was any cars coming i would have been F*****.

I'm a bit caution of my automatic. I fear one day it'll decide to drop down a gear mid corner in the wet, and unbalance the car and send me flying through the windscreen. Over exaggeration but it does worry me sometimes.

Speedtouch, you were lucky to survive that! Glad to know you got out of that wreck out.

Wasn't on the Thanet Way, by any chance? Or is that the Isle of Sheppey in the background?

Iv had a couple of moments in my m50,d turd,one was changing down upon entering a slight incline in the wet it had stepped out quite abit and shit me right up!
Another one was a deisel spillage on a roundabout,theres nowt you can do on deisel!

powelly wrote: although not as bad as the Camacs

The only make of tyre that I removed from a car and binned, even though they had plenty of tread!

bss325i wrote:The worst of well known brand, a 205/55R15 avon ZV5. Leathal in the wet!

Avon tyres are woeful. Fit for landfill and not much else.

capri_rob wrote:

bss325i wrote:
The worst of well known brand, a 205/55R15 avon ZV5. Leathal in the wet!

Sh1t - I think I have those in 16" flavour on my new wheels

Good job it only gets used in the dry

TBH, they were shite in the dry as well!

bss325i wrote:

capri_rob wrote:

bss325i wrote:
The worst of well known brand, a 205/55R15 avon ZV5. Leathal in the wet!

Sh1t - I think I have those in 16" flavour on my new wheels

Good job it only gets used in the dry

TBH, they were shite in the dry as well!

Well at a minimum of £350 - £400 a set for decent new ones they'll have to wait