16vjohn
Vendor , w/Business number
My MkIII just experienced it's 4th total loss due to collision, none of them were my fault. I think I'm a pretty good driver, I've easily logged 750,000 miles in my life, but this particular car is some kind of crap magnet.
The first accident was due to the previous owner, sliding on the ice and hitting a concrete barrier. The passenger side fender, steering and suspension components as well as the front bumper cover were destroyed. I bought the car and did a complete restoration with a parts car. That was at about 160k.
The second accident, a Jeep Cherokee ran a red light and hit the driver's side quarter panel. This totaled it (again) and I haggled the insurance up to $4,100. Mind you, this was right after I finished paintwork and had the car perfect. New turbo, rebuilt head, gaskets, etc, etc... (son of a *****) Since it was totalled, it received a salvage title. It was too much work to fix, so I pocketed the cash and intended to replace the car. To get me by I hammered out the damage and used gaffer tape to affix a tail light until I could source a new car, that was at 198k.
The third accident was when I was getting on the interstate, a 2 lane on ramp. A brand new lifted redneck style Duramax was in the lane next to me. Suddenly he swerved into my lane and smacked the driver's side of my car. He jumped out of the truck and said "Woah, sorry man! I was adjusting my GPS!" It left rubber swirls and scratched the whole side of the car. My only joy was that my mirror left a crease in his truck from behind the front headlight all the way back along the bed. It was a work truck and they decided to settle, I got $500 cash for that. That was at about 235k.
The fourth accident was last Tuesday. I was going through an intersection with a green light and a 17 year old girl pulled out in front of me in a 2014 Imprezza. I left rubber about 15 feet long on the road before hitting her door at approximately 45mph. Her car flew off the right side of the road, my car flew off the left and ended up in opposing traffic lane. Both front airbags deployed and I ended up in the ER. Interesting, because the airbag light burned out 3 years ago because I could never figure out the airbag code.
Upon inspection of the damage, the camber was thrown out of wack at the camber adjustment point, the 2 bolts on the strust. The strut and knuckle unscathed. I reset the camber. The tie rod was bent, but I bent it back into place. The CV was pushed into the subframe and bent, so I replaced that. The transmission output flanges are operational and nothing appears to be out of order there. The sway bar link was pulled through the control arm, so I lost a bushing and washer. I bought a new sway bar link and installed it yesterday. The control arm is a little tweaked, but I think it will align just fine.
The car has 266k on it now and just refuses to die. The car is so beat up, rusted... it's just a jalopy. But I love it. It's a solid car, I'd get it in right now and drive it across the country without a worry. I'm not sure why, but it's a crap magnet. Regardless, I will never buy a red car again, because Christine was red. I only wish this car would repair itself like Christine does. Tomorrow I am going to the junkyard to get two airbags, a headlight and a 14" steel wheel.
The first accident was due to the previous owner, sliding on the ice and hitting a concrete barrier. The passenger side fender, steering and suspension components as well as the front bumper cover were destroyed. I bought the car and did a complete restoration with a parts car. That was at about 160k.
The second accident, a Jeep Cherokee ran a red light and hit the driver's side quarter panel. This totaled it (again) and I haggled the insurance up to $4,100. Mind you, this was right after I finished paintwork and had the car perfect. New turbo, rebuilt head, gaskets, etc, etc... (son of a *****) Since it was totalled, it received a salvage title. It was too much work to fix, so I pocketed the cash and intended to replace the car. To get me by I hammered out the damage and used gaffer tape to affix a tail light until I could source a new car, that was at 198k.
The third accident was when I was getting on the interstate, a 2 lane on ramp. A brand new lifted redneck style Duramax was in the lane next to me. Suddenly he swerved into my lane and smacked the driver's side of my car. He jumped out of the truck and said "Woah, sorry man! I was adjusting my GPS!" It left rubber swirls and scratched the whole side of the car. My only joy was that my mirror left a crease in his truck from behind the front headlight all the way back along the bed. It was a work truck and they decided to settle, I got $500 cash for that. That was at about 235k.
The fourth accident was last Tuesday. I was going through an intersection with a green light and a 17 year old girl pulled out in front of me in a 2014 Imprezza. I left rubber about 15 feet long on the road before hitting her door at approximately 45mph. Her car flew off the right side of the road, my car flew off the left and ended up in opposing traffic lane. Both front airbags deployed and I ended up in the ER. Interesting, because the airbag light burned out 3 years ago because I could never figure out the airbag code.
Upon inspection of the damage, the camber was thrown out of wack at the camber adjustment point, the 2 bolts on the strust. The strut and knuckle unscathed. I reset the camber. The tie rod was bent, but I bent it back into place. The CV was pushed into the subframe and bent, so I replaced that. The transmission output flanges are operational and nothing appears to be out of order there. The sway bar link was pulled through the control arm, so I lost a bushing and washer. I bought a new sway bar link and installed it yesterday. The control arm is a little tweaked, but I think it will align just fine.
The car has 266k on it now and just refuses to die. The car is so beat up, rusted... it's just a jalopy. But I love it. It's a solid car, I'd get it in right now and drive it across the country without a worry. I'm not sure why, but it's a crap magnet. Regardless, I will never buy a red car again, because Christine was red. I only wish this car would repair itself like Christine does. Tomorrow I am going to the junkyard to get two airbags, a headlight and a 14" steel wheel.
Last edited:
