Z's really can fly, (unfortunately)

[5thhorsemann]

Well, I haven’t been here for a couple months, and there’s a good reason, I up and crashed my Z and have been so sick about it I couldn’t bring myself to go into the garage or come to this site.

I was driving the car HARD and it got away from me doing a 180 and leaving the pavement, taking air, and landing on top of a huge bolder that crushed the passenger side rocker and floor pan. The door was spared, but the top of the door sticks out about 3 inches at the top of the window frame. Remarkably the door still opens and closes and the car can still be driven around, I parked it in the garage after SLOWLEY driving it home from the tow yard. There are some suspension pops and clicks but the alignment really doesn’t seem to be out judging from the steering wheel and the chase car reporting no crab walking.

Considering all 4 wheels were off the ground when the flatbed showed up, I’m kind of amazed by that.

Anyway, once the weather warms up and the leg gets a bit stronger. I’ll tare it down and see how bad the damage really is, the insurance estimate was over $9000, so they totaled it and gave me a salvage title, but I‘m sure I can fix her. Once I get into it I’ll be looking for opinions on the damage

[jfa.series1]

Glad to hear you are OK (leg injury?), sorry about the car. Hopefully a good body and frame shop can get things trued up and get you a Phoenix car.

[psdenno]

Any lessons learned from that adventure that you'd care to share with us (insurance, legal, driving technique)?

Dennis

[5thhorsemann]

Broken ankel, tore up my knee and a nice shiner, other than that just bumps & bruises. The car is what really hurt.

[5thhorsemann]

Any lessons learned from that adventure that you'd care to share with us (insurance, legal, driving technique)?

Dennis

Hagerty was great, I learned a trick long ago that is worth sharing if you think they will total your car. Park the car in such a way that the adjuster can't get really good pictures of the damage, only allow them angles that make it look really bad. I parked mine between two pickup trucks so he couldn't get full on side views of the car, as a result that door sticking out made the damage look much much worse than it really is. When they put it up on salvage auction it went off really low and made the buy back as painless as possible.

As far as driving technique, Z's do not like sand and gravel when on tight curves, the front tires didn't give an inch, the rears on the other hand.....Let's just say I was going backwards before I could get to the brakes.

[hr369]

What kind of suspension mods do you have

And what kind of tires? Being airborne means

Very fast. How fast do you think

You were going? May have been black

Ice too. You sound like a very lucky

Guy. Had there been any large trees or poles

Where you landed, the outcome may have

Been far worse.

Hagerty was great, I learned a trick long ago that is worth sharing if you think they will total your car. Park the car in such a way that the adjuster can't get really good pictures of the damage, only allow them angles that make it look really bad. I parked mine between two pickup trucks so he couldn't get full on side views of the car, as a result that door sticking out made the damage look much much worse than it really is. When they put it up on salvage auction it went off really low and made the buy back as painless as possible.

As far as driving technique, Z's do not like sand and gravel when on tight curves, the front tires didn't give an inch, the rears on the other hand.....Let's just say I was going backwards before I could get to the brakes.

[5thhorsemann]

Wasn't going that fast, but was going very fast for the road I was on, about 60 to 70 mph. The car has stiff coilovers and 235/14 BF Goodrich tires, she usually sticks to the road really well. The terrain launched the car once I got into the grass at least 2 or 3 feet and I came down on the rock sideways on the second or third bounce. If there was anything in my way like a tree or pole, that would have been my a$$. Stupid, yes...Lucky, hell yes!

Edited February 22, 2013 by 5thhorsemann

[gnosez]

Been there, done that....

[SteveJ]

It's good to hear that you're still in one piece, despite the injuries. I hope it's worth repairing.

[Captain Obvious]

Woof. After all that work.

Glad you got off without more serious injury. :hurt:

I totaled my first Z many moons ago on 95 very close to you. Maybe there's something in the water?

[siteunseen]

Ruger wasn't involved in that crash was he? Sorry to hear your bad news. I broke my ankle in '85 and had the third ankle bone fusion done in 12/'01 and am about to have it done again, in the next few months. They seem to wear out the more active you are. I truly hope yours wasn't too bad, you'll feel that pain every time you take a step. All the best on the re mending and repairing.

Cliff

[MotoManMike]

Broken ankel, tore up my knee and a nice shiner, other than that just bumps & bruises. The car is what really hurt.

Very sorry to hear it. Hope you recover quickly and glad it wasn't any worse for you.