Dun Dun Dun.... Another one bites the dust!

[Terculees]

UPDATE 8/21/08

***VIN SCCPC11185HL34464, so Google finds this thread and noone gets cheated on a "car with minimal damage. It buffed right out***

The car is indeed totalled. The insurance company called me with an offer today, which I have accepted. I decided not to hang on to the car, as they wanted over $15,000 for me to keep it (non-negotiable), so it will go to auction eventually.

So all is well that ends well. I'm out of the accident without a scratch, my insurance takes care of my vehicle (thanks Wawanesa!) and I have just purchased a new car to boot. Well, new is not the correct word here. I bought a '00 VW Passat 1.8 Turbo with 210K miles on it...

...for $1000. Yeah.

If I get another lotus in the future, I will not be driving it to work.



I will shortly be selling the following items:

Larini exhaust (twin pipe, stock diffuser non-euro fit)
Ekological 5K HID ballasts and bulbs
Kenwood KSC-SW10 powered subwoofer (meant to go on shelf behind seats)

[Green Ghost]

What got you? Something on the road?

Kevin

[...m...]

...yikes - what happened there?..

[apk919]

Whoa... what happened?

From the look of the windshield and grill, it looks like you had to make an evasive maneuver to avoid hitting something in the road, and spun? Is that vegetation stuck in the rear clam?

No injuries, I hope...

[Terculees]

Originally Posted by apk919

Whoa... what happened?

From the look of the windshield and grill, it looks like you had to make an evasive maneuver to avoid hitting something in the road, and spun? Is that vegetation stuck in the rear clam?

No injuries, I hope...

No injuries. My car sprouted a bush on its own, and it decided to take roots.

Suburban kicked up a slice of aluminium about 4 feet tall. I split it dead center with my clam at 60MPH. The top part scraped the clam all the way up, tore the starshield, and shattered the window.

Bottom part slid and stuck beneath the front wheels like a ski. With no steering the car fishtailed, hit the divider in the center cracking the front clam, spun and shattered the rear clam against same guardrail. CHP was on scene in like 2 minutes, stopped the freeway (I80 eastbound in West Sacramento) to pick up the pieces of the aluminium (by now it was torn into many smaller pieces), got my car on the other side. From there towed it to my friend's body shop (not a Lotus specialist but I needed a place to drop the car ;-)

No injuries whatsoever, not even a seatbelt bruise. Inertia switch was not triggered, engine started after a few cranks.


So... Cracked front clam (less than 3 months old), shattered rear clam, shattered window, scraped a-pillar, scraped right mirror, scraped right headlight, scraped door, scraped undercarriage....

... is a new Elise in store for me?

See the whole gallery here

[nvrblu]

If there was no damage to the suspension or chassis, it's probably not a total loss... perhaps $18K-20K... which is really close to a total loss by insurance company standards.

[Chris Mackey]

Sorry about that sh!t. I'm guessing it's new car time.

[glb]

Aw, man, too bad.

Car will be OK, glad you are.

[Chris Mackey]

Great license plate, by the way.

[BatmobileS240]

Slice of aluminum - sounds scary! Good thing you were able to walk away from the accident

[Chris Mackey]

Originally Posted by noobified

Slice of aluminum - sounds scary! Good thing you were able to walk away from the accident

This doesn't promote your car!

[Rei]

Is the suburban driver's insurance going to pay for the repairs or the total lost/repairs for the car. In WA if it falls off your car you are now held liable for whatever damages that happen when something falls off a car. I think it's a good law that took way too long to happen.

[Noisycow]

These cars really are rolling egg shells. That would have done $750 damage to most vehicles.

[Terculees]

Originally Posted by Rei

Is the suburban driver's insurance going to pay for the repairs or the total lost/repairs for the car. In WA if it falls off your car you are now held liable for whatever damages that happen when something falls off a car. I think it's a good law that took way too long to happen.

Suburban never stopped. Probably didn't even know he hit it up. It didn't fall off his car, was already on the road.

[Aedo]

Main thing is you're OK which is the best news

Originally Posted by Noisycow

These cars really are rolling egg shells. That would have done $750 damage to most vehicles.

That's a big call - most cars without steering fishtail and would have probably hit the same guard rail.

[David in LA]

Originally Posted by Chris Mackey

Great license plate, by the way.

+1

[Rei]

Originally Posted by Noisycow

These cars really are rolling egg shells. That would have done $750 damage to most vehicles.

Sure a giant 4 foot piece of aluminum flying at you at 60mph only causing 750 in damage. Obviously you never been to a body shop before. Nor know anything about the real cost of repairs. A new windshield any car is 300 dollars at cheapest cost, new front bumper is 600 mounted and painted, rear quarter damage umm that's 1500 at least on a regular car. How does that equal 750 in your fantasy land???

Aside from this it's sad that someone dropped a giant sheet of aluminum on the road and didn't notice. We are all very lucky that this did not kill someone.

[gumballf355]

Wow I'm speachless. I cut up the exhaust into a million pieces. I'm sure you could take it off and they won't care.

[m3dragon]

WOW glad to hear you are OK.

The same thing happened to Colin in his lotus on the way back from the bay area a year ago.

Sorry to see you car go as you just got it back.

[apple2k]

i needed a new front clam after hitting a suburban's tow hook (cosmetic only, no frame damage, not even radiator damage) and that was $19k, will all this added, you're in line for a new car