Wow, so sad to see a car that has so much history with its owner meet its end in such a tragic way. I am sad for the loss of a beautiful car but happy that the car protected you from injury. I have not see one that hit that hard in a long time. Godspeed.

Frank,

Do not give up hope. I have some Series One parts that may help a fellow Texan get the car back on the road.

Keith

I'll try to answer your inquiries and will ask you guys a question or two as well.

Was driving in the left lane (of course) of a 4-lane tollway at the speed limit. Had I been going 10 over as I usually do, none of this would have happened. A landscape truck towing a trailer was in the far right lane. He was a few yards ahead of me, but traffic was light and there were no cars between us so I saw the trailer come off his truck and immediately veer, hard left. I immediately nailed the brakes but the changing trajectory of the trailer (a decreasing radius arc) made it impossible to avoid. Because of the impact, the Z was kicked 90 degrees to the right and with the momentum of my speed and the stickiness of my tires, instead of spinning I was sent scooting across the 3 remaining lanes of traffic toot-sweet, headlong into the jersey barrier. Brakes didn't help, as the right front wheel was broken and I had zero steering control. The entire front suspension had been wiped out.

Fortunately, witnesses of the event included two nurses on their way to work and I got more pulse taken and hand patting than I've had in a long time. Wouldn't let me get out of the car to survey the damage. EMS showed up, bolted me to a board and carted me off for CT and X-rays. All is well, but I can't sneeze without a lot of pain. Bruised ribs. They'll heal. But my baby is gone. Thank God for Hagerty. They've been with me four times today, checking on me, making sure I'm OK, explaining what'll happen next, etc.

Now a question of all of you that may know how stuff like this works. I do plan on getting another Z. I'm not going to go as deep into the "new" Z in terms of performance, though. There are a few things I'd like to garner off the now-deceased Z such as the ZX tranny (if it wasn't damaged), the .390 differential, some goo-gaws under the hood, the 2400 valve cover, maybe the carbs and manifold, you know, stuff like that. What and how do I discuss with the adjuster the removal of any item from the car? Any expertise you can lend will be greatly appreciated and used to the fullest extent possible.

Thanks for your comments and concerns. You guys truly are appreciated.

Frank

Edited March 12, 201213 yr by d240zx2

Thanks, Carl. If you would, please update your registry to reflect the demise of HLS30-00721. I know he'd appreciate the obituary....

Frank

I have never dealt with Hagerty, but I would ask the adjuster exactly what you asked us. They, better than anyone, should understand that there are a few parts worth keeping for your next Z. They might, however, offer you a buy-back. I totaled my wife's 4Runner in December when I hit a deer and I bought the wrecked truck back from State Farm. They said all or nothing as they wouldn't let me swap or take any individual parts. As much as it hurts to see your wrecked baby in the garage, a parts car is a huge benefit when building a new one. It looks like the hatch, rear bumper, rear suspension, much of the interior, the engine, trans, a few of the wheels, etc, etc are still good and can be reused.

First, really glad to hear you are fine. Second, WOW! Again, really glad you are fine and sorry see a Z in that condition.

Oh the horror...

From one 920 gold to another, this is almost an unbelievable loss. A beautiful car, now just a beautiful memory. Your description of the accident is horrific, glad you are OK. As unintentional as it might be, the crush on the front end is what probably saved you from serious harm. I'm sure the folks at Hagerty have previously entertained all the salvage questions you will come up with and those you might forget to ask. They will likely take good care of you.

Jim

You could always buy Randy's #797 with your payoff. It's not your #721, but she is pretty and you could grow to love her. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?45376-Yes-thats-me-on-EBay

Really sorry to hear about what happened but am greatful you're okay.

Ouch!!!

Glad to hear that you made it through OK. Knowing what car accidents were like back in the 70's I am always worried about the risk of a major collision.

I'm so glad you are safe. It is really heartbreaking about the car. I'm sure you can collect a lot of good parts from it. Is it legal to keep the VIN plate?