Well, for anyone who read that I'd just changed my old original fit Potenzas to Toyo Proxes and were waiting for an update, here goes:

My Impreza and I went for a spin (well, three or four actually) on Saturday night on the way back from Tesco (!), on a bend near my house. Thing is, I wasn't caning it, and it's a bend on a road I've done much, much faster, and with significantly less treaded tyres, in far worse weather.

Once I'd blown into the officer's nice pen lid and he'd established that I hadn't been near a pub in days, he decided there must've been diesel on the road. It would certainly explain the following...

Basically, I was approaching a very sharp corner and spotted what I reckoned was a 'mixied' bunny in the gutter. I jinked right slightly to avoid it, dabbed the brakes and set the car up for the corner, turned in at about 40-45mph and...oh, I'm sliding. Not a big problem in itself, because most of us can catch a slide, can't we? Not when there's traffic belting at you and you grab a handful of wheel and end up on a broad grass verge, spinning around and around. Until I stopped, of course. Thank God for trees, eh?

I'm no panel beater, but the damage to the rear passenger door (terminal) rear wing (terminal) and C pillar (oh dear), not to mention the front driver's wing and driver's door lead me to believe that my insurance company might want to just leg it. Oh, and I had to go and pick up the back bumper, too.

Bloody b*ggering b*ll*cks.

There. Just wanted to get that off my chest.

So a warning. If you've got a MY99 with 16" rims and are thinking about fitting Proxes… why not? They're great tyres. No, really. I'm sure I was just unlucky…

And if I get the car back (unlikely, and less likely given the staggering premiums I'll have to pay now), I'll be sure and keep the Toyos on it. Oh yes.

I put TOYO's on my Calibra - no doubting the road handling ability of them.

Sadly I wouldnt buy them again as they only lasted 7,000 miles !!!!!! worst wearing tyres in the world IMHO - brilliant road holding though!!

Pete

Rider.
Sorry to hear about your unfortunate incident, glad you're OK.
I think blaming the tyres is a bit harsh though. What's wrong with the officer's suggestion of there being diesel on the road? With all the rain we've been having recently, the roads are much greasier than normal. No tyre will give outstanding grip on a greasy surface, so I doubt any other make would have fared much better in your situation.
Still doesn't alter the fact you're Scoobyless though. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif

Stef.

Rider,

Sorry to hear of your plight.

I've Hillclimbed on TOYO T1's for just over a season, and despite their rather rapid wear rate can't really fault them in the dry, or the wet to be honest.

Have had a few "scary" moments, but that was just the brain trying to convince my feet to press the pedals harder to try and match an STi's Hillclimb time.

**Comment re a cheaper tire manufacture removed **


Mark.


[This message has been edited by Blackscooby (edited 13 November 2000).]

I get tyred of people slagging of the standard bridgstone REs.They are a good tire in my experience,better than any toyo.

How long had they been on, they take some scrubbing in before they start to grip (as do most tyres)?


Water, Diesel, leaves, road markings (are plastic), manhole covers Etc. any or all can contribute significantly.

Glad you are OK.


Mike.

Rider

Bummer 'bout the scoob http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif

Got to ask - how many miles on the T1's? Had they been "run in"? I've recently put new SO2s on & have found understeer again (but only a very ickle bit http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif ).

Hope all ends well.

What a nightmare, at least you didn't hit anyone else, but I know that won't bring your car back.

I have to say it took about 200 miles to properly "run in" my current set of S02's. I went round Wales in the summer within 2 days of fitting them, and experienced 4-wheel drift on corners (in the dry) at speeds which I would not have expected it! By the time I got back from the weekend though, the grip level was *much* better than the tyres they replaced.

Steve

Thanks for the comments. As far as the original fit Potenzas go, I thought they were wicked in all weather. But I suppose you're all correct about the Toyos.
I can only assume that there was diesel on the road.
The good news is that I spoke to the bodyshop today, and although the damage looks bad, they reckon it's repairable.

Don't know if that's good or bad, given the serious kicking my premiums are going to take! I'd sort of got used to the idea of buying a VW Golf diesel or something!

For the time being, though, I have to rely on her indoors for transport, and using those two things that jut out from under my arse. Legs, I think 'the kids' call them.

As I was chatting to the bodyshop, the owner was telling me what else he had in today. Hats off, please gents: a destroyed Turbo and more importantly, a written off P1 which was being dragged to the big car bin in the sky. I asked him how much he wanted for the wheels, but since only two of them were intact… he also said there was a tree stump sticking through the driver's footwell. Yikes. Makes my off seem a bit trivial, really. Well, until my insurance company get the quote, that is!

Note to self: there's always someone worse off than you.

Rider
I'm glad you were not injured.
I'm getting close to renewing my tyres hence the following question:
Did you (despite being in a state of shock/distress) go back and look for the diesel? It's just that I was thinking about T1-S'...
Jason

Rider - sorry to hear.

Bet it was a left hand bend ("jinked right" first) - one thing a standard turbo on standard tyres dont like is two rapid opposite direction changes....been there!!

Sorry about your trouble.

I suppose that to a certain extent tyres are a subjective thing, like everythingelse on a car.

I loved my SO2's but they wore out in 8K. However, I found the Toyo's excellent. Almost on a par with the SO2's in the wet or dry, but when I px'd the car they had 15K on them with 3-4mm left. Astonishing!

Hope your up and running again soon

Josh