‘Living the Dream’ build - LESSON FOR ALL

[Cruzzz]

Hello friends - I’ve been absent on the forum since last June as it’s been hard to deal with what occurred last Summer and for legal reasons I couldn’t share my story. For those that were following along I had just completed my build (less paint) and had over 500 licensed miles including a few drives with several of you. Great times!

Now for what happened and a few lessons for everyone. While out for a short drive ‘around the block’ I came to a stop at a red light with an SUV in front and a commercial box truck stopped behind me. Even though the light was still red, the box truck for some reason accelerated into me and pushed the roadster into the SUV in front. Needless to say my car was totaled just 30 days after title and registration.

I wasn’t injured except for the devastation of just completing my car and now it was gone in a flash. Two key lessons I wanted to share is 1) some things are out of your control and 2) MAKE SURE YOU ARE INSURED EVEN BEFORE GO CARTING. Like many of you I too did several go cart rides before being insured, some on side streets. Should this accident have happened just 30 days earlier I would have been out big financially in addition to my mental devastation.

Now for the shining light…loss of the car was hard but not long after one of the better known roadsters came back on the market after the first buyer backed out. My car was almost a carbon copy (like many others had done) except it wasn’t a 20th Anniversary edition. So instead of rebuilding right away I took the opportunity to enjoy the driving time for now and bought a great car I was already very familiar with. Some day I would like to build my own again but for now I’ll count my blessings and hopefully this post will make a few think twice about driving before your car is insured.

Hope everyone has a great time at the London Cobra Show. Unfortunately I’ll miss this one but will be there next year.

Cruzzz

[silver_pilate]

Hate to hear of your loss. I'm always leary around other vehicles for this reason. Congrats on your purchase, and enjoy the ride!!

--Nathan

[egchewy79]

Whoa. That totally sucks. I'm glad you're OK and that you were insured. I'm up at torch lake this week and saw a black and silver cobra the other day. That wasn't you, was it?

[Cruzzz]

Hi chewy - Wasn’t me but hope I run into them some time. One of my regular drives is around Torch Lake. Just did a loop this evening. The Summer weather and country roads up here were made for these cars.

[WIS89]

Cruzzz-

Sorry for the loss of your hard work! It is difficult to imagine frankly, and I don't know if I could have bounced back as quickly!

However, I am thrilled that you found that silver lining in that very dark cloud. I don't suppose that new roadster is a certain shade of red somebody up your way likes to use on his cars, is it? If so, you got an amazing build, and I know it will serve you well!!

Best of luck with your new ride, and thanks for sharing some valuable advice. All the best!

Regards,

Steve

[GoDadGo]

Thank God You Are Alive & Well!

[Blitzboy54]

That is an incredible story. I would have been a mess. First thank goodness you were not hurt. Indecently, I saw a motorcycle years ago at a stop light get rear ended in the same way. He was at the light and the car accelerated into him. The driver hit the brakes immediately after contact but the guy went flying. He ended up being ok. Being low to the ground or in that case narrow people get distracted and look right through you.

Second, can you share a pic of your new ride? Would love to see it.

[Railroad]

It sounds like you have gotten past the incident and enjoying your new ride. I doubt you were interested in holding onto your built car, which the insurance co now owns, but did you ever consider buying it from them.
Unless your build got really compacted, I would think it is a trove of great parts for a build. Someone could really benefit, if the price is right.

[ggunter]

The exact same thing happened to me nine years ago. I had just finished a frame off resto on my 65 Corvette and was sitting at a light behind another car, when a girl texting slammed into me at about 40 mph,destroying my car. They had to cut me out of it and I ended up with a broken leg and hip and a bunch of cuts. (boy that was a long recovery) and now I am so gun shy sitting at lights. I never take my eye off of the rear view mirror and leave myself an out if they aren't going to stop. Besides the injuries the girl had minimum liability insurance and owned nothing so her insurance covered less then half of what I had in the car. Luckily my work medical covered almost all the injury costs or I would have been backrupt.

[BradCraig]

Good to hear! How was the insurance claim experience? Did you get what you thought was fair? Also, were you able to keep the car?

[Papa]

Cruzzz-

Sorry for the loss of your hard work! It is difficult to imagine frankly, and I don't know if I could have bounced back as quickly!

However, I am thrilled that you found that silver lining in that very dark cloud. I don't suppose that new roadster is a certain shade of red somebody up your way likes to use on his cars, is it? If so, you got an amazing build, and I know it will serve you well!!

Best of luck with your new ride, and thanks for sharing some valuable advice. All the best!

Regards,

Steve

I was thinking the exact same based on the circumstances described. If so, I agree that in spite of the accident, you came out the other end with a great car!

[JB in NOVA]

I'm really glad you're OK! Cars can be replaced; you cannot.

[D02G]

I was wondering where you went. Your build thread was great to follow and I used it as a resource for my build.

[Fman]

That is a huge bummer, sorry to hear about your car. Unfortunately we are in a world where you have to drive like people are going to constantly hit you, I see so many accidents at work which has me checking my rearview mirror constantly, especially in the Cobra while sitting at a signal light. These cars are so low to the ground its almost like driving a motorcycle, have had one close call where a lady just about pinched me into a curb with her bro dozer lifted F250 truck and drifted over into my lane. Had no idea I was next to her.

Glad you found a new ride and safe driving vibes your way!

[Railroad]

Not to get off subject, but my wife and I got rear ended last week. Similar situation, we were second out from the red light, been sitting about 30 sec and wham. Girl behind us must have started texting immediately on seeing the traffic stopped. Fortunately, not in the roadster, it was low impact, no air bags, minor plastic bumper damage, etc.
My saving grace, was I try to stop a car length from autos in front of me. My policeman brother, advised me to make this a habit, leaving room to get out of line if a shooting or car jacking situation occurred. In this case it also saved me front end damage and more insurance involvement.
Now if I could get those tailgaters from stopping 2 inches off my bumper. Cruzzz sounds fortunate with his incident.
Funny thing happened sitting at a railroad crossing. I left the car length gap in front of me, while the train passed. A car behind me, came around to take up the space. Somehow my car rolled up and the gap got too small.