I had this back for one month, one car show, then this, update 12/8/14

[six-tee-nine]

Sorry to see this.

Dont mind putting your personal stuff here. Is a part of it as well. Anyone here that cant understand that does'nt belong here imo.

I hope all works out for you.

[bakerhillpins]

     
The '59-'09 crash test video was a pretty heavily-stacked deck.  It was an offset frontal crash against an old X-framed GM car.  Try going straight on with a lot of muscle cars and you'd see different results.  The newer stuff would still win but the visual difference wouldn't be as dramatic.


The legendary strength of older cars goes along with their legendary heavy weight and legendary bad gas mileage.  It was true compared to the downsized cars that followed them for the next 15 years.  But since then the modern stuff has closed the gap.

They chose an offset crash because they are the most common types of impact situations. It's very uncommon for folks to hit directly head on. The point wasn't to make it look bad, it was to make it match real world conditions.

[Mike DC]

           
They could have picked a 1950s car with a frame design that was not uncommon overall & unusually bad for that type of impact. They didn't have to do the test-Chevy-on-Chevy for example. 


They were going for a showoff difference.  It was celebrating their 50th anniversary of trying to progress safety.  If it would have made the results look more dramatic to use two Fords and hit straight-on then that is what they probably would have done instead. 

[Aero426]

As mentioned, they chose the '59 Chevy with the X frame for MAXIMUM shock and awe.   

[projectanimal]

I am so sorry to read about this.  When I first started reading I thought it was going to be a story about mechanical failure....
We don't have our car as complete but have been taking it to several places for alignments and other details and have the Same concerns.  One guy had me drive the car into his shop as he wasn't comfortable.
I wish you a quick and professional resolve.   I'd probably have several broken bones from punching things too!

[OldGuy]

Dan,
That's hard to look at after all you have been through with that car.  Sorry man!!
Carl

[472 R/T SE]

Hey Danno.

I had no idea.  I seen Mark mention something in his DC meet thread.

If you & I didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all. 



I've had the portable hand controls temporarily hooked up in my Charger & I did something very similar.   For that split second I thought, 'ah shit, there goes the central air & hot water heater.'  For whatever reason I was able to find the brake pedal but I was inches away from major house & car damage.

It's not easy driving a hand controlled rig when you're an able body.  I don't use hand controls in my Charger, instead I have a little 6" square wall I build out of aluminum stock mounted to the inside edge of the brake pedal.  It keeps my brake foot from sliding off onto the gas pedal.
My Magnum has hand controls & there's no way I can foot pedal it.  I'm an incomplete paraplegic so I have some function.



Most don't but you most definitely didn't deserve this...so sorry.

If I were you I'd be recording any & all conversations that have to do with the blue car.  Things are great now between you & the shop but it's not gonna take much & you'll be on their shit list.

[chargerman69]

Any cameras facing the shop

[Charger_Dart]

I am so sorry to see this, it's got to be so tough for you to handle. I just hope the recovery process is not too long or frustrating.
I think its impressive to see the various methods people find to drive these older cars they enjoy so much.
I saw this Dodge Power Wagon at the Mopar Nats 2 years ago and it was just incredible: 

[8WHEELER]

I have seen controls like that before on that truck, and those evan scare me     my controls are nothing compared to those, and the cost for those in that truck 
probably 10k just for those controls, not counting lowering the floor to drive from the wheelchair. That is one cool rig for sure.

Dan

[A12 Superbee]

It's a bloody tragedy and I can sympathise with the owner. I imported an A12 Superbee into Australia last year. It survived the truck ride from AZ to LA, the 4 week boat ride and the sometimes less than careful blokes at the wharf when it gets unloaded. I picked it up from my agent and within an hour I had a taxi hit me up the arse and destroy the bumper and damage the rear quarter.

It then spent 5 months in a repair shop and they stuffed up the color match so I took it to another shop and they did a much better job. They finished it just in time for me to take it to the biggest Mopar show in Australia, Chryslers on the Murray, and as I'm heading down the highway, the left front tyre delaminated and as it peeled away it kicked a dent in the top of the fender the size of Michael Jordans foot, took out the side marker light, snapped the fender brace and bent the inner firewall as it hit the armoured tube with the brake line in it. Also scratched the door and sill, so back in the shop it went.

Now that it's all fixed, it never goes anywhere where I can't see it all the time.

Good luck with the repairs!

[8WHEELER]

It's a bloody tragedy and I can sympathise with the owner. I imported an A12 Superbee into Australia last year. It survived the truck ride from AZ to LA, the 4 week boat ride and the sometimes less than careful blokes at the wharf when it gets unloaded. I picked it up from my agent and within an hour I had a taxi hit me up the arse and destroy the bumper and damage the rear quarter.

It then spent 5 months in a repair shop and they stuffed up the color match so I took it to another shop and they did a much better job. They finished it just in time for me to take it to the biggest Mopar show in Australia, Chryslers on the Murray, and as I'm heading down the highway, the left front tyre delaminated and as it peeled away it kicked a dent in the top of the fender the size of Michael Jordans foot, took out the side marker light, snapped the fender brace and bent the inner firewall as it hit the armoured tube with the brake line in it. Also scratched the door and sill, so back in the shop it went.

Now that it's all fixed, it never goes anywhere where I can't see it all the time.

Good luck with the repairs!

WOW, Yep this stuff is something that should not happen, and is just not fair. This stuff should only happen to ricers

Dan

[8WHEELER]

Hey Danno.

I had no idea.  I seen Mark mention something in his DC meet thread.

If you & I didn't have bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all. 



I've had the portable hand controls temporarily hooked up in my Charger & I did something very similar.   For that split second I thought, 'ah shit, there goes the central air & hot water heater.'  For whatever reason I was able to find the brake pedal but I was inches away from major house & car damage.

It's not easy driving a hand controlled rig when you're an able body.  I don't use hand controls in my Charger, instead I have a little 6" square wall I build out of aluminum stock mounted to the inside edge of the brake pedal.  It keeps my brake foot from sliding off onto the gas pedal.
My Magnum has hand controls & there's no way I can foot pedal it.  I'm an incomplete paraplegic so I have some function.



Most don't but you most definitely didn't deserve this...so sorry.

If I were you I'd be recording any & all conversations that have to do with the blue car.  Things are great now between you & the shop but it's not gonna take much & you'll be on their shit list.

Hey Mike, I was waiting for you    my wife has been driving these cars with the hand controls, for over 28 years, and never an issue. Her daily driver has had
them for the last 25 years. Out of all the times I have taken cars in for repair '' all having the same had controls, never a scratch. Heck you have seen my handicapped
van  not only does it have the same hand controls, there is no drivers seat, because I drive it from my chair, any no problems.

This also is the main reason I try and get all the repairs done in my own garage, on my own lifts     that is where I am,and the parts, never had any problem here.

Are you coming up to SIR?

Dan

[8WHEELER]

The shop got the first estimate in, $3,700.00    hell it took me three grilles and 3k just to make a mint grille    and that is the visible damage.
This is going to be interesting

Dan

[nvrbdn]

dang, thats all the parts and paint and labor?

[70 sublime]

For that price they are just looking at pulling out the bends and fixing what is there with bondo and glue the grill back together

[hemi-hampton]

You can pay that much for a NOS Fender probably. LEON.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Damn Dan sorry to see this....makes me sick to my stomach. 

[The70RT]

Sorry to hear, I would be telling them I want a nice originals on the hood and fender.

[Mike DC]

Sounds like you need to communicate with somebody.  


"Let's get something straight here - this is not a standard quick & dirty collision job.  This is re-restoring the front end of a classic car, one of those PITA situations where every inch of the car had been presentable inside & out.  You're not settling this for a figure that wouldn't even buy the parts alone."    

[8WHEELER]

dang, thats all the parts and paint and labor?

Yes parts, repair, paint and color match, and these guys tell me he only works on old cars, and is a two man shop  

If the insurance adjuster takes that amount to heart, we will have big problems.

Dab

[73rallye440magnum]

$3,700 won't go far. 

[Ryan]

Very sorry to read this.   

As for the $3,700 quote, it sounds like you need another quote from a shop that knows what they are doing. That amount is laughable at best.  Who is your insurance carrier?

[8WHEELER]

Very sorry to read this.  

As for the $3,700 quote, it sounds like you need another quote from a shop that knows what they are doing. That amount is laughable at best.  Who is your insurance carrier?

At the moment the shops insurance agent, as of today, is starting a work up. That estimate was from a local two guy shop, that these trany guys happen to know.
I still have not talked to those body guys, and have no intention to now. My State Farm agent will be taking over this joke.

The shop has Zurich Universal Underwriters Insurance, I had never heard of them before, but the two body shops I know have had good luck with them.

Zurich tells me I can take my car anywhere I choose for the repairs as of today. So that shop with the low bid will not be used  

Dan

[Mopar Nut]

I hope everything works out for you.