I almost crashed my car today making a L/H turn at a traffic light. I don't remember what gear I was in all I know my rear end gave way and I was drifting around the turn out of control towards left of center almost hitting a truck I was turning my wheel right as I was going towards the truck then my car goes right almost curbing it on the other side of the road. I thought my car was going to be done for. This is the first time I went sideways in this car and I wasn't trying to I didn't feel like I was going that fast either. The road was wet. SCARY **** Well I gotta get back to work break time is over I feel like a A$$.

 

Just an FYI, wet roads are slick.

 

OP... congrats on the most annoying avatar I have ever seen.

 

Here are some questions to think about to help you figure out what happened.
1) You said the back end gave way. Did it start this way or was it preceded by some understeer?
2) You made a LH turn, were starting from a stop or were you driving through the light?
3) Were you applying power at the time?
4) Is your Z equiped with VDC and was it turned on at the time?
5) Roads were wet, but was it a new rain and if so how long since it has rained there?
6) What tires do you have on the car and what condition are they in?
7) What was the temperature at the time?

FWIW, you are planning on a fair number of mods to the car. I don't know how long you have owned it but you may want to consider investing in some Autocross days first to learn how the Z handles under various conditions.

There really is no excuse for being surprised by something like this, particularly on the street in traffic. Getting the Z sideways because you are intentionally pushing the limits is one thing (and not a good thing on the roads) but being surprised by it is something else altogether.

 

this seems stupid like u dont know how to drive op...what tires are on the car and condition..pics of tires!!! was vdc on or off like stated, and what gear? how fast were u going?

 

With wet roads, I'm always careful on turns!

 

gonna bet it's not from a cold start since he doesn't remember what gear he was in.

I'm thinking poor tires / overacceleration for sure.

 

yeah the Z swings out on wet roads real easily if you have TCS off. fortunately for me i was able to control my slide before it got too far out.

 

That's exactly how I got my first ticket when I was sixteen. The cop that pulled me over afterward was 5 feet tall and was wearing a helmet. It didn't help when I laughed at him.

 

chalk it up to inexperience with handling a Z. Unfortunate as it may...the ONLY thing that would cause this situation to occur as explained, is pushing on the gas much more than the situation called for.

Slow down buddy, especially in the rain, and be safe for the sake of yourself and others

 

Granted I drive faster then I should but the Z's a harsh mistress not the most forgiving if you take a turn to fast.

 

It's not that unpredictable, as long as:
You have invested in a serious suspension kit (cheap ebay lowering springs don't count) that won't start slapping you around when you try to correct your drift,
You have invested in a serious set of tyres and haven't used them for 90,000 miles,
You are semi competent at driving and don't put your guard down.

Yes, it will start going sideways if you're generous on the throttle, especially on wet roads with ESP off, but normally not in a way that will send you on the sidewall.

Just my .02

 

Thats the first time youve gotten it sideways??? lol i just turn my TCS off and let it rip hahaha I love going sideways in my Z!!

 

I think maybe I was going about 26mph when turning then gave it more gas more than I should of to cause this. I'm just glad I didn't hurt anyone or the car it was a nice save. I have a tire tread depth gauge i'll find out what it reads first thing tomarrow. I know my tires are not at the wear bar yet. This is going to take weeks for this to get out of my head I feel like ****. I'll change my avatar asap.

 

The tread depth doesn't look like it should have been the problem. You answered a lot of the questions I had so it sounds like you were just going to fast. The Z, like many rear wheel drive sports cars, handle great but they can get away from you if you overstep the limits.

Remaining things I'm curious about.

4) Is your Z equipped with VDC and was it turned on at the time? (no reason to ever have it turned off when not on a track)
5) Roads were wet, but was it a new rain and if so how long since it has rained there? (first rains of the season are dangerous because of all the oil residue on the roads, particularly at intersections)
6) What tires do you have on the car? (how old, type)
7) What was the temperature at the time? (if it was a cold morning and if you have Summer tires, that can cause a huge reduction in traction)

 

I think I had a good line and angle going till I notice my car going towards a truck no time for hitting the brakes just enough time to turn the steering wheel all the way to the right which then I almost spun out going right now and came close to a curb on the other side. Yep this was my first time going sideways.

 

sounds to me like you lost track of what gear you were in and slipped it into v-tech on the corner

 

4. No VDC
5. Roads wet raining all day at the time light rain. Paint on road for the cross walk. I went back where this occurred to see if there was any oil but couldn't tell.
6. Brigdestone Pontenza 3 or 4 years old
7. 65 degrees around noon with summer tires.

 

^ #6 above = bingo

 

Tread is thin but worn evenly. Very unusual.