I learned the following:
1. I have a good heart
2. At WOT (or 1/2 WOT and high load) a 97 Mark VIII has no (or very little) brakes (no vacuum)
3. With the engine off and coasting at 70 mph, a 97 Mark VIII has no (or very little) brakes
4. With the engine off and coasting at 70 mph, a 97 Mark VIII has very heavy steering
5. Trying to loosen a stuck throttle by lifting the accelerator pedal does not work (cable operated) on a 97 Mark VIII
6. To restart a coasting car, you must shift into neutral if your speed is below 60 mph.
7. My emergency flashers work

How did I learn these wonderful facts, you wonder? Allow me to enlighten everyone.

While getting in position to take the Southbound I-65 exit from Westbound I-565, I had to floor it to get to an opening further ahead. No problem, just too much traffic where I was at for me to catch the exit. I’ve had the cruise on for a while and everything is running great. It downshifts and I pop up to about 90, I signal, and pull over into the exit lane. So far, so good…. I lift the throttle to slow down… and nothing happens!!! I’m still accelerating at a fairly good clip, rapidly approaching more traffic in the middle of a long sweeping 130 deg exit!!

I start standing on the brakes and am barely maintaining my 95 mph speed. I try the old pump the gas pedal, lift the gas pedal, etc to no avail. Now I’m looking for “exits”… There are none, I’m on the overpass for the interstate which lasts for about 90 deg of the exit. No shoulders, only concrete sides. 18 wheeler in the left lane, Lincoln Navigator in the right lane…. Both of which I’m rapidly approaching. I turn off the key and keep standing on the brakes and luckily start slowing down!!

Thank goodness!! Maybe the throttle released… I start the engine (of course after shifting into neutral) and the engine immediately tachs up to the redline (since I’m in neutral and the throttle is still stuck). Keep in mind I’m still on the highway in this sweeping turn, but slowing down to about 40 mph… And of course, here comes traffic barreling down behind me. At the 2nd “turn off engine, shift into neutral, start engine” routine, I’m able to shift into drive before the engine totally redlines and am finally able to pull off the highway, all-be-it very slowly due to having no brakes! The throttle is still stuck! Turning off the key, I slowly drift to a stop.

With emergency flashers going, I pop the hood and find that the cruise control cable is stuck, keeping the throttle open about half way. No problem, I just disconnect the little pin/clip and the throttle snaps closed. I hop back in the car and start it up. Throttle return is almost non-existent!! The small springs on the side of the TB will close it, but not very fast. So now I have to figure how to get home. I check/wiggle/cuss (I think the cussing is what fixed it ) the cruise control cable and it appears to be ok. So I hook it back up and give it a try by just revving the engine. Everything appears to be fine.

I drive home (without using the cruise control) and have no other problems

I’m suspecting the cruise control mechanism is faulty, but has anyone ever had anything like this happen? (What’s weird, is that I just bought a cruise control unit as a spare!!!)

So, does anyone know what to do now?!?! I was VERY lucky that this happened in a place where I had time to make a safe exit. Had this been in town or on a really busy highway, I would have wrecked!

p.s. Sorry for the novel!!! It’s been over an hour now, and the adrenaline is still pumping! 95 mph and no brakes IS NOT MY IDEA OF FUN!!

Anyway, on the Gen I's it's located at the rear of the intake down low, tucked in between the back of the intake and the firewall. On the Gen II's it's right on top of the engine (the two black cables that cross the top of the intake. One is the cruise control, the other is the throttle)

Hope that helped.