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I drove the car just over 4000 miles over two weeks and had a great time seeing lots of new places and driving some very fun back roads.
On the downside, I got to have the following misadventures...
1. Asleep in our hotel in Rapid City, SD the phone rings. Never a good sign. It's the front desk wanting to know if we were the owners of the grey corvette because it had been hit in the parking lot.
I go down to the front desk where the clerk tells me the gentleman standing there had seen the car get hit from his room window, and had gone down to the lot and checked on the car then got a photo of the license plate from the car that hit me.
Since it was Sturgis week, the good samaritan had been keeping an eye on his bikes parked in the lot and noticed a suspicious large white van circling the lot. He saw the van for some reason try to back into the space next to my car (plenty of open lot spaces) maneuver back and forth at least a dozen times while trying to park. Finally get the van into the spot. Then pull completely out. The driver of the van got out, walked over to my car, examined the damage and then drove away, only to circle the lot a few more times, then park at the opposite end by the hotel next door. The good samaritan told me this story, gave me this contact info (turned out he is a Harley Dealer in Southern California and agreed to talk the police if necessary. He texted me the photos he took of the car damage and the license plate of the van that hit me.
Called the police, very nice RCPD officer came by, took the report, talked to the desk clerks at both hotels and found the van driver. he got me the driver's info for the police report (name, insurance, etc.) The van driver came over to me and apologized for the damage and said he never realized he had hit me (as the witness said "Liar, liar, pants on fire). I called my insurance company 24 hour line and reported the incident. They contacted the other driver's insurance and told me to followup with them if I didn't want to have to pay my deductible.
The next morning the other driver texts me, apologizes for the "scratch" and asks me not to report it to insurance. I tell him it's too late.
His insurance contacts me the next day (Allstate). I give them the info, they tell me to use their phone app to take pictures of the damage and they will send me a check or ACH transfer for the claim if their driver is at fault. I do this, and a couple of hours later get an email from their adjuster with the damage assessment and repair costs. They say it will be about $1000 to repair. But if my shop finds additional damage to have him contact them and they will cover as needed. Car hasn't been to the shop yet as I won't be back to my primary home until Lablr Day weekend.
The next day i get another call from Allstate; their insured is now denying any responsibility for the damage and saying he didn't hit me. I have to give a recorded statement, in which I include the police report number, how they can obtain it, and tell them that their insured had texted me, admitted that he had hit met, and asked me not to report the damage to insurance. I emailed them screen grabs of the texts. Two hours later I get a call asking how I want them to send me the money for the repair.
My biggest concern , at this point, is that the panel alignment of the rear bumper cover and the quarter panel to the passenger door is screwed up. I had had the door adjusted by the dealer ti align perfectly and it is now off by about a quarter inch. Anyway pics of the damage are below:
2. While driving across Nebraska at night I apparently encountered a swarm of grasshoppers. Some of these suckers had 4" wingspans and tn the space of about three minutes completely covered the windshield with dead bug parts. I had to pull over to clean off the windshield and the headlights. These things were huge and they beat the crap out of the vinyl stripes across my hood and on the rear spoiler where impact buried a couple of large grasshoppers under the vinyl I was pulling bug parts out of the vinyl My insurance company will be taking a look at it (fortunately I have pictures from that same day of the perfect striping). I really like the way the silver stripes look on the grey car and will likely take any money they give me and put it towards having the stripes painted on and properly clear-coated. FWIW, the CQ coating was of no help in this situation. A huge rainstorm about 20 minutes later washed off the rest of the dead bugs.
3. And to add insult to injury, about an hour from home (our place in TN) some idiot decided that the traffic in a construction zone was too annoying for him and he blasted down the shoulder to the next exit, throwing up a large rock from the gravel in the shoulder which put a quarter sized divot in my windshield, directly in my line of site. $250 deductible, it gets replaced Thursday.
Other than that it was a great trip My wife and I did have a really good time.
I'm so glad you had a good time, but that's why I would never take my car on a trip like that. I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night with it parked in hotel parking lots.
I feel worse for you than the OP. You'll never be able to truly enjoy what the car is made to do. The same things could have happened on the way to the grocery store, or in any parking lot. Sounds like you just need to leave it in the garage at all times, and don't let anyone else in there. They might knock a ladder over or something.
I'm so glad you had a good time, but that's why I would never take my car on a trip like that. I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night with it parked in hotel parking lots.
This is EXACTLY why a Corvette should never be uncovered and taken out of the garage...., except to wash and wax of course. All kidding aside DPC57, I'm really sorry to hear about your misfortune(s) on your recent trip. Hope the repairs work out well for you and your car ends up looking as good as the day you drove it home. Life is short, enjoy your car. Good Luck.
I'm so glad you had a good time, but that's why I would never take my car on a trip like that. I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night with it parked in hotel parking lots.
I feel worse for you than the OP. You'll never be able to truly enjoy what the car is made to do. The same things could have happened on the way to the grocery store, or in any parking lot. Sounds like you just need to leave it in the garage at all times, and don't let anyone else in there. They might knock a ladder over or something.
Anytime you head out on a roadtrip, anything can happen including injury or death. Same as driving 4 miles to the healthclub, or out to dinner, or work. I hate to leave my beautiful Corvette in a motel parking lot overnight too, but it has to happen to enjoy life with your Corvette.
It can all be repaired; my 14 got hit by 18 wheeler in Memphis on my vacation 2 years ago. $8300 later the car was repaired. They had to relace the driver and passenger side rear fenders as the panel clips got broke on impact as well as lots at rear bumper and underneath items. Adjuster made 3 trips to inspect damage as it was exposed. All the panels lined up after replacement by Chev dealer repair shop. New panels are not pre painted; but Paint matched.
Sorry the mishaps happened. At least you had a good samaritan and if not, thats what the insurance is for. The car is no good if not subjected to the elements.
Sorry the mishaps happened. At least you had a good samaritan and if not, thats what the insurance is for. The car is no good if not subjected to the elements.
Glad you had a fun time despite the mishaps. These things are definitely more rare than common. I just completed a 5500 mile roadtrip from Florida, all the way to AZ, then pikes peak then back to FL. Car was safe the entire time at all hotels and it returned home with no damage. Definitely a trip for the record books!
Wow, that was a workout reading your story. I feel the pain and ANY damage is not good. However, it looks like you had cosmetic damage that should be fixable with a good painter. I hate when this happens...you are lucky he saw everything. Gotta love his insurance company, right? NOT.
Last edited by jimmie jam; 08-21-2018 at 03:22 PM.
Hopefully the guy received a summons for leaving the scene of an accident which should pump up his insurance with Allstate......and the guy was too dumb to think after admitting his guilt that Allstate wouldn't find out and he could buy his way out of the incident. What a tool.
It's one of the reasons I'll be installing a front/rear camera system in mine with the parking recording feature. I've just had too many weird things and overly aggressive actions involving other drivers that have happened in the short time I've had mine.
Last edited by Guitarking1; 08-21-2018 at 04:49 PM.
08-21-2018, 12:55 PM
The low points of my 4,000 mile vacation drive
My wife and I did have a really good time.
