A Salute to Cars Gone Before Their Time

[BumbleBee]

This is to the cars that...
earned us 100 mph speeding tickets,
kicked @$$ on the track,
showed us what speed really ment,
and gave kids something to dream about.
Cheers!

1985 Trans-am, stolen, chased by cops, who couldn't keep up, drove off road into a field, went airborne, and twisted the frame. Punks got away. The verdict totaled… a guy that races cars bought it, and fixed it up, she’s still giving mustang owners hell.



That's right, I had a mullet when I was little.

[BumbleBee]

2005 C6 Corvette, hydroplaned at 65mph, hit a guard rail, the battery got disconnected. The verdict totaled… Onstar e-mail us 5 days after the accident, there was a problem with the engine… someone hooked the battery back up.

[Georgianne]

Ahhh the days of old. I had a 1974 Cutlass that lost the cops all the time in the Pittsburgh suburbs. Totalled it twice before I retired her. I had great neighbors that knew I was out and would flag me in the neighborhood on my way home to let me know that they heard on the CB radio that the cops were sitting at my house waiting for me.... so I would wait them out in a neighbors driveway til they left and then would go home. When I left for college my brothers were always getting pulled over since the car was so recognizable(two tone paint job). I haven't thought about that in a while!

[TAG UR IT]

For all of those who never heard my story....

I was leaving work on a road that has a slight incline which curves to the left. At the top of the hill where the left turn is, there is a 90 degree right turn into a neighborhood. This isn't the safest intersection. Anyhow....I'm coming over the top of the hill, see the headlights pull up to the stop sign on the road to the right, the lights cease to move (complete stop), and I proceed thinking nothing of it (just another person who stops at a stop sign, right?).

Well, headlights start moving forward as I'm getting ready to pass. There's nothing I can do but smash on the brakes and swerve to the left. She hit me on the front right quarter panel and ripped it all the way down the right side as I spun out (backend out to the left).

When she got out of her car, she said, "I'm so sorry!" I asked what in the world was she thinking and she said, "I looked to the right but I never looked left, I'm so sorry!!" She was 16 years old, was grounded, she snuck out of the house taking moms car w/out permission, and she totalled two cars that night. Imagine the crap she was in after that.

[Georgianne]

Who hit the windshield- no seatbelt huh? Hope you weren't hurt.

[TAG UR IT]

^Oh no...I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt...and I preach it to everyone else in my car too. I'm not going to get a ticket for someone else not wearing their belt in MY car!!!

The reason the windshield was cracked was because both airbags deployed. The passenger airbag shattered the windshield. When we hit, I swerved to the left causing my body (inertia) to move to the right between the two airbags when they deployed. I got a great shot of two airbags going off as my head was between them.

Bruised up my wrist from the airbag hitting it, but nothing serious, thank God.

[Dragoneye]

Got-Dam!! I heard the story...but I've never seen those pics!

She really destroyed HER car...and the Camaro is still badly hit, obviously - but I don't think as much as hers...
That must have been quite a view of the airbags, though Glad you're okay.

Wow.....

And Bumblebee...that Vette, so sad.

[GTAHVIT]

My tribute to the first Camaro in our family. My Mom drove it and was going to give it to me. I was gonna hand over the keys to my jeep to my Dad and he was gonna give me the Camaro. Obviously it didn't work out that way. I did get to drive it quite a bit. Hit by a lady who ran a red light.

[Moose]

A salute to my brother's 10th Anniversary Firehawk.

He was an awesome machine, who deserved to live a long, happy life, but met his demise when an irresponsible, %^$# chose to ignore a STOP sign and hit my brother.

[Silverado]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

For all of those who never heard my story....

I was leaving work on a road that has a slight incline which curves to the left. At the top of the hill where the left turn is, there is a 90 degree right turn into a neighborhood. This isn't the safest intersection. Anyhow....I'm coming over the top of the hill, see the headlights pull up to the stop sign on the road to the right, the lights cease to move (complete stop), and I proceed thinking nothing of it (just another person who stops at a stop sign, right?).

Well, headlights start moving forward as I'm getting ready to pass. There's nothing I can do but smash on the brakes and swerve to the left. She hit me on the front right quarter panel and ripped it all the way down the right side as I spun out (backend out to the left).

When she got out of her car, she said, "I'm so sorry!" I asked what in the world was she thinking and she said, "I looked to the right but I never looked left, I'm so sorry!!" She was 16 years old, was grounded, she snuck out of the house taking moms car w/out permission, and she totalled two cars that night. Imagine the crap she was in after that.

Not enough crap, I'm sure.

Just another reason why the laws are going to change more and more towards 16-18 yr olds getting some sort of "probationary" license and passing a harder test to get a full-fledged one. I'm almost totally in favor of that, but then I know a few 16 yr olds that are better drivers than most in their 20's, so it really isn't an age thing, it's a maturity/parental teaching thing.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Silverado

Just another reason why the laws are going to change more and more towards 16-18 yr olds getting some sort of "probationary" license and passing a harder test to get a full-fledged one. I'm almost totally in favor of that, but then I know a few 16 yr olds that are better drivers than most in their 20's, so it really isn't an age thing, it's a maturity/parental teaching thing.

AMEN! I believe everyone should be re-evaluated at least once.

Besides the too exuberant youth, there are plenty of "older" people just as careless/reckless, ie; cell phones, applying makeup, etc.!

[Justin]

I also firmly believe everybody who lives in an area with snow should go out to a parking lot with plenty of snow and ice and throw the car out, then get it back. I can't even count how many times I've done that. Then again, I can count how many times knowing how my car handles in the snow and what works and what doesn't work to get it back in control has saved my butt.

[Georgianne]

Originally Posted by Moose

AMEN! I believe everyone should be re-evaluated at least once.

Besides the too exuberant youth, there are plenty of "older" people just as careless/reckless, ie; cell phones, applying makeup, etc.!

Leave my name off the list!
Just kiddin' We do have strict laws here with the kids being on probation but I don't think they are strict enough. My sons friend got stopped for doing 100mph on 270 on a probation license and they took his license away for 15days. When they reach 18 they are no longer on probation. If the kids go 180 days of careful driving they get an unrestricted license after that.

[Elkyboy64]

I had a 70 Skylark when I lived in New Mexico, I was only 14-15 at the time and not yet licensed to drive. We lived out in the country with dirt roads and that's where I would practice my driving. The hood latch didn't work so my Granddad had it chained shut.

One day I got brave and wanted to see how fast I could go, so I got it out on the big dirt road and hammered it. I got to about 65 and BAM, the damn hood lost the chain and flew open smashing the windshield and bending back the back corners of the hood. Scared the s**t outta me. I got up on the hood and was jumping up and down to flatten it back out. It didn't work so well.....that one wasn't fun to explain. Ended up selling it for a few hundred bucks.

Second one, when I was stationed in San Diego my wife and I came home to Texas on leave. We were in my new to me '84 Z28. We were a few hours east of El Paso going back to SD and I had the cruise set to 70.

There was a leak at the top of the drivers side window, so the wind was whistling in pretty loudly. I reached over and stuck a piece of paper in it to seal it. In the spit second I looked over at the window I managed to ease off the hi way into the dirt between hi way and access road. It never occurred to me to take it off cruise. I was going to ease back onto the hi way but there were metal reflector poles and I was afraid I'd hit them, so I decided to just ease onto the access road. Well before I knew it I came face to face with a concrete drainage ditch that was running perpendicular to me. It was only a couple feet deep, pretty wide and had a pretty tame slope to the edges. Unless you are in a Camaro doing 70..........we hit the bottom of the ditch and then jumped out of the ditch like the damn Dukes of Hazzard. I know we caught a good foot or more of air.

Once we landed I got the car stopped with no other trouble. When we landed I watched the dash, steering wheel, console, all move down a few inches. I managed to bend the frame, the shocks were pushed up through the fender wells and every panel on the car was mis aligned. I was able to get to the next town and get an alignment, didn't do much but it helped a little bit. We got into SD the next day after getting another alignment in New Mexico. I don't remember the total cost of repairs, but they didn't total the car. So we got it fixed and traded it in on my 454SS.

[GTAHVIT]

^ I would've crapped my pants. Talk about Pucker Factor.

[stovt001]

I know I resented probationary laws when I first got my license, and it did make my life harder, but looking back I see the value. I, like most other people, relatively sucked at driving when I first started. There is a learning curve (duh). Not only that, there is a maturity curve as well.

I love how she looked right but not left. Its the person coming on the left that will hit you first. D'oh!

Haven't gotten into an accident while I was driving yet, but I've certainly had my close calls. There is one part on my commute home where two freeways do a parallel merge before splitting off again, and there is always someone who wants to change freeways who is in the far left lane and will cross all the way over to the far right at the last minute without checking. Luckily every time that has happened I still had one lane to my right and an open spot so I could swerve and slow, but I'd get the shakes every time because it was always a real close call and if they did hit, it would have been a really hard, really fast hit into the drivers side.

[TAG UR IT]

I know a few 16 yr olds that are better drivers than most in their 20's, so it really isn't an age thing, it's a maturity/parental teaching thing.

That's EXACTLY what it is. You can get a 16 year old driving a car by him/herself and they do wonderfully....attentive, alert, safe, etc. But, take the same person and put three other 16 year olds in the car with him/her??? Uh oh....

Oh, and that left curve on the hill that I have to pass every night now?? Foot off the gas, hovers over the brake, drift over to the right a bit....I think about that crash EVERY NIGHT on the way home....EVERY NIGHT.

And yes, it was a hell of a view between those two airbags. Even though it was split second, it was kind of slow motion...like that POD video where the accident happens and you see everything flying through the air super slow...

[[KRPT]ECP]

to be fair I've always driven around with friends with absolutely no accidents in 3 years, the two I have been in were the fault of other people and I was driving alone..

a couple years ago, my dad's 01 stratus (not the best car, but it was a nice car to start out with) got totaled by a woman who "thought I was going to keep going" when I stopped at a red light. I stopped it at one last light and about 15 seconds later the car was never going to drive again

[BumbleBee]

Originally Posted by gtahvit

My tribute to the first Camaro in our family. My Mom drove it and was going to give it to me. I was gonna hand over the keys to my jeep to my Dad and he was gonna give me the Camaro. Obviously it didn't work out that way. I did get to drive it quite a bit. Hit by a lady who ran a red light.

I know what you mean, the black TA was going to be mine, I hope to have one some day.

[09'Z28]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

That's EXACTLY what it is. You can get a 16 year old driving a car by him/herself and they do wonderfully....attentive, alert, safe, etc. But, take the same person and put three other 16 year olds in the car with him/her??? Uh oh....

thats why out here in California one of our probation laws is you can't drive with anyone under 16 (might be older) in the car for like 6 months

[Dave McFly]

some have one, some have two, i have THREE gone before their time stories

story 1:

I got for an early graduation from high school gift my first car a clean, low millage rust free 1980 Chevrolet Malibu classic coupe. this car literately belonged to a 'little old lady who only drove the car to the church on Sunday'. it was hideous 'elephant hide' gray with a gray vinyl top and matching gray vinyl molding on the sides. it had a bench seat with column mounted shifter. and of course it had white wall tire with imitation bolt on wire wheel covers that were removed with a tool (gotta love GM and those ). the ONLY saving grace on this car besides the fact that it was a coupe not a sedan was what was under the hood. it had a 305 V8 with a aluminum eldebrock intake manifold (name was stamped on it) and a holley four barrel carb under the stock air cleaner. we found out that her grandson did this to the car to give it more oomph . I left it stock for a while, the only thing i did was remove the wire wheel covers and replaced them and the steel wheels with a set of ralleye rims off a early 80s monte SS and white letter tires from bf goodwrench. over the summer i saved some money and we gave it a minor restoration. me and my dad pulled off the 'rubber roof' and side trim and most of the chrome (we left the wheel well trim and trim around the head and tail lights. and we painted it 78 corvette silver anniversary metalic silver with a black pin strip. after we moved to florida it was totaled by a guy who ran a red light and spun me into a ditch on the side of the road. this 'waste of space' who was driving a old Bronco or a Blazer saw that i was getting out of the car and TOOK OFF!!. of ALL the cars i have had over the years this was the ONLY one i REALLY want back. I had BIG plans for that car, putting a 350 and updating the interior as well.

RIP 1980 Chevrolet Malibu Classic aka the 'gray ghost'
1979-1993

story 2:

I was living in Florida and still never really got over the loss of my baby (check story numero uno). I found a piece of crap Plymouth turismo duster coupe it didn't look bad but it was a real lemon. my dad who worked at a local nursing home knew of an old gentleman who had a clean low millage truck i may be interested in. it was mint cond 1986 Toyota SR5 extended cab 4x4 pickup. it looked EXACTLY like the truck Michael J Fox had in the Back to the Future movies (which is my all time favorite film check my screen name ). i bought it off him for about 2 grand and i loved this truck. not a BIG need for a 4x4 in eastern Florida but i did not care it was "Marty's truck". I took it to shows and everybody loved it. I even got the KC light covers for the roll bar and grille guards too. Well a year or so after I got it me and my mom and my brother who were ahead of me in her car a nice olds 88 LSS sport sedan that she LOVED. were on a back roads route in west or regular Virgina on our way to spend the holidays with our family in NY. it was slippery and i hit a patch of bad slush covered ice and i started fishtailing and i went off road striking a mile marker that you see every 10th of a mile. and then spun out 180 degrees on the side of the road i did not come to a complete stop before i fell on my side and ROLLED down the side of the road 4 or 5 times . my mom and my brother slammed on the brakes and pulled over and ran over to me. i was still belted in but i was on my right side, i unbuckled the belt still a little dazed that i forgot i was on my side and well gravity took over and i ended up in the passenger side. they had to use a tow truck's winch to get me onto my wheels and pull me back to the side of the road and get me out. i inspected my truck and surprisingly the only damage to the truck was the front where i hit the marker and the drivers side door an fender and part of the cab roof (NO broken glass) we were able to replace the headlight that was shattered but we drove a few miles before i realized something was wrong and we pulled to a gas station and i climbed under the truck and me an my brother saw that MOST of the damage was in the frame and where the bed and cab were attached to the frame. we had to leave the truck there and i went on with my mom and him in her car. we went back after the holidays to get the truck brought to Florida and the body shop guys said it was basically totaled it would cost way to much for me to repair it so i had to take my plates and my stereo from it and leave it. i found out later on somebody bought it and repaired some of the damage and uses it for a off road truck for his hunting.

RIP 1986 Toyota SR5 4x4 aka "Marty's truck"
1985-1997

story 3:

I was living in my current location of Jamestown NY, moved back from Florida it was just too crazy traffic wise and could not afford to live there anymore. at the time i was driving the NICEST car i have owned. a 1995 Ford Thunderbird 40th anniversary edition that was loaded with leather, sunroof and the same 4.6 OHC V8 that was in the current mustang. it was nice for Florida where it is sunny year round but in western NY where it has brutal winters and i have a lot of hills (Florida is MOSTLY flat) my car was not practical for it being rear drive and heavy. I was looking in the auto trader and i saw a nice 95 monte carlo and a very nice 96 grand prix coupe in Seneca (near where dragoneye is i believe) at a place called Liberty Motors. I was not planning on buying a car as i have a friend who is a dealer and can get what i am looking for at an auction in PA. I only wanted to drive the two cars and see if i liked either one of them. well i was on this road in front of the place with my signal on and my wheel turned to the left waiting for an opening in traffic when i see a car coming up behind me but not slowing down. I was thinking "he will stop or go arr-" i never finished my thought he slammed into me and knocked me INTO oncoming traffic and almost hit a big dump truck . I ended up in the ditch with both bags deployed. i got out and checked the driver he was just stunned and not listening to me. i went back to my car the whole back end was just gone caved in, my trunk floor was now almost vertical and the spare tire fell out. he hit me with such force that the floorboards bucked upwards slamming my forehead into my ceiling. i only had a gash on my forehead and a sore shoulder from it hitting the side window glass. i had to call my dad to come get me, we went back the next day to get my paperwork and plates from the car and to get the police report. his insurance said my car was totaled (DUH) and gave me a check for 6k which was a 1000 more than i paid for it 3 years ago.

RIP 1995 Ford Thunderbird 40th Anniversary Edition aka "bluebird"
1994-2003

well those are my stories, the cops at the last one said i was 'damn lucky to be alive!' and it was amazing i was not paralyzed, i look at as any crash you can walk away from, is a good one .

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

For all of those who never heard my story....

I was leaving work on a road that has a slight incline which curves to the left. At the top of the hill where the left turn is, there is a 90 degree right turn into a neighborhood. This isn't the safest intersection. Anyhow....I'm coming over the top of the hill, see the headlights pull up to the stop sign on the road to the right, the lights cease to move (complete stop), and I proceed thinking nothing of it (just another person who stops at a stop sign, right?).

Well, headlights start moving forward as I'm getting ready to pass. There's nothing I can do but smash on the brakes and swerve to the left. She hit me on the front right quarter panel and ripped it all the way down the right side as I spun out (backend out to the left).

When she got out of her car, she said, "I'm so sorry!" I asked what in the world was she thinking and she said, "I looked to the right but I never looked left, I'm so sorry!!" She was 16 years old, was grounded, she snuck out of the house taking moms car w/out permission, and she totalled two cars that night. Imagine the crap she was in after that.

Damn.. I've been in a accident once but my ex was driving not me. Another car hit us on the passenger side as well (my side...) Was more along the front fender and totaled both cars. My door wouldn't open, and then my first reaction was jumping out the window to go kill the guy that hit us. Main reason was because my ex had the wind knocked out of her kinda.. She just seemed upset for the most part and got out of the car a 5 or so seconds after the wreck. The guy was lucky his door was locked.. I ran back over to Ashley to make sure she was okay. By the time the police got there the guy finally got out of the car. Which was kind of funny I thought later on. Back then I was 16, some 29 year old guy that was bigger than me at the time wouldn't get out of the car until the cops got there, he was even cussing at me too. (With the windows up lol) What a prick, excuse my French lol. I'm really a laid back and easy going person.. but if someone ever hits me while I'm in my Camaro.. god help them lol.

Oh and what makes the story sad.. we were in a c4 Corvette..

[BumbleBee]

Ok, so it's not as nice of a car or fast or as bad as some of the accidents on here, but the little Vibe needs some love...

I was attempting to make a right when the silver Cobalt came out right in front of me, on the wrong side of the road... the driver was trying to blame it on me, har har... Well, there's got to be a first time for everything, my first wreck, could have done without it, but at least everyone is okay. I wish I could say the same for the Cobalt...







Oh and not one, not two, but three police cruisers showed up, for a fender bender in a parking lot, plus the two campus security. But the cops were cute

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by BumbleBee

Ok, so it's not as nice of a car or fast or as bad as some of the accidents on here, but the little Vibe needs some love...

I was attempting to make a right when the silver Cobalt came out right in front of me, on the wrong side of the road... the driver was trying to blame it on me, har har... Well, there's got to be a first time for everything, my first wreck, could have done without it, but at least everyone is okay. I wish I could say the same for the Cobalt...







Oh and not one, not two, but three police cruisers showed up, for a fender bender in a parking lot, plus the two campus security. But the cops were cute

Ahhh, yes. I remember this one. Seems like there's some better pix in this one, though. I don't think you ever did say if their INS owned up. From the placement of the veh's, it looks like they should have. Am I right?

Originally Posted by aston70

I apologize for the low quality of the pics, but they're very old. It's not a car to brag about, but it wasn't bad for the $100 I originally paid for it. Also if I could, I would not have painted it this color. It was a fad color at the time. I think it came on 90s geo storm/tracker.

Anyway, this is what happens when you hit a ford f-150 head on in an 81 citation x11.

The truck crossed the centerline in a curve. As you can see by the door, I fell out of this car. My feet were still inside, my legs were pinned between the door and rocker panel and my a$$ drug across the pavement. I still have the hat I was wearing at the time. It has a crease in it where it was run over by the truck's back tire. Luckily all I got was a sore butt and a broken thumb. This is not the way to learn to wear seatbelts.

Woah....too close for comfort on that one. Glad you came out ok.

[The_Beast_]

Well my uncle's, later my dads after he pasted away, 86 IROC-Z28, my start of the love, was stolen one night and was never seen again. Just like that.

BTW: I have totaled 2 cars. Neiter was my fault, although The Beast did it. My 92 Pathfinder has a massive grill guard, We rebuilt it thicker after the first attack, that took out a 240SX and Civic in the six months. So I was on Brand Blvd. 5 months ago, and some random guy comes out of a gas station by Roosevelt middle school and well a 15 year old car dont have brakes like it used to so that 240 just flew. it roled twice and came to a stop 23 feet later. The driver was fine and the grill guard was dented.
NUMBER 2
2 months ago I was going down glendale Ave and 200yds away from the stoplight at the mountain st intersection a drunk driver jumped the highways divider and hit the cars in the 2 lanes next to me then hurled towards me (the police report said he was allegedly going like 70 sumthing) and pretty much ate shit. On impact he got caught infront of me and was lodged into the bigger guard. and once I hit the brakes the civic started to slip under The Beast so not to have a 2 ton monster on top of a person I gunned it, and ranover his engine. His car was done but the bigger guard had no damage at all. Sadly my front bumper cracked, damn plastic crap. So I jsut got my new one on Friday and now Shes good as new.