Naomi: Can't keep a good bitch down!

[Sharingan 19]

It was a great time , just enough to get me hooked. I'll definitely be back....unfortunately the same cannot be said for the stock waterpump which got progressively worse after all the high-rpm hijinx. Nor the stock oil cooler lines which let go after some sideways shenanigans...

[Sharingan 19]

A buddy of mine who is into photography decided we should do a mini photo-shoot in celebration of auto-x victory. A little clay bar goes a loonngg way...

[Sharingan 19]

Next stop was the first ever Rotorfest in Kissimmee FL, The plan was to drive from Tallahassee to West Palm Beach to pick up a mountain bike I ordered on ebay, then head back up to Kissimmee and finally back , (roughly 1000 miles).

It was a great event, lots of nice cars and even got a chance to hit the dyno. With ambient temps well above 90* she made 177whp. Not bad for just a cat back I suppose.

There she is in the background...

Full thread:
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=776699

[Sharingan 19]

So I was on my way back from Rotorfest wrapping up 1000 mile, 2 day road trip when my journey is cut short....

I was heading up a 3 lane interstate in the center lane. I decide I want to move into the fast (left) lane so I put on my blinker and look into my rear view mirror....

I see nothing, so I begin to move slowly across my lane to the left. As I approach the dotted white line (I can still see it out my driver's side window) I look into my side mirror and notice an SUV comming up pretty fast in the left lane.

No big deal, I turned the wheel back to the right so I stayed in the center lane instead of crossing into the left lane. As I did this I continued looking in my side mirror and noticed the SUV dart to the left (seemingly under control) . At this point I returned my attention to the road ahead of me.

As soon as I do I hear squealing tires.....I glance at my side mirror to see the grill of the SUV pointing sharply to the right (remember its int he far left lane..) I slammed on brakes .....but it was too late.

It hit the rear quarter panel, drove right down my door and hit me again on the driver side front quarter/bumper causing me to spin as it took us both off the right side of the road @ 70+ mph.

I ended up going backwards into a concrete drainage ditch and into a small retention pond.

The SUV continued across the ditch, up an embankment, into a fence, into a tree and turning on its side.

I helped a guy out of the passenger window (now the roof) and some passers by helped get 2 kids out. The woman driver (...like it would be anyone else ) had trouble getting out (due partly to the fact that the Explorer was on the edge of a hill) so they had to cut the roof off to get her out.


RX-7: 1 Ford Explorer: 0






It gets better... So after useless FHP gets done writing their "report" (which consists of names and vehicle info) I am allowed to leave. At which point I drive 50ft out of the concrete drainage ditch, up the side of the embankment and get within 4 feet of the road before the wet grass decides that's as far as I go. I then had to pay some jackass towtruck driver $50 to tow me the 4ft onto the road surface.

After that I DROVE another 30 miles to the next real exit and inspected the damage further.

[GySgtFrank]

Unbelievable luck. Both the good in not being hurt and the bad in being the one she had to hit. Bad karma from your thread title? Hope the insurance company doesn't jack you around and things work out.

[Sharingan 19]

Originally Posted by GySgtFrank

Unbelievable luck. Both the good in not being hurt and the bad in being the one she had to hit. Bad karma from your thread title? Hope the insurance company doesn't jack you around and things work out.

HA!

Not hurt....ok I'll give you that one.

Insurance was of NO help. Not only did they not pay me (no full coverage) they attempted to pay HER due to the way the laws work in FL.

Title Karma....not a chance. This incident is actually the reason FOR the thread title (This happened a little while ago, I'm catching the build thread up to current )

[Sharingan 19]

Took some pictures the morning after

[Sharingan 19]

After driving another 100 miles back home it was apparent that something was awry in the suspension department; the steering wheel had to be about 45* for the car to drive straight, the slightest steering input made it want to jump across 2 lanes, and there was a slight vibration that I didn't remember from before. Suppose it could've been worse....I could've been paralyzed w/ a drop top explorer.....

[speedjunkie]

Oh I remember seeing pics of the car like this before, I didn't realize it was the same one though. What is it with stupid ass people that can't drive for shit?? And I'd be moving to a new state that doesn't have stupid laws that don't pay the person that deserves to be paid.

So she was paralyzed by this?

[Sharingan 19]

Originally Posted by speedjunkie

Oh I remember seeing pics of the car like this before, I didn't realize it was the same one though. What is it with stupid ass people that can't drive for shit?? And I'd be moving to a new state that doesn't have stupid laws that don't pay the person that deserves to be paid.

So she was paralyzed by this?

I was trying to avoid getting sidetracked with insurance details but alas it is unavoidable:

I don't have full coverage, so my insurance isn't going to pay me. She has insurance so I wouldn't even be covered by uninsured motorist protection.

Florida in addition to be a no fault state, is also a percentage liability state. This means that if this went to trial the jury would be tasked with determining who was responsible for what percentage of the outcome. For example they could decide it was 99% her fault and 1% my fault. Sounds pretty good right?....wrong.

#1 The dumbass Florida Highway patrol officer didn't cite her for the accident, they didn't even walk the scene and write a real report, and with no non-involved witnesses it becoms my word vs. the dumb bitch in a wheel chair who can't drive.

#2 Because she is apparently paralyzed, the estimate the lifetime value of her claim to be somewhere around $5M. So...
$5M - cost to fix FC = more than my policy.

Thus their solution is to offer to pay her the normal payout under my policy in exchange for her providing a written release of all liability. Which sucks, but what other option is there?

[Sharingan 19]

Problem #1 I couldn't raise or lower my headlights since the fender had been smashed into the area where the light sits when closed so...

[Sharingan 19]

Little hammer here, little hammer there.....

...A little touch up pain; It ain't pretty, but at least I can use my headlights


The question then became how to finance the Rotary Resurrection...

[Sharingan 19]

It quickly became apparent that somethings needed to be fixed sooner rather than later:

- Power steering was leaking and cutting in and out at inopportune times.

- Steering wheel was about 90-100 degrees off.
^^^pretty sure this was the result of being pulled out of the ditch with the steering wheel at full lock (as instructed by the jackass tow truck driver)

- According to my roomate the car was "crabbing" down the road.
^^^upon further inspection the driver side rear tension rod was bent into a shallow "U"

- Slight howling that increases with speed
^^^Leaking pinion seal on the diff, leaking axle flange,

- Handling VERY twitchy w/ even slight steering input.

- 65% of driver side mirror M.I.A.

- Door "decorated nascar style"

- Front fender = fubar

- Crushed rocker panel

- Melted rear bumper
^^^bent up exhaust

- Flat spotted tires

[Sharingan 19]

Got her up in the air for a better look at the damage...

[Sharingan 19]

Decided the power steering needed a complete overhall, and was in the running for the most dangerous non-operational system on the car...

A/C compressor getting raped by the busted power steering pump...

The further you go the uglier it gets


But there is hope....
New Rack




This stupid O-ring isn't stocked anywhere.... RTV and hope for the best...

New Lines

And done...almost