The unthinkable has happened... :-(

[vmrod]

It is extremely fortunate that you are allright. I side somewhat with Spanishvette and Motorsport, but bring a human side to it as well.

EVERYONE makes misteakes. (haha joke) If you learn from your mistake, then it is perhaps worth the experience. If you do not learn from your mistakes, then you are a fool indeed. I will not judge whether or not you learned from your mistake, that is up to you. I will worry about my own mistakes in life.

About 20 years ago...I was driving my '71 Chevell Malibu, and passing a car in the rain. It was a double lane, and raining. I sharply accelerated and started passing while going over an overpass. My car lost traction, then gained it. It catapulted my car forward and spun me totally around. I ended up in the median with only a bent rim. The oncoming traffic was heavy. I could have lost my life and others as well. I knew I messed up. I was stupid. There was no one around that had to even re-enforce it to me. Although no one was involved, that was my last accident.

My driving record is clear. But I am not perfect, nor a judge.

...be still and listen to your own inner judge. You'll most likely be your worst critic.

-Vic

 

[bluecoupe]

If you are lucky your insurance company will total it. Buy another Corvette with Active Handling. The used car prices are very low now and so are interest rates.

I bought a 2001 mainly because it has standard Active Handling. I'm middle aged and my skills are not as sharp as they once were. I can use all the help I can get.

In 1981 on a beautiful clear fall day I lost traction in my 1977 Coupe on a three lane highway after being cut off. I had new tires with less than 500 miles on them. I was doing around 70MPH. Two hundred feet of smoking NASCAR style crisscrossing skid marks and a scuffed rear bumper cover was all the Vette suffered. (But the damage to my shorts was not repairable).

The thing with these Corvettes is they are so safe that you usually walk away from a bad accident but the Corvette sacrifices itself in the process.

Glad you are still with us. Buy a Playstation 2 or X-Box and race in your living room.

 

[78SilvAnniv]

I've been following along this thread.

SuperVic,
I felt that fhturner was handling himself very well and had no need of your flaming input. Many people have expressed concern and thankfulness for his good welfare after this accident.
Within a public forum you must accept that not every person will agree or have the same opinion, and other opinions and valid concerns were expressed.
CAC expects members to be respectful of other people's opinions without name calling or flaming. I myself, did not feel that anyone had made any comments worth stepping in for, Fred was doing just fine defending himself in a mature manner.

Originally posted by SuperVic
...there was the bully in school, or someone who has a small d#4k and is self conscious or simply that everywhere you go, there's always as as@hol@......
All talk 1000 miles away aren't ya? What a waste.
People like Spanishfly, I mean...what's his name??? ...wouldn't even be on the forum......

There will probably be 100 posts slamming me on this....so what.

I would like to urge the membership to not "slam" SuperVic, as I feel there has been enough slamming done by SuperVic already.

Fred is alive, his vette is not and no one could make him feel worse. He understands the ramifications of the accident and what COULD have happened, but DIDN'T. He has only asked for some commiseration, the same we would do if we lost our own vettes.
Heidi

 

[vette-dude]

GEEEEEZ!! Lighten up you guys. The guys alive and still a member of the CAC. Gee, for a minute there I thought I had drifted over to the C6 forum.

(Heidi, You have put it so eloquently as usual. Thanks.)

Randy

 

[HOTMOTORSPORTS]

But vette-dude:

Heidi said it perfectly.

We are entitled to an opinion and sometimes that opinion will go against the intent of the thread.

This is MUCH MORE lightened up than the C6 was.

You can't expect everyone to always be in the "Leave it to Beaver" mode !!!


Chuck

 

[vette-dude]

But HOTMOTORSPORTS

As Mrs. Cleaver would say " You were a little hard on the Beaver last night Ward!!" :eek

Randy

 

[HOTMOTORSPORTS]

Mr. Cleaver probably would have said:

But the Beaver deserved it this time, he was doing 88 miles per hour and totalled his car!

:L

Chuck

 

[fhturner]

Yes, I have wrecked lots of cars but never on a public road!!!

Oh, alright, fine! You got me. :crazy

Okay, enough of this... As I said before, your points are valid. I was stupid, and I've most definitely learned from this experience.

But I would ask you to at least consider this in the future: Most people come to the CAC (and the Internet as a whole, I would say) for information or support from other members. You haven't really provided much of either in this thread. Plenty of opinion, but not much info or support. You are, of course, welcome to post whatever you like within the forum's guidelines, but your postings have not helped me or others very much in this thread.

For pure opinion's sake, your posts are fine, but I never came to the CAC (and I imagine most others don't either) thinking, "Hey, I feel like sh*t for what happened. Let me post it on the CAC and see if I can get some people to kick me about it while I'm down." You may argue that that's just too bad-- these things must be pointed out. To that I say: there is nothing wrong with voicing an opinion, but there is a time and place for everything.

Actually, now that I know your driving, racing, and instructing experience (looks quite impressive, I must say), I wish that you had weighed in initially with some insight on what had happened technically with the car (beyond the specs you mentioned earlier). I mean, I know I screwed up, but rather than overstating that obvious fact, it would have been nice to get your professional assessment on what specifically went wrong.

L8r,
Fred

 

[Joe Diver]

Fred,

Why are you arguing with this guy? It was glaringly obvious what type of person he is just by the use of the word "Spic" to describe Spanish people. After I saw that I stopped reading that post and ignored every other post he made. I can tolerate opinions, but I do not tolerate biggots. I suppose he'll use the n-word to describe black people, or many others to refer to ethnic diversity. Learn from your mistakes and ignore the ignorant. He can post all he wants about me and I'll never respond. All that said, it is a valid point that street racing got you to where you are....

:nono

Be more careful next time....and there will be a next time when you get your new vette! We'll all be here to pat you on the back and you can tell us all about it!

:s

 

[fhturner]

'Nother update

Okay, how 'bout a nice little change of pace from the back-and-forth that's been going on? Here's an update on the situation with my car, and a couple of replies to previous posts.

As I (and many of you) figured it probably would be, the Vette was totaled out. The estimated repair cost was going to be around $14,800, but there could have also been more suspension damage that would not have been discovered until repairs had begun. My insurance company considers it a total loss when the repairs will reach 70% of the value of the car. Since the car's value was $22-23,000, it was close enough, and so the adjuster totaled it. :-( However, the good news is that I have a check in hand for the amount I owed on the loan), plus another little bit on the way that he was able to get for me (really great guy...).

I've put a deposit down for a 2000 Torch Red coupe with a few extra features that mine didn't have (uh, yes, Active Handling is included-- not that I plan to make heavy use of it). This car is in Michigan, and I'll probably go get it next weekend. Things have really happened rapidly in the last 24-36 hrs. It's good that way, though-- having a replacement will keep me from dwelling on the loss for as long as having an empty parking spot would. And I've been so down and depressed in the aftermath of the accident that it seemed the best thing to do was to try to take what I've learned from what happened and move forward without dwelling on it too much more. As a result, I do feel a little better now, and I'm gonna try to quit beating myself up so much.

BTW, how do you like those Firestones?

Well, I never really had much to compare them to (first Vette, same set of tires that came on it), but I didn't have any problems or complaints about them. I guess at this point I wish they had just a little more grip... :eyerole From what I read at TireRack.com, it seems that, compared to the stock Goodyear EMTs, the Firehawks ride better, are better handling, quieter, and cheaper. Can't speak to that firsthand tho-- that's just what the user reviews said. Whenever I go to replace tires in the future, I'll probably consider them pretty seriously.

Be more careful next time....and there will be a next time when you get your new vette! We'll all be here to pat you on the back and you can tell us all about it!

Thanks, Joe. Will do... You won't have to worry about my being more careful-- I'll probably be holding up my granddad from maintaining his 25-mph pace in a 35-mph zone...

Two hundred feet of smoking NASCAR style crisscrossing skid marks and a scuffed rear bumper cover was all the Vette suffered. (But the damage to my shorts was not repairable).

Thanks, bluecoupe, for a great laugh! I'm still chuckling and read that a half hour ago... Just what I needed.

Thanks,
Fred

P.S. Again, thanks also to Heidi and everyone for your continuing concern and support.

 

[Joe Diver]

"I've put a deposit down for a 2000 Torch Red coupe"

PICS!!! We can't wait to see...yay!! See, I told ya you'd get another....

 

[RedRagTop]

I guess at this point I wish they had just a little more grip...

Sorry, Dude, That was my little poke at you...

 

[78SilvAnniv]

Glad you've got another one lined up!

Shoot a over towards us in GA on your way back from Michigan to Alabama! While I'm sorry you lost your first one, the experience will make you treasure this one even more.
Have a great time getting to know your new vette on the way home.
Heidi

 

[MoeJr]

Way to go Fred. Get right back in the saddle. Definitely post pics of it asap. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[69MyWay]

Fred,

I logged onto this thread at work as a "guest" and it took me off an on all day to get through it!

Wow...do we ever have strong opinions here sometimes!

Hey...but that is what community is all about. If we all thought EXACTLY alike...we would never come up with anything new to talk about!

I am an insurance guy. I deal with this stuff every day. In fact....you could say that without people having wrecks....I wouldn't have a job! Ironic...eh?

This kind of wreck happens all the time! High performance car or not. The last one that comes to mind for me was a woman in a Corsica! She was rounding a sweeping curve at about 10 over the 55 limit, reached into a bag of fast food, looked up and realized she had gone a bit out of her lane, snapped the wheel back to correct it....and the next thing she knew she was in the back of an ambulance! Her car rolled and flipped as it went off the road way and into a heavily wooded area.

I was once emotional over a "break up" with a girlfriend (when I was like 19). I was driving my then nearly new 85 Vette. In the middle of town, I was making a left off the main road onto a side road. I punched the throttle too much. The car took second and snapped the back end loose. I went with it for a second....a second too long. The back end got real loose. I was inexperienced behind the wheel of a Vette, and did all the wrong things. The next thing I know I am in the middle of a bank parking lot...two blown tires and broken rims...messed up undercarrage...and total red face as all the people in the bank and road watch me do it!

At least I got some help from somebody and with the help of a spare from a 81 Vette and my spare...limped it home before the police got there!

Stuff happens....we learn and move one.

Good luck with the new ride. I bought my wife a 2000 six speed with the active handling. We took it autocrossing right away so she could get a feel for it. She put it in the weeds (safley though) several times WITHOUT the active handling on! It is a real life saver.

 

[tankman]

Fred
Some people are about support, and some aren't.
I'm about support. Being in the Michigan area all my life tell me where you'll be and I'll help out with as much info as possible. What dealer are you getting it from???

 

[FX GS]

Bottom line is active handling and the best tires in the world are not going to save you if you OVERDRIVE the car. The best handling car in the world is not forgiving if you can't handle the situation.

Good luck with your new car.

 

[fhturner]

PICS!!! We can't wait to see...yay!! See, I told ya you'd get another....

Yes, you did. Your enthusiasm is great-- makes me feel like I might be on the right path... And I agree, it's the best thing for me to get back up out of this funk. As for pics, I'll post my own after I get it, but for now, you can check out the eBay page:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2428785186

I guess at this point I wish they had just a little more grip...

Sorry, Dude, That was my little poke at you...

Oooh! How cold! Yeah, in retrospect, big, fat, racing slicks might have been preferable...

Shoot a over towards us in GA on your way back from Michigan to Alabama! While I'm sorry you lost your first one, the experience will make you treasure this one even more.
Have a great time getting to know your new vette on the way home.
Heidi

I'll definitely shoot you a on the way back. I'll be thinking plenty about all of you and your support while cruisin' home. I don't know if it's possible for me to do, but you're right in that I'll probably try to baby this Vette even more than the first! I hope we'll have a nice, easy cruise back to get "cozy" with each other. I almost feel like I'm Harry Hogge in Days of Thunder-- I'll be talking to the car, encouraging it to take care of me because I've had a bad experience, and I'm not too sure about things...

Since I'll be driving down I-65 to get home, I'll be going right through Bowling Green. I've driven through there once, but haven't stopped to see the Museum or assembly plant. I was gonna try to make it all in one day, but maybe I should think about stopping overnight and taking a tour on Sunday, if they're open...

Good luck with the new ride. I bought my wife a 2000 six speed with the active handling. We took it autocrossing right away so she could get a feel for it. She put it in the weeds (safley though) several times WITHOUT the active handling on! It is a real life saver.

That's good to know about the Active Handling. Although I'll feel more secure having it, I certainly don't intend to rely on its being there to save my bacon. In fact, if it never gets activated (except in something like you're talking about-- autocross, etc.), that'll be fine by me. Thanks for posting your story-- guess we've all had or have come close to having moments like these. Thanks for sharing!

Fred
Some people are about support, and some aren't.
I'm about support. Being in the Michigan area all my life tell me where you'll be and I'll help out with as much info as possible. What dealer are you getting it from???

I'm buying from Alan Christian Motorcars in Holland, MI. I hope you can tell me good things about them! Or at least, no bad things! The guy I've been dealing with (Rob Venlet) has been really nice and helpful. He'll be meeting me at the Grand Rapids airport next Saturday (man, this week is gonna be sloooowwww). I guess Detroit is a good ways away, but if you feel like taking a cruise, come say "Hey!" and have lunch. Oh, and thanks for being "about support"-- much appreciated.

Bottom line is active handling and the best tires in the world are not going to save you if you OVERDRIVE the car. The best handling car in the world is not forgiving if you can't handle the situation.

Good luck with your new car.

So true. I don't have any plans on pushing the envelope from now on (didn't intend to the first time, of course) unless it is in some sort of controlled environment like a driving/racing/handling-type class.

Thanks for the well wishes. I will fill everyone in on how the new car is and what I think of it compared to my '98. [Whew! Hope y'all don't mind my novel-sized posts-- there's just so much to respond to!]

L8r,
Fred

 

[pauld]

Fred, Great new, just logged onto this thread for the first time in a couple of days and I am so pleased you have sorted out your new ride. Must say, it looks fantastic!!:cool . I for one think that everyone needs support when the chips are down and you had mine. Lets hope this week goes real quickly for you and good luck on picking up that great new ride.

 

[johnl]

I'm glad it has all worked out for you Fred. I think I made the first reply to this post. Let me see if I can be the last.

http://www.jimrussellusa.com/



Just kidding my friend. It was a hard learning experience for ya. Be careful out there.
John