Re: Windshield stuff, gas?

[dmiller@iea.com (Doug Miller)]

>In message <116930@sievers.com> quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne) writes:

>(BTW - it's a strange feeling to assess the road approaching and decide that
>there's _just_ _enough_ room to overtake before a bend, do it, and then
>look in
>the mirror to find it still full of 20V!)
>
>--
> Phil Payne
> phil@sievers.com
> Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club

Phil,

As a fellow light fanatic, I thought I'd pass along a tip to you and others
of your ilk.  Reading about the 20v trying to stay out of your spray and
gravel reminded me of a cheap way of protecting your lights from chips and
such.

Get a sheet of a material called static cling vinyl, which is commonly used
by merchants to make signs that cling to shop windows.  In the States, Taco
Bell, Wendy's, etc always have huge full color signs depicting burgers and
things on this material because it sticks well without an adhesive. Cut it
to the shape of your lights, leaving a 1/4 inch gap between the edge of the
vinyl and the edge of the light. This is so the wind can't lift an edge.

Anyhow, I keep my lights covered with 10mm thick clear vinyl. It
dramatically increases the size of projectile required to do damage, and
eliminates the small abrasion sand blasting effects completely. On the down
side, it does slightly deteriorate the beam's optics.  When I am in
conditions that require good optics, (snow, fog, rain) I simply remove
them.  Actually, they are generally covered in daylight when there is no
need for good optics, but damage can occur.

The stuff is cheap, and you could probably ask the merchant if they'll give
you the signs when they are done so you can cut them up (provided they have
enough clear areas) for your use.  Also, try a screen printer who
advertises they do static cling printing.  I may also be able to provide
sources to those of you who are in my area.

I saved your comment (above) on the 20v in your mirrors, because it made me
suck in my breath and remember an incident that happened about 10 years
ago.  I was working for GM headquarters and driving the wheels off my new
Jetta GLI for about 6 months (another good story).  Several times in my
commute back and forth on the Lodge Freeway, I had encountered a guy in a
new GTI and we'd diced it up good naturedly.

This particular day I was feeling good and, being young and stupid, I was
driving WAY too hard for a public road where people don't behave
predictably. As I slalomed my way aggressively through the 3 lanes of
already fast moving traffic, I spotted my GTI buddy ahead and passed him
before he'd even seen me. He immediately came after me and the chase was
on.  Our cars were extremely closely matched, and like other times, there
was little chance he'd pass me based on performance, more likely a bad lane
choice.

The Lodge Freeway where this took place has three lanes, and an 8 foot
elevated breakdown lane off to each side.  Because the freeway is sunken
down 20 feet or so to reduce road noise, the breakdown lanes have a solid
concrete wall at their outer edges that goes up 20 feet to ground level.
The effect is like driving in a narrow slot canyon.  The breakdown lane
surfaces are about a foot above the road surface, with a gently rounded
curb to get onto them.

Coming up to a knot of traffic filling all three lanes, I spontaneously
drove up onto the breakdown lane  beside the fast lane and floored it,
passing at closing rates of 30mph or better.  Amazingly, the GTI was
filling my mirrors when I hazarded a glance while trying not to let the
wall passing a foot from my side at 80mph spook me.  Suddenly, the road
ahead turned sharply and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I
couldn't see more than a second or two in front of me and there was no
break in the fast lane to get into.  I hit my blinker to alert the GTI that
I'd had enough and romped the brakes. At that precise moment, a car being
hooked up to a wrecker appeared in our breakdown lane.  Dragging rubber, I
lofted the GLI off the breakdown lane to avoid a crash and jammed it into a
gap that looked barely big enough for the Jetta.  With all four wheels
briefly locked, I closed to within a few inches of the bumper in front of
me, feeling a little thump as I did.  Looking in my mirror and fearing the
worst, I was astonished to see it full of GTI grille.  He'd pulled it off!
He could not have been a foot from my bumper at any time, or he'd never
have fit into the gap I'd jumped into.  The thump was his bumper kissing
mine as he followed and slightly miscalculated the incredibly precise move.

I'd like to say we pulled off somewhere to have a beer and talk about it,
but the truth of it is we both seemed so shaken by it that we just kind of
waved feebly and separated.  I never saw the GTI again, as I accepted a job
in California a few months later.  Sure would like to hear what it was like
from his vantage point.

See ya,

Doug Miller
dmiller@iea.com