Totalled the T-Bird!
June 2nd, 2010, 10:05 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 141
Totalled the T-Bird!
Sad sad day. At 3:45PM my T-Bird was no more. Was cruising along at 40MPH or so on a busy road at a busy intersection. There was a tore up Beetle in the middle of the intersection with an ex-cop directing traffic. At 40MPH or so, the Mustang in front of me did not see the guy until right up on him. Slammed on the brakes, as even though the light was green, the guy wanted him to stop. Anyhow, the big ol' boat of a car couldn't stop in time, despite standing up on the brake (Brand new brakes all around!).
Tore up my car, the Mustang needs a new back bumper. Will file insurance and maybe contact a lawyer. All I have is $800, looks like I'm buying a $350 1996 Chevy Cavalier off a friend. Wanted $500 for it, but needs a muffler, windshield, fuel injector (leaky), and the A/C compressor replaced. Muffler will cost me nothing (I've got access to plenty in my shop class). Injector is $80, he'll install it. The compressor will be $70, he'll install it. Winshield is $150 installed brand new, or I can get a used one at a junkyard and have it installed for probably a good amount less.
Important thing is that my fiance and I walked away unscathed. The seatbelts locked up as they were supposed to, and the front end collapsed as planned. Was able to salavage the hood ornament.
--Ryan
Tore up my car, the Mustang needs a new back bumper. Will file insurance and maybe contact a lawyer. All I have is $800, looks like I'm buying a $350 1996 Chevy Cavalier off a friend. Wanted $500 for it, but needs a muffler, windshield, fuel injector (leaky), and the A/C compressor replaced. Muffler will cost me nothing (I've got access to plenty in my shop class). Injector is $80, he'll install it. The compressor will be $70, he'll install it. Winshield is $150 installed brand new, or I can get a used one at a junkyard and have it installed for probably a good amount less.
Important thing is that my fiance and I walked away unscathed. The seatbelts locked up as they were supposed to, and the front end collapsed as planned. Was able to salavage the hood ornament.
--Ryan
June 2nd, 2010, 10:30 PM
#2
Green Horn
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 311
Sorry to hear bud, but it is positive that you are ok. Can't believe all the mustang needs is a new bumper.
On a positive note, one of the good things about these massive cars we drive is our safety while in them. We are surrounded by 4+feet of steel in front of us, as well as a big block motor (some of us)
If the T-Bird is totaled, you might want to think about parting it out and making some money here and there
Glad you all are ok
On a positive note, one of the good things about these massive cars we drive is our safety while in them. We are surrounded by 4+feet of steel in front of us, as well as a big block motor (some of us)
If the T-Bird is totaled, you might want to think about parting it out and making some money here and there
Glad you all are ok
June 3rd, 2010, 04:15 AM
#4
Oldsdruid
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southside Vajenya
Posts: 10,544
That's a shame about the T-bird. I had a 77 same color scheme and it is one of the few cars I've owned I regretted getting rid of. It was a gage package car with engine-turned dash trim, had leather seats and Polycast wheels which were hard to keep centercaps on. I was apparently not the only one with that problem as the local Ford dealer kept a set of them on the shelf.
It was a very lightly optioned car for a Thunderbird too- power windows, A/C and AM-FM Quadrasonic tape, and dual remote mirrors were about it.
Had I known as much about Ford emissions controls then as I did later, I believe I could have gotten the spark knock out of it. It ran me crazy spark knocking- that's one car noise I cannot stand.
I traded it in on a 1983 TransAM. I saw it about 6 months after I traded it in and its new owner had trashed it. Dents in both doors, deep scratches in the paint, no center caps, the damn seats had been CUT
.That was when I realised that some people can destroy a nice car in less time than it takes the paperwork to clear DMV.
June 3rd, 2010, 05:26 AM
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: KY
Posts: 1,489
June 3rd, 2010, 06:51 AM
#6
Sorry to hear about your T-Bird, but glad to hear your Ok. I can't believe that the Mustang only needs a rear bumper? Did your front bumper go under the back of his car? It looks like your car is repairable, are you sure you can't save it?
June 3rd, 2010, 07:34 AM
#8
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Plano, TX
Posts: 11,798
Sorry to hear about that - makes me PO'ed to see, too. Glad you were okay though.
Looks more like all sheetmetal damage and if so, you should be able to fix it. Those cars are still around - i still see them on the road here and there. I would hate to see it go to the yard.
If the front end is all bolt together, it could be saved. If unibody, then it might be difficult.
The "ex cop" part has me wondering also.
Let us know how it turns out...
Looks more like all sheetmetal damage and if so, you should be able to fix it. Those cars are still around - i still see them on the road here and there. I would hate to see it go to the yard.
If the front end is all bolt together, it could be saved. If unibody, then it might be difficult.
The "ex cop" part has me wondering also.
Let us know how it turns out...
June 3rd, 2010, 07:37 AM
#9
1972 Cutlass 455
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 323
Jeez sorry to see that, but of coarse getting out of it safetly is the most important thing. As for being totaled, he may mean it is totaled insurance wise. That is my fear about my 1972 being my daily driver...if it was damaged, insurance would only cover a few thousand bucks at the most. Sounds like it may have been his daily driver, and that's why je has to buy the other car. Just speculating here!
June 3rd, 2010, 07:58 AM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Great Bend, KS
Posts: 174
What a heartbreak. I always loved the look of those T-Birds.
I hope insurance works with you, but I wouldn't be surprised if they fight you on maintaining a safe following distance. Though you might have some recourse against the used-to-be cop trying to stop traffic at a green light.
Can't imagine enjoying a classy ride like that then having to drive a Cavalier.
Glad you're okay. Sorry to hear about the bad break.
I hope insurance works with you, but I wouldn't be surprised if they fight you on maintaining a safe following distance. Though you might have some recourse against the used-to-be cop trying to stop traffic at a green light.
Can't imagine enjoying a classy ride like that then having to drive a Cavalier.
Glad you're okay. Sorry to hear about the bad break.
June 3rd, 2010, 09:57 PM
#15
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 141
Well, being a student (graduating next week) and only having a part time job, I naturally had only liability on the car. The Mustang will be paid for up to $25K.
Yes, my car nose-dived when I stomped on the brakes, and thusly the bumper went under the Mustang, and the front clip took all the damage. If the bumper would've made contact, I'm confident there would have been more than one person being taken to the ER, the Mustang would've been scraped off the road, and the T-bird would look fine. All-in-all, this was the better way for it to happen. The car absorbed the impact and I'm not even sore today from the seatbelts locking up.
My insurance company says we'll likely end up taking liability. I'm pretty sure the police didn't even take the ex-cop into consideration. My car is definately fixable, no frame damage. I can get a grey 79 T-bird for $700. Trouble is, I won't have anywhere to store two projects until early July, so we'll see how storage fees stack up. I'd like to have a 70's Custom Cruiser, or better yet a 2-door Olds 98.
I could never figure out how to fix my spark-knock issue, other than to run premium gas. The timing was advanced pretty bad(I can't recall how much it was off), but even after retarding it, I still had to run premium. $3 to the gallon at 11MPG was pretty costly for a DD.
The Cavalier has some problems but it's a Godsend. ALOT of features I've never had in a car or have not had for a long time. Power locks, dual air bags, delayed interior lights, glovebox light, remote trunk release, fold-down back seat, anti-lock brakes, running lights, power mirrors, a working clock, and even 3 cupholders. With some work, it'll be an OK car to drive around. When I'm done, Kelsey has no car, so I will more than likely allow her to use it. Yes, its quite a change from a classy boat of a car. I'm so used to the thumbs up, new friends (from asking about the car), and all-around positive feedback and attention. The Cavalier sounds horrid(needs a muffler, mind you) and I feel like just another punk-kid teenager with a ricer. Yuck. It also needs some dents pulled and a new hood, but, it was the best I could do with my money and I am quite happy to have the car.
The car is giving me some trouble, though. A bad fuel pressure regulator is notorious for allowing too much pressure in the fuel rail and ruining injectors. I had one leaking, and replaced it. Then the regulator blew. Replaced it. Another injector blew, and I replaced it's o-rings and another injectors o-rings. The final injector is going to be rather difficult to get to and will require dissasembly of what I believe is called the AFM unit. Anyhow, replacing the o-rings on the other leaky injector did nothing for the cause, and I will probably have to replace the injector(or JB weld it...good for 600 degrees...). My fear is that after replacing this second injector, another will blow a seal.
--Ryan
P.S. I do love the simplicity of my GM. Soo easy to work on and everything is accessible. The alternator is two bolts right on top. The A/C compressor is two or three bolts and is super easy to get to underneath the car. All four spark plugs are a straight shot to replace. Even the O2 sensor will be an easy fix if it goes.
Yes, my car nose-dived when I stomped on the brakes, and thusly the bumper went under the Mustang, and the front clip took all the damage. If the bumper would've made contact, I'm confident there would have been more than one person being taken to the ER, the Mustang would've been scraped off the road, and the T-bird would look fine. All-in-all, this was the better way for it to happen. The car absorbed the impact and I'm not even sore today from the seatbelts locking up.
My insurance company says we'll likely end up taking liability. I'm pretty sure the police didn't even take the ex-cop into consideration. My car is definately fixable, no frame damage. I can get a grey 79 T-bird for $700. Trouble is, I won't have anywhere to store two projects until early July, so we'll see how storage fees stack up. I'd like to have a 70's Custom Cruiser, or better yet a 2-door Olds 98.
I could never figure out how to fix my spark-knock issue, other than to run premium gas. The timing was advanced pretty bad(I can't recall how much it was off), but even after retarding it, I still had to run premium. $3 to the gallon at 11MPG was pretty costly for a DD.
The Cavalier has some problems but it's a Godsend. ALOT of features I've never had in a car or have not had for a long time. Power locks, dual air bags, delayed interior lights, glovebox light, remote trunk release, fold-down back seat, anti-lock brakes, running lights, power mirrors, a working clock, and even 3 cupholders. With some work, it'll be an OK car to drive around. When I'm done, Kelsey has no car, so I will more than likely allow her to use it. Yes, its quite a change from a classy boat of a car. I'm so used to the thumbs up, new friends (from asking about the car), and all-around positive feedback and attention. The Cavalier sounds horrid(needs a muffler, mind you) and I feel like just another punk-kid teenager with a ricer. Yuck. It also needs some dents pulled and a new hood, but, it was the best I could do with my money and I am quite happy to have the car.
The car is giving me some trouble, though. A bad fuel pressure regulator is notorious for allowing too much pressure in the fuel rail and ruining injectors. I had one leaking, and replaced it. Then the regulator blew. Replaced it. Another injector blew, and I replaced it's o-rings and another injectors o-rings. The final injector is going to be rather difficult to get to and will require dissasembly of what I believe is called the AFM unit. Anyhow, replacing the o-rings on the other leaky injector did nothing for the cause, and I will probably have to replace the injector(or JB weld it...good for 600 degrees...). My fear is that after replacing this second injector, another will blow a seal.
--Ryan
P.S. I do love the simplicity of my GM. Soo easy to work on and everything is accessible. The alternator is two bolts right on top. The A/C compressor is two or three bolts and is super easy to get to underneath the car. All four spark plugs are a straight shot to replace. Even the O2 sensor will be an easy fix if it goes.
June 12th, 2010, 09:43 AM
#18
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 141
It's going to be about $250-$300 to get it out around this point in time. $20 a day. Plus, they raped me with a $200 notification charge...They notified me of it being towed there several days AFTER I had it towed, AND visited the yard to get stuff out of it. Ugh!
If anyone wants Erma, let me know. You get her out of the yard, I'll give you the title.
BTW, I call her Erma, because the car reminds me of a book I read once by Erma Bombeck. "If life is a bowl of cherries....what am I doing in the pits?" The white car is the bowl, the red interior is the cherries.
--Ryan
BTW I took my cherry air freshener out of the car, put it in my new one.
If anyone wants Erma, let me know. You get her out of the yard, I'll give you the title.
BTW, I call her Erma, because the car reminds me of a book I read once by Erma Bombeck. "If life is a bowl of cherries....what am I doing in the pits?" The white car is the bowl, the red interior is the cherries.
--Ryan
BTW I took my cherry air freshener out of the car, put it in my new one.
June 12th, 2010, 03:58 PM
#19
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Sebago, Maine
Posts: 875
Sorry to hear about your bad luck. These past couple of months has not be kind to classic cars!
Do you have any frame damage? I yet to find out on my silver 68 Toronado. Please see"I'm Ticked" thread.
Do you have any frame damage? I yet to find out on my silver 68 Toronado. Please see"I'm Ticked" thread.
June 15th, 2010, 09:34 AM
#22
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 141
--Ryan
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