more pics of my totaled 2002 - dialup beware

[PSloan]

a sad, sad day for me. she can not be repaired.

[Harv]

Yuck!

John

[ChrisN]

Glad you're physically o.k though.

[Vroomer]

Yes on all accounts. Glad you are okay and it's a sad day in 02Ville.

~Vroomer

[02fanatic]

Anything can be fixed, but expense always weighs into the picture. Hard fact is you can rebuild or purchase another car for much less.

Such a shame...but you are ok and that's what matters. Our little beloved "boxes on wheels" really can do their job when needed to "crush" in all the right places!

Be sure and save it for parts...so they can live on in another '02.

Good luck,

John

[Beaner7102]

Thats very sad Pat, I'm glad you were not injured - one life taken to save yours. Good luck with the insurance claims etc. Beaner7102

[Guest Anonymous]

both side marker reflectors survived intact despite being on badly damaged panels...I've seen that before and have often wondered why.

And it looks like the failure points on the hood's underside reinforcements and the hood latch both did their jobs--the hood crumped in the middle, the latch held and the hood didn't come through the windshield--as it would on the early cars.

While it looks pretty bad, I've seen cars much worse than that be resurrected--one here in Dayton got whacked in the front so hard the roof was wrinkled was redone so you can't tell it was ever damaged. And John Weese's car (Hugo) didn't look to swift when he dragged it out of a junkyard either.

Regardless, sorry it happened--and stay after the SOB who hit you until you've been made financally whole again.

cheers

mike

[Gordon]

Patrick,

Sucks to be you, been there and done that with my previous 02's. You didn't say if it was your fault or the other drivers. If it's your fault and you didn't have collision insurance (that's typical for a 30 year old car), then it really sucks. If it's your fault, you now have a parts car. If it's the other drivers fault, make sure you tell the insurance company that you want to buy your 02 back for salvage value. Everyone that has a 30 year old car needs a parts car. When my 02 was totaled by a driver running a red light, I bought it back for $500. So instead of getting a check for $3500 for a totalled car, I got a check for $3000 and they delivered the car to where ever I wanted. My 02 was hit in the front like yours, I totally stripped the car (interior, trunk lid, doors, window glass, rear bumper, etc..) and took a sawzall to the car, cut the 1/4 panels, roof (sunroof clip) rear panel, and spare tire well off the 02. Cut the front end off to facilitate pulling your engine out. Pull the gear box, rear end, trailing arms, etc... Your 02 should look like buzzards finished it off when you are through stripping it. Be aware that your gearbox may be scrambled eggs as a result of the front end collision. My 5 speed was good only for a boat anchor after the collision, the engine was put into another 02 and it's still running today.

Since you had a 76 02, their are some great deals on 76 02's out in CA since 76 is the only year of 02's that has to under go CA smog testing. 75 and earlier 02 are much more desirable here in CA and thier prices reflect that as compared to 76 02's.

I can show you ads for a good 76 2002 here in CA for about 1K, Keep looking in Craigslist, the 2002FAQ for sale forum, Collecter Car Trader Online. You'll find one.

You'll make lemonade out of lemons, trust me.

G-Man

74 tii

73 Bavaria

70 2800

[Guest Anonymous]

Not to be a TOTAL VULTURE, but when you are physically recovered and are looking for that tiny, tiny, tiny glass of very sour lemonade to make of the situation, I could really use that wiper motor. It is the one thing keeping me off the road here in rainy ORegon. Better that you survived (#1) and that your car could life on while preserving the life of its brethen, right?

When is it too soon to hit on the widow - at the funeral or at the wake?

TIA,

Mike (in Portland)

[eastsidebimmer]

stay with it, just don't rub thru the paint. That is a common mistake.

Just be happy, like Mike said, your hood didn't come thru your windshield!

Thanks for the heads up Mike, I'll be sure to duck down below the padded dash if I'm ever about to crash.

Ben

[oz_tom]

Its never nice for these things to happen and i hope you recover soon :-)

Tom