At the beginning of January, when we were having a couple of days of showers which froze over night, on my way home less than 1 minute away, actually right at the top of my development, I (for whatever reasoning was going on in my head) decided to downshift
BEFORE turning, which I
never do. If anything i'll downshift after the turn, anyway this is the result of a stupid mistake in the rain/possibly frozen part of the road. After I downshifted, the rearend kicked out, I decided rather than to hit the brakes and/or push in the clutch that I would simply counter-steer because I was getting used to having to do this whenever it was wet out, which after 3 tries to correct and failing miserably :BangHead:, I spun around and hit a tree with the rearend, bounced off of it, then went between the telephone pole and the metal wire that connects from the ground to the telephone pole, and ended up with the front end up against the small tree, pushing it over a tad bit. Now, after getting an absolutely outrageous estimate of $5200, I say outrageous because they want $455 for a USED stock rear bumper (i can get a urethane Saleen rear bumper for around $350ish brand new), about $14 for a new Ford emblem (there is nothing wrong with the current one other than it being attached to the damaged trunklid) and a bunch of other nonsense charges. After 2 different days at junkyards, for a little more than $100 I took about $1000 off of their estimate (trunklid & hydraulic lifts, a seat track, and 2 rear taillights). I was able to take off another $1500-2000 for some labor charges, and paint because I want to get a Saleen body kit and I figure I might as well wait to get it painted until I have all the bodywork done. So I think i'm going to find someone else who can replace the quarter panel, and repair the rest as well as put on aftermarket parts like the bumper. Alright, enough typing, on to the pics:
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2278457990068012994rHXoRz"><img src="
http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/25808/2278457990068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Mustang Smashed Rear"></a>
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2040452760068012994JMnODg"><img src="
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/17304/2040452760068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Driver's Quater + Rear"></a>
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2295342850068012994oIfPNl"><img src="
http://inlinethumb45.webshots.com/32428/2295342850068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Driver angled smashshot"></a>
This flat tire doesn't seem too unreasonable right?
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2686919520068012994TvYLZA"><img src="
http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/41008/2686919520068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Flat tire"></a>
What about the fact that it was demolished by god knows what...
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2418066220068012994eZoHEl"><img src="
http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/38228/2418066220068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Brokeded Rim"></a>
Apparently after hitting the curb with my rear tires, I managed to get the rearend airborne for a few feet:
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2997717380068012994QMCrgF"><img src="
http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/37624/2997717380068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Tire Marks 3"></a>
These tire marks in the street are from the tow truck's muddy tires after almost getting stuck in the mud, then molesting me with a $130 charge for towing it literally down the street:
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2960269880068012994SLfsNH"><img src="
http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/43404/2960269880068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Accident Street"></a>
Here's where the real magic took place, managing to make it through without harming anyone's property but my own...and Mother Nature's, of course:
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2731646300068012994kcSMlo"><img src="
http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/15433/2731646300068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="Thru the uprights"></a>
Don't ask me how I managed not to hit any other cars/people walking on the sidewalk/someone's fence to their backyard/the telephone pole. All I managed to hurt was my stang, 2 trees, and my neck/back/abs hurt for about a week afterwards, and my ego :crybaby2:
But to end on a positive note, here is a 4-way comparison shot of my 3rd brake light with about 4 coats of VHT Nightshades on it, just to try it out (this is a spare light, it came off of the new spoilerless trunk lid I bought) Tops = Brake light on (duh), Bottom = Brake light off (again, duh), Left side = no VHT, Right side = VHT Nightshades. I don't know about you guys, but in the picture at least, the one with VHT is actually brighter :dontknow:
<a href="
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2637782850068012994xIglui"><img src="
http://inlinethumb39.webshots.com/43878/2637782850068012994S500x500Q85.jpg" alt="3rd Brake Light Comparison"></a>
