"This is a collision!"
I wish I had had my dash cam with me. I would post this incident in here. I just updated the "Exhaust Ideas (again)" thread. On my way back from the pick-n-pull, death had a near 7milesout experience.
I was in my (dad's) 2003 GMC Sierra (2WD SCSB 4.8L V8). I had placed the exhaust I pulled off of a crashed 2019 Mirage into the bed. I was smart and placed a moving blanket under / around the cut end, and the cut end near the front bed corner, then put a ratchet strap down on it to keep it from rolling / bouncing, and to keep it from jabbing into the bed if I had to hit the brakes hard. Well, "let me tell you one moe thang..." I hit the brakes WAY hard.
I was driving up a rural 2-Lane on the way home. Some female cut out in front of me in a mini-pooper (I think it was). But I let it go because I weren't in no hurry. I had the cruise set on 45 mph in a 45 mph zone. Very light traffic. Twas a real pleasure driving along. And then, said female in the mini-pooper I noticed had just yanked it into a road turning off to the right, and came to a quick stop. Before I could think 2 thoughts she slams it in reverse, never moved her head, and must have put her foot to the floor.
My immediate thoughts were, "this is a collision" as I stomped the brake pedal so hard I pushed the firewall into the transmission bellhousing. And even as the truck started it's initial slowing I thought, "this is a collision." I steered somewhat to the left to try to lessen the impact. Now that truck, as small as it is, I'm pretty sure is 4,500 pounds. It feels it when driving. And I don't know how it did it, but that truck STOPPED. The tires screached, but didn't lock up. The truck drove exactly where I pointed it. Just as the tires were screaching and I was dodging left immediatly prior to coming to a stop, said bimbo looked over her right shoulder, AND FREAKED OUT. She stopped her car and waved her hands as maybe she thought she was about to be hit. I don't know how that truck did it, but it stopped way better than I thought it could. And then, she sat there with my front bumper a foot from the side of her car, and sat there as if she expected me to somehow get out of her way. And I LAAAAAAAAAAAAID on the horn must have been for a good 10 seconds. I was hot in that moment. I think she tinkled in her pants, put it in gear and drove back into the side road she slammed backward out of.
OK, I'm not perfect. Might have went overboard a tad. Lots of horn and after horning her back out of the way, I yelled as loud as I could, in the meanest bear-scaring man-voice I could generate, "F'ING IDIOT!" I had been rolling with my right window down, and she was only maybe 1 car length away from that right window once she got out of the way, so no doubt she heard it. And then I eased away, and went on home.
It was rather satisfying after the fact knowing mechanically I did nothing wrong. And yes I do hope it hurt her feelings, and shocked and scared her to no end. I hope she cried. Why? It may save her life. The shock of the experience might prompt her to pay attention to what she's doing. She's not alone on the roads, even though from when she pulled out in front of me (way back) she might not have even looked then. And might not have looked in her rearview mirror and see me trailing her after that. I wasn't trailing her close though, or else I would have passed her before she had time to whip it in reverse and back out in front of me.
As for the truck, I would say, all else being equal, I don't think a 2023 truck (20 years newer) would have stopped any quicker. My Paw would be proud as that truck has been very helpful to me and my sons over the last couple years. They use it from time to time when needing to move/haul stuff. Or when we're in the midst of a repair on their cars. And they always talk about how much they like it. Good ole truck. Here it is with the bed off (replacing fuel lines), and putting drop shackles on.
What it looks like with the bed on and 2" drop shackles:
What I'd like it to look like, but would hate driving it this way (don't want to scrape speed bumps).
Last edited by 7milesout; 05-19-2024 at 05:04 PM.
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View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.5 mpg (US) ... 18.1 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.0 mpg (Imp)