BANG BANG BOOM

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didn't connect backfire with "SHOTS FIRED."

Back in '82 my wife bought a user '79 Mazda RX7. It had originally been a Hawaii-spec car, which meant it not only had all the California-spec emission controls, but some that didn't even show up on the dealer's fiche. Something had gone wonky in one of its electronic or vacuum doodads, and the local Mazda dealer lightened our checking account considerably trying to troubleshoot it without any luck.

It had an air pump, a catalyst, *and* a "thermal reactor". Apparently excess fuel would accumulate in the reactor. You'd park, shut the car off, get out, and be about twenty feet away before there's be a *BANG!* that would rattle windows. We're talking .44 Magnum level noise here. Car alarms would go off nearby... sometimes you'd get an extra bang, though not nearly as loud.

My wife would keep walking, entirely unpreturbed, while people were ducking for cover, preparing to return fire, or looking around for the explosion... the car, of course, sat there innocently, not even a wisp of smoke coming from the tailpipe.

After the second replacement rotary began to fail, she bought another car and I yanked the wanker motor out, dropped a 302 Ford in, and drove it for another fifteen years, including doing some track days and "high speed driving events" with it. Which is there my screen name comes from, "Tyrannosaurus RX."
 
Do any of you remember the '67 Buick Wildcat with the 430 CID V-8 with the 4-barrel carb? We had one and one day, while taking a parent to our old hometown, we were on this straight, 2 lane country road (a state route) that is only about 11 miles long. I slowly pushed the pedal down after I was on that road and at about 3/4 of the way to the floor, I was up to 120 with room to go. :what: As the parent who had been dozing in the passenger seat awoke enough to glance at the speedo, all they said was "Slow it down." and drifted back to sleep. I did - but I had a big grin on my face ! :D
 
Back in '82 my wife bought a user '79 Mazda RX7. It had originally been a Hawaii-spec car, which meant it not only had all the California-spec emission controls, but some that didn't even show up on the dealer's fiche. Something had gone wonky in one of its electronic or vacuum doodads, and the local Mazda dealer lightened our checking account considerably trying to troubleshoot it without any luck.

It had an air pump, a catalyst, *and* a "thermal reactor". Apparently excess fuel would accumulate in the reactor. You'd park, shut the car off, get out, and be about twenty feet away before there's be a *BANG!* that would rattle windows. We're talking .44 Magnum level noise here. Car alarms would go off nearby... sometimes you'd get an extra bang, though not nearly as loud.

My wife would keep walking, entirely unpreturbed, while people were ducking for cover, preparing to return fire, or looking around for the explosion... the car, of course, sat there innocently, not even a wisp of smoke coming from the tailpipe.

After the second replacement rotary began to fail, she bought another car and I yanked the wanker motor out, dropped a 302 Ford in, and drove it for another fifteen years, including doing some track days and "high speed driving events" with it. Which is there my screen name comes from, "Tyrannosaurus RX."

Yup....someone use to do that in a parking garage.....I am not sure who....or if any Police got involved.
 
Dad has an ancient Pontiac "goat" that he drives when he can get a special kind of fuel. I've heard it backfire on occasion but nothing to panic over. But then city people tend to be the nervous sort...

I remember when some Chicago transplants moved in just on the other side of the property line. The first time there was a "family meeting" at the target range said city people immediately called the Sheriff that there was "a war going on." The story we heard was the Sheriff at that time told him to call back when we ran out of ammunition.
 
I've heard it backfire on occasion but nothing to panic over. But then city people tend to be the nervous sort...

There's pretty much no target shooting or hunting on city streets. Currently, when city people hear what sounds like a backfire, it usually means bullets are whizzing down their streets. Most people would be nervous in that situation, I know I was.
 
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