1721/2000 Returns, beaten.

[Machiavellian]

So, long after the rebuild process and the year or so of work put into the car, 1721 was up and running on a subtle 15lbs and being used as a daily. It served fairly well for nearly two and a half years and caused its fair share of mayhem...

There were a number of upgrades and TLC items on the list to be done when the time and money were available, however, the fickle thing known as 'life' had other plans.

Driving back from Ohio to Pennsylvania on Sunday night in preparation for work the next morning, and the (soon to start) return to college, I had an unexpected guest star enter my life.

-- Introducing: Rogue semi tire. Like a mysterious figure materializing out of the darkness a completely free-roaming semi tire bounced its way across the median and squarely into my lane, crossing just through my headlights in time to invoke a very serious case of What-the-fu*k-itus. A moment later the tire slammed square into the center of the front end of the car, demolishing quite a lot on its adventure through the grill. The hood latch was absolutely demolished, causing the hood to suddenly, and violently, make pleasantries with the windshield (and sunroof, and the top of my head via the sunroof... tall people really probably shouldn't drive these things).

Pardon the poor quality of the image, this was taken literally 2 minutes after the event and I was still a little shaken, and regretting my decision to not wear brown pants for my blind 70 MPH adventure over to the shoulder/median. (Which went surprisingly well, was able to just run her through a rapid, but safe decel.)


Eventually, after reciting a sailor's dictionary into the night, I got the car towed. The next morning brought light to the damages.








Needless to say, this was rather annoying.

Unfortunately, I don't have another VR4 to transplant parts off of. I will, however, be planning to rebuild this one. I'll probably be posting something in WTB. Figured that after going mostly silent after the build thread I'd make a 'quick' post.

Oh, also, no injuries. Sure the hood hitting my head was less than comfortable but it's not like I keep anything important up there anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

Hopefully, by this time next year, she'll be back up and running. In the meantime, however, just keepin' things rollin' and hoping to keep the shiny side up.

Cheers,
Machiavellian.

 

[toybreaker]

That fully sucks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif


Any chance a roadside camera on your route caught a picture of the rig that lost the wheel?

Were than any other vehicles / witnesses involved?

[edit] check with the tow company (and have him check with his buddies) and see if anybody did a call for a semi that was wheel related. If you could find the company/driver of the truck he might cover the damages
You might even get enough to get another pair of skivvies! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
/edit

Did you keep the semi wheel to put in the garden / mount on a plynth? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

... yer one lucky dude!


If there's nobody closer, I've got a sunroof glass I can get in the post if you need it.

Be best to at least get that sealed up before winter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Machiavellian]

Sadly no other vehicles were really around at the time. There was another semi cruising along in the right lane, but, he kept on truckin'. This was far enough out in the middle of nowhere that there really weren't any cameras around, and furthermore in the list of bad news, I wasn't able to find any record of a semi that lost a tire in the area.

Unable to catch a break... I don't have the tire, as it has gone completely missing. Probably launched into low-earth orbit. Seeing as it was headed towards me at probably 70 MPH and I was headed towards it at 70 MPH. I'll most likely end up calling the Russians and ask if anything has recently collided with Sputnik.

I've been keeping an ear to the ground on parts, but, If I don't find anything immediately local in the next week I'll most certainly hit you up for that sunroof glass. Plan to at least get some work done on her over memorial day weekend.

Thanks a ton in advance!

 

[Chad989of2000]

That really sucks man, sorry to see this. At least the wheel didn't catch air and aim squarely for your windshield before striking you. Still, sucks a ton. Glad to see you made it out okay.

 

[GSTwithPSI]

Threads like this make me want to quit driving 1837 entirely. Some sh*t is just out of our control.

Sucks, and I can definitely relate. Glad you're ok. Between Nate and Pot, I'm sure you can source the needed parts for the rebuild.

Good luck, dude.

 

[Ian M]

Damn dude,this sucks! Sorry to see this. Not much consolation at the moment,bit glad you didn't get hurt,this could have really sucked..

I know your pain,years ago I had a truck full of junk passing the opposite direction lose some sidewalk pavers as it passed.

One smashed my front bumper,the other skipped off the hood (destroying it) then bounced through the windshield catching the roof,knocking the rearview mirror/domelight off,filling the car with glass etc. Could have killed me had it's trajectory been different!

That guy hauled ass,by time I collected myself and got turned around,he was GONE.

Hope you get yours fixed back up!

 

[toybreaker]

Mach,

You tear into this yet?

Post up pics when you do, please


A hit like you took will probably have pinched both front wings in a bit.
As the radiator supports buckled / came back, (and probably up) it probably brought the inner fenderwells where the rad supports attaches along for the ride. This means the hood gap will be tight to the fenders on a taper, worse towards the front.



It *might* be better to leave the old upper radiator support in as you make the forward pull / straighten things. A wooden buck / support could be very usefull if you could make one to fit behind the radiator support.
... just a piece of wood whittled down to fit in the recess behind / under the origami folds of the support

That way, when you make the pull, it'll give you more anchor / pull points and will spread the load. It will also allow you to more acurrately control the pull. (I've been able to save a few supports using that technique, but yours looks pretty tweeked)


Same for making a splint for the bottom support, only it will have to go behind the whole structure, and it *may* crush / deform the back of the member during the pull. That lower support is fairly beefy, so it'll take some force to manouevor / pull things back into position.

I'll try to find the unibody dimensional map that's posted here on the site during some downtime tomorrow.
I think it's in the library somewhere.

Measure twice and pull once, trying to work the same plane as the original deformation, only opposite like. Visualise what it took to get the bend that you got, then just undo it.

Simple, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.




[edit]

..... pfffft,

damn Ian, you suck at the whole one upper thing
coupla measly lil pavers ain't no alcoa with a 12 ply 24.5 wrapped around it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Machiavellian]

I haven't' been able to put a wrench at it at all yet, the soonest I'll be able to start pulling things apart will be this Labor Day weekend. Been working lots of overtime to gain funds for the rebuild process and now my Senior college semester is about to start.

As you can see, I'm going to need one hell of an extension to get into it.

When I do start pulling pieces off I'll document it as best I can. I'll probably start a rebuild thread. I'll probably get the major holes filled before the end of the year, but, I'm not expecting to be able to have everything buttoned up before 2019 ticks over. (I'm totally using the 'while I'm in there' card and bolting up some things I've been putting off for a rainy day. New stainless 3" turboback, maybe rebuild the 16g, maybe a proper manual steering rack replacement, etc. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif)

The advice is very much appreciated, and I'll certainly keep it in mind when I'm getting into it. If you find that dimension guide that'd be absolutely fantastic, if not I'll look around for it. Thankfully I've got a fantastic community to get parts from, so I should be able to test fit and fuss with getting things lined up again.

--GST, I wouldn't blame you for wanting to hide your vr4 away, but, we all know they're far too fun for that, and it would just be all inhumane to keep 'em cooped up. I'm pretty sure I'll have plenty of parts to pick through. (Those words feel odd when they're in reference to a VR4.)

-- Sorry to hear about your incident, Ian. I can fully sympathize with that. You are lucky as hell to have gotten away with a smashed up windshield and not a smashed up you.

 

[toybreaker]

Quote:
If you find that dimension guide that'd be absolutely fantastic



I'm sorry to say I did not find the map

kinda like yours though! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif


I did find this old thread of a car with similiar~ish damage

Stay the course, watch for dragons, pirates, and squids

... oh yeah, the squids
*believed* to live somewhere west of Columbus
but, you'll probably sail off the edge of the earth before you encounter them

 

[GSTwithPSI]

Pirates, probably.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

 

[mitsuturbo]

Quoting GSTwithPSI:
Threads like this make me want to quit driving 1837 entirely. Some sh*t is just out of our control.




THIS is precisely why i actually don't mind at all my car being on jackstands the past 3 months while i meticulously go over every aspect of my dogbox build. Every day i don't drive it is another day it lives on. I'm really afraid to drive it much, aside from to the track and back .