TNBusa wrecked his car (pics)
 

It happened this morning. He was on his way to meet Eddie70 for breakfast. He was passing a car, and the car speeded up to keep him from it. When he hit the gas pedal, it went out of control. He hit a lady in a silver toyota, hit a street sign, and they both went off in a field. Her car may very well be totaled. Mike's car looks awful.....as you can see in the pics.

We're just really thankful that no one was hurt. It could have been worse. :blueangel:

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar004.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar005.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar006.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar012.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar013.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar014.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar015.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar016.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar017.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar018.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar019.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar020.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar021.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar022.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar023.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar024.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar025.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar026.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar027.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar028.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar029.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar030.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar031.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...aledcar032.jpg

wow gladd no one was hurt. the car does look rebuildible.

Glad to see everyone is ok.... The car can be fixed..... Maybe some new mods now that your going to have the other work done..

Sorry about the wreck.. Good luck with the rebuild... Keep us informed please..

G

Its a shame to see a car someone put so much work into get wrecked

Wow....I'm SO sorry to hear about it! Sure glad everyone is OK!


Hey Mike....don't worry.....c'mon to BG anyway....you can drive mine anytime you want!


Take care!

See ya,


JIM

DOH!!!!! That's painful to look at and it's not my car. Glad you're okay and good luck with the rebuild. Love the color and wheels.
Terry

Damn, that's rough. :( Glad no one was hurt. :blueangel:

:iagree: As bad as this was.....

Sorry to see this. Maybe the 180 H.P. of a '76 is a good thing....:ack:

Hey Mike,

Glad your and the other person are ok. Insurance will fix it. That is one beautiful car. I'm sure you'll make it better than it was. I hope they find the guy that drove off and left you.

That truly sucks, still an awsome car, good to hear that no one was hurt, is there a bounty on the person who sped up ? Peace,,,Moosie :seeya

:( :( :( :( glad no one was hurt, but sometimes them weekend drives are the most dangerous.:yesnod: At least it is rebuildable.:yesnod:

thanks everyone. :blueangel:

Mike, Eddie70 and a couple more buddies are in the basement now. Mike might have had a couple of VERY strong drinks. (I know......I made them. :willy:)

I think he might need another.............

:leaving:

:( :( :( :( :(

I am so sorry to hear this happened......that was one beautiful Corvette you had there....but it can be rebuilt, and no one was hurt......I know these words can't fix whats wrong, and I know how I would feel if my pride and joy looked like that after all my hard work, but keep your chin up, and build it even better! :thumbs:

:cheers:

As I said in the other post, very sorry this happened. :eek: I'm sure no matter what we say, Mike will still feel bad about his car, as we all would if it happened to us. Please tell us the car is home, or in a locked / secured towing compond.

Just damn!! Glad he's ok.

thats terrible.... thank god nobody got hurt. I hope the insurance will cover everything.

What I want to know is: What happened to the guy who prevented him from passing or allowing him to go by? I hope he stuck around and manned up. Sorry to see such a nice car get mangled and glad that no one was hurt. Cars can be rebuilt, people sometimes cannot.

What happened to the git who sped up when he was trying to pass?

Hope they caught the guy who kept him from passing. That **** is just stupid and dangerious!

All I can say is......dude.....That sux, very sorry.
That is all of our worst fears.

that was a beautiful ride, I am sure it will be again soon. Glad to see nobody hurt!!

This thread makes me sick :ack:

Good lord, Glad everyone is OK. That is such an awful feeling to be involved in something like that. (been there done that).I have been admiring your car since I first saw it on the forum.I have felt your pain before.

Tell you what, when you get gathered up, If you want I will volunteer to help you fix that car at a reduced rate (if you dont have any one in your area) Please dont take this as a solicitation for work,(we have plenty). Just trying to help a corvette friend, as I am experienced in extensive c3 corvette reconstruction.

Contact me if you need to.

Again, so sorry for your loss!!!!!(my wife is too. She gasped at the pics)

Stan

That's a real shame, Mike's car is something special,I'm sure he'll get it back better than ever! :thumbs:

just damn....

:iagree: truly a shame:sadangel:

Dude, that is horrible. I am so sorry to see this and glad your both ok.

I to spun mine out the first week after I installed the LS1. Same think, I was trying to pass and the guy next to me speeded up, forcing me to punch it. I spun around at 60 mph.

VERY Cool Road-Race Vette..........:thumbs:

WOW! Just glad no one was hurt. Sure is painfull to see the damages to that car.

I have seen the "other car speeding up to prevent the pass" happening more and more lately. I used to think it was common practice for this type of stuff when I had my motorcycle.. I see it almost as often since I drive my vette daily. I realize it's somewhat of a "he said/she said" thing... Can anything be done (ticket, etc...) to them for being "part" of the reason for the accident in the first place?

:iagree: Glad everyone is ok.

I was kinda expecting to see a two lane and not a divided hwy. Sadly, the only way to prove anything in court is to trade paint. The driver you woke from their nap is both an azzgasket AND a coward. :smash:

I agree with most of the members of CF. Be thankful no one was hurt. This is the risk when we drive our loved cars on the roads. Your car was beautiful before it looks like it can be again.

Bummer. :ack:

Would someone just come over and shoot me please

Glad to see everyone is okay, but damn that was such a beautiful vette...

It was a nice piece. But how do you tear up both ends passing or attempting to pass a car?

Glad you're ok. The car can be repaired.

That makes me want to hurl!! I was so looking forward to seeing the beast this Spring. Hang in there Mike!!

he hit a "no litteriing" sign on one side of the car and the silver toyota on the other. :ack: :willy: :rolleyes:

Go have a drink and watch some TV. It WILL get better. Remember your OK and so is the person in the other car. Your car will get fixed. It could of got a lot uglier.

It tough, but keep smiling :)

Man...this makes my stomach turn :ack:

I remember when you were asking for color suggestions back during the build...been following this one since the beginning :(

OMFG, what a sweet car to have that happen to. I was just praying that as I clicked here, that it was going to show a picture of a daily driver instead. I am sooo sorry this happened, but as everyone else said, glad no one was hurt. This too is one of my favorite cars on the fourm. I hope we see it come back say in 6 months better than ever!

Mike,
Glad you're OK, Bud. I was really looking forward to seeing you're car at CF CI. I'm sure you will bring it back better than it was. Besides, you were looking for an excuse to re-paint it. But wrecking it is taking things to the extreme!
Mark Lefebvre (ML67) warned me about this kinda HP at highway speeds. He said, "Blowing the tires away at 30 mph will make you smile. Blowing them away at 60 mph will give you religion!"
I hope to see you and Janie at BG.
Good luck,
Patrick

Looks terrible but mainly fiberglass work. Fortunatly no injuries and it looks like he went into a field. Good thing no trees or guardrails.

What can I say the pic's speak for themselves. Glad to see you walked away from it. Anytime you walk away its a good thing. IT still is my favorite vette here on the forum.

Gald no one was hurt. When driving a Vett on a four lane the best way to pass is fast and quick. If you start around slow almost every car I try to pass seems to speed up to ten miles over the limit just to push you to go faster and get a ticket. It's hard to back off but I have learned to do it. I hope the insurance fixes your vett.

Wow
 

Mike, sure glad you're ok. Hope to see you and Janie Tuesday at the meeting.

Im going to be sick...

Im glad everyone is okay.

Hang in there man it could've been alot worse, each day will get better.

I have been noticing over the years that drivers have been driving like azzes.It is worse in the northern states then the south.What gives,this really can piss somebody off and just think it could have been some body with kids in the car and a jerk like this drives this way.No wonder theres road rage.Its not a game,if some one wants to go around you ,let them.If theres 2 lanes move over to the right side ,let people go.It can be so irritating.:nono:it was a beautiful car and i liked your wheels.i was thinking on getting them for mine.sorry for ranting but a nice car like that gets messed up due to someone else,it makes me mad,sorry.

Thanks for all the concern everyone. Im still hoping this is a bad dream.
At this time I am not planning to fix it. I have a agreed value of 30k with my insurance...stupid me did not have it increased when the car was completed. I dont know how the insurance deal is going to work or if they will consider it a total. I will see what they offer to let me keep the car and then part it out to try and recoup some of the loss. If anyone has any experience with this kind of thing let me know the best way to handle it. Thanks, Mike

I am currently making Mike strong drinks. He is so discouraged and disheartened. It's tearing me up. :(

First off, very glad you were not hurt. Secondly, not to make you feel worse, but I always thought yours was right up there with the best looking sharks on the net.

And not to be philosophical, but I'm a believer in all things for a reason. It will work out. :thumbs:

I hate this kind of thread!:ack:

Like others have said, I'm glad no one was hurt but it sucks to see such a beautiful Vette after a wreck like this.

I hope after a little cool off time you reconsider and end up rebuilding her.

We've all been telling him not to make any rash decisions. We'll see what the insurance says first I guess.

Thanks again for the kind words everyone. It was really an amazing car. I really wish he had pulled my car out of the garage this morning instead of his. :( As much as I love my car, I would rather it be the one wrecked instead of his.

Glad you are OK.
Wait till the dust settles before you make any decisions, thats a nice ride and you would miss it if it was gone.

So sorry :(

New front clip and some rear work and you're back in business!

BEFORE BG!!


JIM

Damn Mike, sorry about your accident. I know this won't help, but I did almost the same thing back when I first put RamJet in my 70. I won't get into the details but it was eerily similar. With all that torque I was 10 to 2 trying to keep the car straight. Before I knew it I was in the ditch. Screwed up the rear lower valance and right bumper/ fiberglass side mount. Not nearly as bad as your dealing with, but :bs just the same.
Ok, looking at it like the glass is half full:

First and foremost, you are ok :thumbs:

You had to do bodywork anyway from when Janie went airborne over the bridge:D

You always wanted to learn how to become a body man. :willy:

That hood and the wheels look like they survived :yesnod:

Looks like no serious frame damage.

I have a spare right front grill and rear bumpers.

Your wife is a whole lot more understanding than my wife would have been:smash:

And last but not least, If money will fix it then no big deal ;)

If you guys need anything let us know, we C3ers stick together

Bullshark

P.S.

No way is that car totaled. So don't even think about parting it out:(

Wow that sucks :sadangel:

I hurt for ya bro! Have one on me... :cheers:

:eek: :sadangel:

Major suckage. :( :( :(

Glad that no one was hurt tho...

Damn Mike, Janie so sorry to hear and see this. I know how much time and love went into redoing it. :( Just be glad you are ok physically.

Wow, so sorry man. I won't tell you what a beautiful car it was...I know it hurts. Looks like you have some great friends over helping you through. I am at the top of Kentucky if you need any help with anything:thumbs:

I feel for you my friend ,glad your OK

Javier

Just send it straight to the body shop tomorrow. Out of sight, out of mind. Let them fix it and pick it when your done. We all get bumps and bruises, remember I drove to BG with a mask on my car after my daughter decided to expand the garage.

:iagree: What happened to the jerk???

At some point a man just wants to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

I would have to try to keep the car and rebuild it. Hopefully the frame is good and its a new front clip, rear fiberglass work, some chrome, and lots of love.

Sorry for your loss today. You walked away, thats a start.

B.......

Bad thing, the crash.

Good thing, its only glass.

Make sure you pick up all the pieces. It "will" glue back together with a lot of 3M panel adhesive.....:thumbs:

I know it's only 'glass, but I also know his heart and soul went into working on it.

I hope the legal end of this points undeniably straight at the SoB who set off the chain reaction by apparently thinking his manhood was being challenged from being passed. Had a crazed trucker hang me out while passing him in my coach down on FLA 710 (2-lane) between Sebring and Moroso and almost cause a big one. He wouldn't let me finish the pass or let me slow to get back in behind him, and if I hadn't been on the CB cussing about it the oncoming 18 wouldn't have had time to avoid us.

IMHO, both of these PoS's deserve to be in jail for reckless endangerment. Thank God (seriously, I'd get on your knees...) that this wasn't a lot worse.

:cheers:

WOW thank god no one was hurt,its a shame after all that hard work you guys(gals) did too.Hopefully it can be fixed.

All of us that have a C3 dred the day you just had.:willy:

That hurts, hopefully in the end things will work out for the best.

:iagree: I had a check from Hagerty in a few weeks of my mishap.

Thank the Lord no one was injured! This will work itself out and I hope you have the chance to rebuild and get that beautiful Vette back on the road and cruising soon. :thumbs:

Mike,

You STILL have one of the finest C3's out there. Don't let the jerk who caused this accident to win. Park your ride somewhere else for now, deal with the insurance and go rebuild it.

Glad you were not hurt. That is what counts. Get the paperwork done, and go fix your baby and bring it back to the splendor it was.

Our C3's seem to be magnets for A%^holes. It's jealousy.....

Rd

That must made me sick to my stomache :ack:

Sorry to hear it, you have alot of work ahead of you... good luck:thumbs:

Glad you are ok, sorry about the vette :(

A Corvette is rebuildable or replaceable, but the one driving it is not. It's always a bonus when everyone walks away!:thumbs:

The shame of it all is that someone would put another's life in jepordy because they didn't want to get passed. I hope the idiot learned a valuable lesson, but unfortunately they probably still think that they were right.:nono:

At least your ok
 

That just makes you want to cry. I feel for you. Make sure you get the car, even if you start another project, there's enough stuff left to bring another car right back to the same.

I know that people want to be supportive but....
Everyone seems to be blaming the other guy.

The pics show a 4 lane divided highway.
TNBusa pulls into left lane to pass.
Driver in right lane "challenges" him by accelerating.

Other than his ego, there is no reason TNBusa to match him.
He does not have to pull back in to avoid oncoming traffic
he's got his own lane. He can go his own speed.

TNBusa respond to the "challenge" by flooring it.
He loses control of his car, almost killing himself and another driver.

Now I wasn't there, but this sure sounds like street racing gone bad.

Flame away.

:eek: Sad to hear it, glad everyone's OK.

Let the dust settle, work out the insurance details, and rebuild it!!!

Unfortunately, like the guy who left the accident, there are way too many people on the road that just put their brains in nuetral or talk on the cell behind the wheel. I went for a ride Saturday and in an hour was almost run off the road once by an oncoming PU truck, and had 3 cars look at me and then pull right out in front of me from a side street. Good brakes and just enough road were the only things that saved me, my 15 y.o. daughter and the car. I was glad to get it back into the garage safely.

he realizes he was at fault. He feels like crap buddy. He is very thankful that no one got hurt. Yeah, he hates what happened to his car, but he is thankful that no people were hurt.

I don't think it was just "ego" that was involved. 99% of the people here would have done the same thing. I know I would have in my C6. If you wouldn't have then you're in the minority.

Now.......let's stop making him feel worse than he already does.

I dont think anyone is trying to make him feel worse but it does say something about him that he is actually admitting fault. :thumbs:

he did that right off the bat. He has a apologized over and over to the driver of the other vehicle. He feels awful about it. (and not just because of what happened to his car)

:iagree: Kilroy1024, While I understand what your point is, I'm sure most have done this exact same thing at one point or another. Sometimes our actions don't turn out right, and thats why they call them "accidents". Sorry, I don't blame TNBusa or the other driver, mistakes happen.
Keep your chin up TNBusa, and do everything you can too bring that car back to what it was.:cheers:

Sorry to hear this - I hope he rebuilds and it's a good thing that nobody got hurt bad.

That's why we call it an accident!

Hope you feel better Mike!

1. tell him to stop admitting fault. lawyers love that crap and loose lips could end him up in the poor house driving some kia..
2. as cool as they look, those tires need re-evaluating what's being expected of them.

everything else has already been said about the car, the loss, the accident

can I have the hood? :lol:

_uck

:rofl: I see this as an opportunity.....Ins money!!!:rofl:

Geez. Another fantastic bumper car gone. It was one of my forum favorites. :( I can't even imagine how that feels.
'08 isn't starting out very good so far unless you're a Giant's fan. :banghead:

Lessons learned...torque can sneak up on you and bite...

Wow really sorry to hear this.
The first time i saw that car I have dreamed of owning one just like it one day - same color, wheels and sidepipes. Its the background on my computer! Glad no one was hurt and good luck getting it back on the road

That sucks:( keep your head up:blueangel:

Sorry to see that!! :ack:

However, I've seen much worse cars plucked from barns and called a "find". It looks like mostly glass work. Fix it, buff it and get back out there! :thumbs:

so deppressed about this !!! glad mikes ok though but it sucks about the car !!!

Those are some painful pictures, but glad no one was injured. :blueangel:

OMG! I feel for ya man. My stomach is sick now after looking at the pics and it's not even my car.
Although I haven't been through this exact scenario, the only thing I can say is basically what's already been said. Try to get the insurance sorted out and let the dust settle. You'll feel differently about the whole thing in a couple of weeks. Don't forget, these cars are fiberglass and fiberglass can be fixed relatively easily. It looks like the really cool stuff is still all there and ready for a new body or body work. Hopefully a lesson has been learned here but the good news is that you're still around and un-hurt to learn from the lesson. You've also got a very supportive wife and some good friends here so that's another plus.

These cars can mean so much more to us than just a car so I understand the difficulty in the decision you need to make but we're all glad you're OK and nobody else was hurt and I think we all want to see you rebuild her again. Just step away from it for a little while and let the emotions die down a little.

I too have had some bad luck with my car, and it won't be going to B.G. but I still hope to go w/out the car and hope we all see you there.

Take care, Mike and have a nice margarita for me.

-Travis