I was in Gunther Mazda with a friend looking for a used car. I was talking to my salesman, Harold...nice guy used to wrestle Gators. Anyhow, he said they sold an 8 to an 85 year old man who just lost his wife. Said she'd never let him buy it. So if you ever see a really old dude driving an 8 in Ft Lauderdale, that is him!

Anyone else besides me think this is wrong? 85 yrs old! He should not have a driver's license.

Just wait til you get there (85). Age isn't in years, it's in ability. Just like sex, if the body is willing and able - go for it! It'll probably add 10 years to his life (endorphins and such)!

Some kids under 40, 30, 20 (you name the age) probably shouldn't have their license either...EVERYONE should get tested now and again!

Hell, on another thread just watched a video of a kid (20 or less?) flying off the road after a burnout at all of 20MPH and crash into a Jetta. Way lame... doubt any 85 yr old could do that!! :D

Respect your elders. You'd be surprised how old some of the RX8 drivers on this board are .... he he he

Originally posted by Spin9k
Hell, on another thread just watched a video of a kid (20 or less?) flying off the road after a burnout at all of 20MPH and crash into a Jetta. Way lame... doubt any 85 yr old could do that!! :D

Where is the video link?

Hey, at 85 he should be able to do anything he wants! If I live that long I'd do the same, assuming I could still walk, see, hear, talk, think, eat, etc............

My father's 85, drives his car and i can assure you he sees everything( i'm his eye Dr) . I do think that after a certain age, say 70 everyone should be tested yearly. EVERYONE ELSE should be tested at least every 5 years.

Originally posted by Sea Ray
Hey, at 85 he should be able to do anything he wants! If I live that long I'd do the same, assuming I could still walk, see, hear, talk, think, eat, etc............

that's on the assumption he could still do all that...chances are he can't...and THAT's dangerous in a fast car...well, actually, i guess it's less dangerous than an 85 year old women in a huge Cadillac or Lincoln

Oh Geeeze here we go..............

I know of a certain senior citizen who could blow the doors off pretty much anybody on this forum on a road course (no, not Mario Andretti, he's not quite a senior citizen yet! ;) ). This particular gentleman was racing in a SCCA TransAm Corvette at Lime Rock last year, in the rain, and finished 5th. His car number was #78, to match his age. He's racing in the 24 hrs of Daytona next month (a race he already won in 1995 at age 70), in a Porsche GT2 bearing car #79. The racer is Paul Newman (who also acts in the occasional movie from time to time, when he's not busy behind the wheel or with his Newman/Haas IndyCar team).

Here's a great article (http://www.oswegospeedway.com/Speedway/newman03.html) about a little test drive Mr. Newman did last summer. I wish I could drive at my current age as well as PLN does at 79!!!

Regards,
Gordon

hold your horses everyone! I just thought it was humorous. The guy is driving an automatic trany and probably will never push the thing over 70 MPH. I bet his (great?)grand children will love him. If you ever see him driving...honk, wave, and tell him nice car! I know I will.

Originally posted by Ft Liquordale
hold your horses everyone! I just thought it was humorous.

I don't think anyone has a problem with your post, rather the next one and I'm not sure he wasn't serious!

and also http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18910&highlight=video is as good an example I've ever seen of the dangers of stupidity, youth, drinking and driving, or maybe all three.

Originally posted by BRx8
that's on the assumption he could still do all that...chances are he can't...and THAT's dangerous in a fast car...well, actually, i guess it's less dangerous than an 85 year old women in a huge Cadillac or Lincoln

Yeah, here we go again.

As I recall, the really bad accidents that have gotten a lot of press in the last couple of years of elderly people becoming disoriented and plowing into innocent people (like the one in California where he mowed down a bunch of people in a market) were men. Am I right?

Originally posted by Hayseed
Yeah, here we go again.

As I recall, the really bad accidents that have gotten a lot of press in the last couple of years of elderly people becoming disoriented and plowing into innocent people (like the one in California where he mowed down a bunch of people in a market) were men. Am I right?

well i figure a lighter a car with superior brakes and greater handling will be less damaging than when an ederly woman gets into huge boat of which she can hardly see over the steering wheel...

again, i don't know statistics but i'm sure younger, inexperienced drivers are just as likely to cause accidents...just like the MR2 guy

Just my two cents, but we tend to marginalize and ignore our seniors......which is a real shame, since they have a lifetime of knowledge to share...if people would only listen.

Originally posted by Ft Liquordale
Where is the video link? heres the link to the video of the crash (http://www.entuscan.com/Files/idiotcrash.mpeg)

Yeah well I'm all in favor of getting a physical, ie. reflex, visual, and written test every three years.

Paul newman and some of the others are certainly the exception. Lately around these parts there have been many accidents associated with elderly people who were no longer capable of controlling their vehicles loosing it and slamming into people. One such gentleman recently slammed into over thirty people sitting down to eat and killed or seriously injured more than 10 of them. I know that this is not up to the same epidemic levels as drinking and driving but it is a serious problem and one that is only going to get worse as the largest population of seniors grows in this country. I have respect for my ederly friends and family but just as they once looked out for me I need to do the same in return for them. This gentleman I was speaking of is facing vehicular manslaugther charges and was not drinking at the time of the accident. The charge for his crimes carries a serious prison sentence and one that he most likely won't live to see the end of. A sad story but one that we should learn from.

Back to first post, his wife must have been a control freak to not allow the man to be happy with a new car he could easily afford. Wonder if he buried her in the morning and took delivery in the afternoon?
:) -jk-