Really BAD morning!

[BarryK]

I can NOT believe this happened to me today!

I've only had my '65 coupe for less than a month. When I got it (it will be 4 weeks ago this coming sat) it had just finished a complete frame-off restoration and was in pretty much perfect shape.

This morning about an hour ago I had her out and was sitting at a red light when all of a sudden the guy sitting ahead of me puts his car in reverse and starts to back up. I saw it coming, hit the horn but than......SLAM!!
He hits the whole front of my new baby pretty hard. I was afraid to get out and even look figuring I'd see shattered fiberglass everywhere as hard as he hit me. Well, luckily, no bodywork damage as far as I've been able to determine except one small scratch where the chome bumbers bent back and hit the underside of the nose, but the whole front chrome bumber assembly is bent in to the body. It looks like I need to replace the chrome bumpers, support brackets, and the grill. ad

This is my first "Vette. It's been my dream since I was about 12 years old and she has been mine for such a short time - still even has the temp tags on her! This just makes me sick to see her like this :cry

I already spoke to the other driver's insurance company and have a claim number so I'll get her new parts and repaired ASAP but just knowing I let this happen to her while in my care I feel like I let my baby down in some way.

 

[wiscane]

I think I would have lost it.... and turned homicidal! Iwould be writing from jail:confused . Who was your insurance company? ...Ed

 

[koolaid117]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate accident, WTF was that person thinking!!! Make sure the insurance company has the car repaired to exactly the way it was prior to their client have HUA syndrome. Documentation from the resto will probably come in handy.

Good Luck!! and keep us posted.

 

[Ken]

... I feel like I let my baby down in some way.

Don't feel that way about it, you weren't the idiot at fault. :nono

What really galls me though, are the people who have no clue as to why one feels the way one does about one's Corvette (or any car for that matter when you're a gearhead like myself). I had someone drift into the rear of mine once on a hill nearby, and he acted like it was no big deal. I was of course, furious.

I can understand when people tell me that it's only a material possession and that I shouldn't place too much importance on it, but sometimes it definitely seems to be worth more to me than the idiot's life that wants to damage that possession. ad

 

[BarryK]

Koolaide
to be fair to the other guy (still hard for me to do at this point) he was on his was to his brothers funeral so I'm sure he wasn't thinking about much at all

 

[BarryK]

Wiscane
once I was actually able to move I freaked out! I jumped out of the car and ran up to the guys and started yelling at him. Than I made myself calm down and deal with things properly - get his name, insurance, info, etc.
Of course, once I found out he was on his way to his brothers funeral it did put things more into perpective. There are far worst things in life that getting a dented bumper assembly............but i WAS still upset. H**l, I was standing on the side of the road trying to write all the information down and my legs, arms, hands, everything were shaking so bad from being upset about my car I could barely write

 

[BarryK]

Ken
yes, I know it wasn't MY fault, but I guess I look at my car as my baby and when I bought her I took her as my responsibility to protect her and care for her and although it wasn't my fault I feel like I let her down and didn't do my job.
(I don't have kids but I guess it's kind of the same as a father would feel about "real" children. My 'Vette is my child)

I know it IS only a car and "only" a material possesion, but for me it's also a lot more. It's been a lifelong dream to have her and she means a lot to me. i'm sure a lot of people really don't understand that but I know that most of you here on this forum do understand.

 

[wiscane]

Good Luck ! your right .... the funeral would have been about the only excuse that would have made a difference. Otherwise ... I would have been the poster child for "road rage." ad

 

[61 Silver]

Bad Day

Hi! Barry



Sorry to hear about your bad day and I hope everything is going to be OK. I am restoring a 61 that had been hit in the left front side. The second owner completed an amateur restoration over 38 years ago and I am completely reworking his efforts. The car was hit on the left side, but I am finding a great amount of inner fender fiberglass damage or cracks on the right side. There is hardly any exterior fiberglass damage on the right side. I would have a very knowledgeable Corvette restoration shop or shops check it out for hidden damage.



Good luck!!

 

[BarryK]

Ray

thanks for the advise. That is what I'm going to do. The car happens to be going back to where I purchased it this Sat because of another issue they need to take a look at and I'm going to have them look over the car for any additional damage I may be seeing. Also, the insurance appraiser is going to look at the car while it's at this shop. Since the shop knows the car and what the condition was in detail they should be able to help me show the insurance estimator everthing it will need to get it back to the proper condition and to do it CORRECTLY. Once I get it back there on Sat we should be able to get it up on the lift and really go over everything inch by inch.
luckily the shop I bought the car at has a very good reputation for doing great work on repairs and restorations. it happens to be the same place that C5Vetter is having his '63 SWC Z06 being restored!!
My plan is to have them make the repairs once the insurance company approves everything.

Barry

 

[studiog]

I had a 4x4 pickup do the same to my '74 years ago backing out from a drive through bank window. Not a pleasant sound.

Good idea to have the Vette shop guy and the adjuster meet at the same time. Most insurance companies aren't too sympathetic to the value of a collector car.
I'm sure you will get her back in shape. You might want to take your own photos of the damage too. Good luck.

 

[BarryK]

You might want to take your own photos of the damage too. Good luck.

Well, i happen to be a sales rep for a major manufacturer of cameras. At any given time I must have at least between 2 to 3 dozen camera samples around between film cameras and digital cameras. Believe me, taking photos of the car and the damage is a given!
LOL

 

[67HEAVEN]

Barry,

#1........I'm very sorry to hear of the damage to your car. I can only imagine how you must feel.

#2. Does this help.....JUST A LITTLE?

#3. Which guy were you this morning?

 

[drags1998]

Oh, just thinking about it gives me CHILLS,REALLY sorry to here about your BABY!!! I think most of us feel the same way about our cars. A bad day, YES, BUT, remember, YOU could have been the brother!!!!! Sorry once again!!!!!

 

[Ken]

I don't have kids... My 'Vette is my child)

Same here. That's why I have a sticker that reads "Built with my Children's Inheritance." :L

 

[BarryK]

Heaven
hmmmm, that monkey would have been very nice to have this morning!
LOL


Drags,
I still have chills everytime I remember it happeninng. What a sickening feeling it was seeing it happening and not being able to do anything about it.and yes, you are right, it's better than being the brother........

Ken,
love that sticker!!

 

[froggy47]

Sorry to hear that, I know the feeling. I was slowing for traffic on the freeway about 4 months ago. I look in the rear view & here's this old full size pickup, doing about 70 & guys looking over his right shoulder changing lanes. Last sec he see's the traffic stopped & cranks the wheel & clips my right rear qtr. Lucky I was in my 02 Suburban & not the Vette. $6000. damage to mine totaled his.


I swear I'd like to revoke about 25% of the driver's licenses in the country. Incompetent morons.ad

 

[BarryK]

Froggy
$6000 damage to a suburban??!! that must have been quite a hit. A few years ago my wife got broadsided by a guy in a Suburban and it totaled her car completely and not a scratch on his truck! A**hole was drunk.
I agree with you about revoking a lot of the licenses but at times I think 25% is way too low. I drive a LOT for my job - I cover 7 states of a sales territory so I'm seeing countless upon countless bad drivers. And before anyone asks......NO, I don't use the "Vette to drive my territory LOL. Luckily I have a company car.

 

[BlackZ28Turbo]

Sorry to hear about your car. Hopefully she is back as good as new very soon.

 

[BarryK]

Black

thank you, I hope so also!