Well, our worst fears were realized yesturday. Jason and I took the car
to a local shop in Buford for the alignment and a new front tire. The
guy puts the new(read cheap used)tire on. I look close and notice that
there is only about an inch from the wheel to the fender, I go over to
the other side and there is about 3.5 inches! DOH! The mech had recently
totalled his F150 in a simular accident, his tire blew and he wraped his
truck around a tree. The A-frame got bent and the actual frame got bent.
The insurance company had to totall the truck out. The mechanic looked
close at it and said the A-frame was bent bad, but he wasnt sure if the
cars frame was. Either way its bad. An A-frame is about $600 acourding
to the mech. then add in the bumper, tire and wheel, a pass. door from
the previous accident and a front fender to get the car in shape and it
just doesnt seem worth it. What do you guys think? Jason has a car, a
hundai elantra that needs cv joints and fluid change that he hasnt run
in a year or so. Were probably going to get it going and try and sell
the car for parts, or try to find a junked neon with the parts we need
and go to town. Any thoughts?
Jerry, email me off list - alexreed@home.com
Jerry Lee wrote:
>
> Alex: What part of Ga are you from?
> I live in Gainesville and could call aroound tomorrow and see what I can
> find.
> I am about 50 miles north of Atlanta.
> To the DML
> I hope everyone is having a safe and Happy Holiday
> Jerry Lee
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "AlexReed" <alexreed@home.com>
> To: <dakota-truck@BUFFNET.NET>
> Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2001 8:16 AM
> Subject: DML: Neon wreck(long but worth it)
>
> >
> > Hey Gang,
> >
> > Well, it was bound to happen again. A good friend of mine wrecked
> > his girlfriends '96 Dodge Neon. A little info on the situation, they
> > just recently broke up, put had problems with the neon, it was broke
> > down. Her work place was close to his place, she just got the car
> > running again. (It has been wrecked twice, once from previous owner and
> > once by her) Then Thanksgiving comes, her family is planning a trip to
> > florida so they can all be together for the holiday. Jason(my
> > buddy)didnt want to have to ride alone on the long trip back and asked
> > me if I wanted to go for a car ride. I said yes(first DOH!) and we left.
> > We leave at about 7:30pm or so to take her to her moms. Its kinda funny,
> > as she walked away and gave us final goodbyes she said " Ok guys, please
> > don't do anything stupid"(second DOH!) If she only knew of the insueing
> > damage we were about to create. So, were on the road. Going down the
> > long dark county road. Suddenly a car turns onto the road, going the
> > opposite way. Then I realize that there's a stop sign and that the road
> > ends. You either have to go left or right. Jason is driving and blinded
> > by the headlights. He doesn't see the sing, I yell "Stop Sign!!!!!!!!,
> > TURN TO THE LEFT!!!!!" Then, he realizes what im saying, sees the sign
> > and hits the brakes HARD, too hard. No anti-lock to save the day, we
> > start skidding, Jason is turning the wheel left, no response, the wheels
> > are locked. At a slight angle we head for a dirt imbankment(sp) seems
> > like slow motion. I brace for impact, tensing every muscle in hopes of
> > not getting hurt, WWWHHHHAAAAMMMM!!! We collide with the hard clay, and
> > the car comes to a violent stop. Jason asks me if im ok. Im not sure, I
> > feel pain through my lower back and neck, minor to medium pain. In shock
> > of what's happened, I get out and kneel on the ground with one knee and
> > rest my arms on the other. I feel shaken, not sure of what just
> > happened. Jason comes running over, frantically asking if my ok. I tell
> > him im just shaken up, and ask if he is ok. He says he fine, asks me
> > again how I am. I tell him I just need to catch my breath. Then I look
> > up and see a pick-up truck stopping, then a police car coming closer. He
> > must have been right up behind us, he was there just seconds after the
> > accident. He gets out and asks if anyone's hurt, I was just standing up
> > from kneeling and told him I was just shaken up. He asked what happened,
> > I told him, were not from around here and were blinded by the car. We
> > didn't see the stop sign and locked the brakes, couldn't steer and hit.
> > He was cool, asked if we wanted to fill out a report and helped us to
> > check the car. I got in and Jason pushed from the front and we got the
> > car off the embankment. We tied a couple of things up out of the was
> > with some lanyards we luckily had. Picked up the remnants of the front
> > plastic bumper. The officer left.
> > We didn't want to ruin her family gathering, and her and her family
> > could be coming down this road in a matter of minutes. We didn't want
> > her to see us on side of the road, so we quickly left. We get a few feet
> > and the front pass. tire goes flat. We see a dirt road a couple hundred
> > feet up the road. We turn down there, changed the tire and got back on
> > the road. We head to the gas station to further check the car, check for
> > any leaks etc. By chance the presidents of a mustang club were there,
> > they drag race. As were leaving the tell us that the donut spare was
> > just about flat and that it needed atleast 60 psi. of air. Jason fills
> > the tire and I was talking with the mustang guys. It was a funny
> > coincidence, last year at the Hot Rod Power Fest I ran against a green
> > cobra and the guy blew his motor. Well, the guy I was talking to knows
> > the owner, he was a member and bought the motor from him! That was
> > crazy.
> > Well, after all of this, were in an unfamiliar area. Shaken up from
> > the wreck we forgot which way was home. A few wrong turns and U-turns
> > later, plus a gas station attendant later we finally got in the right
> > direction and home safe. Now all we have to do is on sat. take the car
> > for an allignment(wwwaayyy off) and a new tire. Then to the salvage yard
> > for a front bumper and fascia. Then when Samantha gets back were going
> > to tell her what happened, apologize about a million times or so and
> > hope she doesn't kill us.(the third DOH!)
> >
> > Sorry its so long, but its now 8am, ive been up all night and needed to
> > vent. Oh, any Ga guys have any parts suppliers, I could use a front
> > bumper and fascia for a '96 Neon. lol (and the fourth DOH!)
> >
> > Later,
> > Alex
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